Adam McKay

On this episode, the Cold War Cinema crew is joined by director, writer, and producer Adam McKay to discuss John Frankenheimer's paranoid, psychological thriller Seconds (1966). McKay has written and directed many celebrated feature films such as Anchorman (2004), Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008), The Big Short (2015), Vice (2018), Don't Look Up (2021), and numerous others. Prior to this, McKay was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade in the early 1990s, and head writer for Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. In 2019, McKay founded Hyperobject Industries, and has served as the executive producer of HBO's Succession (2019–2023), Game Theory with Bomani Jones (2022–2023), and, most recently, The Chair Company (2025) starring Tim Robinson. Synopsis of the film: Middle-aged banker Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) feels trapped in a life that has calcified into routine and regret. When he receives a phone call from an old friend who he thought was long dead, and a shadowy organization known simply as "the Company" offers him the ultimate second chance, he fakes his death, and undergoes radical surgery to assume a new identity. Reborn as artist Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson), he's given youth, wealth, and access to a new bohemian lifestyle on a seaside in Malibu. While his transformation at first feels intoxicating, the promise of freedom begins to fray and ultimately fracture. As Tony struggles to inhabit his new self, paranoia creeps in and the illusion of choice gives way to something far more unsettling. Shot in stark black-and-white with disorienting lenses and claustrophobic compositions, Seconds is less a sci-fi fantasy than an existential nightmare—an unsettling meditation on identity, conformity, and the seductive lie that starting over can save us from who we are. On this episode we discuss: McKay's work as a comedian, comedy writer, and filmmaker, his political and cinematic influences, the paranoid style of filmmaking in the 1960s, satire, the looming specter of climate apocalypse, why the world needs a Ho Chi Minh biopic, and much more. _____________________ We love to give book or film recommendations on the podcast, so here are ours for this episode: Adam: Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident (2025) and Andrey Zvyagintsev's Leviathan (2014) Paul: A Little Solitaire: John Frankenheimer and American Film by Murray Pomerance and R. Barton Palmer Anthony Ballas: The Black Race by Ho Chi Minh by Dai Trang Nguyen and "Ho Chi Minh and Black Liberation" by Gerald Horne and Anthony Ballas. Jason: John Frankenheimer's Seven Days in May (1964). _____________________ Like and subscribe to Cold War Cinema, and don't forget to leave us a review! Want to continue the conversation? Drop us a line at any time at coldwarcinemapod@gmail.com . To stay up to date on Cold War Cinema, follow along at coldwarcinema.com , or find us online on Bluesky @ coldwarcinema.com or on X at @Cold_War_Cinema. For more from your hosts and guest: Follow Adam on Instagram @mr.ghostpanther, or on Bluesky @ghostpanther.bsky.social, <p

Adam McKay, director of Step Brothers, Anchorman, The Big Short, Vice, Don't Look Up, RETURNS for a special friday episode!!! Forrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes and Adam McKay talk about Federico Fellini's Nights of Cabiria!!! Starring Fellini's wife and muse, Giulietta Masina, as Cabiria a role she had played in the 1952 Fellini film "The White Sheik" as well. Nights of Cabiria is Fellini's last neorealist style film, right before the surrealist avant-garde period that would create films like La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2. Some of that has to do with where Italy was, just three years after Nights of Cabiria was released, Italy would be in the Economic Miracle that created the conditions for a film like La Dolce Vita. But, we see the beginnings of that change, with Nights of Cabiria highlighting the deep inequality permeating Italian Society at this time. It was difficult to get a film made where sex workers were the protagonists, only Luigi and Dino De Laurentiis would end up financing it, and yet at the Oscars it would receive Best International Film. #fellini #nightsofcabiria #filmpodcast #moviepodcast #dinodelaurentiis #bestinternationalfilm #oscars #1957 #giullianamassina #sexworkers #anora #ladolcevita #rome #romehistory #adammckay #stepbrothers #dontlookup #thebigshort #vice #vertical #livestream #livestreaming

