Ep. 21 - Jeremy Robbins on The Purge, Aftermath and Barry Sonnenfeld

Explicit content warning

10/07/22 • 55 min

Writer and director Jeremy Robbins was Story Editor for two seasons of the Blumhouse horror anthology series — The Purge — based on the successful film franchise (grossing $500M+ worldwide) of the same name; he worked closely with James DeMonaco, creator of the franchise, in allowing viewers to explore a time in which all crime is declared legal for a 12 hour period. The show aired on USA Network and Hulu, and has featured actors including Gabriel Chavarria, Lee Allen Tergesen, Derek Luke and William Baldwin through its run. Prior to The Purge, Jeremy wrote and directed the acclaimed short films Newsworthy and Aftermath, both featuring his younger brother Noah Robbins (The Trial of the Chicago 7; Indignation; Miss Sloane; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and the latter featuring Will Rogers (Bridge of Spies; A Rainy Day in New York), both in standout performances. He also wrote APEX, the pulse-pounding wilderness thriller about “man, woman and nature” which was featured on The Blacklist in 2021. A BA graduate from Yale, Jeremy returned to Columbia, where he earned his MFA in Film, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Film. We discuss his family’s encouragement for the arts; the seeds which lay the foundation for his desire to attend film school; writing for a major television show; working with Barry Sonnenfeld and Adam McKay; and retaining authenticity as an artist, writer and director.

Opening Credits: 1st Contact - Seeds of Life; Closing Credits: HoliznaCC0 - Manic WarLord Mother

Opening Credits: 1st Contact - Seeds of Life; Closing Credits: HoliznaCC0 - Manic WarLord Mother

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Ep. 20 - David Klass on Out of Time, Kiss the Girls and Walking Tall

Prolific writer David Klass has explored his unique, exquisite talent for storytelling throughout his career in a plethora of literary media. Since his debut publication, The Atami Dragons, David’s 20 novels have navigated the nuances of themes which include complicated father-son relationships; differences between eco-terrorism and environmentalism; and team dynamics. David’s own significant athletic background nearly always seems to make its way into his novels, which enhances the medium through which his characters communicate with each other. His bibliography includes You don’t know me, named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Firestorm, the first book to be endorsed by Greenpeace which was optioned by Warner Bros; Danger Zone; and the transcendent environmental thriller Out of Time. He has written over 40 Hollywood films which include Kiss the Girls (Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn); Desperate Measures (Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Marcia Gay Harden); In the Time of the Butterflies (Salma Hayek, Edward James Almos, Demian Najera); Walking Tall (Dwayne Johnson; Johnny Knoxville); Runaway Virus; Emperor (Tommy Lee Jones); and Shelter in the Storm, which he also directed. He has written and produced Law & Order: Criminal Intent; and developed several works for television, including Austen’s Razor for CBS and ABC. He is currently the Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Theatre and Film and Co-Head of the Television Writing Concentration at Columbia University. In our conversation, we discussed the difference between writing for film and in the novelistic form; his family pedigree, which includes several accomplished writers; and his incredible journey from Yale to Hollywood.

Opening Credits: M33 Project - Obstination; Closing Credits: Hernán Samá & Marcelo von Schultz - cósmos

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Ep. 22 - Kevin Isola on Billions, The New Bozena and Shakespearean Clowning

Kevin Isola is a self-described journeyman actor, who has experienced great longevity in several media, including theatre, television and film. The Pasadena native attended Duke University, and consequently studied acting at NYU-Tisch, where he discovered the value of being freed-up creatively through faculty who mentored and pushed his creative strengths. We discuss a major moment in his career, which came when he played Rev in the hit 1997 play, The New Bozena, alongside friends and Tisch classmates David Costabile (Lincoln; Billions; Breaking Bad; Low Winter Sun), Michael Dahlen (Blue Man Group; Men in Black II); and Rainn Wilson (The Office; Super; Juno), the latter serving as director. The experience was a trial by fire of navigating an original, creative property which flourished in New York to its sale to Twentieth Century Fox, and being immersed into the Hollywood system. In theatre, Kevin has appeared in WASP and Other Plays (Written by Steve Martin); Twelfth Night; Brooklyn Boy (on Broadway); Accidental Death of an Anarchist; Venus; and Everett Beekin (by Obie Award winner Evan Yionoulis). He was recently in Our Lady of 121st Street (Off-Broadway) and Life Sucks, a reimagined adaptation of the Anton Chekhov classic Uncle Vanya, in which he played Vanya. He has appeared in films such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey); Blumenthal (Brian Cox); and Academy Boyz (Ed Asner). His numerous television credits include Billions; Damages; Fringe; Boston Legal; Elementary; Bull; and Law & Order. He has returned to his alma mater, Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where he previously earned an MFA, as Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Acting Department to teach courses on Shakespeare’s Clowns and Advanced Clowning Techniques. In our talk, we discuss his unique journey into several of these creative experiences, including developing recurring character arcs on television; finding himself on the stage through genuine mentors; the evolution of clowning; the irreverant comedy of the web-series Mommy Blogger (Tricia Paoluccio); and working with Glenn Close, Damian Lewis and C.J. Wilson.

Opening Credits: UP Paolo Pavan Pasqualino Ubaldini - 06 five special blues; Closing Credits: Another Brick - 1. Refraction