Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

Shabaka Hutchings is a saxophone player and composer. He fronts the bands Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors. His music combines jazz, calypso, dancehall, hip-hop and African folk music, but it's more than the sum of its parts. Shabaka finds ways to speak using the language of all these genres to make something totally unique and of his own. Black to the Future, the latest Sons of Kemet release, just dropped and is available now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For the better part of a decade, the video game industry has made more in revenue than Hollywood. Year after year, it's not even close. Some of the biggest blockbuster games can pull down a billion dollars within a week of being released, and they can continue making money for years afterwards. But video games can take enormous amounts of work to produce, and because the industry is notoriously opaque, studios can sometimes become toxic workplaces. That's where Jason Schreier has made his career: Instead of writing reviews or reporting on player communities, he investigates the studios that make games. He's uncovered labor abuses, creative and legal disputes behind the scenes, and all sorts of workplace misconduct. And he does it by going directly to the workers involved. His new book, Press Reset, is his latest work in that field. Based on dozens of interviews with people who make games, it tells the origin stories of some of the most renowned video game studios in the world — and how those same studios even

Ann Dowd is a veteran actor. Her career began on the stage, first in Chicago, where she went to school, then in New York. She started appearing on screen in the '90s in shows like The Baby-Sitter's Club and Law & Order. As she has continued her acting journey, she has starred in many memorable parts including her roles in the HBO series "The Leftovers" and the 2012 film Compliance. She may be best known for her role as the sadistic Aunt Lydia in the hit series "The Handmaid's Tale," which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She joins guest host Linda Holmes to chat about the new season of The Handmaid's Tale, similarities between some of the different roles she's played, and when she made the switch from studying medicine in school to studying acting. Plus, she'll talk a little bit about her new film Mass which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they are today. This time around, we're joined by American jazz trumpeter Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen. Doc is an amazing trumpet player who led the band over at "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" for thirty years and almost the entirety of Carson's run. He's known for his impeccable-styled costumes and eclectic musical styles. He's recorded with Eddie Fisher, Dinah Shore and still tours at 93 years old. He's had an enchanted career that extends all the way back to the second world war where a chance encounter gave him the opportunity to play for his childhood idol—trombonist Tommy Dorsey. Catch "Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story" on your local PBS station.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rick Prelinger is an archivist and professor at UC Santa Cruz. He's a collector of found and discarded footage: home movies, outtakes from industrial videos and never before seen b-roll from old feature films. Rick also co-founded the Prelinger Library in San Francisco. It's one of the largest collections of ephemeral films in the world. In the film series Lost Landscapes, Rick compiles footage from his archives to create documentaries about changing cities. He's covered San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Detroit and more. We talk with Rick about his film series, how he curates his archives and his passion for all things ephemeral. Plus, Rick shares a story about the time he found a video of himself as a child in someone else's home movies.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

