HO HO HO! It's that time of year again to celebrate the day that Alonso loves. It's the 'Who Shot Ya?' Christmas Extravaganza! And this episode is packed to the gills. It starts off with a white elephant gift exchange. It then moves right into an in depth conversation about the somewhat controversial Christmas classic Love Actually. The crew then chats with Dan Thompson of the 'Deck The Hallmark' podcast about all those wonderful Hallmark Christmas movies. They have their final El Mero Mero De Navidad Christmas Minute. And as always, they've got Staff Picks. If this episode doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will!

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

Ricky - Black Christmas
Alonso - The Annotated Christmas Carol: A Christmas Carol in Prose
April - A Diva's Christmas Carol

And here it is, the 'Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas' Video Montage.

PLUS, we have Alonso's Christmas Mix on Spotify.

With April Wolfe, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? at @WhoShotYaPod on Twitter. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week we are so lucky to have on director, actress, and dancer, Delila Vallot. Delila is a prolific worker and has too many credits to list. But some of her films as director include the thriller Tunnel Vision and the documentary Can You Dig This? which won a Jury Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival. On this episode she is here to discuss Black Panther. She and April talk about Michael B. Jordan's acting techniques and the effects of going method for a role. They touch upon how director Ryan Coogler was able to take a huge property like Black Panther and still make it personal. And they cover the intentional use of the actor's natural hair in the film and the importance of representing it in media.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch Black Panther.

With April Wolfe with Delila Vallot.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org
Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

The Albums:
Vince Guraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Andy Williams' The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963)
Stax Records' Christmas in Soulsville (2007)

Heat Rocks was hyped to have film critic Alonso Duralde (The Wrap), one of the hosts of Maximum Fun's movie podcast Who Shot Ya? guest with us to talk about our favorite Christmas songs, holiday fare, songs that should play when it's cold outside, baby.

We visit the canon of Christmas music over the years (Andy Williams 1963 The Christmas Album, Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas and Stax Record's 2007 compilation Christmas In Soulsville and across genres and styles - crooners, sweeping orchestral cinematic pieces, summer songs vs. winter songs, modern Christmas traditions, etc.

Alonso broke down the power of nostalgia as it relates to Christmas music and how our tastes in music are informed by tradition.

Don't be a grinch. Listen to this wintery wonderland of an episode about favorite Christmas tracks.

More on Alonso Duralde

• Alonso's podcast, Linoleum Knife
• Alonso on Maximum Fun
• Twitter

Show Tracklisting

• Booker T and the MG's: Winter Wonderland (Take 2)
• The Waitresses: Wrapping Paper
• Ella Fitzgerald: The Christmas Song
• The Shins: Wonderful Christmastime
• Michael Jackson: Little Christmas Tree
• Wild Man Fischer: I'm A Christmas Tree
• Brian McKnight: Let It Snow
• Frank Sinatra: White
• Andy Williams: Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells
• Andy Williams: Happy Holiday/ The Holiday Season
• Andy Williams: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• Andy Williams: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
• Mariah Carey: All I Want for Christmas is You
• Vince Guraldi: Christmas Time is Here (Vocal)
• Vince Guraldi: Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental)
• Vince Guraldi: Skating
• Vince Guraldi: O Tannenbaum
• Vince Guraldi: The Christmas Song
• Otis Redding: Merry Christmas, Baby
• The Staple Singers: Who Took the Merry out of Christmas
• Albert King: Santa Claus Wants Some Loving
• The Emotions: Black Christmas
• Isaac Hayes: The Mistletoe and Me
• Booker T and the MG's: Winter Wonderland (Take 2)
• Nate Dogg: Be Thankful
• Little Johnny Taylor: Please Come Home for Christmas
• Juice Crew: Cold Chillin' Christmas
• The Free Design: Close Your Mouth It's Christmas
• Kenny Bobien: Let Us Adore Him (Come O Ye Faithful)

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

This is a spicy episode! To say that there was a difference of opinion about this week's film would be an understatement. We're talking about the new Natalie Portman, popstar in crisis movie Vox Lux. The crew is joined by TV writer Jenny Jaffe ('Big Hero 6: The Series'). They answer a question from the mailbag: "What director - whose first high profile pictures were stellar - were you most surprised/disappointed to see flame out?" The Christmas season wouldn't be complete without another edition of the El Mero Mero De Navidad Christmas Minute with Alonso Duralde. And, as always, staff picks.

