The Irishman (featuring I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt)
The mafia, Jimmy Hoffa, and the Irish guy who told it all. The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorcese is based on the (maybe) true book, “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt.
Extras:
- (WATCH) the Mythbusters ep about Hoffa in the stadium:
- (WATCH) a tv doc on the Irishman’s interviews with the author:
- (READ) an article refuting the book’s validity:
- (READ) about the de-aging effects in the film:
- (READ) about DeNiro’s warning by journalists not to make the film:
- (READ) about Jimmy Hoffa in film:
Get a copy of I Heard You Paint Houses:
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
Thanksgiving Special
Learn the history of Black Friday, media to watch/read this season, and the juicy details on the Christmas films we all love. (Yep, they were books.) Check out the links in the show notes for everything!
Thanksgiving films (trailers):
- PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES:
- PRISONERS:
In theaters now (trailers):
- A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
- FROZEN 2:
- KNIVES OUT:
- QUEEN & SLIM:
http://bit.ly/queenandslimtrail
- PARASITE:
Book recommendations:
- BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK:
- THE GREATEST GIFT:
- A CHRISTMAS STORY:
http://bit.ly/christmasstorybook
- THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS:
Music recommendations (video):
- MUST BE SANTA (Bob Dylan):
History notes:
- (READ) an article about Franksgiving:
- (READ) an article about Philadelphia’s Black Friday:
Get books this holiday season from your independent bookstores:
- Indiebound
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
Ford v Ferrari (featuring Go Like Hell)
Everything you need to know about Le Mans, racing, and the underdog team that changed the game. The film Ford v Ferrari, based on the book Go Like Hell by AJ Baime.
Watch/read/listen:
- (WATCH) the trailer for Ford v Ferrari
- (WATCH) Jacky Ickx walking to his car
- (WATCH) the trailer for the 1971 film Le Mans
- (WATCH) the trailer for the doc about the 1971 film
- (WATCH) the trailer for The 24 Hour War doc
- (WATCH) the director’s breakdown of running to the car
- (WATCH) the sons as stunt drivers for the film
http://bit.ly/fordvsferrarisons
- (READ) AJ Baime’s book about Ford in WW2
Get a copy of Go Like Hell:
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem
Watch/read/listen:
- (WATCH): the trailer for Motherless Brooklyn
http://bit.ly/motherlesstrailer
- (WATCH): the trailer for the doc Twitch and Shout
- (WATCH): a doc about the NBA player with Tourettes
- (LISTEN): to the Radiohead version of the main song
- (LISTEN): to the Jazz version of the main song
- (LISTEN): to Prince’s extended version of Kiss
- (READ): the guest list for Radiohead’s concert
http://bit.ly/guestlistradiohead
- (READ): An Anthropologist on Mars neurology book
- (READ): The Power Broker about Robert Moses
- (READ): an article about the road through Washington Square Park
Get a copy of Motherless Brooklyn:
Topics from today’s episode:
01:05 - why you should listen to the audiobook
02:50 - the worldwide history of detectives
08:00 - who is Jonathan Lethem?
08:15 - what does Motherless Brooklyn mean?
10:00 - why the detective has Tourette’s
12:00 - Edward Norton finds the book
16:30 - the secret man who ran NYC
21:45 - Edward Norton almost gave up
23:05 - ‘90s music in a ’50’s world
25:10 - Prince and Tourette’s
28:00 - the NBA player with Tourette’s
29:20 - the beautiful last line
33:10 - let us know what you’re into
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
The Laundromat - Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein
Explaining the biggest worldwide monetary scandal everyone promptly forgot about. The Laundromat is out on Netflix, based on the book Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein.
Watch/read/listen:
- (WATCH): the trailer for The Laundromat
- (READ): about the boat sinking insurance scandal:
- (READ): about the murder of the businessman in China:
- (READ): the full interactive database for the Panama Papers:
- Get a copy of Secrecy World:
Topics from today’s episode:
01:30 - the movie’s comedic take
02:20 - reasons for a shell company
06:45 - strange origins of the company
10:55 - tax avoidance or tax evasion
12:45 - how they got so popular
15:30 - who tried to stop this?
17:10 - the pot starts boiling over
22:00 - the real boating accident
24:25 - the secret art world
26:45 - the flood of leaks
32:45 - the murder in China
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
Jojo Rabbit - Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
How the film Jojo Rabbit was birthed from a tragic book, the history of Hitler satire, and what all the dictators are writing about. Jojo Rabbit is out now, starring Taika Waititi, based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens.
