For his latest book, BREAK THE FRAME, culture writer Kevin Smokler interviewed 24 prominent female filmmakers about their rich and varied careers. One of those filmmakers, Patricia Cardoso, directed the 2002 movie that introduced the world to a 17-year-old America Ferrera: REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. Despite their surface differences (to state the obvious, Kevin is not a young Latina child of immigrants from the barrio of Los Angeles), the movie has spoken to Kevin since it first came out, and has become the film he's most likely to recommend. It's a perfect example of how you never know just where or how you'll feel seen in cinema.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about Variety's new list of the 100 Best Comedy Movies.***BREAK THE FRAME: THE COMPANION PODCASTList of books by past guests of the show Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Actor Alex Winter may be best known as the Bill half of Bill and Ted -- and he's currently treading the boards with his counterpart from the Bill & Ted movies, Keanu Reeves, in a Broadway production of Waiting for Godot. But his body of work includes a ton of other films and tv shows, with roles both in front of and behind the camera. One project he co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in is the indelibly out-there 1993 comedy Freaked, which has just gotten a 4K UHD restoration and digital & BluRay release. Jordan and Alex talk about all that and more in this week's episode, along with the creative force that showed Alex both his way into Hollywood and his way through the work: silent comedy icon Buster Keaton, and in particular his films Sherlock, Jr. and The General.Then Jordan has one quick(ish) thing to say about what The Devil Wears Prada 2 needs to do if it wants her seal of cinematic approval. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Barbara Muschietti (along with her brother Andy) has made her mark on Hollywood, especially in the horror realm (MAMA, IT, IT: CHAPTER TWO and now WELCOME TO DERRY). But regardless of what genre you're working in, the business of Hollywood takes tenacity, luck, and no small amount of delusion. That's what we've got for you today, through WORKING GIRL (1988) and Robert Altman's THE PLAYER (1992).Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the 25th anniversary of the CHARLIE'S ANGELS movie. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Directors John-Michael Powell (VIOLENT ENDS, in theaters now) and David Gordon Green (whose movie ALL THE REAL GIRLS was an early entry in what's become an extremely varied and successful career) are both from Arkansas. Powell's new film, which stars Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, and Alexandra Schipp, is a bloody, grimy crime thriller -- a far cry from ALL THE REAL GIRLS' quiet romantic angst. But what the films have in common is an interest in depicting small-town Southerners as real, three-dimensional human beings. That detail both inspired Powell's film career and animates the work he's doing now. He and Jordan get into that and more this week.Then, a pivot! Jordan has one quick thing about the head-spinning melodrama of another film currently in theaters: REGRETTING YOU. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
An androgenous figurehead of a found family that refuses to grow up -- if you've never thought of Peter Pan in those terms, director Tina Romero is here to set you straight (er, in a manner of speaking). Tina also shares the ins, outs, and inspirations behind her feature debut, Queens of the Dead, which continues and reinvents a family legacy of zombie cinema (Tina is the daughter of the legendary George A. Romero). And as always, Jordan digs up all the connective tissue between all of the above.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about Nia DaCosta's new film, Hedda, starring Tessa Thompson. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
If you've never seen G.I. Jane, you might know it as a punchline, an epithet, or shorthand for a certain kind of movie -- or a certain kind of woman. But watching G.I. Jane in 2025, you see a portrait of fierce tenacity and genuine strength, all baked into a Ridley Scott action war drama. Actor Katy O'Brian -- who is absolutely on fire right now, and the list of things you'd know her from grows ever longer -- saw in Demi Moore's character, Jordan, a rare glimpse of something she recognized in herself. She's a character who pulls no punches, deserves her place among the boys, and commands respect just by being true to her goals and skills. She and Jordan get into all that, plus some of Katy's recent work, especially Maintenance Required and Queens of the Dead.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about a new Tubi original from Danishka Esterhazy, MATCH. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Adult Swim veteran producer and head of Thin Edge films, Lisa M. Thomas has been working across genres in film and television for decades from her home in upstate New York. Her latest project is The Misadventures of Bucky and Beene, the story of queer radio hosts who get in some hot water with the locals. Similarly, her choice of young Ludovic from a French classic of '90s queer cinema, Ma Vie En Rose ("My Life in Pink"), is a character who runs afoul of the local normies simply by living their honest truth. Lisa and Jordan get into the importance of queer narratives and of engaging in unapologetic conversation, in life and in art. Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the iconic, inimitable Diane Keaton. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
