The last few years have probably felt familiar to many, with a constant blame game in the media attributing violence and crime to one thing or another. Those who lived through the 1980s likely remember the Satanic Panic that spread through the United States, where politicians blamed all sorts of things on kids and teenagers becoming obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and heavy metal music. This panic was reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials, which in turn were like the Red Scare of the 1950s. Now, we get to look back at this crazy era through a modern lens, thanks to Hysteria!

Created by Matthew Scott Kane, Hysteria! looks at a small Michigan town in the 1980s where the disappearance of a popular high school student leads to theories of devil worship and supernatural influences in the community. While some parents begin to experience strange phenomena, a trio of teens decide to pretend to be Satan worshippers to get popular and boost their band’s credibility. Needless to say, things go awry when actual Satanists are involved in the town and the rash of murders. As the supernatural evil comes into play opposite the very human evil that exists every day, everyone must face the truth threatening their town.

I got the chance to talk to the cast and creators of Hysteria! about their new series. The one and only Bruce Campbell talked about playing a role much more serious than the ones he is known for and what being a “special guest star” really means. Anna Camp and Nikki Hahn talked about playing mother and daughter, while Camp talked about iconic horror mothers that may have impacted her character. Creator Matthew Scott Kane talked about where he got the idea for Hysteria! while producer and writer David A. Goodman talked about his favorite parts of the series. Stars Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, and Kezii Curtis talked about similarities between their characters and those in Harry Potter and Stranger Things. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Hysteria! is now airing on Peacock. Read our review!

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Every studio and network is rolling out their genre offerings at that time of year. From horror to sci-fi to intense thrillers, everyone wants to scare you in October, and this new series by producer James Wan is at the top of the list. Based on the novel Stinger by Robert McCammon, Teacup is a perfectly scary story that is parsed out in thirty-minute chapters between now and Halloween.

Teacup tells the story of the Chenoweth family, who live on an isolated farmstead away from any populated areas. As Maggie and James deal with a rift in their marriage, their kids Arlo and Meryl are drawn into the fight as the neighboring Shanley family arrives with an injured horse. Soon, the two families are thrown into a mysterious conflict with a mysterious stranger who warns them that leaving their property could spell certain doom. As the story unfolds, we learn that what is about to happen to the Chenoweths has far-reaching implications for the entire world.

I got the chance to talk with the creator and cast of Teacup about the new series. Yvonne Strahovski talked about starring in a horror series and what it felt like as a parent of a small child. Scott Speedman discussed comparisons between this series and his work in The Strangers. Chaske Spencer and Rob Morgan reflected on their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how different this project was for both of them. Young stars Emilie Bierre and Caleb Dolden talked about playing kids in a horror story and how they forged a sibling bond. Series creator Ian McCulloch talked about long-term plans for the series past the first season and how he changed the narrative from the source material. Check out the full interviews in the embed above and read our review HERE.

Teacup is airing on Peacock now!

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The third season of the MGM+ series From debuted this week, and fans know that what happened changes the series’ dynamic while deepening the mythology. Taking a cue from Lost, From follows an ensemble of characters trapped in a mysterious location that may have a significance they are not aware of. Lines are drawn, factions created, and deaths are abundant as the audience and characters follow the same journey to discover what is happening in the creepy Township. Starting on Epix and now streaming on MGM+, From is a scary thriller that has returned just in time for Halloween.

Over the first two seasons of From, we have gotten to know various characters, including self-appointed sheriff Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau), the Matthews family, including Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and Jim (Eion Bailey), wealthy software developer Jade Herrera (David Alpay), the eerie Victor (Scott McCord), Boyd’s deputy Kenny (Ricky He), and many more. Characters have joined the cast, and others have been killed off, with the safety of everyone at risk from episode to episode. From is an intense serial that drops cliffhangers almost weekly and keeps you guessing what will come next.

I chatted with star and executive producer Harold Perrineau about his role in the series. Having appeared on Lost in a supporting capacity, I asked him what it was like stepping into the leader role and what lessons from Lost have carried over into this series. We also discussed the freedom of gore and profanity that comes with no longer airing on network television and we also chatted about a powerful scene early in the third season. Check out the full interview in the embed above.

From is now streaming with new episodes Sundays on MGM+.

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If you were an 80s kid, chances are that Time Bandits was a staple of your movie memories. The Terry Gilliam fantasy epic combined the wackiness of Monty Python comedy with an epic adventure through history. Produced by George Harrison, Time Bandits was the first part of a loose trilogy that includes Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. In the years since it premiered, Time Bandits has kept a cult following and is now back with a new iteration from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement.