Watch/read/listen:
- (WATCH) the trailer for Jojo Rabbit:
- (WATCH) the Mercedes commercial the author of Caging Skies modeled in:
- (WATCH) an Interview with Christine Leunens about New Zealand:
- (WATCH) Taika Waititi falling asleep at the Oscars:
- (WATCH) Taika’s short film, Two Cars One Night:
- (WATCH) The Great Dictator - full film (1940):
http://bit.ly/greatdictatorchaplin
- (WATCH) the trailer for The Producers (1967):
http://bit.ly/producers1967trail
- (WATCH) the film Look Who’s Back on Netflix:
- (WATCH) the trailer for the Australian show Danger 5:
- (READ) about the store in India called Hitler:
- (READ) about “What Can We Learn from Dictator’s Literature?”:
- (READ) about “Hitler’s Forgotten Library”:
- (LISTEN): to a New Zealand radio interview with Christine Leunens about the film adaptation:
Get a copy of Caging Skies, the book Jojo’s based on:
Topics from today’s episode:
00:01 - a Nancy Drew collector hit us up
03:20 - Caging Skies is wildly different
07:20 - The supermodel who wrote Caging Skies
10:00 - this story happened to her friend
11:40 - how it’s Taika Waititi’s mom’s fault
18:50 - the history of Hitler parodies
27:20 - Saddam Hussein wrote romance fiction
29:40 - Hitler’s secret library
31:10 - the future of satirizing Hitler?
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
Joker
Join us and learn about the history of the Joker, and the real world assassinations and scandals that created the Joker character over the years. Now a major film “Joker” with Joaquin Phoenix.
Watch/read/listen:
(IMAGE) The comparison photo between “The Man Who Laughs” and Joker:
(VIDEO) The trailer for “Joker”:
(VIDEO) Batman vs. Alien vs. Predator
(BOOK) The Joker: A Serious Study
(BOOK) An Assassin’s Diary (Arthur Bremer)
Get a copy of “The Killing Joke”:
Topics from today’s episode:
01:00 | Children’s socks with a murderer on them
01:40 | The Killing Joke book
08:10 | the 1928 silent film Joker comes from
11:45 | media controversy
15:20 | Joker’s changes thru the decades
19:30 | audience voted on who Joker should kill
20:40 | Joker becomes the ambassador to Iran
22:30 | how Harley Quinn got made
24:00 | real assassination attempts
28:10 | Joker becomes Batman
29:30 | Batman vs. Alien vs. Predator
30:50 | Joker in Shakespeare
31:30 | the iconic laugh
34:00 | let us know what you think
Contact:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
Don’t let this one pass you by. Learn about the Pulitzer-Prize winning epic that became a box office bust. By Donna Tartt.
SUPPORT US:
CRAZY DEAL - 5$ for your FIRST BOX (’til Sept 30th)
click the link and use the code “YALIT”:
Get a copy of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt:
BONUS LINKS:
(VIDEO) The trailer for The Goldfinch:
(VIDEO) Donna Tartt interview with Charlie Rose in 2014:
(VIDEO) Donna Tartt interview on tour for Goldfinch:
(VIDEO) The destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyian:
(ARTICLE) How the film reconstructed the Met:
(ARTICLE) Donna Tartt interview before the Goldfinch was written:
CONTACT LINKS:
reach out on instagram - @illiteratepod
reach out on email - illiterate@email.com
the website for more shows - https://www.podcastgod.net
Toni Morrison
Learn about the Nobel & Pulitzer Prize winning author, teacher, editor and voice of the black experience.
SUPPORT US LINKS:
Get a copy of Toni’s books:
Sign up for Book of the Month Club YA
BONUS LINKS:
(VIDEO) The trailer for documentary “The Pieces I Am”:
(VIDEO) The Opera version of Beloved:
(VIDEO) The Oprah version of Beloved:
(VIDEO) Interview clip with Toni Morrison:
(ARTICLE) The artwork of Jacob Lawrence:
(ARTICLE) The artwork “African’t” at the Broad Museum:
(ARTICLE) The Bench by the Road Project:
(ARTICLE) Where to start with Toni Morrison:
(BOOK) The Black Book:
(BOOK) Playing in the Dark:
(BOOK) Those Bones are not My Child:
CONTACT LINKS:
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
Mindhunter - John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker
Learn about the FBI team who solved crimes by partnering with the biggest baddies of our time. Also a hit show on Netflix.
SUPPORT US LINKS:
Get a copy of Mindhunter:
Sign up for Book of the Month Club YA
BONUS LINKS:
(VIDEO) The trailer for Mindhunter:
(VIDEO) Side-by-side comparison of Ed Kemper:
(ARTICLE) The book “Sexual Homicide” that the team wrote :
(ARTICLE) A comparison of the serial killers in the show:
(PODCAST) The show “Atlanta Monster”:
CONTACT LINKS:
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
Chaos - Tom O'Neill
The theories and web of connections you’ve never heard in the case against Charles Manson. We discuss CHAOS by Tom O’Neill (a masterwork 20 years in the making), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, now a major motion picture.