As October kicks into gear, we've got Mercedes Bryce Morgan, director of the new horror movie BONE LAKE. And not only is her own film spooky, but so is her chosen "feeling seen" subject: teen girlhood...er, we mean Sissy Spacek's CARRIE from the horror classic CARRIE. She and Jordan get into the blurry line between exploitation and representation in horror and erotic thrillers, especially when it comes to women's sexuality.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the future (or lack thereof...) of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Writer/director MJ Bassett's latest film, Red Sonja continues her run as a writer/director of intense and action-packed projects -- she's also directed FUBAR, Reacher, Deathwatch, Rogue (2020) and more. But when it comes to seeing herself on screen, MJ's life has two distinct chapters: before and after coming out as a trans woman in her 40s. MJ shares the small ways she's felt seen (and not always comfortably) by all kinds of on-screen transformations and characters dealing with the aftermath of transformation: werewolf movies, Man on High Heels, Monica, Space: 1999, Fight Club, and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the news that, before his passing, Terence Stamp recorded a reprisal of his role, Bernadette, in the forthcoming Priscilla Queen of the Desert 2. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Carmen Emmi's directorial debut, PLAINCLOTHES, is in theaters now, after catching a lot of attention and fanfare out of this year's Sundance Film Festival. He tells Jordan about the experience of getting to break out with a personal contribution to the queer cinema canon, and about all the ways he was comforted, educated, and inspired by another Sundance hit -- 2006's LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the harrowing Sundance documentary The Perfect Neighbor, new to Netflix. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
When Alice Wu directs a film, she really means it. Both SAVING FACE and THE HALF OF IT, released decades apart, made a big splash on the independent cinema scene. Now SAVING FACE has been added to the Criterion Collection. Alice tells Jordan about creating a patchwork of identity across various movie characters -- specifically the romantic searcher Frances from FRANCES HA and the too-smart-for-her-own-good Jane from BROADCAST NEWS.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the legacy of Robert Redford. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
This episode originally aired in October 2024. A second season of English Teacher premieres on Hulu on September 25, 2025.You may know Brian Jordan Alvarez from the killer horror film M3GAN or from his web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo. Most recently, Brian created and stars in the FX comedy series English Teacher, a refreshingly hilarious original that follows a high school teacher navigating personal and professional life in Texas. It's critically acclaimed and canonically GAY! This week, Brian schools us on the series AND talks about the work of filmmakers that inspire him, including Pedro Almodóvar’s ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER. Plus, one deep cut of Brian's viral internet spiritualist, the one and only Marnie T. Then Jordan has one quick thing about Timo Tjahjanto’s action film The Shadow Strays on Netflix.***With Jordan Crucchiola and Brian Jordan Alvarez. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
