• 46 minutes 32 seconds
    Spike Lee

    Happy Independence Day. Spike Lee joined Franklin and Kate to talk about narrative filmmaking, his longtime collaborators, and the movement for Black lives. From Do the Right Thing, to Malcolm X, to Bamboozled, to his ilm for Netflix, Da 5 Bloods, the trio talks about how culture talks to movies, and how movies talk back to the culture.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This episode first aired in mid-2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 

    +Do The Right Thing: rottentomatoes.com/m/do_the_right_thing

    +Malcom X: rottentomatoes.com/m/1042135-malcolm_x

    +Bamboozled: rottentomatoes.com/m/bamboozled

    +Da 5 Bloods: netflix.com/title/81045635

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 July 2025, 4:04 am
  • 41 minutes 38 seconds
    Director Kirby Dick

    Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee Kirby Dick joins Kate and Franklin for a riveting conversation about the role of investigative journalism in film and the responsibility of storytellers to speak truth to power. The acclaimed director, known for his groundbreaking work exposing abuse and institutional cover-ups, discusses the #MeToo movement, his HBO Max documentary On the Record (co-directed by Amy Ziering), and why he “doesn’t love movies”—at least not in the conventional sense. From navigating social issues to challenging powerful institutions, Kirby unpacks the ethics, impact, and urgency behind his change-making work.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place in 2021. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 July 2025, 4:04 am
  • 39 minutes 10 seconds
    Kaufman Charlie, Screenwriter with an Eternally Spotless and Brilliant Mind

    Maybe you love Adaptation, or Synechdoche, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.The prolific screenwriter Charlie Kaufman discusses some of the diverse and notable projects of his career, starting with his early days as a staff writer for shows like Get A Life, and The Dana Carvey Show. He also recounts the unbelievable, and ultimately life-changing story of his screenplay for Being John Malkovich, a film that nobody initially wanted to make. Franklin and Kate dive with Charlie into the continued fan love for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (for which Kaufman won a writing Oscar), the reactions they all have to Adaptation, and wrap up with a discussion of the Jessie Buckley/Jesse Plemons film I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and so much more. 


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place during 2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 June 2025, 9:32 pm
  • 36 minutes 27 seconds
    Classic Couch Watches, and Reads, from Franklin and Kate

    When cultural tastemakers get stuck inside what do they watch, read, or play? In this throwback episode that has since become a classic, Franklin and Kate talk to each other about the things they discovered or rediscovered during lockdown. From Animal Crossing and Sarah Cooper, to Ted Lasso and Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You, you'll have some new gems to add to your list. See the show notes for more details! 

    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This convo took place in 2020. Learn more about The Black List, visit ⁠www.blcklst.com.⁠

    Mentions: 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 June 2025, 4:04 am
  • 41 minutes 25 seconds
    Actor and Director Jay Ellis

    Actor and director Jay Ellis joins Kate and Franklin for some real talk. Jay opens up about starring in Top Gun: Maverick and how becoming a father has shifted his perspective on life and work. He also reflects on his iconic role as Lawrence in Insecure—including some truly wild fan encounters—and takes us behind the scenes of his directorial debut on the show. The trio covers career milestones, Mel Brooks, and the magic of storytelling. Plus, in one of the most unexpected turns, Jay shares how Spaceballs (yes, Spaceballs) first made him fall in love with acting.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This episode was originally published in 2020, behind a paywall. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com. 


    Mentions:

    +Insecure: https://www.hbo.com/insecure 

    +Top Gun: https://shadowandact.com/new-top-gun-maverick-trailer-shows-at-jay-ellis-in-tom-cruise-sequel 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 June 2025, 9:04 pm
  • 45 minutes 59 seconds
    Screenwriter and Playwright Jeremy O. Harris: Scrjpting High-Low Culture

    Jeremy O. Harris joins Kate and Franklin to talk about eliciting polarized audience reactions to Slave Play, describes his co-writing process with Janicza Bravo on Zola and talks about accessing the fascinating intersections of high and low culture, and so much more. 


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place in 2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 

    +Slave Play: http://slaveplaybroadway.com

    +Zola: http://rottentomatoes.com/m/zola

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 June 2025, 4:04 am
  • 37 minutes 32 seconds
    Writer Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)

    Academy award winning writer and director Lee Isaac Chung joins Kate and Franklin to talk about the trip to Rwanda that changed his filmmaking trajectory, his deep admiration for Charlie Chaplin and Wong Kar-wai, the making of his irresisitable Minari, and so much more. 

    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place in 2020 To learn more about The Black List, visit ⁠www.blcklst.com.⁠

    Mentions: 


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 May 2025, 4:04 am
  • 57 minutes 56 seconds
    Horror Films and Women Who Make Them

    A very special encore. Kate talks to Barbara Crampton, BJ Colangelo, and Gigi Saul Gurerro about their lives in the horror community, what they're working on, what types of stories they'd like to see told about women in horror, and so much more.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation is from 2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 May 2025, 7:11 pm
  • 51 minutes 42 seconds
    Soledad O'Brien and Franklin Look Back

    Encore episode with award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien. She joins Franklin for a conversation about growing up Black, her approach to documentary filmmaking, the state of journalism in the Trump era, and so much more.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation was recorded in 2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions:

    +New York Times, Soledad O'Brien: A Me Too Movement for Journalists of Color, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/opinion/soledad-obrien-racism-journalism.html

    +Black in America: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/in.america/black.in.america/

    +Latino in America: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/latino.in.america/  

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 May 2025, 4:04 am
  • 45 minutes 13 seconds
    Canals Steven

    [Encore] Kate and Franklin sit down with Steven Canals, the brilliant mind behind Pose, to talk about growing up Afro-Latinx in the Boogie Down Bronx, why Cardi B is everything, and how a 2004 screening of Paris is Burning lit the spark that would eventually become one of TV’s most groundbreaking shows. They dig into the complicated, beautiful realities of intersectional identity, the tough questions that came up in the Pose writers’ room, and how Steven stayed true to his vision every step of the way. Plus, he drops some incredible answers to the Black List Pod questionnaire — including a wild (and amazing) mash-up of The Color Purple and Transformers.



    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place in 2021.To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 

    +Pose: fxnetworks.com/shows/pose

    +Paris is Burning: rottentomatoes.com/m/paris_is_burning

    +The Color Purple: rottentomatoes.com/m/color_purple

    +Terminator: rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 April 2025, 4:04 am
  • 52 minutes 19 seconds
    Ramy, Robin, Billy: Art, Identity, and Boundaries

    In a special Emmy-themed roundtable, Franklin and Kate welcome three powerhouse creators—Billy Porter (Pose), Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show), and Ramy Youssef (Ramy)—for an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation recorded just ahead of the 72nd Annual Emmy Awards. This episode breaks the usual format to let the magic of the moment unfold. The trio dives into what it means to bring their full selves to the screen, the evolving responsibility of the artist, and the lessons they’d share with their younger selves. (As Billy memorably puts it: “A b*tch has to have boundaries!”)

    It’s raw, real, and refreshingly honest—touching on identity, representation, and the complexity behind creating truly authentic work. As Kate says, “We just got out of the way and let it flow.” And flow it does.


    Questions? Comments? Criticism? Hit us up on social media at @theblcklst.

    This conversation took place in 2020. To learn more about The Black List, visit www.blcklst.com.


    Mentions: 

    +Pose: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/pose 

    +A Black Lady Sketch Show: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/a_black_lady_sketch_show 

    +Ramy: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ramy 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 April 2025, 12:56 am
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