In the new Time Bandits, Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) has few friends, and his family thinks his fascination with history is weird. When the Time Bandits, led by Penelope (Lisa Kudrow), land in his bedroom, Kevin joins the ragtag crew through various eras of history ranging from the Trojan War to Prohibition and beyond. On their trail are the forces of the Supreme Being (Taika Waititi) and Pure Evil (Jemaine Clement), who want the Bandits’ stolen map so they can reign over the whole universe.

I chatted with series creators and stars Waititi and Clement about their new take on the classic film. Taika Waititi, who also directed several episodes, talked about bringing the same whimsy and humor the duo brought to What We Do In The Shadows to a show appropriate for all ages. Jemaine Clement talked about how they chose which embodiments of good and evil they would play in the show and their memories of Terry Gilliam’s film. Check out the full interview in the embed above.

Time Bandits premieres on July 24th on AppleTV+.

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When it premiered on Netflix, Narcos became a massive hit. Following the rise of Pablo Escobar as the most powerful drug lord in Latin America, the series came from co-creators Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. Since the three-season series ended, we have gotten a Mexico-set spin-off and the promise of more. The creators have gone their separate ways with Miro running Netflix series Griselda, also based on a true story about the infamous title queenpin. Now, Brancato has reunited with Narcos director Guillermo Navarro for a new series, Hotel Cocaine, also inspired by a true crime tale but heavily fictionalized for a pulpy good time.

Set at the Hotel Mutiny in 1978, this Miami-set drama centers on Roman Compte, the hotel manager. Compte is a Cuban refugee who has forged a new life with his daughter. With drugs freely used through the hotel and at large, Compte is approached by DEA agent Zilio to get inside info from notorious Cuban druglord Nestor Cabal. Little does Zilio know, but Cabal and Compte are brothers. What follows is a complex series of double and triple crosses featuring cameos from historical figures who visited the hotel. Full of action, drama, and a good sense of humor, Hotel Cocaine is the disco-infused successor to Narcos that you never knew you needed.

I chatted with the cast and crew of Hotel Cocaine about the new series and how they found the voice of the era. Danny Pino and Yul Vasquez talked about the divide between brothers Roman and Nestor and how they balanced playing siblings. Series creator Chris Brancato and director Guillermo Navarro discussed why this series is not Narcos: Miami and how they chose the right places to fictionalize the story. Corina Bradley talked about playing a teenager who doesn’t know her father’s illegal dealings, while Tania Watson chatted about not playing a stereotypical wife character. Laura Gordon talked about returning to the 1970s after starring in Late Night With the Devil and how strong her character felt in what would have been a lesser role in an older series. Michael Chiklis talked about his approach to playing law enforcement differently than in other series. At the same time, Mark Feuerstein discussed playing scenes with actors portraying Hunter S. Thompson and Rick James and his instant classic scene involving cocaine, LSD, and elephants. Check out all the interviews in the embed above.

Hotel Cocaine premiered on June 16th on MGM+.

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Gus (Christian Convery) and Jepperd’s (Nonso Anozie) epic journey through a broken world overrun by sickness and crumbling salvation is at an end. With a new world order on the horizon, humankind could be on the brink of its last gasp as a new species ascends to dominion over land and sky. Netflix‘s Sweet Tooth is one of the streamer’s most eye-opening series as the story confronts the abuse of Mother Nature, the segregation of a marginalized hybrid community, and the promise of a new rise to power as humans cope with losing a Darwinian battle worldwide. Thankfully, gifted creators and actors from Sweet Tooth, including showrunner Jim Mickle, executive producers Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell, and actors Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, and Rosalind Chao, are here to usher us through the apocalypse.

Speaking with Jim, we get the exclusive scoop on the status of a Cold in July follow-up, which indie comic book property he’d adapt next, and what resonates with him about Sweet Tooth’s inspiring odyssey. For Christian and Nonso, we learn what props the duo kept after wrapping the series, how working on the show changed their faith in humanity, and what snacks they’d bring to the apocalypse. Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell discuss their motivation for getting Gus’s mission to the small screen, what goes into prepping a series as massive as Sweet Tooth, and the funniest “oops” of the show’s long-running production. Finally, we speak with the iconic Rosalind Chao about her villainous turn as Helen Zhang, a vile Cruella de Vil-like character, out to wipe Hybrids off the face of the Earth. Rosalind brings us behind the camera for her character’s most vicious scene, discusses interacting with the young cast, and more.

