The Apollo is a documentary that explores the historical and cultural significance of Harlem’s landmark theater of the same name. Brittany and Ronald unpack some of the most memorable performances highlighted in the film and discuss the role the Apollo has played in Black culture writ large. They also have an engaging conversation with the film’s director, Roger Ross Williams, and Kamilah Forbes the Apollo Theater’s creative head who directed the stage production of Ta-Nehisi Coates' “Between the World and Me” and is featured in the documentary.
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39:50
George Carlin’s American Dream
George Carlin’s American dream is a two-part documentary that follows the life and work of legendary comic George Carlin, dubbed the “dean of counterculture comedians.” Brittany and Ronald talk with co-directors Judd Apatow and Mike Bonfiglio about Carlin’s trajectory from variety show schtick, to incisive social commentator, to nihilistic comic. They unpack why his brand of humor still resonates today and how his bits, like “Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television,” opened up the world to so many future comics. Brittany and Ronald look at Carlin’s impact on comedy specials and how Jerrod Carmichael and others still take inspiration from him today
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41:09
The Lady and the Dale
The Lady and The Dale is a docuseries about the trans woman who tried to revolutionize the auto industry with a three-wheeled car at the height of the 1970’s gas crisis. Brittany and Ronald discuss the life and story of Liz Carmichael, and how the haunting legacy of transphobia muddied the waters of her fraud trial. The Lady And The Dale co-director Zackary Drucker and historian Susan Stryker join Brittany and Ronald to talk about telling the story of this complicated woman and what the spirit of Liz Carmichael’s past might be trying to tell us today.
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48:00
Mommy Dead and Dearest
Mommy Dead and Dearest is the 2017 documentary about the toxic dynamic between Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard that ended in murder. In this episode, hosts Brittany and Ronald discuss the provocative documentary that began with a murder and uncovered a lifetime of deception, mental illness, and child abuse. Brittany and Ronald interview director Erin Lee Carr about the making of the film and where Gypsy Rose is today. They also talk with medical child abuse expert Dr. Mary Sanders about the psychology behind Munchhausen by proxy syndrome, and how it affected the dynamic in the Blanchard home.
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49:10
The Invisible Pilot
In this episode, hosts Brittany and Ronald discuss The Invisible Pilot, a three-part docuseries that begins with a mysterious disappearance and dark family secrets, and ends up inside one of the biggest political scandals of our time: The Iran Contra Affair. After a conversation about the questionable morals of the crop-dusting, drug-running pilot at the center of the series and what his story says about America, Brittany and Ronald interview director Phil Lott and executive producer Todd Schulman about the process of making the series. They also talk to journalist and podcast host Leon Neyfakh (Fiasco, Slow Burn) about the lasting impact of the Iran Contra Affair. The Invisible Pilot premiered on April 4th, 2022 on HBO.
This episode contains audio courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
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HBO documentaries keep us up at night, captivate our imaginations, and make us ask the big questions about what it means to be human. On HBO Docs Club, hosts Brittany Luse (For Colored Nerds) and Ronald Young, Jr. (Solvable) pull back the curtain on a wide variety of HBO Documentary Titles. Through in-depth conversations and interviews with filmmakers and experts, Brittany and Ronald unpack these stories with new context, exploring what they can teach us about the past, find out where these stories stand in the present, and how they may impact our future.
Ireland