Episodes
In this episode we discuss two beautiful SXSW Film Festival documentaries about processing loss and grief.
Songs From The Hole is a documentary/visual album that follows JJ'88, a prisoner struggling with being both a perpetrator and victim of violence, through hip-hop and soul. We are joined by director Contessa Gayles, producer Richie Reseda, and writer/co-producer JJ'88 as they share why this project evolved from an album to a visual album/film, how they joined forces to create this film,...
Published 04/11/24
This episode brings you two SXSW Film Festival documentaries that will introduce you to two amazing women that should already be household names.
The World According to Allee Willis shares the story of one of the most successful singer/songwriter/artists of our time, Allee Willis, from her strict upbringing to her creative successes (despite struggling to fit in with sexual and gender norms), and eventually, her path to love. We are joined by director Alexis Spraic, producer Nicholas Coles,...
Published 04/10/24
Today we're bringing you two SXSW films (a documentary and a narrative) that deal with the search for family.
She Looks Like Me is a documentary about a baby born without legs who was abandoned by her parents, and finds out that the gymnast she idolized, Dominique Moceanu, is her long lost sister. We were extremely excited to be joined by gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu, who shares why she knew it was the right time to make this film, her history of trauma and forgiving her dad, how she...
Published 04/03/24
We're excited to bring you two documentaries from the SXSW Film Festival that tell stories of sexual assault, a broken justice system, and women finding their voice.
An Army of Women follows a group of women in Austin, TX, who join forces to challenge the broken system that allowed their rapists to walk free. Director Julie Lunde Lillesæter and one of the film's subjects, Marina Garrett, join us to share the anger that initially fueled this project, the beautiful community of survivors that...
Published 04/03/24
Our SXSW Film Festival coverage is in full swing with two narrative films that deal with lies and finding out the truth.
We Strangers follows a commercial cleaner as she tells a lie (that she can speak to the dead) that spirals out of control. We chat with director/writer Anu Valia about how she created the uncomfortable/anxious tone for the film, interweaving themes of race, power, and assimilation, and how she hopes this film sparks a greater conversation afterwards.
Birdeater is a...
Published 03/29/24
Y'all, it's been way too long since our last official Basic Bitch. Needless to say, we have a lot of catching up to do! We give you our awards season highlights, an awkward story about Ange's trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, fundraising for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Erin's transformative experience at a Jon Batiste concert, the joy of seeing comedian Frankie Quinones live (and a cautionary tale about how not to act during a comedy show), and highlights from our time in Austin, Texas, for...
Published 03/27/24
We're kicking off our SXSW 2024 coverage with a serious bang! Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told (streaming now on Hulu) is a documentary about the epic Atlanta street party (aka the "Black Woodstock") that took place in the 80s and 90s, and put Atlanta on the map as the epicenter of Black culture.
This interview has a virtual lineup of heavy hitters, including EP/participant/hip-hop legend Jermaine Dupri, EP/participant/rapper/King of Freak Uncle Luke, EP/director P Frank Williams, and ...
Published 03/25/24
In the fictional film Float (streaming now on Amazon Prime!), a young woman unexpectedly falls in love with the small-town lifeguard who rescued her from drowning. Director Sherren Lee joins us via zoom to share how she adapted the story from a book by Kate Marchant and was able to make it her own, why being an immigrant from Taiwan helped her relate to the theme of belonging, and how a young boy selling pickles on the side of the road became a beloved character in the film.
Follow Sherren...
Published 03/21/24
Recorded on our last day in Park City, Utah, we recap the Sundance and Slamdance Film festivals with our co-co-host and honorary bitch, John Wildman. We get into some R rated moments, behind the scenes etiquette (or lack thereof) at red carpets, talking Hall & Oates and Huey Lewis with the CEO of Netflix, and some highlights of our most memorable moments.
Check out John Wildman's work at filmsgonewild.com
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Published 03/20/24
This is our final Sundance Film Festival episode and we're ending it with two documentaries about and made by some badass women!
Frida (now available on prime video!) is a deep dive into the iconic artist Frida Kahlo, told through her own words from diaries, essays, letters, and interviews. Director Carla Guiterrez explains what she learned about Frida through making this film, the significance of Mexico in the 1920s, and how she took creative risks to make Frida's art come to life.
And So...
Published 03/15/24
Today we're bringing you two documentaries from the Sundance Film Festival 2024 that explore alternative lifestyles.
DIG! XX exposes the friendship and rivalry of two dueling bands, The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. In this 20th anniversary extended cut of the rock documentary DIG!, director/producer Ondi Timoner and producer/editor David Timoner (yes they're siblings!) share how they chose the additional 40+ minutes of footage, the fun and nostalgia that came with...
Published 03/13/24
This is our final Slamdance Film Festival episode and we're ending it with three documentaries/projects that deal with important international issues.
Petro follows former guerilla Senator Gustavo Petro's bid for president as it divides Colombia, a country yearning for change. Director Sean Mattison and producer Trevor Martin join us to share the unique way they first met Petro as college students in DC, moving to Colombia to shoot this film, and the assassination plots against Petro that...
Published 03/01/24
Today we're covering two Sundance Film Festival narrative short films, Boi de Conchas and Thirstygirl.
In Boi de Conchas, a teenager is searching for her missing sister as local teens are mysteriously being turned into oxen. Director Daniel Barosa explains why death metal was the perfect sound for this story, telling dark themes through fiction, and the special meaning behind the film's location in Brazil.
Thirstygirl is a short film about sisterhood and sex addiction. Director Alexandra...
Published 02/28/24
Holy shit, this is a fun episode! We're covering 2 Slamdance Film Festival short films that are frightening in very different ways.
Legend of El Cucuy is a short film about a monster that kidnaps disobedient children at night. Director Cynthia Garcia Williams sits down with us to talk about the importance of casting Afro-Latinos and incorporating Spanish into the film, how Jordan Peele influenced the imagery of El Cucuy, and the first time she learned about El Cucuy as a kid.
Welcome to the...
Published 02/24/24
This week we're highlighting three Sundance Film Festival films that deal with the effects of racism in America.
As We Speak is a documentary that follows Bronx rap artist Kemba as he explores how rap lyrics are being weaponized in the criminal justice system. Director J.M. Harper and subject Kemba discuss how the film is like a song, the inadequacies of the criminal justice system, and how the story is not over.
Seeking Mavis Beacon is a documentary that follows the investigation into what...
Published 02/22/24
We are at the Slamdance Film Festival bringing you three short films that deal with the complicated nature of family issues.
Baby is a charming short film that follows what happens when a woman with down syndrome wants to have a baby. Director/producer James Di Martino and writer/producer Llewellyn Michael Bates explain why they found it important to tell this story, the inspiration behind the fun party scene, and what a joy it was to make.
In Dosh, a hard-of-hearing mother must decide how...
Published 02/17/24
This week we're highlighting two Sundance documentaries that cover very different ways to deal with grief and loss.
Look Into My Eyes is an intimate look at a group of psychics in New York and their clients. Director (and return guest) Lana Wilson shares how she found clients willing to be on camera, the importance of witnessing someone, and the 20 minute lizard story that she struggled to cut down for time.
Eternal You uncovers the frightening new trend of startups using AI and avatars to...
Published 02/15/24
This episode highlights two Slamdance Film Festival narrative films and the conversations cover everything from religion to chlamydia!
Bliss is the second film in a trilogy that follows Virgil Bliss, a fugitive that has now been on the run for twenty years, and has to deal with the sudden death of his girlfriend and the surprise arrival of her religious sister. We had a packed house with director/writer Joe Maggio, actors/co-writers Faryl Amadeus and Clint Jordan, and Executive Producer...
Published 02/10/24
We're at the Sundance Film Festival to discuss two short films that bring fantasy, horror, suspense, and surprise!
The Rainbow Bridge is a film about dying pets, a questionable clinic, and sinister doctors who promise human-to-pet communication. Director Dimitri Simakis and actor Thu Tran share the evolution of puppetry and imagery in the film, and the fine art of acting with a stuffed animal.
Dream Creep is a story about a couple that wakes up in the middle of the night to sounds emanating...
Published 02/07/24
Welcome to the Slamdance Film Festival 2024! Today we're talking about two great documentaries that highlight the passion and determination that it takes to be an athlete.
The Death Tour follows wrestling hopefuls in the most grueling tour in wrestling, as they cross northern Canada (in the heart of winter) in order to entertain remote indigenous communities. We sit down with Executive Producer and wrestling great Chris Jericho, and directors Sonya Ballantyne and Stephan Peterson, to discuss...
Published 02/02/24
Welcome to day one of our Sundance/Slamdance film festival coverage! Today we're focusing on the Sundance documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, which recaps the one night that 46 of the biggest singers/stars of 1985 gathered to record the song We Are the World.
Return guest/director Bao Nguyen shares how/why he was offered this project, the fun and nostalgia he hopes to bring to those who watch it, and how this film was also an homage to his immigrant parents who would play American music to...
Published 01/29/24
Welcome to Sundance and Slamdance 2024! Since this is our 6th year covering both film festivals (which coincide at the same time) and our fourth time in Park City, UT, we think we have FINALLY found the perfect work/chill/fun life balance. But of course, we're still Bitch Talk, so get your ears ready for some crazy hijinks and random acts of magic!
We talk hot tubbing, our cabin that was filled with badass Bay Area women in media, David Alan Grier making everyone laugh on the red carpet, Ange...
Published 01/26/24
A Basic Bitch recap of our NYE and our thoughts on the Golden Globes, followed by a replay of our interview with director Mstyslav Chernov for 20 Days in Mariupol, a powerful documentary that is on the short list for the Oscars!
Published 01/12/24
We're capping off the end of 2023 with some of our favorite moments, interviews, and a shared Moment of Pleasure.
Published 12/29/23