After watching the video, check out our spoiler-free review for Sweet Tooth Season 3. You will want to experience this incredible adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s post-apocalyptic fairytale of survival, evolution, and resetting the globe. It’s been a few weeks since I finished the series, and I’m still thinking about it. Please enjoy these fantastic discussions with the creators and cast. Speaking with them and digging deep into this emotional and inspiring story was an honor.

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SPOILER WARNING!

The Boys is easily one of the most popular shows on the air. Each season is anticipated with bated breath as the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-produced comic book adaptation keeps raising the bar on showing the most shocking visuals of any television program ever. Prime Video gave the series an early season four renewal, which audiences have been waiting for. The wait is over, as the eight-episode fourth season is set to premiere this week.

Season four of The Boys picks up after Victoria Neuman becomes the Vice Presidential candidate to the chagrin Huey (Jack Quaid), Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), and the rest of The Boys. With Homelander (Antony Starr) on trial for a very public murder, the world is divided between those who support the leader of The Seven and those who side with Annie “Starlight” January (Erin Moriarty). This season furthers the divide between the factions as the world takes sides and risks an implosion of society. We have new heroes and villains with unique powers who will do anything, including murder, to become famous.

I got to speak with many of the cast of the new season of The Boys about what is in store this season. Keep in mind that there are (minor) spoilers in these interviews, so proceed with caution. Chace Crawford and Antony Starr discussed where we find The Deep and Homelander this season, including The Deep’s romantic subplot and Homelander’s follicle kryptonite. Claudia Doumit talked about playing a character we love to despise, and Erin Moriarty talked about Annie January and getting to play against type this season. Karen Fukuhara talked about Kimiko’s violent ends this year. Colby Minifie talked about what she must do as Ashley Barrett this season and what may be in store next. Valorie Curry talked about alt-right inspirations in playing Firecracker, while Susan Heyward talked about playing the smartest woman in the world. I also talked with Eric Kripke about who he would love to have joined the series in the future and the potential ending point for the series. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

The Boys premieres with three episodes on June 13th on Prime Video.

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In 2003, Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black introduced the world to the Grace family. After they move into the Spiderwick Estate, things get fantastical for twins Simon and Jared, as well as older sister Mallory. It was only the beginning of this magical story. With the books and a feature film release in 2008, the stories are back. After originally being produced for Disney Plus, The Spiderwick Chronicles series has found a home this weekend on Roku. Showrunner Aron Eli Coleite looked to expand on the world, with the help of its creators. And the impressive cast led by Christian Slater and Joy Bryant, are all in on the fantasy.

Recently, we had the great joy of speaking with the fine folks that brought Spiderwick to life. First up, we sat down with DiTerlizzi and Black. The authors discussed the excitement of expanding the world they created. During the conversation, Mr. DiTerlizzi showed JoBlo a little love during the course of the interview. And with the series hitting Roku, we spoke with Coleite about working with the creators of the series, and putting more focus on the characters than the feature film that came out before.

Next up, we spoke to Christian Slater and Joy Bryant. And they were fantastic. Even though I’d never interviewed Mr. Slater before, I did met him years before. After a nostalgic music store discussion, Joy and Christian opened up about taking on this magical tale. As well, we spoke to Lyon Daniels, Mychala Lee, and Noah Cottrell about playing the Grace family children. The three young actors were terrific to speak with, and they opened up about the excitement of being a part of this.

And finally, we talked to one of my favorite fellas to interview, Jack Dylan Grazer, and his talented co-star, Alyvia Alyn Lind. It’s always a joy to chat with Jack, and he talked about playing the magical little creature, Thimbletack. As for Ms. Lind, she opened up about playing an original role to the television series. Since they could expand the stories, with the help of the original authors, it made it easier to build an even bigger world for these characters. Check out The Spiderwick Chronicles, available on Roku now. Read our review of the show HERE.

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With the first episode of The Sympathizer premiering this past weekend on HBO, the world is seeing just how wild this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is. A stunning blend of war story, satire, and powerful drama, The Sympathizer boasts impressive performances from a cast featuring Hoa Xuande, Sandra Oh, and Robert Downey Jr in five distinct performances. Written by Don McKellar alongside Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, The Sympathizer is incredible. The seven-part series will be a big contender for series of the year. I got the chance to speak with the cast and producers about bringing the book to the screen, and their insights are below. Check it out.

