Five Dollar Buzz

Anarchy in the U.S.S.A.

Episode 310 - Special Guests: Noel Lawrence and Burke Roberts

 

Cinema is pretty close to being dead. We've hit a stalemate where multiplexes only play caped crusader films, the streamers love their ripped-from-the-headlines docuserials, and network television is a vast wasteland of mundane competition reality shows. Lots of vacuous, hollow paeans to escapism and vanity.  Warhol was not wrong, every asshole is getting their fifteen minutes.

 

Somewhere in this miasma of dreck exists the blistering heart of the pure, the transfixed, the recalcitrant filmmaker feverishly concocting pieces of art in direct opposition to the moribund mainstream. Utilizing the short form, these artists showcase more demonstrative depth of depraved deliciousness in less than a quarter of the experience than their overstuffed audience-baiting counterparts.

 

The Slamdance Film Festival itself has always been the thorn in the side of Sundance. It's the bastard stepchild the predominant festival never asked for but reluctantly shares in the same time and place.  As Slamdance secured its rightful place in film festival legitimacy it was always looking for new ways to demonstrate their outsider existence. In steps our two guests; filmmakers Noel Lawrence and Burke Roberts. 

 

Ten years ago, Burke and Noel, two very different humans, shared a love of film and art of an unnatural order and somehow convinced those at Slamdance to start their own short film series. They called it the Department of Anarchy and within that span of time it became the most popular and raucous event of the whole festival each year screening the vanguard of modern short form cinema.

 

So, pull down that bottle of Jame-o, have your pack of American Spirit Yellows ready, chew on some shrooms, top it off with Special K and molly and inhale the history of the Department of Anarchy with our very special guests Burke and Noel. These rat bastards know how to throw a party on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

And remember, please, hit "like" for this episode and "subscribe" to our channels on our current platforms; YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. You can email us with questions, comments, possible topics or guests at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as we finish slicing up donkey eyeballs in the name of cinema.

Famous Last Words

Episode 309 - Special Guest:  John Pirruccello

 

The Buzzards are big fans of the acting profession and we're especially fond of character actors...the best kind. It's even better when those people are even cooler in real life.

 

Take the career of John Pirruccello. He started out doing voiceover work for TV and radio commercials, video games, cartoons and movies. He leads a weekly improv group while also performing in sketch comedies, theater and television and movie roles. He also did stand-up all around Los Angeles. On stage he was in Horton Foote's (Best Screenplay Oscars for To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies) play Harrison, Texas. Davdi Mamet caught that and went on to cast him in many roles including in his HBO movie Phil Spector. He also worked with Mamet's daughter, Clara Mamet, in a play and a film. He was in the third season of David Lynch's Showtime series "Twin Peaks" and in the hit HBO sitcoms "Barry" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and was in the bigbudget feature film Godzilla vs. Kong.

 

He has also had an extraordinary life outside of the entertainment world.  He was a cab driver, has a degree in Italian, was a military brat as a youngster and has lived in many places including San Antonio, TX, Northern Virginian, Southern Vermont, Amherst, MA, Siena, Italy, San Francisco and Los Angeles. One of the more important jobs he does is volunteer to help children with special needs. He has a unique approach from his acting training that allows young people to be heard, be confident and be focused.

 

So, wipe off your grease paint, take a hot bath, wrap yourself in some warm pajamas and relax with a glass of wine while Nate, George and Roger get to hear the skinny on all things acting, Mamet, teaching children, and what happens when you hang out with Helen Mirren on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

And remember, please, hit "like" for this episode and "subscribe" to our channels on our current platforms; YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. You can email us with questions, comments, possible topics or guests at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as we stop talking like this...you mean the?...the thing...yeah...talking like this...this...the talking...yeah...no...

Buzzards in Exile: Desert Island Five

Episode 308 - Special Guests: The Buzzards

 

On this special evergreen episode, The Buzzards play a game that's been around for some time. BBC Radio 4 have had a game called "Desert Island Discs" since 1942, where they ask various celebrities, athletes, politicians and pundits to imagine being stranded on an deserted island and they can only keep with them the following items; five pieces of music, a book and a luxury item.  They already get to have the Complete Works of Shakespeareand the Bible. The rest is all theirs to imagine.

 

Well. The Buzzards do it almost like that.  But we've already read all the Shakespeare we need and we ain't got no time for anything biblical.  You see, on our island, we have just time for the simple pleasures...cannabis, booze and, well, golf.

 

The whole team is here tonight with Nate Buzzard leading the charge. So, get yer medicine ready, batten down those hatches and get prepared for the storm coming at ya as we tell you are five albums, one box and one luxury item that we each get to keep on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

And remember, please, hit "like" for this episode and "subscribe" to our channels on our current platforms; YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. You can email us with questions, comments, possible topics or guests at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as we can get done rigging this contraption to fetch our fresh lobster each day.  We be living high on the hog.

Running Pure: Wagering with Adam Levitan

Episode 307 - Special Guest:  Adam Levitan

The Buzzards love their sports. But they also love their gambling. And boy, do they love sports and gambling all at the same time. 

 

In this episode, The Buzzards take a deep dive into the world of fantasy football and gambling. In order to really sell this topic you need an expert. So, naturally, we not only found one of the best, we found the very person who began the first online practice of fantasy wagering expertise.

 

Adam Levitan is a name anyone that closely follows fantasy sports will know in an instant. He is one of the most respected Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) football analysts and podcasters in the space. His podcast has been downloaded more than five million times and offers market-moving DFS analysis each week. He won multiple Fantasy Sports Writers Association awards while at Rotoworld before focusing on DFS full-time in 2015. Not only is Adam a DFS analyst, but he also plays nearly year round, specializing in cash games. He is one of the founders of the website Establish the Run (establishtherun.com), where multiple experts break down fantasy sports.

 

This past year he won $250,000 during week 16 of the NFL season. That really caught our attention.

 

So, kick your cleats up on the table, pop open an ice cold Budweiser and sit back and get the scoop on the history of Adam Levitan, everything fantasy sports and all about them Benjamins.  It's another masterclass from the true expert in their field on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

And remember, please, hit "like" for this episode and "subscribe" to our channels on our current platforms; YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. You can email us with questions, comments, possible topics or guests at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as we finish cleaning up the television set, Roger just kicked it in after the 49ers lost. He woulda known better had he just listened to Adam on ETR and not bet with his heart...dumb bastard.

Episode 306: Non-Pharma Payroll: The Origin of Hyphae Wellness - Special Guest: Nick Ciufo

Welcome to the one year anniversary of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.  This is our 46th episode and we're happy that it drops on the very same day as our first. 

 

What do you think you know about mushrooms? You know there are mushrooms you can eat, mushrooms that make you high and mushrooms that can kill you.  What do you know about the medicinal properties of mushrooms? Chaga mushrooms help aging, inflammation, and lowering cholesterol. Lion's Mane helps with cognition, memory and concentration. Reishi helps with sleep, anxiety, depression and focus.  

 

There is a Pacific-Northwest company that features prominently in mushroom cultivation and creating various products including tinctures, sprays, gummies and raw. Their name is Hyphae Wellness (www.gethyphae.com) and they are a leading non-pharmaceutically sponsored manufacturer and supplier of all of these wonderful products and MORE...

 

Hyphae Wellness has a sister company called TAO Gardens (www.taogardens.com), a sustainable, holistic, no-till marijuana grower.  As it says, they also cultivate, manufacture and supply various strains of high-grade cannabis. 

 

Now, put the two together...and you have a wellness kit that delivers medicinal mushrooms with a solid buzz to help ease you into whatever direction your body and mind want to go. What got our immediate attention is that the mushroom helps the cannabis act quicker in gummies, from what is usually 45 minutes to five minutes.  Hell yes.  No more eating seven weed cookies because "you don't feel it yet," after you ate the first two.  That'll teach you.

 

So, finish your creamy mushroom pasta, swallow a few gummies, kick your feet up and take a listen as we talk with COO and Co-Founder of both Hyphae Wellness and TAO Gardens, Mr. Nick Ciufo, as he talks about all things mushrooms and weed, about how his company does it better, the unique delivery system they have in place and where they plan on going in the future.

 

And remember, please, hit "like" for this episode and "subscribe" to our channels on our current platforms; YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. You can email us with questions, comments, possible topics or guests at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as we can get off the couch watching animated "Cowboy Bebop" reruns and eating a bowl of popcorn, two Twinkies, a hot fudge sundae and the entire can of whipped cream (well, after we've sucked just enough nitrous oxide to make sure we can get the rest of that cream whipped).

Episode 305: Adrian Bonenberger Tosses a Molotov Cocktail on the Invasion of Ukraine

Putin just invaded Ukraine. It's confounding, frightening, a dick move and utter bullshit.

 

The Buzzards want to get to the bottom of this. We need help because the media out there has so many conflicting messages it's difficult to figure out just what in the holy fuck is going on.

 

When in doubt, we reach out to our most trusted sources. In this case, we have someone that is directly involved with the conflict and has the most precise and stone cold take on it.  All of us are on this episode but we let one source lay it all out.

 

We just listen. And so should you.

 

Adrian Bonenberger returns for his second appearance on FDB.  He is an expert on the dynamics of the armed conflict levied on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin. He is a retired US Army Officer that has served in a variety of capacities and has led soldiers in combat on two deployments.

 

Additionally, he has served as Field Coordinator for the Ukraine Center for Civilians in Conflict as well as a news editor at The Ukraine Business Journal.

 

This is the definitive discussion on this subject matter. 

 

He also mentions others we should listen to including Nolan Peterson (@nolanwpeterson), Vladislov Davidson (The Odessa Review), Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM), Jack Crosby (Rolling Stone),  Matt Taibbi (@matttaibbi), Gary Brecher & Mark Ames (War Nerd) and Svetlana Alexievich (@SAlexievich).

 

So, sit up, drink a cup of joe and pay attention. This is the most important episode we've ever done. 

 

Please remember to hit "like" and "subscribe" on our YouTube Channel, Spotify and iTunes. Tell your friends. If you have any comments, questions, ideas for topics or guests please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll get back to you soon. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!

 

#AdrianBonenberger #prodigy #mobbdeep #ThomasFriedman #NewYorkTimes #GeorgeFKennan #GeorgeKennan #VladimirPutin #DonaldTrump #JoeBiden #VolodymyrZelensky #VitaliKlitschko #NolanPeterson #VladislovDavidson #ChristopherMiller #Buzzfeed #JackCrosby #RollingStone #MattTaibbi #GaryBrecher #MarkAmes #WarNerd #SvetlanaAlexievich #LeoTolstoy #FyodorDostoevsky #JoeGanim #BridgeportConnecticutMayor #BridgeportConnecticu

Episode 304: James Duval Is a Character

On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, the Buzzards rip it up with venerable character actor and musician James Duval who has had one helluva career.

 

His career starts with what would become a lifelong cinematic relationship.  His work with filmmaker Gregg Araki has spawned four feature films, one MTV pilot and one television series including  TOTALLY F***ED UP, THE DOOM GENERATION, NOWHERE, KABOOM, "This Is How the World Ends" and "Now Apocalypse".  

 

Jimmy would go on to a career that spans over 30 years and over 175 credits.  Some of his other most known films include early trangressive masterwork MOD FUCK EXPLOSION, INDEPENDENCE DAY (as Randy Quaid's son), Doug Liman's GO, the GONE IN 60 SECONDS remake (with Nic Cage and Angelina Jolie), SLC PUNK and it's sequel PUNK'S DEAD: SLC PUNK 2, the Sundance horror film MAY, he won an award for the film THE DOE BOY, SUSHI GIRL, TALES OF HALLOWEEN, and, most recently, I, CHALLENGER (see episode 302!).

 

There is one movie that he can never quite shake. It was a small Sundance film that rolled out to deathly box office numbers but over time has steadily become one of the most well-known cult films of all time.  That, of course, is DONNIE DARKO where he plays Frank the Rabbit.

 

Then there is the music side of Jimmy. As a guitarist he led a band called Antoneus Maximus & The Nuthouze Band and played in another called Gene Wilder with fellow filmmakers Brian McGuire and Bret Roberts. He associated strongly with jangle pop band The Jazz Butcher and worked with David J from Bauhaus and Love & Rockets.

 

So get out your yoga mat, light some incense, drink some herbal tea as we venture into the career, loves and passions, and overall positive and energetic state of mind of one James Duval on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

Please remember to hit "like" and "subscribe" on our YouTube Channel, Spotify and iTunes. Tell your friends. If you have any comments, questions, ideas for topics or guests please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll get back to ya as soon as we ask Frank the Rabbit about this nuclear warhead that just rose up in our fucking living room

Episode 303: Big Waves & Soundwaves: Special Guest Brent Broza (@brozaphoto)

On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, the Buzzards get a taste of Southern California's Orange County from the 1980s. Award-winning photographer Brent Broza shares the impact that growing up within the twin countercultures of hardcore punk and surfing had on him and helped shape his future career as an artist.

 

Brent started by photographing his friends in bands and his friends surfing.  Eventually he would get paid for it and would go on to photograph globally recognized musicians such as Jack Johnson, Descendents, Pennywise, Blink-182 and artists Shepard Fairey and Greg "Craola" Simkins just to name a few.

 

In 2016, Brent won the World Surf League’s “Biggest Paddle Award” by capturing the photo of Aaron Gold’s Guinness World Record wave of 63 feet at Jaws in Maui. The wave was documented as being the largest wave ever to be paddled into by a surfer.

 

His blurred landscape photographs, particularly of sunsets and ocean fronts, have been featured in many magazines and gallery exhibitions and have been put on public display as large-printed frescos in his hometown of Manhattan Beach.

 

So grab a brew, spark one up and kick back as you get the vibrant history of the life and career of Brent Broza on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

Please remember to hit "like" and "subscribe" on our YouTube Channel, Spotify and iTunes. Tell your friends. If you have any comments, questions, ideas for topics or guests please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll get back to ya as soon as we finish recuperating from our death-defying crash into the surf after tackling those 20-foot swells in Huntington, brah

Episode 302: Livestream Underground: The Challenge of Paul Boyd and Kara Scobey Brown

We are all driven by the notion of fate. Some believe that fate is inevitable, while others believe that fate is what you make of it. And then there are those who believe that fate is given a push by luck. Some seem to have all the luck while others were born under the proverbial bad sign.

 

On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, the Buzzards chat it up with two people that made a movie about the pursuit of good luck and the extremes of which the central character will go to achieve it. 

 

I, CHALLENGER is a stoner comedy with flourishes of horror, thriller, sci-fi, absurdism and a lil bit of romance. It stars James Duval (THE DOOM GENERATION, DONNIE DARKO, SLC PUNK) as Sid, a man-child who plays video games all day and sells weed, and is about to be evicted. In desperation, he gets his newfound gaming buddy Logan (played by Coy Stewart) to help him bury himself with a livestream video for 24 hours. It's an idea he saw online that was seemingly successful for some Russians. Let's just say, nothing really goes as planned. Co-starring Tina Majorino (WATERWORLD, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), ground-breaking rapper MC Lyte and legendary comic Margaret Cho, the film is a high-wire act, full of surprises and plenty of shenanigans.  

 

You can find the film on all VOD platforms including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, etc.

 

We are lucky to have Writer-Director Paul Boyd and Co-Writer Kara Scobey Brown with us on this episode. 

 

Paul is a heralded music video and commercial director who has worked with such artists as Shania Twain, INXS, Blind Melon, Sting, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Backstreet Boys, deadmau5, Bryan Adams, Jamiroquai, Lenny Kravitz, Seal, Digable Planets, just to name a few. He directed his first feature film, 2008's VICIOUS CIRCLE, a tragic punk Latino love story set in Venice, California. The film won Best Picture at 2008 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival, the Audience Award at the 2008 Orlando International Film Festival and Best Director at the 2009 Downtown Film Festival - Los Angeles.

 

Kara is a seasoned veteran in many facets of film and television production including writing and production managing for Lady Gaga for four years.  That includes many of her music videos and television specials, such as "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" with Tony Bennett. With her production company Electric Soup she produced the series "The Greatest Event in Television History" for Adult Swim with Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, Amy Poehler. She also produced the docuseries "Sex on//" for HBO.

 

So roll up a fatty, light 'er up and take a stroll with Kara, Paul and the Buzzards as we talk about the making of I, CHALLENGER, their respective careers, the soon to be released film WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY made during the pandemic, a little bit of music and the films we all love. It's the filmmakers' journey in all of its glorified, hard fought uphill climb to completion on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.

 

Please remember to hit "Like" and "Subscribe" on our YouTube Channel and our audio only versions on Spotify and iTunes. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions for guests or topics you'd like us to discuss, please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com and we'll get back to you as soon as our 24 hours are up and we're able to claw our ways back to the surface.

EPISODE 301:DOOM GENERATION : With Special Guest HUGO MARTIN

We've been playing first person shooter games for years now. "Grand Theft Auto," "Call of Duty," "Halo," "Resident Evil," are all games that have seeped into the general pop cultural landscape.  We watch others play these games online, as spectators, as fans, as a new form of entertainment.

 

All of these games would not be possible without the innovative one-two punches of "Castle Wolfenstein" and its more massive cousin "DOOM."

 

FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ starts season three with a veritable bang bang. Not only do we get to discuss the latest "DOOM" incarnation, "DOOM Eternal," but we get the badass that directed it.

 

He is the Game Director at id Software where he made "DOOM Eternal" which is published by Bethesda Softworks.  The game won Best PC Game and Best Action Game at the 2019 Game Critics Awards. It was nominated  for Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Best Score and Music and Best Audio Design at the 2020 Game Awards. 

 

We are very excited to feature heralded nerd junkie Hugo Martin on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ.