The Well

One day in 1968, Danny Trejo had hit rock bottom: solitary confinement at the Correction Training Facility, otherwise known as Soledad Prison. From that moment, he decided to change his life completely. During a live interview at DragonCon 2024, Danny tells Anson about the redemptive power in helping others. Music in this episode was provided by John Bartmann under a Creative Commons 1.0 Universal License. Link to John Bartmann’s Patron: https://www.patreon.com/johnbartmann Link to CC License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ https://youtu.be/2DUEVQs-RMs

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

One day in 1968, Danny Trejo had hit rock bottom: solitary confinement at the Correction Training Facility, otherwise known as Soledad Prison. From that moment, he decided to change his life completely. During a live interview at DragonCon 2024, Danny tells Anson about the redemptive power in helping others. Music in this episode was provided by John Bartmann under a Creative Commons 1.0 Universal License. Link to John Bartmann’s Patron: https://www.patreon.com/johnbartmann Link to CC License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ https://youtu.be/2DUEVQs-RMs

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

How does Adam see himself, his life and his role as an inventor, artist and educator? Adam reflects on his unique career path, work/life balance, what to do when feeling overwhelmed, investing in your own world-building, how meditating on the origins of things connects him to creators of the past, the miracle of sentience and zombie Richard Feynman. https://youtu.be/wg5laIYBkcA

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

Adam gets a touch philosophical on the subject of creativity, discusses some memorable builds and Anson breaks out his Guillermo del Toro impression. https://youtu.be/MmMMV3TnPmg

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

We covered Isaac Newton's monstrous nature, the inevitability of calculus, pottery, Clive Owen's need for a foil, aesthetics as a point of view, lessons from Steven Soderbergh, following the story's lead, relinquishing control, Sir Anthony Hopkins' need for George C. Scott's tension, and how audience feedback improves creators. https://youtu.be/bsi0RcKLmS4

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

We're tremendously saddened by the loss of a great artist, humanitarian and beautiful human being. David Lynch meant a lot to many people and we were lucky to have shared time and space with him. Branan and Anson shares recollections and Branan breaks out his Lynch impression and a remastered fan film.Mentioned in this episode: Room to Dream is a wonderful biography / autobiography hybrid by Kristine McKenna and David Lynch. We recommend the audiobook version so you can Lynch tell his story in his inimitable "Great Plaines Honk" *according to Kyle MacLachlan* Lumière and Company(1995) which is not streaming anywhere but there is a playlist on YouTube that anthologizes all the entries. David Lynch's entry Premonitions Following an Evil Deed by David Lynch is there. Branan's David Lynch fan film David Lynch: Signature Coffee has been remastered and uploaded to YouTube https://youtu.be/gl2LX3XifLw

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2025

After a very busy fall season of Anson moving to a new town and Branan moving everywhere they finally find time to make contact. This episode feature a bit of Branan’s travelogues. Recommendations include 'The Penguin', Werner Herzog’s 'Every Man for Himself and God Against All', 'Wild Robot', 'Anora' by Sean Baker, The Apprentice, 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss, and a new book called Don Quixote.Full performance by Sean Ryan, proprietor and wizard of Leap Castle, Ireland. https://youtu.be/kaQqFRxtqPo

Transcribed - Published: 1 January 2025

Part 2 of our conversation with AI Filmmaker Roope Rainisto gets into the philosophical, ethical and legal aspects of generative art. Is the genie out of the bottle? How do we respond and what choices do we have? https://youtu.be/ja4S2d8fSB8

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2024

AI filmmaker Roope Rainisto joins us from Finland for part 1 of our discussion about generative tools and working within AI's current possibilities and limitations. https://youtu.be/nR__J4L3KY4

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2024

Branan and Anson broadcast from a rooftop in Toronto accompanied by the soothing sounds of a nearby house renovation. In this Drop: Star Trek set tour, Moondog, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut,  THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds, Emergence Magazine's “Winds of Awe and Fear” by Nick Hunt and Ethernal Damnation’s INDXcoin.  https://youtu.be/H7Lonjt2CrM And here, as read by Branan, the original apology video posted by Eli Regalado regarding his crypto currency investigation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsgCU-OxORo

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2024

Film Director Rod Lurie was in Bulgaria, deep into pre-production for his film "The Outpost" when he got the call that his son Hunter had suffered a sudden cardiac event. What you are about to hear is a story of loss, but also one of victory through the very decision to keep going. Special thanks to Rod Lurie for sharing his story with us. Happy Father's Day. Extra music provided by Poddington Bear under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 International license.