First, I asked Sandra Oh about her layered experience making recent films like Umma, which focused on Korean identity, and the comedy Quiz Lady with Awkwafina, which touched on race and culture without making it a central part of the plot. With The Sympathizer, those elements are blended together. I asked how she balanced light and dark in playing a character like Sofia Mori.

Sandra Oh: “I think I’ll answer it by saying that I feel Miss Mori is a full character. I understood the tone of the piece. There is satire going on, but that’s actually mostly played by Robert Downey Jr’s characters. The satire is mostly in those archetypal pieces. So, for me, I’ve tried to make it as grounded as possible, and if you saw all the episodes, you’ll come to find that she has a revelation. And also a deepening of her examination of what it means to be an Asian American woman. So I’d say it’s not so much that I must balance it. She herself, I think, was already balanced. Yeah.”

Next up, I spoke with executive producers Susan Downey and Niv Fichman. I started by letting Susan know my wife went to high school with her and was in her creative writing class, giving the super-producer a flashback to a long time ago. I then asked them if the plan was always to focus on adapting The Sympathizer as a standalone series or whether they had considered building the sequel novel into their plans.

Susan Downey: “It really was just adapting The Sympathizer, and that was it. The fact that there are additional books is exciting to me and Niv. But just for us right now, there have been no official conversations about doing anything with any of these projects. It’s important to launch that first one correctly, keep your eye on that, and not think too far beyond that. So our hope is that an audience finds this, loves it, and demands more of the Captain.”

Niv Fichman: “Yeah, I mean, if you read The Sympathizer, the second book, it’s so different from the first. And so we just have not been in that creative space yet, you know, we hope to go there one day. But yeah, we’re concentrating on this series premiering. We’re actually still finishing the show. I think you have all seven episodes, but the final ones are not the fully mixed versions, as you know. So yeah, a couple more weeks on this post-production, even though we’re launching it tonight, before we even consider what comes next.”

The Captain’s best friends, Bon and Man, are two key supporting characters in the series. Bon, played by Fred Nguyen Khan, and Man, played by Duy Nguyen, do not get to share much screen time, but their paths in the series are individually very harrowing and dramatic. The two share a memorable scene towards the end of the final episode, and I asked the actors what that sequence was like to film opposite one another.

Fred Nguyen Khan: “It was a weird way to shoot actually because when I was acting towards the camera, he, Duy, wasn’t there. We shot it at a different time. Yeah, we shot at different times. So, I was just picturing one of my closest friends lying there. It’s just like it does trigger the emotion that I needed.”

Duy Nguyen: “So that’s actually one of the last things we shot. It was towards the last stretch of the production. So everybody’s gotten so close and so it was easy to draw the emotion needed. Even in episode one, you know, to me, it was the emotion came out easily just because I have Fred on set with me and also how, how heartbreaking the story is. Just really imagining my friends seeing me for the last time and maybe we’ll never see each other again. We shot that very quickly just because you don’t even have to give me notes. Just tell me where to look and I just imagine Fred and that was it.”

I also chatted with veteran actors Toan Le, who portrays the Captain’s boss, The General, and Ky Duyen, who portrays The General’s wife, Madame. I also spoke with Vy Le, a new actor who plays the General and Madame’s daughter, Lana. I asked all three about which other castmember in the series they were impressed by on set.

Toan Le: “I think it has to be Hoa who plays the Captain. Even though Hoa has had experience, but never in a project this big that is so demanding. Not just remembering the lines but the lines in two languages and be able to speak both eloquently. But he did it, you know, he had no time to prepare for it. Every day, just pounding it and just but the result is is just incredible that he has achieved. So I have a lot of admiration for Hoa and his abilities.”

Ky Duyen: “Yeah, I the same thing for Hoa. But since you already said all the good things about Hoa, the two actually three other people that I’m impressed with are the ones on either side of me. First of all, Toan Le because he’s so mild-mannered outside. Yet as the General, he’s like nothing like the General on the outside. So that shows me his acting ability is incredible. A second person I was impressed by is Vy Le, who has never acted before. But to see her, she is so natural. She makes it effortless. The third person I was impressed with was Duy Nguyen because, outside again, he’s so soft-spoken. He’s nice. Just when I watched him on the screen, I was scared there were parts where I would fast forward, and he just embodied this evil character and, wow, just the range of acting beside what they’re really like outside. So, yeah, those are my favorites.