Adam McKay is the Academy Award–winning screenwriter, director, and producer behind such movies as Don't Look Up , The Big Short , Vice, Anchorman , Talladega Nights , and more. He is also the founder of Yellow Dot Studios , a nonprofit production studio that raises awareness and mobilizes action on the climate emergency. Adam joins us to discuss his career and the existential anxiety that led him to write and direct the star-studded Don't Look Up , one of the most successful Netflix movies of all time. We also hear about the books, films, and music that inspired him, and why humor is a useful tool for tackling serious subjects. Plus: Adam's relationship with driving, the power of visual storytelling, and why he thinks the age of the car is already over… even if most people don't know it yet. Thank you to Sheyd Bags and Cleverhood for their support. For the latest discount codes, listen to the episode. *** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, special bonus content, stickers, merch discounts, and more *** SHOW NOTES: Check out Car Commercial 419 and all the excellent work from Yellow Dot Studios . ( Donate here! ) Books, movies, and music mentioned in this episode: Gen e ration Dread by Britt Wray; Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neal Postman; A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit; and The Vortex by Scott Carney & Jason Miklian The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); Dr. Strangelove (1964); and Dogtooth (2009) Public Enemy ; LL Cool J ; Kurtis Blow ; Run-DMC ; and Eric B. & Rakim ***** Pick up official podcast merch in our store . Purchase books from podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page . This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. It was recorded by Kaden Pryor at Third Wheel Podcast Studio in Los Angeles. Transcriptions are by Russell Gragg. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Sound effects from the BBC Sound Effects Archives © 2024 BBC. TheWarOnCars.org

In this Climate Chat episode, we interview Adam McKay, a screenwriter, producer, and director known for "Don't Look Up", "The Big Short", "Vice", "Anchorman", and "Succession", among many, many other films and TV shows. Adam was head writer for Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. In 2023, Adam founded Yellow Dot Studios, a non-profit production company that makes short-form videos that raise awareness and mobilize action on the climate emergency. We will discuss the role of humor in engaging people on climate, the impact of "Don't Look Up", and how he thinks Yellow Dot Studios can move the needle on climate action. Follow Adam on Twitter/X: @ZombiePanther2 View/donate to Yellow Dot Studios: https://yellowdotstudios.com Follow Yellow Dot Studios on YouTube: @YellowDotStudios Follow Yellow Dot Studios on Twitter/X: @weareyellowdot Follow Dan on X/Twitter: @danmiller999 To join the Zoom discussion, visit Dan's Clubhouse room. The link is provided in Dan's Twitter feed. You can also leave a question in the YouTube Live chat. Please begin your question with "Question:" to make it easy for our mods to spot it. For more Climate Chat episodes, see our YouTube home page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3BXcpYFCzTndJ9Fisi32qg For recent YouTube Live programs: https://www.youtube.com/@climatechat/streams

Filmmaker Adam McKay joins climate scientist Chris Turney to share how—inspired by the urgency of the climate crisis—he used humor in his film, "Don't Look Up" to get people talking about the climate and cut through the misinformation. Show notes from Chris: Want to find out more about the early – and accurate – climate science work of fossil fuel companies and how they went on to deny the science and delay action on cutting carbon pollution? Check out this excellent summary about how Exxon disputed climate findings for years. To learn more about the “3.5% rule,” here’s an excellent BBC article about how a small minority can change the world! In light of the climate emergency, Adam McKay has decided to shelve his film about the serial killer lobbying the government to legalize murder to focus on movies related to the climate crisis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this powerhouse episode we're talking with Adam McKay - producer & director of Sidelined, a 4 part documentary series lifting the curtain of the WNBL Melbourne Boomers 2022 Championship quest and spotlighting the struggles for our elite female athletes in the Fight for Equality in a challenging, post lockdown sporting landscape. Having spent 10 years as the Founder and Executive Director of Helping Hoops – a charity running free basketball programs for underprivileged children across Melbourne, Adam finetuned capturing previously untold stories and the power of storytelling to effect postive change. Joining Adam on this insightful panel to take us behind the scenes is player Carley Ernst, returning to the court just a few months after having a baby to fulfil the ultimate prize for a professional athlete, getting that Championship ring, and Melbourne Boomers Chair Tony Hallam. We close off with a preview of the first episode of the documentary with former GM Strategic Initiatives at Indigenous Basketball Australia, Sally Phillips. The first episode ‘More Work To Do’ screened in Melbourne this week ahead of its TV premiere on SBS this Sunday. For any sports lover this is a compelling piece revealing the struggles of professional female atheletes and the very real and profound impact, not just for individuals but for their loved ones and our society. Enjoy! Sidelined: https://www.sidelineddoc.com/episodes Don’t forget to like, share and leave a review so we can get more Hoops content to you! Join us on our socials - Twitter: @TheBreezePod and IG: @shootingthebreezepod