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2024

In this episode: Bilge Ebiri, esteemed film critic (New York, Vulture) and friend of the show drops by to discuss where FURIOSA fits in George Miller’s MAD MAX saga, Netflix, ATHENA, IN A VIOLENT NATURE, and the how going out to the movies is more fun and may just make you a better dresser.  https://youtu.be/y4kKxIX707w

Transcribed - Published: 8 June 2024

In this episode: Back surgery, heart ablation, genetic memory, the eternal jellyfish, Jules Verne, big leather books, The Heart Goes Last, The Curse, Uncut Gems, Safdie’s music choices, squid games game show, Alice in Borderland, Connections, James burke, Incan potatoes, hulked out grasses, The Holdovers featuring the mysterious Andrew Garmen, and Anson and Branan get Verklempt reading a listener review. https://youtu.be/oUCwSOfVpac

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2024

Anson and Branan are still banging on about OUT OF DARKNESS and we are thrilled to have the film’s director Andrew Cumming join us for a chat from the far-flung Shetland islands. Mentioned in this episode: Learning to be a caveman, William Golding’s “The Inheritors”, “Quest for Fire”. “Clan of Cave Bear”, “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari and shooting in remote locations during COVID in the harsh Scottish winter. WARNING: Spoilers within! If you have not seen the film we suggest seeing it now that it is streaming. #OutOfDarkness @SignatureEntUK https://youtu.be/U5xMX1OZr24

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2024

When actor Kenneth Mitchell was given a life altering medical diagnosis, it forced him to change his relationship to the concept of time itself. Join us for our first LIVE episode recording from April, 2022 reposted in remembrance. https://youtu.be/VKD-FniubEs?si=u-9KfvIDpaXm8dIO

Transcribed - Published: 1 March 2024

In this episode: OUT OF DARKNESS, amateur speculation regarding the provenance of our species, recent vacations where Anson and Branan both experience passport issues, volcanoes in Iceland and an actual dick measuring contest (not ours). https://youtu.be/tzSijwuEjs4

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2024

In this episode: Learning Sequences, Mosquitoes on Rainy Lake and other mosquito nightmares, BEEF,  painted nails, pizza tours, THE HARVEST, attending the world premiere of OPPENHEIMER, SAG Strike, the heaviest film ever made and what we all suspected about men and sports cars in now scientific fact.  https://youtu.be/ByLSaZN7x9I

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2024

Anson and Branan take on the weighty subject of gravity and gravity waves with our guest Daniel Reardon doing most of the heavy lifting. Please enjoy this fun and fact-filled historical romp though time and space. https://youtu.be/5FqEVMsL_Jk?si=PuCjGKPXwCL2KTDL

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2024

In this short Drop Anson and Branan discus STILL, the documentary about Michael J. Fox, BARRY, Beavis and Butthead, Something in the Dirt and new music from Little Moon.

Transcribed - Published: 7 December 2023

Doua Moua's tireless pursuit of his dream to produce his screenplay, "The Harvest," finally paid off. We are joined by Doua and his co-star, Perry Yung, who dedicated himself to understanding Hmong culture to portray the father in this deeply personal story.

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2023

Did you know Anson used to be a Dungeon Master? In this episode Branan lures Anson into a surprise reunion with his old campaign players under the pretext of interviewing Nathan Stewart of Wizards of the Coast about his role as advisor on the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Nathan does eventually join the conversation, it's like two episodes in one!

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2023

In this episode: Branan discusses his oceanic adventure turning 50, Anson recommends Dan Simmon's 'Hyperion', and they both catch-up on 'Succession', 'Beau Is Afraid', The Dungeons & Dragons movie, meeting John Cleese, some new music and the unforgivable desecration of Jimi Hendrix's guitar at the hands of he-who-shall-not-be named.