SUPPORT US LINKS:
Pick up a copy of the book, “CHAOS”:
Sign up for Book of the Month Club YA
BONUS LINKS:
The Hippie Trip (BOOK):
The Family (BOOK):
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer (VIDEO):
Cease to Exist documentary (VIDEO):
The Bandit Documentary trailer (VIDEO):
You Must Remember This podcast series on Manson (PODCAST):
The Last Podcast on the Left Charles Manson series (PODCAST):
CONTACT LINKS:
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
The Boys - Garth Ennis
What if superheroes were just as flawed as our celebrities and politicians? Learn about an amazing comic series, also now a show on Amazon.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Shop your local indie bookstore
Check out Book of the Month Club YA
Toss a review on Apple Podcasts! Put up some stars!
BONUS LINKS:
The trailer for the Amazon series:
The main character Hughie (who looks like Simon Pegg):
The Boys Reddit page:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheBoys/
The Arabic graffiti in the back of The Boys:
The Arabic graffiti in the back of Homeland:
Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe:
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
JT Leroy
Was it a performance piece, or a con-artist job? Learn both sides of the story, with the tale of the mysterious author JT Leroy. Now a film with Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart.
Please review Illiterate on Apple Podcasts, or share with a friend on Spotify!
EXTRA CONTENT NOTES:
The first article casting doubts on JT Leroy:
The second article casting doubts on JT Leroy:
The final article revealing JT Leroy’s identity:
An original review for JT Leroy’s first book, “Sarah”:
The trailer for the new film “JT Leroy” (YouTube):
A lengthy interview article with Laura Albert:
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
This is Where You Belong - Melody Warnick
Going off to college? Getting started in a new place? Just want to feel more connected? Learn the best ways to love where you live, with tools, tips, and tested tactics this week. It's Melody Warnick’s “This is Where You Belong”, one of Taylor’s personal favorites.
Please tell a friend this week about Illiterate!
EXTRA CONTENT NOTES:
Another book on the topic: The Geography of Bliss:
Print your own signs for “Walk Your City”:
Discover your ‘hood’s Walkscore on this website:
Killer Mike show trailer Evan mentioned (YouTube):
https://tinyurl.com/killermikeshow
The Vanishing Neighbor book:
The doc trailer “We are Columbine” Evan mentioned (YouTube):
Tips for random acts of kindness in your community:
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
The 10 ways to love where you live: 1. Lace up your sneakers 2. Buy local 3. Say hi 4. Do something fun 5. Commune with nature 6. Volunteer 7. Eat local 8. Get political 9. Create something 10. Stay loyal through hard times
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
History, or the future? We uncover what makes this book so important, the crazy-good ending, and how the tone of words gets translated to film. Learn about The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, now an Emmy-winning Hulu show.
Please tell a friend this week about Illiterate!
EXTRA CONTENT NOTES:
A transcript of an interview with Margaret Atwood:
www.tinyurl.com/mgatwinterview
Detailed profile article about Atwood’s writing process:
www.tinyurl.com/atwoodprocess
Article about the famous Latin phrase:
www.tinyurl.com/atwoodlatin
The video about the show’s cinematography:
www.tinyurl.com/handmaidcine
A link to our Watchmen episode (or look for ep 6!):
www.tinyurl.com/illwatchmenep
The Watchmen HBO trailer:
www.tinyurl.com/watchmenhbo
email us any questions, comments, or curse words - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
Transcript coming soon.
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport
A hot, new bestselling 2019 release! Learn about the ways you can declutter your digital life and go Marie Kondo on your phone. This week, we tackle Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
SHOW NOTES:
Further reading about the pigeon experiment: http://bit.ly/pigeonstudy1
Further reading about instagram in Canada: http://bit.ly/instacanada1
Further reading about the Amish: http://bit.ly/amishhackers
Further reading on the NPR article about loneliness: http://bit.ly/lonelyfb
Facebook’s internal study on how to use social media: http://bit.ly/facebookintstudy
These are the notes and practical tips we mentioned for each section:
the digital declutter process: 1. 30 day optional tech removal 2. rediscover behaviors 3. reintroduce with what value it accomplishes
the four concepts and practices:
1. spend time alone with your thoughts a. leave your phone at home b. take long walks
2. don’t click like a. be silent on social media b. consolidate texting c. hold conversation office hours
3.reclaim leisure a. prioritize demanding activity b. produce things in the real world c. have real world, structured, social interactions
4. attention resistance a. delete social media from your phone b. turn your devices into single-use items c. dumb down your smart phone
send your name to get on the email list for exclusive videos, articles, and giveaways - illiterate@email.com
follow for silly memes on instagram - @illiteratepod
go to the website for more shows - www.podcastgod.net
Transcript coming soon.
Bird Box - Josh Malerman
Don’t look at anything and you won’t die. By Josh Malerman.
The 5 discussions -
1. dancing mania
2. describing the senses
3. handwriting
4. raising children
5. ghost friendships
The 5 cool party topics -
1. dancing was a real medical problem in medieval times
2. try and tell a story without mentioning what you saw
3. Bird Box was written in a notebook
4. Sandra Bullock lives this movie in real life (she adopted two kids)
5. put yourself out there tonight, and tell people what you’re all about
We’re giving away a copy of Bird Box and a cool bookmark. All you gotta do to enter the drawing is send your name to the email.
Transcript coming soon.