Vy Le: “I could sit here and talk about every single person on the cast for hours. But, I was, I think I was most struck by, Robert Downey Jr and Sandra Oh. Honestly, they are just masters of their craft. They knew exactly what they were doing. They really took command of, of, you know, their work and the, the room, and they just, it was very inspiring. It was just watching them. That’s how I knew. Like that’s what I aspired to be like.”

Last up, I spoke with longtime actor Kieu Chinh, who has been in films for decades, including a role in The Joy Luck Club, about her role as The Major’s Mother. She was accompanied by Phanxine, who plays her son, The Major. I asked Kieu about a comment she made about all of the interesting projects led by Asian casts, including Everything Everywhere All At Once and Crazy Rich Asians, and if she thinks there is a realism in The Sympathizer that Vietnamese audiences will recognize and whether they will have difficult watching some of the more horrific scenes.

Kieu Chinh: “Yes, some, some are so real, so related to the history. But that’s not all; like in the movie you follow later, you will see that this is about espionage, loyal betrayal, loving, and fun together. I know it, it is not about only war; of course, it is based on a war story. So it’s there. And this is the first time you know, years back when you see a movie or series related to Asian faces. For example, long years back, you see The King and I with Yul Brynner, a Caucasian playing an Asian. But nowadays, Hollywood casts Asian for Asian, Vietnamese for Vietnamese roles. So that is a big change that, that we are are very happy about it. And we see that especially in The Sympathizer, the Asian community comes together like an ensemble. Director Park from Korea, and Sandra OH and the primarily Vietnamese cast. We are all actors working together. We don’t talk about nationality or discrimination or something like that anymore. And I believe it’s about time because movie language is international. So especially in this project, we have an ensemble of many different nationalities working together in front of the camera and behind the camera.”

Phanxine: “Even though this is like a fictional fantasy in a way, they have true emotion. For example, I tell you the story; there’s one extra I met on set. We played, we’re doing the scene at the refugee camp where, you know, like the General comes and one lady stands up and yells at the general. This extra came to me, and we chatted and she said that, like in the script, it calls for an angry woman. So she’s supposed to be very angry. Still, then when the camera rolls, she feltlike all her memories about those days when she was in the refugee camp just like come back to her in that moment, and she keeps reliving that moment again, and she can’t hold her tears, and instead of angry, she feels like really hurt, really sad. When she said the line, she was in tears. She told me that when she did that, she worried that Director Park was really mad at her because she was supposed to be angry. But Director Park came in and said he loved it; it was amazing. I was born after the war, and I live in Vietnam. So that is a part of the story I don’t know, but this woman had that emotion. I feel like maybe this series when it comes out, people will talk about this kind of like the untold story of many people. And then, like in my generation, we will have a chance to hear this story again.”

The Sympathizer is now airing on HBO and streaming on Max.

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Video game adaptations come in two flavors: crap and brilliance. For a long time, games were considered cash grabs that did not take advantage of the brilliant concepts and stories they told in a different medium. In recent years, that perspective has changed as producers have found creative homes for properties to tell everything from big-screen epics to animated fare and long-form series storytelling. The latest addition to the growing genre is Fallout. Adapted from the three-decade-old franchise, Fallout exists within the world of video games but expands into a fully original story with all new characters. With the full season streaming on Prime Video, audiences are finding this new series is the real deal.

Fallout tells the story of Lucy Mclean (Ella Purnell), a Vaultie living in the post-apocalyptic wasteland that was the United States. When her father is abducted, Lucy ventures into the world where she must rescue her dad while exploring the surface world. Discovering that things are very different outside of the Vault, Lucy runs across Maximu (Aaron Moten), a knight of the Brotherhood of Steel, and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), an irradiated bounty hunter whose past goes back to the early days of the nuclear apocalypse. All three characters converge in a massive story that spans new environments and familiar ones for fans of the games.

I got the chance to discuss Fallout with the stars and creative talent behind the series. Showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet & Graham Wagner talked about how they found the humor to blend with the action in the great world of the video game while also creating an original tale. Ella Purnell talked about Lucy’s badass journey and Aaron Moten talked about the cool suit of armor he dons in the series. Michael Emerson discussed his pivotal role and a powerful scene he has with virtually no dialogue. Producer and director Jonathan Nolan discussed his visual approach to the series and how it connects to his work with his brother, Christopher Nolan. Check out the full interviews in the embed above and our review of the show HERE.

Fallout is now streaming on Prime Video.

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