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 2023

Eric and his buddies decided they would make a shot-for-shot remake of "Raiders of the Lost Ark".  The only problem?  They were just kids.  But they had a secret weapon at their disposal: they were just kids. Interested listeners may watch the fan film itself, and see those moments as described, at threaderskids.com Special thanks to John Hudgens.  Additional music for this episode provided by Audiorezout under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International license.

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2023

We are not finished talking about ATHENA by Romain Gavras. This time we let film critic Bilgi Ebiri do all the talking. We also get into marketing versus promotion and how even a film like ATHENA can get lost in all the noise.

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2023

In this installment of The Drop Branan and Anson discuss and highly recommend the astonishing film ATHENA by Romain Gavras and film critic Bilgi Ebiri stops by to help us articulate what makes this such an amazing film. Also, Branan and Anson perform an original play written by artificial intelligence.

Transcribed - Published: 9 January 2023

One of our cultural heroes, Jello Biafra is a legendary figure in the punk rock scene and a spoken word artist and politician. He joins us to discus how he found his unique voice and how to weather the slings and arrows of our chaotic political reality. His solution? Wicked humor.

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2022

Just in time for Halloween Branan sits down with author Marshall Julius and legendary makeup FX maestro Howard Berger to discuss their new book, and Branan gets nostalgic and wistful thinking back upon his own almost makeup career.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2022

We were so taken with S.S. Rajamouli's landmark film, RRR, we deciated a whole Drop to it! Also, odd news stories and a subtle plea for a new watch.

Transcribed - Published: 3 September 2022

Back in April of 2020 author and journalist Jack Hitt sat down with us to discuss the beginings of the pandemic and make a few predictions. Over two years later we emerge from our basements and closets to check the accuracy of those predictions and we are once again visted by the ghost of Ignaz Semmelweis. What did we get right and what did we get wrong? Have any lessons been learned?

Transcribed - Published: 4 July 2022

Imagine getting an anonymous phone call.  The person on the other end tells you that, not only has your work been recognized by group of world recognized artists and innovators, but they are also going to inject your bank account with enough money to change your work and, yes, your life.  That's what happened to Vijay Gupta.  Here's our episode about Vijay's induction into the MacArthur Foundation's Fellows program and the strange history of the so-called "Genius Grant." Vijay's album "When the Violin..." can be found here.

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2022

When a virtuoso violinist realizes he has yet to develop his own artistic voice, nor any idea of how to accomplish that task, he is face with a choice: continue a lonely descent into angst, or learn to say "yes". Here's the story of how he chose the latter and developed a powerful friendship in the process. You can find Vijay's album "When the Violin" here. You can find out more about "Street Symphony" here. You can find Steve Lopez's book "The Soloist" here.

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2022

In this episode Branan and Anson discuss: An evil & drugged cat, The STAR TREK: SNW premiere, SEVERANCE, TOP GUN 2, PAM & TOMMY, Robert Egger's THE NORTHMAN, Cixin Liu's The Poetry Cloud (can be read here) And Euphemisms That Get on My You-Know-Whats by Adam Sharp. Cat illustration by Louis Wain

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2022

When actor Kenneth Mitchell was given a life altering medical diagnosis, it forced him to change his relationship to the concept of time itself.  Join us for our first LIVE episode recording. Additional music provided by Kevin McLeod under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution license.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2022

Tom McElroy has found the road less traveled to be full of unexpected turns, from the absurdities of reality TV to the perils of traveling in remote wildernesses. Along this sometimes tangled path one thing remains clear, we were not meant to go it alone.  And if you haven't checked it out yet, our Island Survival Exit Interview is now on YouTube where Anson Mount interviews Branan Edgens about his time in St. Croix learning primitive survival skills from Tom McElory of wildsurvivalskills.com. https://youtu.be/mtC1HfCxTtA

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2022

Who amongst us has not dreamed of a simpler life more connected to nature, of escaping the rat race and living a singular existence full of adventure? It’s easier dreamed than done but primitive survival expert Tom McElroy of wildsurvivalskills.com sat down with us to tell us how he did it and share the unexpected twists and turns of his adventure thus far.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2022

This episode finds Branan tired and new father Anson unexpectedly well-rested. Discussed in this episode: SEVERANCE, GIRLS Vs. GANGSTERS AND MIKE TYSON (!), Joel Coen's THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH as reviewed by Ethan Coen,  Octavia Butler's  WILD SEED, THE SPARROW by Mary Doria Russell, A delinquent dancing cactus, wisdom from Sterling Hayden, Anson's worst moment as an actor, and a giant and expensive rebar chicken, and more!

