Being in front of and behind the camera with Tonya Todd

For my next guest, between all she does on set, behind the camera and behind the mic, I’m glad she found the time to talk with me. This episode features Las Vegas-based actress, podcaster and writer Tonya Todd.

Tonya and I dive into her various projects, starting with her work on the series “Dark Ops,” which is on Knight TV+. Dark Ops follows the inner workings of the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit 2 whose mission is to hunt down and dismantle ransomware crime syndicates global and we take a close look at Tonya’s character Senator Anne. This is a part she had little time to prepare for, and we talk about how she got into character, as well as the ways that she made Senator Anne her own.

Tonya is also working on the short film “Mourning Sacrifice,” wherein a detective helps a woman find her missing husband. This film is Tonya’s directorial debut, and it’s also based on a short story she wrote. She shares the casting process, how the characters changed the story, as well as being in the big chair for the first time.

Ben Chou meets the minds behind the movies at BAAFF

The Boston Asian American Film Festival has a special meaning for us, as it’s one that we had the pleasure of covering back in the show’s early days. In October, the festival returned for its 15th year and my co-host Ben Chou was there for it. In this three-interview collection he speaks with the great filmmakers whose works were screened as part of BAAFF.

First up is Michele Rae Jouse for her documentary, “Nurse Unseen.” The film explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses risking their lives on the frontlines while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets.

Michele talks about the personal connection to the story, as well as the much wider tale told through the 92-minute film. She and Ben look at the history behind the Filipino nurses, as well as the many interviews done as part of the writing process. They talk about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the healthcare community.

The next interview is with Director/Producer Jennifer Takaki, Executive Producer George Hirose and Producer Linda Lew Woo for the documentary “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story.” Corky Lee passed away in 2021, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is an intimate portrait of the life, work, and advocacy of pioneering Chinese American photographer Corky Lee. Takaki followed Corky Lee for nearly 20 years, documenting triumphs and tragedy.

Jennifer, Linda and George go into the 20-year process and all the things they saw and memorable moments of the filmmaking process, of which there were many. They talk about Corky’s five-decade career and the many, many things he photographed and the advocacy aspect of his work. They talk about the importance of having a good editor on the project and what they hope people take away from watching the film.

Closing out this episode is Jonathan Hsu, the producer of the narrative feature “Starring Jerry as Himself” and narrative short “Closing Dynasty (aka. Queenie).” The first film shows how a family documents how their immigrant father Jerry, a recently retired Florida man, was recruited by the Chinese police to be an undercover agent, only to discover a darker truth. The short shows us how on a school day, a 7-year-old hustles strangers for money on the streets of New York City.

Jonathan takes us through both films and the stories behind both and Ben offers his own perspective and how it impacted him. They talk about the shared theme of both films and how they were developed from there. Jonathan talks about personal connection with “Starring Jerry” and how the strong familial connection influenced the story.

“Plus 1s” has its big debut before a sold-out crowd!

The crew from the romantic comedy “Plus 1s” is back on the show, but this time it’s a few new faces. Producers Kimmie Johnson, Emily Baeza and Aries Fung join me to talk about the film’s debut as part of the recent Roxbury International Film Festival before a sold-out audience. The producers and I talk about the experience and what the fans wanted to know.

Kimmie, Emily and Aries’ roles went well beyond being producers and we talk about the different challenges they took on during the filming. Trust me when I say they had a lot to deal with, but took it on with their diverse film backgrounds. They also share what about the movie made them say “I want in.”

Preston Fassel gives us a book with no heroes in “Beasts of 42nd Street”

Who doesn’t love a good movie? No matter the genre, it’s a chance to escape from this world into a whole new one. And the rarer the better, right? Well, maybe not in this case.

In Preston Fassel’s new book, “Beasts of 42nd Street,” we’re taken on a trip to New York’s 42nd Street, a place where, no joke, getting stabbed and robbed isn’t all that unusual. In this kingdom of the damned we meet Andy Lew, an unrepentant junkie, voyeur and degenerate, only tolerated by the more dangerous men around him because he keeps the projectors at the Colossus theater running.

There’s something unique about Andy, though. He owns a movie—the only one of its kind. No one knows who made it and only he knows where it came from. The woman it stars is beautiful beyond imagination—and the images it depicts are worse than the darkest depths of Hell.

I loved the premise for this book and so Preston and I go on a trip to 42nd Street to meet Andy and learn what makes him such a scumbag. We talk about the movie and the grindhouse style of cinema that inspired it, something that Preston knows a lot about. We also see how 42nd Street has changed and what Preston learned when he went back a few years ago.

