SnarkMonkey

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#35 - Spandau Ballet Jul 31, 2015

Show notes

For American audiences the 80s band Spandau Ballet seemingly came out of nowhere, but in the U.K. they had achieved a reputation for marrying soulful, beat-driven music with a sense of fashion and style as part of the New Romantics scene. Thanks largely to MTV, American audiences - and the rest of the world - embraced their massive hits "True" and "Gold" which sent them on tour around the world, including a high-profile spot on stage at Live Aid in 1985. But tension began to creep in. Their 1989 album Heart Like A Sky was a disappointment. Chief songwriter/guitarist Gary Kemp and his brother, bass player Martin Kemp, went off to shoot a high-profile film based on the real-life British gangsters The Krays. The band called it quits.

Chatting with Gary Kemp, John Keeble

Years later a court case over royalties drove an even bigger wedge between them. But in 2009 all five members put aside their differences and, after almost twenty years, re-formed to make new music and go on tour.

with John Keeble, Steve Norman

Their fascinating journey from the earliest days coming out of a punk and disco club scene in London in the late 70s to feeling stronger than ever about their music as they each reach their mid-50s is documented in the fascinating film Soul Boys Of The Western World.

Here, Gary Kemp, drummer John Keeble and multi-instrumentalist Steve Norman (the man responsible for that sweet sax solo in "True") sit down to reminisce and look forward. Enjoy! -LM

Go to SpandauBallet.com - follow them on Twitter @SpandauBallet - Like 'em on Facebook

Above, trailer for the excellent doc about the band Soul Boys of the Western World and, below, my personal fave Spandau song... "Gold"

We reference in the podcast a new film starring Tom Hardy as the infamous British gangsters, but in 1991 it was Gary and Martin Kemp who portrayed The Krays in this excellent film...

#34 - Trey Callaway Jul 25, 2015

Show notes

Writer/Producer Trey Callaway comes into the MonkeyCage with some good talk about being a working creative type in Hollywood - and, wow, what a wide range of stuff this guy has done; a Teen Slasher Movie (the script for I Still Know What You Did Last Summer), a Sci-Fi Medical Drama (Mercy Point), a Police Procedural (CSI: New York), an Action-Adventure Drama (Revolution) and the series that just had its untimely finale after one season, The Messengers. He's also a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts imparting his wisdom to young creative minds.

Trey's journey has taken lots of interesting twists and turns; coming out of radio, of all things, in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma where he was inspired by Star Wars to the training ground of USC's film school, to a short-lived career in advertising and being a part of the Corman B-movie canon.

We cover a lot of ground in this hour-plus conversation, but you'll get some great insight into the value of seeking variety in your creative life and Trey's enthusiasm for how he approaches his work (and life) is inspiring and infectious.

He also makes a pretty darn good pitch for why the new series he's working on - the TV reboot of the Rush Hour film series on CBS - will be worth watching.

Enjoy! -LM

You can follow Trey on Twitter @TreyCallaway

#33 - David Isaacs Jul 16, 2015

Show notes

David Isaacs is a writer and producer who was part of two of the most iconic television sitcoms of all time (M*A*S*H*, Cheers) as well as having a hand in scripts for shows like Frasier, Becker, Wings, Mad Men and many others - a lot of those scripts with partner (and previous SnarkMonkey guest) Ken Levine.

As a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts he helped establish a Comedy Initiative and imparts his knowledge and wisdom to a new generation of hopefuls looking to break into comedy writing for television.

We talk about how he adapted to a move from New York to Florida as a boy, how he and writing partner Levine found each other after growing up on opposite coasts, how Woody Allen inspired his creative thinking, plus we get pretty down, dirty and nerdy picking apart Cheers (in a good way.)

David gives great insight, instruction and inside info on what it takes to be serious about being funny. Enjoy! -LM

#32 - Jeff Altman Jul 03, 2015

Show notes

Jeff Altman is a stand-up comedian and actor who has been seen on television for years - especially through the late 70s into the early 90s - and most notably on Late Night and then The Late Show with his close friend David Letterman.

Jeff talks about his start in comedy via The Comedy Store when it was just in its infancy, his passion for magic and sleight-of-hand, his close friendship with Letterman, the time he turned down Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show...and, yes...the notoriously bad 70s variety show known as Pink Lady & Jeff. And we find out, once and for all, was his dad really a guy who would get so mad he'd threaten to "flip you like a cheese omelette."

Take a fascinating journey through the days of the stand-up comedy explosion with the fun, funny and magical Jeff Altman. Enjoy! -LM

Vintage Jeff Altman with his buddy Dave from 1987

This is painful - but fascinating. The short-lived NBC variety show, Pink Lady & Jeff. It's not Jeff's fault...it's really not...

#31 - Brad Hall Jun 21, 2015

Show notes

Brad Hall is an actor/writer/producer/director, alumnus of SNL, part-time rock 'n' roller and husband to some lady named Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Hear how he went from being the son of an Episcopal priest in sunny Santa Barbara to the comedy hotbed and serious theater scene of Chicago to then be plugged into the cast of Saturday Night Live (at the high-profile Weekend Update desk, no less.)

After two rocky seasons there he went on to work mostly behind the scenes in film and television, including shows like the critically-acclaimed Brooklyn Bridge and the "Must See TV"-era The Single Guy.

Brad's journey in entertainment has highs and lows and he tells his story with great insight, humor...and MUSIC! The first SnarkMonkey guest to perform live, Brad breaks out the guitar to play his hit viral tune "Don't Be An Asshole" and more. (He also address the rumor that his wife is a billionaire heiress. SPOILER ALERT: Not true.) Enjoy! -LM

Here's the SNL MTV Video parody we reference: "Look At Our Video"

Here's Brad manning the SNL National Phone-In Democratic Primary Desk

See more about the documentary Generosity of Eye here.