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2022

In this episode we discuss impending Fatherhood! Plus Bo Burnham's INSIDE, Burt Reynolds' HEAT, Branan's experience Cabin living, camping with the gang, John Fahey , Mr. Rogers discusses silence, Never Ending Story, Fellini's Toby Dammit excerpt from SPIRITS OF THE DEAD, Vivaldi's Stabat Mater in F minor, RV 621: VI Eja Mater, fons amoris and how is it compares to BB King and Shakespeare, MIDNIGHT MASS (Netflix), Mark Twain, I am One of You Forever by Fred chapel, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, SUCCESSION (HBO), THE DEATH OF STALIN, Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark, Fabric or Reality by David Deutsch, Simulation theory, plus readings from Harper’s Magazine “Writing Wrongs” and “Clause and Effect”and we read listener reviews. Artwork "Fatherhood" by Mahfuzur Rahman

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2022

Another installment of the segment in which we share all the things we've been watching, reading and hearing. AND... The amazing story of how Uncle Philip became a guitar!!!  You won't wanna miss this one. This episode is dedicated in loving memory to Kao Ly Ilene Her.

Transcribed - Published: 11 October 2021

Early in the pandemic, the medical community struggled with ways to help people avoid getting sick through physical contact, particularly when it came to our strange habit of constantly touching our faces.  That's when Astrophysicist Daniel Reardon got an idea.  What follows is the strange and funny tale of a highly intelligent man falling down the rabbit hole of stupidity and then using his story to make people smile during a very dark time. Extra music for this episode provided by Krestovsky under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercia-Share Alike 3.0 license.

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2021

Anson and Branan chat with Tzi about his time on "Hell on Wheels", his incredible career trajectory, his ongoing fight against anti-AAPI hate, and that time he was busted for selling powdered sugar at Andy Warhol's house. For more information about the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund you can visit their website here. Additional music provided by Bored With Four under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 3.0 International license.  Their track "Kung Fu" can be found here.

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2021

Anson and Branan decide to turn the microphone over to friends and family who have been affected by the rise of anti AAPI violence and hatred in the country.

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2021

Anson & Branan take time between seasons to discuss all the things they've been reading, hearing and seeing. In Episode number 9 of THE DROP we discuss: QUEEN’S GAMBIT and Anya Taylor-Joy’s eyeballs , Bryan Fogel’s THE DISSIDENT, Netflix’ series of lockdown shorts, HOMEMADE, Darius Marder’s  SOUND OF METAL, HBO’s The Lady and the Dale, The educational streaming platform Curiosity Stream , The Afrofuturism collection on the Criterion channel featuring John’s Coney’s whacked-out Space is the Place  YouTube Link) starring Sun Ra and  John Akomfrah’s inventive documentary The Last Angel of History  (YouTube Link), Ramin Bahrani’s THE WHITE TIGER, The German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and their surprising relationship to Afrofuturism  Letters to a young poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, A reading from HARPER’s in which a college professor does a very bad job at apologizing for offensive remarks, Jonathan Meiburg’s book A MOST REMARKABLE CREATURE  the fun of one-star google reviews, and we read listeners feedback!

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2021

Discussed in this Drop:  PEN15 (hulu), THE SOCIAL DELIMA (Netflix), the looming danger of deep fakes, HUMAN NATURE (Netflix), LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM (Netflix), THE DEMON IN THE MACHINE (book), TO HOLD UP THE SKY (book), HARPER’S magazine essay “MAKING MEANING”, BECOMING YOU (Apple TV), WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS (Netflix), The spiritual rootedness of LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO (music) versus the spiritual distance of GEORGIAN FUNERAL CHANTS (music), NORMAL PEOPLE (Hulu), THE SECRET MUSEUM OF MANKIND series (music anthology), and the greatest film of all time BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC (Netflix)

Transcribed - Published: 7 December 2020

Join us for part 2 of our conversation with the Martini Samurai Leon Ingulsrud. Topics include: consciousness, learning to "be" through art, how unmarked time slips away into the future, and the eternal question of "Where’s Waldo?"