In news, Kevin Hart steps down as Oscars host, and Sister Act 3 moves on with no Whoopi Goldberg.

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

Ricky - Living on Soul
Alonso - Josie and the Pussycats
April - Cold War
Jenny - Frank

PLUS, we have two Spotify playlists. One is for Movie Soundtracks and the other is for Movie Scores. Check 'em out!

Next week we're discussing Love Actually

With Jenny Jaffe, April Wolfe, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? at @WhoShotYaPod on Twitter. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This episode specializes in creepy haunted houses with potentially crazy women living inside them. And who better to have on the show than director and actor, Bridey Elliott. She's on to discuss her new film Clara's Ghost. Her film features Bridey's own mother, Paula Niedert Elliott, playing Clara, an isolated woman who begins seeing a ghost around the house. And appropriately, the film Bridey chose to discuss today is Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte starring Bette Davis. Davis' character Charlotte also believes she's seeing ghosts in her family's plantation home. These movies work well together thematically as they both touch upon paranoia, disbelief of women, and a real confusion on who is actually going crazy. Bridey talks about making her new film with her entire family, including her mother who had never acted before. She even shares a story about how she was able to shoot a scene with a naked woman walking around her childhood neighborhood. April and she also discuss the history of Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte, all the behind the scenes drama, and how this is a feminist film.

Check out Clara's Ghost in theaters and streaming.

And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

With April Wolfe with Bridey Elliott.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org
Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

The Album: Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

2018 has been a tough year for Kanye West and Kanye West fans. He's showed up in unlikely places and waxed problematic about virtually everything , earned the ire of some of the West Coast's most loyal representatives, inspired critical analysis , all the while releasing Ye, his eighth solo album, an album as part of a group, and executive producing albums for Teyana Taylor, Pusha T and Nas.

Sure, he's been booked and busy, but also the center of controversy and speculation.

In 2010, he embraced his controversy, on the thirteen track My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.'

Macy Gray joined us to talk about her fanship and hardcore love of this album, why she bumped one song all the way to Vegas, what caused her to rock a "MAKE KANYE GREAT AGAIN" hat for the 'gram and Kanye's impressive production on the album. We talked about Kanye's choice of samples, what can be learned about Kanye via MBDTF and why this album is great, but not his greatest.

Ironically, we recorded this episode before Kanye's SNL appearance.

Eavesdrop. Please.

More on Macy Gray

• Macy Takes Her Love of Life to Town on Ruby (Pop Matters)
• Afropunk Interview: Macy Gray
• Instagram | Twitter

More on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

• Every Sample from MBDTF (YouTube)
• 5 Years Later, Is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Really Kanye West's Best Album?" (GQ)
• Track-by-Track Guide to Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Genius)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy unless indicated otherwise):

• Power
• Macy Gray: I've Committed Murder
• Macy Gray: Shinanigins
• Kanye West: Jesus Walks
• Lost in the World
• Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes
• Dark Fantasy
• Aphex Twin: Avril 14th
• Blame Game
• Gil Scott-Heron: Comment 1
• Who Will Survive in America
• Bon Iver: Woods
• Lost in the World
• Monster
• Runaway
• Power
• Devil in a New Dress
• Dark Fantasy
• Runaway

Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

This week we're talking about the most recent Peter Farrelly road trip movie. No, not Dumb and Dumber. Not Kingpin. Sorry, not Me, Myself & Irene. We're talking Green Book with Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. And we're so lucky to have on the program, writer and performer Holly Walker (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). If you want to hear many, many Viggo Mortensen-as-Tony Lip impressions, then this is the episode for you. The crew also answers a question from the Who Shotline: "What movie character had the biggest impact on you as a person?" Plus, Alonso has another heart attack minute, AKA The El Mero Mero De Navidad Christmas Minute. And as always, staff picks.

In news, When We Were Kings gets the musical treatment, The Wizard of Oz is the most influential movie of all time, Paul Schrader thinks there's "no crimes in art."

