Enjoy recent author events, interviews, and bookseller series. Visit our website to learn more: www.skylightbooks.com
Episodes
Thursday May 23, 2024
Thursday May 23, 2024
It's a madhouse! The BTTM fellas are on their own this month, talking PLANET OF THE APES. The main focus is the original feature film, directed by Oscar winner Franklin J. Schaffner and scripted by fellow Oscar winner Michael Wilson and TWILIGHT ZONE creator Rod Serling. The fellas compare this classic to the lesser known source novel by Pierre Boulle that inspired the whole franchise. But most things APES get touched upon in this episode too, from the new release in theaters, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the failed Tim Burton reboot in 2001, and even the '70s cartoon show. Let Allan, Tyler, and Justin drive you bananas, won't you?
Hosted by Allan Traylor, Tyler Austin, and Justin Remer.
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solmenity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Friday May 17, 2024
Friday May 17, 2024
Join us for a conversation with Skylight favorite Maggie Nelson, whose newest collection of essays, Like Love, has already made its way into our booksellers' hearts. One of those booksellers, Elodie Saint-Louis, sat down with Maggie to talk about Like Love, her thoughts on genre distinctions with writing, and much more!
Produced by Elodie Saint-Louis and Mick Kowaleski
Music by Duck the Piano Wire
BUY LIKE LOVE HERE: https://www.skylightbooks.com/book/9781644452813
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
Happy Dev Patel Season to all who celebrate! Mr. Patel's directing debut, MONKEY MAN, is in theaters now, but we decided to look back a few years at his great work in THE GREEN KNIGHT, adapted from the chivalric romance SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT by writer-director David Lowery (PETER PAN & WENDY). Filmmaker and VHS enthusiast Conor Holt joins Allan and Justin to talk King Arthur stories and much more!
Hosted by Allan Traylor and Justin Remer. (Feel better, Tyler!)
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solmenity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Happy Opening Day! And coincidentally, Tyler has selected a baseball classic for his birthday pick: Michael Lewis's MONEYBALL: THE ART OF WINNING AN UNFAIR GAME and the Oscar-nominated film adaptation co-written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bennett Miller. How did they turn those stats into a movie!?! Guest Michael Chin (Great Wave Goods) helps break down the differences between page and screen.
Hosted by Tyler Austin, Allan Traylor, and Justin Remer.
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at Tyler's house on Tyler's couches.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
How's the peepin', Tommy? Netflix's RIPLEY series is still more than a month away from dropping, but guest Emily VanKoughnett (Los Angeles Review of Books; LIT ANGELES) joins the BTTM crew to discuss Patricia Highsmith's classic murder story from 1955, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, and the 1999 film adaptation from writer-director Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow... and the incomparable Philip Seymour Hoffman. TOMMY! (There's a little chat about 1960's PURPLE NOON too, but everybody didn't watch that one.)
Hosted by Tyler Austin, Justin Remer, and Allan Traylor.
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.
Closing Music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
It's a sneak peek special! Skylight's own Elodie sits down with the incredible Tommy Orange (There, There) to talk about his new novel Wandering Stars (Feb. 27)...listen in for a reading of an excerpt, Tommy's thoughts on Native American representation and why he's hopeful for the future.
To pre-order Wandering Stars: https://www.skylightbooks.com/book/9780593318256
Edited by Mick Kowaleski
Music by Duck the Piano Wire
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
From The Beatles to Beyoncé! Author Eric Wolfson discusses his new book on the shifting identity of the concept album in rock, pop, and hip-hop music with bookseller (and, yes, friend) Justin Remer. The book breaks down 25 albums across five eras, and Eric and Justin get into many of them here. A great chat for veteran music nerds and new fans alike.
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.
Resident film buff Tyler Austin sits down with Will Harris, pop culture journalist, to discuss the interviews that comprise Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! Together, they discuss some of Will's favorite interviews and some truly great behind-the-scenes scoops from one of the greatest comedies of all time.
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Produced by Tyler Austin and Mick Kowaleski.
Music by Duck, the Piano Wire.
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Happy New Year! BTTM is back for 2024 with a birthday pick from Allan: Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED, based on the horror novella CABAL by Barker himself! Tyler is the opposite of a gorehound, so he is really mad at Allan for making this pick. Our guest is the delightful -- and delighted -- Garon Cockrell (of the podcasts Never Not Funny and How to Survive with Danielle and Kristine).
Hosted by Tyler Austin, Justin Remer, and Allan Traylor.
Produced by Justin Remer.
Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
You go after him, and you'll find his shadow - or his song - and you'll have to go home. There'll never be another: THIN MAN! Jen Johans (Watch With Jen podcast) joins the Better Than the Movie crew for a holiday classic (of sorts). It's the William Powell and Myrna Loy comic mystery that launched a 6-film series, THE THIN MAN, directed by W.S. Van Dyke, with a script by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the novel by the great Dashiell Hammett. This is Nick and Nora, and NO infinite playlist. Tyler, Allan, Justin, and Jen also discuss other offbeat yuletide tales that AREN'T freakin' DIE HARD.
Produced by Allan Traylor and Justin Remer.
Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Skylight royalty Rosecrans Baldwin joins Elodie to talk about his Los Angeles classic Everything Now. He talks about what makes L.A. a city-state, what makes it such a beautiful and conflicting place to be, and his three quintessential L.A. reads! (Spoilers below!)
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Produced by Elodie Saint-Louis and Mick Kowaleski
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Rosecrans's Three L.A. Reads:
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Get ready for a serious discussion of a funny book! Kliph Nesteroff's OUTRAGEOUS is the author's third investigation into the world of comedy, following THE COMEDIANS and WE HAD A LITTLE REAL ESTATE PROBLEM. While pundits may posit that you can't joke about anything anymore, Nesteroff's history shows that comic entertainment has been the frequent target of outrage for the better part of two centuries. In this discussion with Tyler Austin, Nesteroff digs into the political influences that have guided American cultural and political rhetoric, and he repeats a few gleefully random showbiz anecdotes.
Produced by Justin Remer
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Hello listeners! On this episode Tyler talks to film and television critic Charles Bramesco about his book, "Colors of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes"
Produced by Tyler Austin & Alena Saunders
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
A fairy tale romance or blatant child abuse? Today, the BTTM crew tackles another nonfiction film adaptation, Sofia Coppola's PRISCILLA, taken from the memoir ELVIS AND ME by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and Sandra Harmon. Musician and educator Collin Jonkman helps assess the grandeur of Coppola's filmmaking, the quality of Presley's prose, and the toxicity of what could be described as a "May-February romance." Collin, Allan, Tyler, and Justin also discuss the pitfalls of music memoirs and biopics.
Produced by Justin Remer and Allan Traylor.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Time to investigate! It's the BTTM crew's first dissection of a nonfiction adaptation: the new Martin Scorsese film, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, which is based on the book by David Grann. Fellow bookseller David Kimbel joins the core trio of Justin Remer, Allan Traylor, and Tyler Austin in their analysis of these two related retellings of the bloody Reign of Terror which targeted the wealthy Osage Indian population of Oklahoma in the 1920s. Other essential works of true crime and nonfiction storytelling are also discussed.
Produced by Justin Remer and Allan Traylor.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band