And here's Brad's performance of his song filled with good advice to seniors at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass.

#30 - Michael Reagan Jun 15, 2015

Show notes

As the adopted son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, he grew up as part of Hollywood Royalty, but Michael Reagan's story is much more than just that. Getting no leg up from him famous father, Michael found himself knocking around in a series of jobs and occupations until he landed in radio in the 90s which led to the nationally syndicated Michael Reagan Show.

I have a frank talk with Michael about the not-so-glamorous side of growing up amongst the stars in Beverly Hills, the struggle to find his own identity, the media that tends to hijack the name of his father, and much more.

Michael is currently active in a number of causes, including the Normandy Museum, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and awarding USS Ronald Reagan Scholarships as part of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Learn more on their website here.

Follow Michael on Twitter @ReaganWorld

#29 - Jeff Greenstein Jun 06, 2015

Show notes

Jeff is a successful writer, producer and director who has had a major hand in shows like, oh, I don't know, maybe you've heard of a little something called Friends? Will & Grace, hmmm? Desperate Housewives, anybody? And most recently, as a director, a big part of the multi-cam hit Mom.

But Jeff's path to showbiz is unique in that, early on, he had zero inclination to be in the creative arts. So how did an Atlanta-born computer science nerd-to-be end up going to college in Boston to major in Film and Dance, land in Hollywood writing for television and being a part of some of the most-watched ("Must See") TV of all time?

Well, you have to listen, dammit, to get that answer. Jeff's take on being open to adventure, trying new experiences, learning everything you can about anything/everything is inspiring, hilarious...and exhausting - only because his exuberance and lust for life makes me feel like a lazy, good-for-nuthin' slug.

There's a LOT to dig into here; Jeff is warm, open, super-ultra-smart and funny as hell. (And, yes, there's a monkey. And Jennifer Aniston. And Italian Cinema references.) Enjoy! -LM

Tribute to David Letterman May 20, 2015

Show notes

Me, Dave (and others) at KHOU 11 Houston, 1993

As David Letterman's final Late Show airs tonight (5/20) and Dave, presumably, heads off into the Montana sunset, it's truly the end of an era. We celebrate, reflect and pay tribute to the man with this special episode of SnarkMonkey with guests who have, in some way, been impacted by Letterman in very different ways. Long-time friend and fellow comedian Jeff Altman reflects on their relationship and how much Dave has done for him; Mark Jonathan Davis has had his own encounters over the years, but actually appeared on the Ed Sullivan Theatre stage doing a Stupid Human Trick; Crystal Zevon the former wife of musician Warren Zevon - the only guest to ever have an entire episode of The Late Show to himself; and the final word, literally, comes from the voice of Worldwide Pants himself, Jay Gardner.

In addition, Monkey-In-Chief Larry Morgan shameless shares his own thoughts and experiences in watching, meeting and enjoying Dave over the years. Hope you enjoy.

#28 - Peter Segal May 15, 2015

Show notes

Pete Segal has established himself as a sure-handed comedy director with hits under his belt like Get Smart, Anger Management, 50 First Dates and, perhaps his most revered - Tommy Boy (which currently celebrates its 20th anniversary!)

On the set of Grudge Match...

He also happens to be my best friend. But I still learn some things about his path I didn't know. From a show biz-connected set of parents, going from New York to L.A. to Phoenix back to L.A. again, through USC as a Broadcast Journalism major, to working in local T.V., Pete showed that always pushing the envelope of creativity - at any level - would get noticed and appreciated.

It's not what it looks like...

You'll hear some great stories about the late Chris Farley, some insight into what it's like to direct strong personalities like DeNiro and Nicholson...and there's even a pretty great O.J. story. (Yes, that O.J.)

We also talk too much about stuff that nobody will think is funny but us. But listen anyway... -LM

You can follow Pete on Twitter @pete_segal

#27 - Lisa Arch May 07, 2015

Show notes

Lisa Arch is the host of TLC's forthcoming series Labor Games - which is generating a lot of press (not all of it positive) but she maintains that it's fun, sweet and the moms LOVED it! (Not to mention, they won cool stuff for their kid, and it distracted them from the intense pain and extreme boredom of childbearing.) Lisa also takes us through her fascinating self-described "mediocre career" in Hollywood, from memorizing Whoopi Goldberg routines through doing sketch comedy on stage (with recent podcast guest, and brother, Bob Kushell) to the highs and lows of auditions, bookings and working in this business we call "show." You may not even know you've seen Lisa, but if you've watched Seinfeld, the movie Legally Blonde, MADtv, Crank Yankers, X-Files, the cult film Windy City Heat ("Jiggly Wriggly" anyone?) or that omnipresent Wheat Thins Yeti commercial - you've seen her. What's it like working with Miley Cyrus? Was it fun pretending to be a naked Farrah Fawcett? What's the deal with Seinfeld and Larry David? We cover it all and more as you kids get a pretty awesome primer of how to handle things in Hollywood with grace, style and a sense of humor. Enjoy!

Check out a sneak peek of Labor Games on TLC Wednesday night 5/6 (check your local listings) and also look for Lisa as Principal Hader on the Nickelodeon series 100 Things To Do Before High School.

Follow Lisa on Twitter @flawless_mom and check out her blog flawlessmom.com

Here's a sneak peek of Lisa's new hosting gig on TLC's Labor Games...

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