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

Ricky - Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon
Alonso - Mary Queen of Scots
April - Happy as Lazzaro and Clara's Ghost
Holly - About Time

PLUS, we have two Spotify playlists. One is for Movie Soundtracks and the other is for Movie Scores. Check 'em out!

Next week we're discussing Vox Lux with Jenny Jaffe.

With Holly Walker, April Wolfe, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? at @WhoShotYaPod on Twitter. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

We've got a truly fascinating conversation on this week's episode with 'Dirty John' showrunner Alexandra Cunningham. Her new show is based upon the wildly popular LA Times true crime podcast of the same name. It deals with deception, seduction, and intrigue. These are all themes found in the film that Alexandra chose to discuss, the 1945 technicolor noir classic Leave Her to Heaven. As 'Dirty John' deals with the mind of a manipulative conman, Alexandra has become somewhat of an expert on the mindset of villains. And she has some enlightening words on Gene Tierney's coldhearted Ellen in Leave Her to Heaven. Alex comes from a playwriting background and explains how she learned to show rather than to tell. April and she dissect the famous drowning scene in the film. And Alex has a fascinating story about working for a suicide hotline, and reveals how sometimes the scariest things happen in the light of day.

Check out Dirty John on Bravo.

And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Leave Her to Heaven.

With April Wolfe with Alexandra Cunningham.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org
Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Listening to this episode will get you as pumped as Rocky running up all those steps. And you don't even need to drink raw eggs! This episode's got some PUNCH to it. That's right, we're talking Creed II and we're joined by Philly's own CJ Sullivan. Alonso announces that he is officially in full on Christmas mode. April is excited about Alicia Malone's new book called The Female Gaze (which April also contributed to). It's Ricky's Mom's birthday and he's sending her a cake. And CJ is just happy that Brigitte Nielsen is back in our lives with her appearance in Creed II. We answer a call from the "Who Shotline" about film genres that we don't care about. We get another infusion of The El Mero Mero de Navidad Christmas Minute. And of course, staff picks.

In news, Christopher McQuarrie wants the Oscars to introduce an award for stunts, Julie Andrews is a giant fish monster, and we discuss the careers of Nicolas Roeg and Bernardo Bertolucci .

Weekly Movie Recommendations:

Ricky - McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Alonso - Cola de Mono
April - Volcano
CJ - Mississippi Grind

PLUS, we have two Spotify playlists. One is for Movie Soundtracks and the other is for Movie Scores. Check 'em out!

Next week we're discussing Green Book with Holly Walker .

With CJ Sullivan, April Wolfe, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? at @WhoShotYaPod on Twitter. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

The Album: J*DaVeY The Beauty in Distortion (2008)

Heat Rocks co-host Morgan Rhodes is a huge fan of J*Davey and a huge fan of Iman Omari. Naturally she was beyond thrilled when Iman accepted an invitation to come on Heat Rocks and chose J*Davey's 2008 brilliant debut album "The Beauty In Distortion" to discuss.

J*Davey's breakout project was one of the jewels in LA's emerging future soul scene a decade ago. Their sound, a fusion of soul, synth, funk and pop gained a million fans and caught the ear of tastemakers everywhere.

This album had a profound influence on his production choices pushing him in the direction of avant-garde soul.

More on Iman Omari

• Iman Omari Loses Love to 'Another' (Soul Bounce)
• Meet MusiKXian Iman OmarI
• Instagram | Twitter

More on The Beauty in Distortion

• J*Davey Talks LA Style (XLR8R)
• J*DaVeY: the beauty in distortion! Promo"
• J*Davey's Wikipedia Entry

Show Tracklisting (all songs from The Beauty in Distortion unless indicated otherwise):

• Division of Joy
• Everybody Touch It
• Iman Omari: Midnight
• Mr. Mister (Future Screw Remix)
• Cowboys and Indians
• Finer Things
• Private Parts
• Might as Well
• Everybody Touch It
• Kim Burrell: Prayer Changes Things
• Kim Burrell: Holy Ghost
• Private Parts
• Cowboys and Indians
• Division of Joy
• Everybody Touch It
• Private Parts
• Finer Things
• No More
• Enterception
• Camera (Gangsta)

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!