André Holland has wowed us in movies like MOONLIGHT and his new Sundance hit LOVE, BROOKLYN. But he says that he gets the most comments -- and perhaps even owes his career -- to his role as Dr. Algernon Edwards in the Steven Soderbergh-helmed Cinemax series THE KNICK. It was a role he could relate to, and of the kind he'd been searching high and low for -- one that fit. He and Jordan talk about the essential perspective that role brought to the Peak TV era, and the show's often unsettling resonance for today (despite being set in 1900).Then, Jordan offers a tribute to the indelible actor Graham Greene. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Director, writer, and actor Macon Blair has been making movies with friends since he was young -- including frequent collaborator Jeremy Saulnier. His new film is THE TOXIC AVENGER, starring Peter Dinklage and Kevin Bacon. It might not feel like an obvious follow-up to his work with Saulnier, nor to Blair's previous film, I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE; neither might seem like a direct descendent of Macon's "feeling seen" choice, DAZED AND CONFUSED. But as Jordan will uncover during this conversation, the through-lines are there. They always are.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about this year's BIG BAD FILM FEST. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Tricia Cooke is having her moment, and it's been a long time coming. Together with partner Ethan Coen, she's made last years DRIVE AWAY DOLLS and the new HONEY DON'T from scripts written long ago. And in some ways, the seed for these very gay, very fun movies was planted by a modern classic of fun gay cinema: Jamie Babbit's BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER. Tricia and Jordan talk about that film, the new one, and the weird juxtaposition of being free to make this once-"uncommercial" cinema in a time when queer freedoms feel so tenuous.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the forthcoming Stephen King adaptation, THE LONG WALK. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Madison Iseman is making her play for horror icon status, starring in the fun and freaky forthcoming "cursed object" horror film WITCHBOARD. At the same time, she's embracing her "district attorney era" with a lead role in the new USA series THE RAINMAKER. And on this show, we can't leave out her credits playing twin sisters Lennon and Allison on the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER tv series (though Madison might prefer we did). Through it all, another iconic horror performance with a complicated history served as Madison's North Star of performance: Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance in THE SHINING.After this long-awaited conversation, Jordan has one quick thing about the new film EAST OF WALL, which had its premiere at Sundance 2025. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
From his childhood in public housing to his latest venture, Kino Film Collection, Richard Lorber has always had an affinity with movie dogs. But not just any dogs -- the wild ones, the brave ones, the determined ones. In this episode, Richard tells Jordan about how he related to a number of dogs and dog movies: Rin Tin Tin, Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth, Godard's Goodbye to Language, surprise Kino Film Collection hit Last of the Dogmen.Then Jordan has one quick thing about the just-announced sequel to 2020's Greenland. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
We can get one thing out of the way right up top: James DeMonaco is from Staten Island. Seeing Rocky Balboa on the big screen as a kid was mind-blowing; seeing Sylvester Stallone take a story of such a familiar kind of guy and make it into an Oscar-winning mega-franchise for the ages was life-altering. While DeMonaco is best known for his stealthily political horror films, his love of Rocky even made it into a coming-of-age project called THIS IS THE NIGHT, set around the release of ROCKY III. He and Jordan get into the importance of seeing a familiar milieu on screen, and get into the motivation behind DeMonaco's current film, THE HOME, a psychological horror movie starring Pete Davidson, set at an eldercare facility.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the new Netflix series HUNTING WIVES. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Danielle Deadwyler is an actor who wows and captivates with every performance, across moods and genres. You may have seen her as Mamie Till in TILL, as Berniece in THE PIANO LESSON, or in the new post-apocalyptic action thriller 40 ACRES (in theaters and now available to rent at home). Danielle shares her deep ties to history, the whispers of the ancestors, and the power of stillness in this conversation, through her love of PAN'S LABYRINTH and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
In a conversation full of personal revelation and discovery, M3GAN & M3GAN 2.0 star Jen Van Epps and Jordan think hard about the taboos of motherhood and the uncomfortable neediness of the acting profession -- and have a shocking amount of fun doing so. Leda (Olivia Coleman/Jessie Buckley) in Maggie Gyllenhaal's writing and directing debut, THE LOST DAUGHTER is a character Jen wasn't thrilled to relate to; feeling seen by Lucille Ball's irrepressible (but very thirsty) Lucy from I LOVE LUCY is a lot more fun.Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the new I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.***With Jordan Crucchiola and Jen Van Epps Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun.Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.