William Jackson Harper won the hearts of fans as the sweet philosophy professor Chidi Anagonye on NBC's The Good Place. The role helped jump start his career and earned him a handful of award nominations including an Emmy nod. In 2019, he also starred in the critically acclaimed horror film Midsommar. His latest project is a leading role alongside Aya Cash in the romantic comedy We Broke Up. He's also set to appear in the upcoming Amazon series The Underground Railroad, which is directed by Barry Jenkins. He joins guest host Linda Holmes of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour to talk about his new film and upcoming projects, The Good Place, some of the TV shows he's been binging and a new hobby he's picked up during the pandemic. Plus, they'll chat about his love for scary movies and dive into some of his favorite horror films and thrillers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ric Burns has written, produced, and directed many documentaries over the last 25 years that capture fascinating narratives about different topics in American history. A few subjects he's covered include New York City, The American Civil War, The Chinese Exclusion Act, and many more. His latest documentary explores the life, work, and legacy of the legendary neurologist and bestselling author Oliver Sacks. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer in early 2015, Sacks approached Burns about creating a documentary to tell his life's story. Ric Burns chats with Jesse about his experience working closely with Oliver Sacks on the project before his passing in August of 2015. He also talks about how creating this film alongside Sacks changed him as a person and the way he sees the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Raoul Peck makes sweeping, breathtaking, insightful films that marry the political to the personal. As a director, he's made both documentaries and feature films. That includes 2000's Lumumba about the assassinated Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba, 2016's Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro which vividly reworked the writings of the late James Baldwin and 2017's The Young Karl Marx—a biopic about the German philosopher's young adulthood. His latest project is Exterminate All the Brutes, an HBO docuseries. Based on the book by Sven Lindqvist, the film delves into the destruction and desolation caused by European colonialism in places like Australia, Africa, Asia and the Americas.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last month, the actor Jessica Walter died. She was 80 years old, her family says she passed away in her sleep. Her career spanned over six decades. She's starred in hundreds of on screen performances, from Arrested Development, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Love Boat, and Trapper John, M.D. to a starring role in Clint Eastwood's directorial debut Play Misty for Me. We're taking a moment to remember the brilliant Jessica Walter by revisiting our conversation from 2014. At the time she was promoting the latest season of the animated show Archer. She talked about her voice work on the program, her love of Lucille Bluth and working with Clint Eastwood.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nicole Byer is a force of nature. She hosts two game shows and four podcasts. She also writes and does stand-up and improv. She's an Emmy-nominated actor. And if all that wasn't enough for you, she's a great follow on Twitter. She joins Bullseye for a wide-ranging interview with guest host Tre'vell Anderson. She talks about hosting game shows, adjusting her comedy career to work in the pandemic, and her voice acting work — including her upcoming role as Susie Carmichael's mom Lucy on the upcoming Rugrats reboot.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

British comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb have been making audiences laugh for over two decades. They began their career performing on stage and eventually transitioned to the world of television with their breakout sketch comedy shows The Mitchell and Webb Situation and That Mitchell and Webb Look. In 2003, they starred on the hit British sitcom Peep Show, a cult favorite that helped them reach international audiences. In 2017, they reunited for the sitcom Back, which is now in its second season. Mitchell and Webb join Bullseye to talk about their latest show, their experiences performing together as a double act over the years, and why they often create "unpleasant" characters in their shows. Near the end of the interview, we also talk with Robert Webb about some controversial tweets he posted in 2018 and later deleted that criticized a charity that provides care and support for transgender and gender nonconforming kids.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privac