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2020

Back in March, when Anson & Branan founds themselves sheltering with their wives, friends, 6 chickens and 3 dogs, they decided they were missing a very important thing: a new drink recipe. So they phoned up the Martini Samurai himself Leon Ingulsrud of "Hell on Wheels" to help them out with their predicament.

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2020

When she found out that her twenty-three year old son Amadou had been shot to death by four plain-clothes NYPD officers (in what they claimed was a case of mistaken identity), Kadiatou immediately boarded a flight for New York City. When she arrived, she suddenly found herself the centerpiece of a political and cultural maelstrom which she had not asked for. Further incensed that the media had dismissed her son as "an unarmed, West African street vendor", Kadiatou decided to write the memoir "My Heart Will Cross This Ocean" and reclaim her son's identity. Join us as Kadiatou shares with us the stories of her son's life, her fight for police accountability, and previously unreported facts surrounding the circumstances of Amadou's death. You can order "My Heart Will Cross This Ocean: My Story, My Son, Amadou" by Kadiatou Diallo and Craig Wolff here. You can find out more about the Amadou Diallo Foundation by visiting their website here. Extra music for this episode was provided by Daniel Birch via a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 license. You can find the track "Brushed Bells Leaving Home" here. The photo accompanying this episode was taken by Mary F. Calvert for The New York Times.

Transcribed - Published: 8 October 2020

Branan & Anson bring you more fun stuff to discover and experience during the lockdown... Can we even call it a "lockdown" anymore? Whatever. You're bored and we know it. You can find the trailer for TENET here. You can find the trailer for "Mind Game" here. You can find the trailer fro "The Vow" here. You can find "The Monster of Florence" by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi here. You can find the trailer for "My Octopus Teacher" here. You can find the trailer for PEN15 here. You can find the trailer for "Raised by Wolves' here. You can find The Pod Directive here. You can find the Bunga Bunga podcast website here.

Transcribed - Published: 28 September 2020

Major David Hughes serves as Chief of Professional Standards at the Newport News Sheriff's Office in Virginia. After nearly falling victim to his own local police culture, and then spending years considering its systemic issues, Major Hughes simply was not willing to keep silent after the killing of George Floyd. He sat down and penned a stunning op-ed for the New York Times entitled, "I'm a Black Police Officer. Here's How to Change the System." After we read it, we knew we had to speak to him. You can find Major Hughes' op-ed here. Reverend Freakchild's cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is provided courtesy of KBOO Community Radio in Portland, Oregon via a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives International 4.0 licence. For more information about KBOO you can visit their website here.

Transcribed - Published: 3 August 2020

LeVar Burton is an actor, producer, director, writer, podcaster, and education advocate. In this segment of WHATRYADOIN', LeVar shares with us his thoughts on representation in fiction, his memories of his friend and fellow advocate Fred Rogers, and why the Holodeck will one day be realized. For more information about LeVar and everything he's doing, check out his website here. Links to all the authors LeVar mentions in this segment: Octavia Butler Samuel R. Delaney Nnedi Okorafor - Her Binti Series can be found here. Ken Liu Lesley Nneka Arimah Cat Rambo Amal El-Mohtar Isaac Asimov - you can find his Foundation Trilogy here. Extra music for this episode was provided by The Twin Atlas under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-a-Like 3.0 United States License. You can find out more about them and their music at their official website.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2020

In the wake of murder of George Floyd, and the national outcry that has followed, Branan and Anson discuss the importance of listening and taking accountability. Yes, this is two white guys trying, very clumsily, to talk about racial justice in our nation. We ask for your patience because this is, embarrassingly, a little new for us. The documentary about James Baldwin entitled "I Am Not Your Negro" is currently streaming on Netflix and Youtube. Here is the official trailer. You can stream the documentary series "Eyes On the Prize" for free on the Facing History & Ourselves website. It is also available on Youtube, with the first episode here. Nikole Hannah-Jones' amazing "1619" podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and on Stitcher, as well as the WNYC website. The Pulitzer Prize winning "Uncivil" podcast featuring Wellpod guest Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika can be found on all podcast platforms as well as the Gimlet Media website.

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2020