Monday Morning Critic Podcast Darek Thomas

Episode 469"Sugar"Cinematographer: Richard Rutkowski.An active cinematographer whose work encompasses indie features, documentary, commercials, and major streaming productions, Richard is based in New York and also works extensively overseas. His photography on the first seasons of FX’s Cold War spy drama The Americans drew widespread critical acclaim. Likewise his camerawork on the wartime drama Manhattan, set in Los Alamos during the top secret creation of the atom bomb, earned glowing ment...

Episode 468."A Tribe Called Quest"Ali Shaheed Muhammad.DJ/Producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad is a hip-hop icon. As one-third of legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, his influence and impact on the musical landscape is still felt today. In April of 2024, "A Tribe Called Quest" was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.The soft-spoken and contemplative Brooklyn native began a life of music at an early age, spending years DJing parties in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood before co-...

Episode 467"Sweet Tooth"Actors: Christian Convery and Nonso Anozie.Christian Convery (Gus) joins me for a second time and Nonso Anozie also (Thomas) joins me to talk about the third and final Season of Sweet Tooth. They talk about what they will miss in the final season, the influence they've had on each other and Nonso's mentorship throughout the course of the show. Nonso talks about not having a father present in his life growing up, which makes his portrayl of Thomas that much more special...

Episode 466."Billy the Kid" Actor: Tom Blyth.In a recent interview, I had the chance to speak to the very talented Tom Blyth.Tom and I talk "Billy the Kid", Tom and Billy both having UK roots, Billy the Kid is much deeper than meets the eye, how Tom would end the show and the temptation for a Shawshank Redemption ending.Tom Keir Blyth is an English actor. His films include Scott and Sid (2018), Benediction (2021), The Hunger Games, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023). He stars as the titula...

Episode 465. "Mindhunter" Composer: Jason Hill. Jason Hill is a multi-talented artist who has made a name for himself as an award-winning film composer, platinum-selling recording artist, record producer and mixer. Hill’s upcoming projects include; Apple TV+'s drama series Dark Matter, which premieres May 8th; and season 4 of Showtime’s Couples Therapy, which premieres May 31st. Hill is also a music producer on theforthcoming Robbie Williams’ biopic, Better Man. Notable film an...

Episode 464"Land of Bad" | "Thanksgiving" | Composer: Brandon Roberts.Composer Brandon Roberts joins me to talk about his work, (Thanksgiving, Land of Bad) Thomas Newman, composing music, John Williams, Awards and so much more.Emmy Award winning composer Brandon Roberts’ music can be heard all over the scoring world today. From the Academy Award winning documentary Free Solo, to the pulsing action of World War Z and Logan, to the surreal reimagining of Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone and the hor...