Killer Mike first joined Bullseye all the way back in 2009. Since then, he's formed the supergroup Run the Jewels with partner El-P, he's appeared in films like Baby Driver and he hosted his own television series "Trigger Warning with Killer Mike" on Netflix. The Grammy-awarded rapper also finds time to stay pretty politically active. We revisit our 2019 conversation with Mike where he sat down with us to chat about freestyling for Big Boi, his college regrets and style-flipping as a 30+ rapper. Plus, he'll tell us why the south still has something to say. That's on the next Bullseye.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Adam McKay's had a pretty eclectic career. He started in sketch comedy. First as a founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade, then as a writer on Saturday Night Live. He's collaborated with Will Ferrell to make some stone cold comedy classics: Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights. Lately, his work has been more topical and political. We're revisiting our conversation with Adam this week. When we talked in 2019, he'd just directed Vice – a biopic about Dick Cheney. Vice explains why, for better or for worse, Cheney is one of the most consequential people in recent history. In this conversation, Adam explained how he manages to keep his films fresh, funny and weird even when the topics are more serious. Plus, he shared some tales in improv comedy from his time at Second City in Chicago. Adam's latest project is a podcast called Death at the Wing, you can find it wherever you get podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The post-punk band Gang of Four was an unstoppable force of danceable beats, abrasive guitar work and unflinchingly political lyrics. Formed in the late 70s in Leeds, England, core of the operation was vocalist Jon King and guitarist Andy Gill. King and Gill were childhood friends and lifelong collaborators, and their work influenced a generation of rock music. Bullseye guest host Jordan Morris interviewed King about the band's box set, Gang of Four 77-81, as well as his early influences and what it's like to be sampled by Run the Jewels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When you think of actor Christopher Lloyd, what's the first film of his that comes to mind? Is it the Back to the Future franchise where he starred as the unforgettable inventor Emmet "Doc" Brown? Perhaps it's the 1988 live action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit where he took on the terrifying role as Judge Doom? Maybe it's not a film at all, but rather the beloved sitcom series Taxi where he starred as the oddball New York City cab driver "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski. Christopher Lloyd has performed in a number of iconic roles over the years and at the age of 82 he has no plans to stop anytime soon. Jesse recently spoke with the Hollywood veteran about his remarkable career in acting and why he continues to do it. They also talked about his new film "Senior Moment" where he stars alongside William Shatner and Jean Smart.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Riz Ahmed has spent the last decade pursuing dual careers in acting and hip-hop. His work has been political, controversial, funny, subtle — the sort of stuff critics love — and it's found huge audiences, despite all that controversy. He started in British independent movies like suicide-bomber comedy Four Lions, acted in a Star Wars movie, and now has made history as the first Muslim actor to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. As if all that wasn't enough, he's also a pretty good MC! When we talked in 2016, he had just released an album as part of the hip-hop duo Swet Shop Boys.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With a little help from the smash hit "Cannonball" on their 1993 album "Last Splash," The Breeders became one of the biggest names in early '90s alternative rock. In 2018, we chatted with the band's lead guitarist and singer Kim Deal. She talked about the music scene in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio, how unintended her success was, transitioning from the Pixies to The Breeders, and what it felt like the first moment she realized that she had written a song that people wanted to dance to. She also talked about The Breeders reuniting for "All Nerve," their first project in almost a decade, which dropped in 2018.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Have you seen the latest Spike Lee Joint? Da 5 Bloods? It's one of the best movies of 2020. It follows the story of four Black Vietnam war veterans who return to Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. Officially, they're looking for the remains of their fallen squad leader. Unofficially... they've returned in search of buried treasure left behind during the war. Delroy Lindo's portrayal of war veteran Paul completely steals the show. It's an emotional, raw depiction of a very complex person who's been through immense trauma. The performance is breathtaking. Returning to the land which caused all of them so much pain opens old wounds and reignites unresolved heartache. Public radio veteran Ray Suarez talks with Delroy Lindo about Da 5 Bloods. Delroy reflects on the previous times he worked with Spike Lee almost two decades ago. Plus, Delroy was born in London, spent part of his life in Canada, and only came to the US in his late teen years. He talks about how that experience has influenced his craft.Learn more about sp

Nikki Giovanni is a Grammy-award winning poet, essayist and professor at Virginia Tech University. She's been creating beautiful, plain spoken prose that's knocked us off our feet since the 1960s. She's worked with James Baldwin, Maya Angelou and Mohammad Ali. Oprah considers her to be a "living legend." Her powerful prose will catch you off-guard if you're not careful. Her words speak truth to power. Her words emancipate the mind, the body and the soul! Her latest collection of poems is called "Make Me Rain." Nikki joins Bullseye to talk about the first poem she can remember writing, overcoming teenage angst and why she's not afraid—excited even—to find life on Mars. Plus, she'll tell us why never being satisfied can be toxic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

He goes by many names: Forty Fonzarelli, Charlie Hustle, 40-Water or maybe you know him as the Ambassador of the Bay Area. When it comes to Bay Area hip-hop, E-40 quite possibly the greatest of all time. His distinctiveness has kept him relevant for three decades now, from mob music in the 1990's to hyphy slaps in the aughts to new music today. A couple months ago E-40 put out a brand new record with another Bay Area veteran: Too $hort – it's called Ain't Gone Do It. We're taking the time to revisit our conversation with E-40 from 2019. When he joined us we pulled up some deep cuts from R&B singer Saint Charles, who 40 knows as his Uncle Chuckie. Plus, he talked about his college days at Grambling State University.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy