Story Matters

Ty Simpkins (Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man 3, Jurassic World, Insidious, The Nice Guys and more) joins us to talk about his experience as a young actor working in a slew of major franchises and creating characters that are part of a global phenomenon. We also talk spoiler culture, water-cooler conversations, and what it's like to know the end of a story years before the world gets a chance to see it.

How do you make a character's death really count? In the wake of Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones: The Long Night, we break down the question of how to go about sticking the landing of a character's final chapter and fate with a NON-spoiler conversation reacting to Marvel's epic conclusion to their 22 film Infinity Saga and the much anticipated Fire vs. Ice battle for Winterfell! Then, at the 31:15 minute mark, we move into an IN-DEPTH SPOILER-FILLED discussion about both the film and the episode!

In the wake of spoiler leaks surrounding Avengers: End Game, Game of Thrones and even Star Wars, does science actually prove that spoilers are a good thing in helping the audience better appreciate the story?! In this episode of the podcast, Curt, Mike and Kim dive into the world of spoilers to examine their impact on the viewing experience and the weight of responsibility storytellers have in creating suspense while also sticking the landing of a dramatic and shocking ending.

As the final season of Game of Thrones begins to roll, we ask the question; Does the show mark the end of the water cooler conversation as we know it? Has the binge-watching model changed the way we engage with stories?

Corey Lubowich (Tin Can Brothers, Starkid) joins us to talk about how internet criticism affects the creative process and shares some personal insights on how fandom and audience interaction has impacted the way he creates and collaborates with other artists and storytellers. 

Are expectations ruining the way we watch about movies? In this episode of the podcast, we explore what sort of films were impacted by negative reviews but have come to be fan favorites in hindsight, despite an initially poor critical reception. Then we take a deep dive into Jordan Peel's newest nightmare with a spoiler-filled roundtable discussion about the meaning, symbolism and interpretations of Us!  You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com!

We wade into the controversial waters of the recent J.K. Rowling backlash and examine what sort of authority creators have over their own work. We then continue the conversation about how sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and Cinema Score impact the moviegoing experience and ask whether or not the need to rate movies in a black and white sort of way actually... ruins them? How does expectation affect our perception of the quality of the stories we listen to?

Each episode of Imagined Life takes you on an immersive journey into the life of a world-famous person. It’ll be someone you may think you know, or even admire. You’ll get clues to your identity along the way. But only in the final moments will you find out who “you” really are. So sit back, let go, and -- imagine your life. Subscribe now at wondery.fm/storymatters.

Curt, Kim and Mike brave the sea of internet trolls to examine the function of movie review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and explore their impact on the filmgoing experience. We also explore the validity of "hot takes" for the sake of clickbait and the nature of toxic criticism. 

Story Matters alum Joey Richter returns for the 3rd year to take a deep dive into THE ACADEMY AWARDS! We break down the wins and losses, the snubs and successes, and we ask the question... what sort of impact will this year's awards have on future generation of filmmakers and artists?

We break down the ups and downs of the 2019 Academy Awards as we ask the question... In the age of the streaming video and niche fandom, do the Academy Awards still hold the power and relevance they once did?

In this episode of the podcast, we react to the 2019 SAG Awards and explore what it could mean for the Oscar race. Then we continue our exploration of awards season by asking the question... what is the IMPACT of winning The Oscar? We continue our film retrospectives on recent Best Picture winners Spotlight, Moonlight and The Shape of Water and examine what sort of impact the awards they received have had on the artists who created them, the creative process and culture at large. 

In this episode of the podcast, we react to the 2019 Oscar nominations and then take a deep dive into recent Best-Picture winners with film retrospectives on "Spotlight", "Moonlight", and "The Shape of Water" as we ask the question… what makes for a best-picture winning film?

In this episode of the podcast, Curt, Kim and Mike tackle the age-old question of... DO AWARDS EVEN MATTER?! We break down the differences between some of the major awards shows and begin our exploration of how awards season impact storytelling, the creative process and culture as a whole. 

In this first episode of 2019, we talk resolutions, setting creative intentions for the new year, the films that most impacted us in 2018 and we finish off our exploration of the Disney Remake with a double feature retrospective on 1977 Pete’s Dragon and the 2016 remake directed by David Lowery!