YAQI makes a great horror movie villain!

Welcome back! After a brief hiatus to deal with some personal issues, we return with LA-based pop artist YAQI. She's just dropped her newest single “I'm On It,” and there are some cool stories behind this song. We go into the sound of the song, her precise rapping style and how this all came together over a six-plus hour session.

A theme of the song is about focusing on your goals and not doing what others tell you, and this certainly reflects YAQI's own life. In addition to her music, she has a Master's Degree from the New York Film Academy and has been in a number of short films. She talks about her different villain roles and how it's so comfortable for her....yeah, I'm a little concerned too. We also look at her dream role and the person she'd like to work with above all others.

After this, enjoy “I'm On It.” I know I did!

Deshawn White releases tribute song for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

For this episode, I sit down with rapper/producer Deshawn White to talk about his recently-released single, “Control,” a tribute to the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The song took Deshawn in some new directions, including getting into character, a first for him. We also nerd out a bit on the film franchise and talk about the different actors who've played the wall-crawler over the years.

But there's much more! Deshawn's career began when he was just 12 years old, rapping about the violence and drugs that were his childhood. We look at this early work, and what happened that led to him releasing “Hold On” in 2011, his first Christian single, followed by “Before The Ceiling Falls” in 2015. Deshawn and I talk about the role religion has played in his life and why he felt so strongly about dedicating an album to it.

In 2022, Deshawn will relase “BOATS” or “Based On A True Story.” It's a summation of his life—both the good and the bad, and he holds nothing back as we talk about the different tales that he'll share. We also look at what's next, and the answer is pretty interesting.

Following this, enjoy Deshawn's new single “Control.” It's a really powerful song and compelled me to check out the rest of his work.

Actor/musician Michael Cooke talks being on set and how the pandemic kicked off his new album

Who says that the pandemic can't have a silver lining?

Michael Cooke's career in the stage and screen was well underway (including a role in a new Netflix movie!) when COVID-19 brought such productions to a screeching halt. Undeterred, he decided to use the free time to learn the skills needed to break into music. The result—his new album, “Doin Alright,” a powerful and uplifting collection of songs.

Michael and I dive deep into how his foray into becoming an Olympic athlete led to working on dozens of plays, films, and television shows. He talks about meeting one's heroes as well as those in the industry that he'd love to work with.

We also look at his debut album, and his first time in the recording studio. Michael talks about the message he hopes to pass on through his music.

Following this interview, enjoy “Loosing My Mind For Nothing,” from the debut album.

Tia Beale talks about how music and movies come together

Singer-songwriter Tia Beale was all set to host a release party—and then the pandemic put a halt to that. So while we wait for things to open up, she and I talk about her new single “Do It Over,” which speaks of the devastating loss of a close friend to suicide.

She also has a music video for the song and she highlights the team behind the production, and the previous one for her single “Coke and Mentos.” Tia lives in Sydney, Australia, and talks about some of the venues she loves to check out shows at.

Following this, I've got her new single, “Do It Over.”

Short film examines unsolved Boston murder

Musician Otto Kinzel adds Actor to his resume with the new short film “A Dream of Distant Skies,” from Neptune/Teletron (Russell James) about the still unsolved murder of Karina Holmer in Boston back in ‘96. Kinzel has a role as “the host father” in the film and we talk about the history of the case and how it's adapted to the film. Otto shares his experiences in front of the camera and how played a role that had no lines.

Following this, enjoy a recent release from Otto Kinzel, “I Bleed For You.”

You can't take the sky from me

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Housel, the #PopCultureProfessor, joins me to talk about all things “Firefly.” On Feb. 11, she and comedian Ken Reid—recently voted Boston’s Best Comic— will be at Boston's Museum of Science to present a screening of the classic sci-fi film “Serenity” as part of the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival. In the Hayden Planetarium, enjoy a view of the night sky on one half of the dome and the movie on another with commentary by Reid and Housel.

Purchase tickets in advance at the Museum box office, or by phone at 617-723-2500, online at mos.org/adults.

Dr. Rebecca Housel, known as the #PopCultureProfessor, is a NY Times bestselling author and editor; her books are sold in 9 languages and 150 countries. Housel is also a science writer, researcher and mental health advocate--you can read her column, "Survive Anything" on Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/survive-anything, as well as articles for #SuicideAwareness and #StandUp2Cancer on 7Cups.com, winner of Stanford Medicine's X Award: https://www.7cups.com/experts/@rebecca-a-housel/. Dr. Housel is an author and editor in the Mental Health for Millennials series; her work there focuses on relationships, intimacy and the neuroscience behind sex.


Dr. Housel has also been accepted for NASA's SIRIUS research mission with Roscosmos and the European Space Agency at the NEK facility in Moscow. Her next appearance is in February 2020 at Boston Museum of Science Hayden Planetarium in association with Boston Sci Fi Film Festival's 45th anniversary, where she will be co-hosting a show of the night-sky along with a screening of Joss Whedon's Serenity. Housel was on tour with Comic Con for three years where she interviewed stars from Firefly, Serenity, Buffy, and Angel, as well as opened Comic Con with her popular live show, "The Whedonverse," sponsored by Lion's Gate. She will also be appearing in March 2020 at Elsevier's conference on artificial intelligence and cancer and will be speaking at University of Sheffield in April 2020 on neurogenetics and mental health, as well as returning as a motivational speaker in mental health at Zeminar Dublin in October 2020.


To learn more about Dr. Rebecca Housel, including reading her personal blog (which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019), please visit www.RebeccaHousel.com.

SuperMegaFest: Cosplay, haunted houses, and the danger of typos

Ben and I with the cast of Typo Squad 

In this episode, Ben Chou and I enjoy a day at the great local con, SuperMegaFest. There's some amazing creatives here and we showcase a sampling of them on the show. First up, authors Killarney and Margaret Traynor tells about their Encounter Series, a collection of stories that begin with the phrase “what if?” This includes haunted houses and alien invasions, but more is coming.

Next, Stephen Lomer debuts the short film adaptation of his book series, “Typo Squad.” Stephen talks about the transition from book to film and how the story changed to fit the medium. We also look at the stellar cast of this film and the different qualities they bring to the show.

Cosplay artist Chelsea Von Chastity closes out the day by telling us about the Princess Ariel costume she wore for SuperMegaFest as well as the many other ones she has created over the years. She's been to a number of other cons over the years and shares a few stories about those great times.

Sharisse Zeroonian talks film, a new series, and hilarious set tales

Writer/Director Sharisse Zeroonian and I do a deep dive into her film career, looking at her two feature films, Mouse in the Bread and Well Water and a brand new series, One Plus One Equals Two. She talks about what got her into film, and why she's stayed involved for so long. We chat about changes in the industry and the pros and cons of what those have resulted in. And there are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from Sharisse's films and she shares a couple. 

For music enjoy two songs from Jack and the Box, “If It Sounds Too Good” and “Sugar Tea.” This is a new blues project from Keith Pevoto. Due to physical limitations brought on by Sarcoidosis, he has moved from playing bass to spending the last few years writing songs and getting his vocals in shape. The result is some amazing music that you should really check out.

June 12, 2019: BALRFest/Linda Marks/Sharon Contillo

It was so much fun, we're doing it twice! Austin Arocco and Julie Diorio return to talk more about the upcoming BALRFest 2019 show happening June 29 at Thunder Road. This time, they're bringing friends! Liz Bills of Analog Heart and Susanna Smash of The Skirts, two of the bands on the lineup, join the discussion on being in a female-fronted band and plans for similar shows in the future.

Linda Marks is up next to talk about the upcoming show at City Winery Boston that she'll be performing at, the joy of house concerts, and the many, many musicians she's met over the years.

Author and film producer Sharon Contillo is helping me wrap up the show with a look at her new film, “Curls.” The theme takes aim at the inaccurate portrayal of women and girls in media and advertising. 

She focused this story on hair because while little girls may not understand or relate to body image, they will relate to their hair. 

Playlist (In order of airing) 

The Skirts—If You Want To

The Dirty Dottys—Dragonfly

blindspot—All I Am

Linda Marks—Into Your Heart

Linda Marks—Long Long Time

Three At Home—Capsize

Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival Podcast

One of the many post-film Q&A sessions of PAAFF

Here is the Citywide Blackout podcast from the annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. I had the chance to attend the festival and speak to some of the amazing creatives who brought there drama, horror, documentary, comedy, and much more to the big screen. For this podcast, I spoke to:

-Alex Chu, writer and director of “For Izzy”

-Brett Kodama, writer and director of “Heartseeker” 

-Isaac Ho'op'i, subject of the documentary “Corridor Four”

-Pratima Agrawal, a Philadelphia-based performing artist who wrote, directed, and performed “Voided”

-Jun Stinson, writer and director of the documentary “Futbolistas 4 Life”

I want to offer my thanks to Rob Buscher, the festival director, for allowing me to cover the event and for his help with the interviews.

June 28, 2018: Secret Police/Laren Taylor/Amy Kucharik

Me and Laren Taylor

Director Michael Z. Atrata and actor Paul Held have a new movie in the works, “Secret Police,” which touches on the current political and cultural climate. Michael has a lot to say about how current events have influenced a lot of artists to speak in their unique way on what’s going on. We also talk about how the newest tech has changed the film industry, both for good and ill.

Singer-songwriter Laren Taylor joins me to talk about her upcoming move to the West Coast, her musical experience there as well as a huge upcoming project. At 17, Laren is already laying the groundwork for her musical career, both in the classroom and on stage.

Amy Kucharik returns to the show after a couple yeas to talk about her new album, “Until the Words are Gone.” It’s a tremendous collection of music, and Amy also did the cover art. We dive into the creative process for both, as well as the tour she has ongoing for the new album.

June 21, 2018: Shaded Glitch/Genie Santiago/Stories in Motion/Ryan Pinette

Max and Shaded Glitch

EDM artist Shaded Glitch is in to talk about his recent release, “Starving Artist,” and the struggle of making a career in the music industry. He also shares his musical theater background and how that’s come into play with his music.

Hip-hop/R&B artist Genie Santiago is back with her recently-released debut album, “Know Your Worth.” This EP has been in the making for awhile, and Genie talks about the response since it came out, and the process of putting it together. She also talks about the upcoming Femme Fatale show that she’ a part of, and how the role of women in entertainment has changed.

Chris Esper of the production company Stories in Motion has two new short films hitting the festival circuit and gives us the info on these new projects, a silent film which explores anxiety, and a drama on the subject of corrupt police officers. We learn about the actors and actresses he worked with, and how he balances this which his day job making videos for weddings, businesses, and musicians.

Singer-songwriter Ryan Pinette closes out the show with some live songs, one of which is a world exclusive. He’s got a lot of shows coming up and along with sharing that info, he’s played at some of the biggest venues in Boston. He also has a band, Ryan Pinette and the Baystaters, and he gives the history of the group.

Jan. 25, 2018: 7 Mazes and One Time Mountain/Stereo Pleasure/Sleight of Hands Film

Max talking with Stereo Pleasure 

Opening the show, we get a road report from the bands 7 Mazes and One Time Mountain as they continue their week-long tour up and down the East Coast. 7 Mazes is based out of Germany, and we talk about their time in the U.S., the sites they've seen in New York City and Salem, and their own plans for the future regarding new releases.

Stereo Pleasure returns after their first appearance on Citywide a few months ago. This Boston-based venture is aimed at collaboration with local hip-hop and R&B talent to help bring their music to the ears of the world. They update us on their plans to launch a new web site with their music, how they meet the artists they want to work with, and how best to navigate the music world in the Spotify era.

Dave Sullivan and Johnny Berosh of Sleight of Hand Films have been hard at work producing a number of erotic and sexploitation films. They've also hit a few roadblocks when it comes to arranging screenings, and we talk about this and how even in 2018, they still have to struggle to get their work out there. We talk on the talent at Sleight of Hands, the different roles they've had, and what's in store for this year.

Blackout Bootleg: Boston Asian American Film Festival, Part 2

Convention Correspondent Ben Chou's collected a great set of interviews with the filmmakers, cast, and organizers of the annual Boston Asian American Film Festival. This is the second of two parts.

Blackout Bootleg: Boston Asian American Film Festival, Part 1

Convention Correspondent Ben Chou's collected a great set of interviews with the filmmakers, cast, and organizers of the annual Boston Asian American Film Festival. This is the first of two parts.

April 20, 2017: Mieka B/Ellen Herrick/Alissa Musto/Ungovernable Films

Alissa Musto performs live

This week, friend and Boston filmmaker Matt Martino joins us!

Though Mieka B is fairly early in her career, she's made great strides with an upcoming EP, several single releases, and a music video in the works. We talk all about this, what got her into music in the first place, and her dreams as a hip-hop artist.

Author Ellen Herrick has a wonderful story to share in her new book, "The Forbidden Garden." The second in her series starring the eclectic, whimsical, and hilarious Sparrow Sisters, the story came about through fan requests to see Sorrel Sparrow in her own adventure. We look at Sorrel's journey to try and save a Shakespearean garden that has defied efforts to restore it, and how its fate is linked to hers.

Singer-songwriter Alissa Musto is a strong advocate of music education, and in this interview, we talk about the work she's done to further this. A daughter of a musician, and we talk about all that she learned, both at home and on the road.

Dave Sullivan and Paul McAlarney of Ungovernable Films round out the show. This company produces some of the most intense, horrifying movies around, and we talk about how they push the envelope, recent release "The Ungovernable Force," and upcoming "The Streets Run Red."