In this powerhouse episode we're talking with Adam McKay - producer & director of Sidelined, a 4 part documentary series lifting the curtain of the WNBL Melbourne Boomers 2022 Championship quest and spotlighting the struggles for our elite female athletes in the Fight for Equality in a challenging, post lockdown sporting landscape.Having spent 10 years as the Founder and Executive Director of Helping Hoops – a charity running free basketball programs for underprivileged children across Melbourne, Adam finetuned capturing previously untold stories and the power of storytelling to effect postive change.Joining Adam on this insightful panel to take us behind the scenes is player Carley Ernst, returning to the court just a few months after having a baby to fulfil the ultimate prize for a professional athlete, getting that Championship ring, and Melbourne Boomers Chair Tony Hallam.We close off with a preview of the first episode of the documentary with former GM Strategic Initiatives at Indigenous Basketball Australia, Sally Phillips. The first episode ‘More Work To Do’ screened in Melbourne this week ahead of its TV premiere on SBS this Sunday. For any sports lover this is a compelling piece revealing the struggles of professional female atheletes and the very real and profound impact, not just for individuals but for their loved ones and our society.Enjoy!Sidelined: https://www.sidelineddoc.com/episodes Don’t forget to like, share and leave a review so we can get more Hoops content to you!Join us on our socials - Twitter: @TheBreezePod and IG: @shootingthebreezepod

Greg Olear talks to filmmaker Adam McKay, writer/director of THE BIG SHORT, VICE, and DON’T LOOK UP, and executive producer of SUCCESSION and WINNING TIME, about the state of the Democratic party, why populist movements can be good, how Biden’s doing, the difference between satire and comedy, IDIOCRACY, his career including his latest films and shows, the Lakers then and now, the sad travails of being a Knicks fan, and the all-time greatest acting performance by a pro athlete. Plus: a new parlor game for the GOP. Follow Adam McKay: https://twitter.com/GhostPanther Trailer for WINNING TIME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqbWwKx1nBU Watch The Five 8, Fridays at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Make America Great Gatsby Again! https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=t Subscribe to The Five 8: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17 ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, an earth-shattering comet of an episode as Christiana, Tom and Paul talk to the phenomenally talented Adam McKay about his 4 time Oscar nominated film Don’t Look Up! Writing and directing a comedy film about climate change is not a challenge for the faint hearted. Not only did Adam McKay take this challenge on, in doing so he created a tour-de-force which dominated global news feeds after its release, quickly took the position of 2nd most watched Netflix original and got EVERYONE talking about climate change. Listen as he describes his journey of growing climate awareness, how he doesn’t think he will produce another piece of work that ISN’T about climate change, and the breaking news that France will be hosting its own series of ‘Just Look Up’ days as a result of the film. The hosts are also super charged this week as they tackle the global energy crisis head on, taking us on a whistlestop tour of the major issues that are being played out against an ever increasingly tense geopolitical backdrop. Can gas ever be considered green? What are the implications of this crisis on a swift green energy transition and stability of net zero ambitions? We think you’ll agree, we really did have it all this week didn’t we? And! Stick around til the end because playing us out this week is the incredibly talented Sibusile Xaba with his single ‘Angisenalutho’. — Christiana + Tom’s book ‘The Future We Choose’ is available now! Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter: Signals Amidst The Noise — Mentioned links from the episode: JOIN: Don’t Look Up’s Count Us In Initiative! (And bring a friend!) READ: What if Climate Change Were Like a Comet? By Emily Atkin of HEATED WATCH: Rowanbank’s Positive Imaginings Films LISTEN: The Last Podcast Ever Made : A Don’t Look Up Podcast — Thanks to our guest this week, Adam McKay! Adam McKay Writer | Director | Producer Twitter HyperObject Twitter — The fantastic Sibusile Xaba is this week’s musical guest! Sibusile Xaba Instagram | Facebook | BandCamp | YouTube | Twitter — Keep up with Christiana Figueres here: Instagram | Twitter Tom Rivett-Carnac: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Paul Dickinson: LinkedIn | Twitter — Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media and send us a message! <a href="https://www.facebook.

Sean and Amanda discuss the new Netflix climate crisis satire ‘Don’t Look Up,’ which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep (1:00). Then, they build a Hall of Fame to Leo, one of the best movie stars ever (20:00). Finally, ‘Don’t Look Up’ writer-director Adam McKay joins Sean to discuss his new film (1:00:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Adam McKay Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices