Sup Doc: A Documentary Podcast

Sup Doc

Sup Doc is the comedy podcast where docs get reviewed and recapped! Hosts Paco Romane and George Chen dive into docs with sharp takes, big laughs, and cool guests from the worlds of tv, movies and music. No homework required—just show up and have fun. “A fun way to pore over docs” – Vulture “Enlightening” – The A.V. Club

  1. PAVEMENTS / KIM'S VIDEO with Arthur Jones

    08/04/2025

    PAVEMENTS / KIM'S VIDEO with Arthur Jones

    Doc director Arthur Jones (Feels Good Man, Antisocial Network) is a '90s indie rock guy, just like George, so they tackle these two parallel docs. Our first in-person episode in a few years (most recent was Rodney Ascher in 2021), Arthur and Giorgio Angelini were in-person in March 2020 to discuss Feels Good Man. PAVEMENTS (Alex Ross Perry, 2024) is a hybrid docufiction about the UR-slacker band from Stockton that took the indie world by storm. Perry combines standard music doc tropes with a meta-biopic, meta-musical theater show, and meta-faux-museum exhibit, to meta-success. George and Arthur go deep on living through the irony-poisoned '90s, Malkmus as Fauntleroy, Stockton as the birthplace of Universal Basic Income in America, and Don DeLillo's White Noise. KIM'S VIDEO (David Redmon, Ashley Sabin, 2023) Korean immigrant Yong-man Kim starts a chain of video stores in New York, including a lot of bootlegs and underground film and music. The times catch up as they inevitably do with media retail, and the stores all close. Who will house this one-of-a-kind collection of VHS and DVDs? How do they end up in Salemi, Sicily, and what will be their fate? Director Redmon takes an investigative approach that is surprisingly gonzo and, like the best docs, does not end up where you think it will. Both docs are currently available to stream on MUBI. Arthur Jones is best known for making documentary films but enjoys working across a variety of disciplines. He directed the award-winning documentary film Feels Good Man (2020) and co-directed The Antisocial Network, Netflix (2024). Both of these movies are deeply researched true stories that explore how the internet has made us all a little crazier. Each is visually inventive and filled with unique motion graphics. In addition to working as a director, he freelances as a graphic designer, illustrator, editor and animator. He completed design and motion work for the upcoming doc features Go Deep (Amazon Prime, HyperObject Industries) and Have You Seen Me Lately (HBO Documentary, Ringer Films) and edited Joe Mande’s comedy special CHILL (Hulu). Arthur has guest lectured at colleges and universities on a variety of subjects, including the history of conspiracy theories, internet memetics, online extremism and non-fiction filmmaking. He write essays, illustrate articles and record podcasts at the substack Brainworms U.S.A. Michael Stubbs HBO doc Stockton On My Mind Stephen Malkmus SiriusXM guest DJ mix Karina Longworth 2012 story on Kim's Video from The Village Voice Audio edited by Arthur Jones. Sup Doc on social media See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    55 min
  2. PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

    06/16/2025

    PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

    Paco and George watched the 2025 Matt Wolf two-part Paul Ruebens doc on HBO. This is prime Gen X imprinting, Paul Reubens' real life definitively laid out for the picking. The impish Reubens created his signature Pee-Wee Herman stage show as a cult Hollywood underground theater piece in 1981, but it didn't take much time for the world to catch on thanks to 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, also the feature film debut of director Tim Burton. We talk about his comedy origins, the cultural impact of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and how Reubens blurred the line between persona and performer. Pee-wee Herman, the quirky, bow-tied man-child brought to life by Paul Reubens, revolutionized children’s television and pop culture by refusing to fit into any traditional box. With Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Reubens created a technicolor world that was as smart as it was silly—mixing slapstick, surrealism, and subversion with genuine warmth and creativity. The show wasn’t just for kids; it was a layered, artful spectacle that celebrated difference, encouraged imagination, and featured a wildly diverse cast before that was common. Pee-wee became a cultural icon because he gave audiences permission to be weird, to laugh loud, and to embrace joy without irony. His influence can still be seen in everything from alt-comedy to design to how we talk about identity and play. Part review, part tribute, this episode is a celebration of a singular, subversive icon who never stopped being a kid at heart.  A very private Reubens faces his own internal battles even while doing interviews with doc director Matt Wolf, right before his death in 2023. This two-part series is moving and joyous, but also heart-breaking look at the man who truly was "a loner, Dottie." George's article about the Pee-wee radio show Meeting Ric Heitzman at his gallery show closing. Paco's video for Sal & Mitzi See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    56 min
  3. IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS w director Kenneth Thomas, Windy Chien, Andee Connors, Allan Horrocks

    10/03/2022

    IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS w director Kenneth Thomas, Windy Chien, Andee Connors, Allan Horrocks

    IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS is a feature-length documentary about the SF-based independent record store, Aquarius Records. Having closed in 2016 after 47 years, this small apartment-sized store championed local, underground, independent, and challenging music to the masses - most memorably with their infamous bi-weekly, college essay-length, new-release lists. This doc has interviews with the aQ owners dating back to 1970, other record store owners from around the world, musicians, label heads, music journalists, and INTENSE music collectors. Interviewees include Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips), Bruce Ackley, John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), Ty Segall, and Liz Harris (Grouper). Aquarius Records influenced and enriched countless peoples’ musical tastes with their curated selections - but this film also shows the realities of an indie record store trying to survive in an increasingly difficult market of brick-and-mortar music shops, especially in the ever-changing and price-gouging Mission District of SF. Six years in the making, the film has a very personal angle, with lots of behind-the-scenes footage (and drama) that shows both the joy and excruciating stress that comes with running — and closing — a store like this. Upcoming screenings: Oct 4th 6 pm Los Angeles City College w Howie Klein Oct 6th Tucson Film and Music Festival November 1st, 7pm Nitehawk Cinema, Williamsburg Brooklyn Film screening, followed by a moderated Q+A, with: Kenneth Thomas Brian Turner (The Brian Turner Show, WFMU) Jeremy DeVine (Founder / President of Temporary Residence Records) Jon Fine (Bitch Magnet, Author of Your Band Sucks: What I Saw at Indie Rock’s Failed Revolution (but Can No Longer Hear)) Emil Amos (Grails, Om, Holy Sons) Moderated by Anna Lopez (Temporary Residence Records, Union Pool) Nov 4th & 5th Doc Utah St. George, Utah Kenneth Thomas is a teacher and filmmaker from Arcata, California. He has consistently worked in some aspect of news or documentary production. After graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree in 16mm Film Production from Boston University, he moved back to his hometown to work at the local CBS television station, where he quickly became the Technical Director, and then the Live News Director. He also served as their News Videographer, documenting stories on the front lines, like Earth First’s controversial fight to save the old-growth redwood forests. After receiving his MFA in Film at San Francisco Art Institute, Kenneth completed his 5-year long film project, a feature-length music documentary called Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century. Featuring over a dozen multi-camera live concert shoots and 20 interviews about independent heavy metal music culture, the film has screened in over two dozen film and music festivals on every continent (except Antarctica) and is currently being independently distributed. This documentary led to him directing two music videos for bands in the film, one of which aired on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. Kenneth currently teaches Live TV Production and Audio Production at Los Angeles City College, with occasional freelance stints as a key camera operator for live multi-camera streams of LA Philharmonic concerts, and directing live multi-camera streams of heavy metal concerts in Boston and Los Angeles. Artist Windy Chien is best known for her 2016 work, The Year of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to room-sized installations that are sought after by private collectors. Following long careers at Apple and as owner of legendary music shop Aquarius Records, she launched her studio in 2015. Select clients include the National Geographic Society, the De Young Museum, Nobu Hotels, Google, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times and Martha Stewart. Windy’s book about her work was published by Abrams in 2019. Andee Connors is a drummer, musician, artist, DJ, music curator, photographer, former record store owner, former record label owner. He ran a record store called aQuarius recOrds in San Francisco from 1994 - 2016. He also ran tUMULt, a record label that existed for close to 20 years, with more than 50 releases. He's been playing drums since 9 years old, touring and recording since 19. Bands included math rock / post rock band called A Minor Forest, a grind pop / noise-pop band called P.E.E., a SF punk band called J-Church, a stoner metal band called High Tone Son Of A Bitch, and an experimental post rock band called Lumen. He played drums in two Boadrum performances with Japanese experimental outfit The Boredoms: with 77 drummers in 2007 in Brooklyn, NY, and then 88 drummers in 2008 in Los Angeles as well as extra drums with noise rock outfit Shit And Shine. Currently in Common Eider, King Eider, a ritualistic doom/drone duo, and My Heart, An Inverted Flame, another duo, heavy, droney, repetitive and shoegazey - only synths and drums! He has radio shows on Gimmeradio.com called Battleflutes & Sideways Skulls, and Castle Weather on Repeater Radio in the UK. He shares his house (and life) with three cats called Tony Harrison, Lugburz and Tungsten. Allan Horrocks did not get us a bio in time. https://battleflutesandsidewaysskulls.com By This Wax I Rule https://www.instagram.com/aquariusrecordsrip/ Bill Kopp's book on 415 Records, Disturbing the Peace. George's new podcast https://pi-cast.simplecast.com/ Follow: Instagram: @aquariusdoc Instagram: @mool_systems Instagram: @windychien Instagram: @mbibendum Follow Sup Doc on: Twitter: @supdocpodcast Instagram: @supdocpodcast Facebook: @supdocpodcast sign up for our mailing list And you can show your support to Sup Doc by donating on Patreon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 17m
4.8
out of 5
73 Ratings

About

Sup Doc is the comedy podcast where docs get reviewed and recapped! Hosts Paco Romane and George Chen dive into docs with sharp takes, big laughs, and cool guests from the worlds of tv, movies and music. No homework required—just show up and have fun. “A fun way to pore over docs” – Vulture “Enlightening” – The A.V. Club