Director Nicole Holofcener and the Creators of Lodge 49

17th September 2018

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Nicole Holofcener back on the show – probably one of the most underrated filmmakers around. Her movies are quiet, sort of understated. The protagonists are complex, flawed people, usually women. She’s worked with some great actors, too. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini in “Enough Said.” Frances McDormand in “Friends with Money.” Catherine Keener in just about everything she’s made. Her latest film was just released on Netflix. It’s called “The Land of Steady Habits.” And for the first time, her movie centers on a man. We’ll talk about that, plus her childhood growing up among Hollywood filmmaking royalty.
Then, have you heard of this show, Lodge 49? It’s kind of a comedy / drama set in Long Beach, California. It’s kind of hard to say what it’s about, but some of the themes include: secret orders (like the Masons), quarter life crises and the stagnating aerospace economy in Long Beach, California. It’s funny, weird and disarmingly honest, which is why it’s been a hit here at MaxFun HQ. Jesse talks with Jim Gavin, the creator, and Peter Ocko, the showrunner.

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Photo: Charley Gallay / Getty Images
Writer and director Nicole Holofcener on her new film: ‘The Land of Steady Habits’
Nicole Holofcener is a writer and director probably best known for her films “Friends with Money” and “Enough Said.” She’s also worked on TV shows like “Parks and Recreation,” “Orange is the New Black” and “Sex and the City.” Her latest project is a film called “The Land of Steady Habits” – it’s out now on Netflix.

Nicole’s projects are intimate and always feature strong female leads. For the first time, her movie centers on a man. “The Land of Steady Habits” is about a middle-aged, retired finance guy, named Andres played by Ben Mendelsohn. Anders is going through kind of a late midlife crisis. He just left his wife, Helene, played by Edie Falco. And his relationship with his adult son is drifting away – Anders is losing him to drug use. It’s safe to say that Anders has trouble figuring out where he fits in these days.

Nicole will tell us how she adapted the novel by Ted Thompson into this very poignant film, and why she felt this was an important story to tell. Plus, she’ll reflect on her childhood – when she moved to Los Angeles as a early teenager she couldn’t believe that the guys on the Metro bus would be exactly like the jerks on the New York subway.

Listen to this interview on YouTube!


Photo: Jesse Thorn
Jim Gavin & Peter Ocko on the new Television show ‘Lodge 49’
AMC has produced some of the most stunning dramatic television programs in recent memory. “Mad Men,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Breaking Bad” come to mind – but they’re television shows that are grounded in gritty realities. “Lodge 49” is one of the newest shows on AMC, and it’s a drama like you’d expect from the network. But it’s on a different wavelength, and it’s very funny.

The show’s about Sean “Dud” Dudley. He’s a 30 something burnout who lives in Long Beach, California. One day he’s metal detecting on a beach and he finds a ring. He asks around, and it turns out it belongs to a lodge for this secret society – the Order of the Lynx. Sort of like the Freemasons or the Elks. The ring brings him into the lodge, and before long, he becomes a member. He’s fascinated by the robes and rituals, charmed and befriended by the members. He gets swept up by the mythology and mystery.

We spoke to Jim Gavin, the show’s creator; and Peter Ocko, a TV veteran, showrunner and Executive Producer for “Lodge 49.” They’ll give us the scoop on all the quirks of the show, and their fascination with fraternal organizations. Jim Gavin grew up in Long Beach, naturally, we asked him some extremely specific Long Beach questions.

Listen to this interview on YouTube!


Photo: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
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In this episode...

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Guests

  • Nicole Holofcener
  • Jim Gavin
  • Peter Ocko

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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