WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Barry Jenkins is grateful that he's been able to harness the tools of filmmaking in order to tell the stories of his ancestors. Barry and Marc get into all the details of making the ten-part series The Underground Railroad and how Barry differentiates between the projects he's made with his head and the ones he's made with his gut. The also talk about Moonlight, bringing James Baldwin's words to the screen, and why it was important to have an on-set counselor for this recent undertaking...

Director Liesl Tommy talks with Marc about making Respect, telling Aretha Franklin’s story, and growing up under apartheid in South Africa.

When Liesl Tommy got hired as a first-time feature film director to make the new Aretha Franklin movie Respect, she knew there were 100 reasons why she couldn't screw it up. Marc and Liesl talk about their experience making the film together and Liesl explains how she's no stranger to uphill battles...

Marlon Wayans joins Marc to talk about Respect, his siblings, Requiem for a Dream, the loss of his mother, and messing around with Marc on set.

Marlon Wayans and Marc spent their time on the set of the movie Respect cracking each other up and that dynamic continues in the garage. It's a situation that's familiar to Marlon, growing up with nine funny siblings and hanging around legendary comedians since he was a kid. Marlon also talks about accessing his serious side in films like Requiem for a Dream and harnessing the grief over his mother's death when he got back on the stand-up stage...

Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo talks with Marc about Reservation Dogs, his friendship with Taika Waititi, his sketch group The 1491s, and amplifying Native voices in entertainment.

Sterlin Harjo is relishing the opportunity to depict Native lives and stories on mainstream television with his new FX comedy series Reservation Dogs. But it's not like entertainment industry was a wide open door for Indigenous filmmakers like himself...

Tom McCarthy approaches his films like a journalist, even when he's creating a work of fiction. Just as a reporter discovers facts about their stories, Tom's years of research help him unearth truths about the characters he's creating. Tom and Marc talk about how this played out in the process of making movies like Stillwater, Spotlight and The Station Agent. They also talk about how Tom's devout Catholic parents reacted to him making a movie about the deep rot within the church...

Director and writer Tom McCarthy talks with Marc about Spotlight, Stillwater, The Station Agent, The Wire, and the inspirations for his art and creativity.

Film and culture critic A.O. Scott joins Marc for a discussion about why we need critical thinking more than ever and how criticism will keep us from being slaves to the algorithm.