Best Eric Koepp Podcasts (2025)

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Bryan Fuller On The Amblin Inspirations Behind His Film Dust Bunny 58:26

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3h ago58:26

58:26

TV Mastermind Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) makes his feature directorial debut with Dust Bunny starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and newcomer Sophie Sloan. On the surface this film has nothing to do with Steven Spielberg, but it turns out that it was originally developed as an episode of the Amazing Stories reboot and Spielberg…

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Ep. 21 Dominance Playbook: National Security Strategy, Undersea Competition, & Golden Dome Limits 59:29

22h ago59:29

59:29

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric crack open the 2025 National Security Strategy. They start by explaining what a National Security Strategy is supposed to do—define outcomes, not micromanage actions—and what it means when a strategy leans hard into “America First” rhetoric while saying almost nothing about education, health,…

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Ep 20 Bonus: Retribution Politics: When Dissent Becomes Dangerous 6:27

4d ago6:27

6:27

In this special edition of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric explore the troubling rise of retribution politics in America. Prompted by a Reuters investigation into over 470 individuals and institutions allegedly targeted by the Trump administration, they examine what happens when government power is used to punish dissent—from prosecutors and …

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Ep. 20 Trust and Consequences: Afghan Allies, Back-Channels, and Nursing Pros 48:50

3d ago48:50

48:50

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric look at the price of trust—starting with an Afghan ally accused of murdering a West Virginia National Guard member near the White House and the administration’s response: freezing asylum and visa decisions for Afghan allies. They unpack what it means to run a “nation of immigrants” on fear in…

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Ep. 19 Substitution or Sovereignty? China’s Capital, Nuclear Loans, & State vs. Federal Power 57:54

14d ago57:54

57:54

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric trace how seemingly ordinary deals can reshape American security, starting with a Chinese-linked insurance acquisition that offers a window into the “holy grail” of intelligence—intent. Some foreign capital is about substitution, not partnership. From there, they turn to energy in the AI era,…

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Ep. 18 Leaky Systems: Agentic AI Hack, Dams and Drought, & States Stepping Up 49:48

24d ago49:48

49:48

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric break down a new milestone in AI operations: an agentic hack using Claude that orchestrates tools together. They explain what’s actually new about the attack, why intent plus AI scale is the real risk, and how governments, companies, media, and citizens should think about Who’s Responsible in…

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Ep. 17 Steppe Signals: Kazakhstan’s Uranium, Europe’s First-Mover Standards, & AI Bubble Watch 45:46

24d ago45:46

45:46

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss U.S. global influence on display as a C5+1 White House celebration, a former al-Qaeda–linked Syrian leader visits, and the State Department expresses irritation as the EU grabs first-mover ground in standards—from a draft Space Act to AI policy. They weigh the case for an AI bubble an…

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Ep. 16 Critical Mass: Nuclear Testing, Power for the AI Era, and the Civic Moves That Matter 41:04

1M ago41:04

41:04

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss the significance of local elections around the country. They delve into the U.S. government’s approach to decommissioned nuclear warheads, current discussions about resuming nuclear testing, and key takeaways from President Trump’s diplomatic tour in Asia. They also examine a high-pro…

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Ep. 15 Speed Is the Advantage: Army Acquisitions, the Asia Trip, & Argentina ROI 45:19

1M ago45:19

45:19

We’re back! In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric put speed at the center of national power—why getting tech from contract to combat faster is the 2025 advantage, how to measure success in Ukraine beyond headlines, and what AUKUS and Australia’s rare-earth capacity mean for resilient national security. Plus: what to realistically…

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Ep. 14 Quantum Is Closing In, Data Everywhere, & Peace in Sight 49:53

2M ago49:53

49:53

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric put quantum computing on the table—what quantum computers are, why “harvest-now, decrypt-later” raises the stakes for your data, and what a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) world will look like. Plus: China’s threats to restrict rare-earth exports, partnership opportunities in AI-enabled open-…

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Ep. 13 The War Department’s Misfire 50:48

2M ago50:48

50:48

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric unpack Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s fiery Quantico address—why it was a tactical speech to a strategic audience, how it missed the mission, and what its message signals for women and talent across the country. They examine the tension between unity and conformity, leadership and loyalty, a…

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Amazing Stories with Mick Garris 1:09:23

2M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

Steven Spielberg tried his hand at a Twilight Zone-ish series in 1985 that didn't exactly set the ratings world on fire, but would prove to be formative for a whole generation of imaginative kids. Amazing Stories brought in a combination of seasoned pros like Scorsese and Clint Eastwood and exciting, young talent, including today's guest, writer an…

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Ep. 12 Shutdowns Aren’t a Light Switch: SIM Farms, Justice by Process, and Meeting Turkey’s Ur-Fascism 46:05

2M ago46:05

46:05

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss President Erdoğan’s visit to the White House and analyze Turkey, a necessary NATO ally, through Umberto Eco’s ‘ur-fascism’ lens. They examine the SIM farm operating near the U.N. and how cybercriminals are shifting from endpoints to the telecom infrastructure layer. Plus: quick update…

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Ep. 11 Digital Assets 101: Stablecoins to Sovereign Wealth — with Hon. Shannon Corless 1:08:31

2M ago1:08:31

1:08:31

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric sit down with Hon. Shannon Corless, former Assistant Secretary for Treasury’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, to map how finance, technology, and national security now operate as one system. She starts with a clear Blockchain/Digital Assets 101 and why on-chain transparency can aid law enf…

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Ep. 10: Ghost Shark AI, Police-State Tech, and the Leadership Gap 53:38

3M ago53:38

53:38

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric dive into autonomous defense at sea, surveillance tech exported by U.S. firms, and the leadership needed when crises hit. After a quick scan of the geopolitical hotspots. They unpack Australia’s Ghost Shark program and what undersea autonomy means for allied procurement and deterrence, then a…

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Ep. 09 Congressional Oversight Limited, Caribbean Motives, & City Security 51:55

3M ago51:55

51:55

Congressional oversight under pressure. Stablecoins meet statecraft. Caribbean motives, city security, and the homefront of national resilience. In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric draw a through-line on oversight: from the Trump family’s WLFI stablecoin push, to a U.S. buildup and lethal strike off Venezuela—and whether “count…

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True Grit with Josh Gondelman 1:24:39

3M ago1:24:39

1:24:39

Emmy Winning writer (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) and very funny standup comedian (People Pleaser) Josh Gondelman returns to The Spiel to talk about a film that most people probably forgot was produced by Steven Spielberg: 2010's True Grit starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld in her first major role. Based on …

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Ep. 08 Cyber to Cornfields: Community and Trust in the Heartland 47:46

3M ago47:46

47:46

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric connect three fronts of resilience: cybersecurity on the home front, the governance of biometrics, and the future of American agriculture. They unpack the reduced capacity of coordinated cyber communication, what policy looks like for biometric data and the claims of disinformation in Greenla…

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Ep. 07 IC Integrity, Intel Equity & Ukraine’s Stolen Children 53:58

4M ago53:58

53:58

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric highlight the national security issues of intelligence community downsizing, state equity in critical chips, and the return of Ukraine’s abducted children. Along the way, they explore whether proposed changes to the ODNI threaten its value, the risks inherent in aligning industrial policy and…

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Twilight Zone: The Movie with Macon Blair 1:06:56

4M ago1:06:56

1:06:56

Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore) joins Vespe to talk about one of the most impactful films of Steven Spielberg's career, Twilight Zone: The Movie. They dip into the tragedy, of course, but there's more to this anthology than the controversy. This film brings together some of the best filmmakers of the era …

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Ep. 06 Precision Influence, Precision Maps: Trump–Putin Theater, China’s AI Ops, & Texas Resistance 48:44

4M ago48:44

48:44

In this episode, Sue and Eric tackle three issues with profound implications for our republic and, ultimately, for our geopolitical standing: the open question of how the US sees its responsibility to Ukraine and its prior commitments; the commoditization of influence operations by an adversary and erstwhile competitor; and whether partisan power c…

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Poltergeist and the Paranormal with Aaron Sagers 1:31:43

4M ago1:31:43

1:31:43

Aaron Sagers is not only a pop culture journalist, he's also a well-known paranormal investigator. He's the founder of ParanormalPopCulture.com and you've seen him on-camera for Travel Channel's Paranormal Paparazzi and Paranormal Caught on Camera, and Netflix's 28 Days Haunted. In short, he knows a lot about movies and the spiritual world, so he w…

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Ep. 05: Splashy Action, Long Term Effect 46:55

4M ago46:55

46:55

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric jump into two Administration announcements—the GENUIS Act, the Nation’s first cryptocurrency policy focusing on stable coins; the second the elimination of more than $500M in mRNA research funding As always, they break down the details of the announcements and put them in more strategic conte…

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Ep. 04 Bonus: China’s Commercial Space Collision Course 15:42

4M ago15:42

15:42

In this bonus episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric delve into the rapid expansion of China's commercial space industry and its implications for U.S. dominance in low Earth orbit. They discuss the need for responsible use of space, the role of market forces versus government regulations, and the potential executive order that could resha…

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Ep. 04 Threats abroad AND at home 44:56

4M ago44:56

44:56

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss the geopolitical threats that intersect America’s interests, continue to focus on the intersection of China, cyber, and AI, this time with a more human dimension, and finish up with a look at the recent efforts to at best undermine and at worst destroy America’s institutions that unde…

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Ep. 03 Bonus: China Fills the Soft Power Vacuum 12:38

4M ago12:38

12:38

In this bonus episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss China's increasing influence within multilateral organizations like the United Nations through strategic funding, staffing, and diplomatic coalitions. Amidst U.S. retrenchment from these bodies, the conversation explores the implications of China's investments in global institut…

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Ep. 03 Algorithms and AI Action Plans 46:24

5M ago46:24

46:24

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric dive into a couple headlines shaping our world, specifically two announcements that could have profound effect on US technology strategy–the outstanding question is to what strategic effect. With President Trump’’s recent AI Action Plan, they discuss the administration's AI deregulation strat…

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Ep. 02 How does change happen? 52:30

5M ago52:30

52:30

Episode Summary: In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric unpack the ODNI’s renewed allegations of an Obama administration conspiracy during the 2016 election and what to make of the recently released documents. They explore if the CIA’s race to adopt AI will replace human agents, respond to the SECDEF memo on drones and the potenti…

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Ep. 01 It's ALL National Security 45:05

5M ago45:05

45:05

Episode Summary: In this debut episode of Understandable Insights, Eric and Sue dive into a heavy mix of headlines, from the devastation in Kerrville, TX to the energy-hungry appetite of AI, the surge in deepfake voice scams, and the whiplash of US policy in Ukraine. Through it all, they unpack what these stories really mean for national security. …

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Understandable Insights Trailer 1:48

5M ago1:48

1:48

Welcome to “Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon” — the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be. Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career…

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Jaws @ 50 with Laurent Bouzereau 55:14

5M ago55:14

55:14

Steven Spielberg's documentarian Laurent Bouzereau returns to The Spiel to discuss Vespe's favorite movie, Jaws, and his great new deep dive documentary made in conjunction with Amblin and Nat Geo called Jaws @ 50. There's a lot to talk about in terms of the legacy of Jaws, the impact it had for good and ill on both the film industry and the fishin…

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Frank Marshall on Jurassic World Rebirth 53:44

6M ago53:44

53:44

Legendary film producer, director, and documentarian Frank Marshall is my guest on the show today to talk about his working relationship with Steven Spielberg, a creative partnership that goes back to Raiders of the Lost Ark and continues on to this day. Marshall co-founded Amblin with Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy. We talk about what necessitated…

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A Conversation with David Koepp 46:00

6M ago46:00

46:00

Frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator David Koepp is our guest this week. Koepp is the screenwriter behind Jurassic Park, The Lost World, War of the Worlds, and Spielberg's upcoming UFO/UAP flick as well as the director of the criminally underrated Stir of Echoes. Koepp also penned the script for the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth, which hits cin…

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Hook with Jonathan Entwistle 1:15:35

7M ago1:15:35

1:15:35

Director Jonathan Entwistle (Karate Kid: Legends, The End of the F***ing World, I Am Not Okay With This) joins Vespe to talk about the incredibly divisive Spielberg film, Hook. Spielberg's Hook is a bonafide classic for a whole generation, but if you're not part of that younger Millennial generation it has the reputation of leaving you cold. The st…

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Columbo with Rian Johnson 1:06:41

7M ago1:06:41

1:06:41

It might come as a surprise to some folks that Steven Spielberg directed the pilot for Columbo, titled Murder By The Book, but that he did and it turned out to be one of the most important projects of his early career as his success with this episode is what got him the gig directing Duel. If you're going to talk about Columbo and Spielberg then yo…

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Farewell to Josh Robert Thompson 1:33:48

7M ago1:33:48

1:33:48

The Spiel co-host, Josh Robert Thompson, is stepping away from the show, but before he leaves to pursue his own creative endeavors he and Vespe take a look back at his time on the show, discuss our favorite episodes, guests, and experiences while he was behind the mic. You'll hear plenty of behind the scenes stories, more Spielberg, Lucas, and Morg…

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A Career-Spanning Interview with Veronica Cartwright 45:40

8M ago45:40

45:40

Veronica Cartwright joins The Spiel hosts to talk about her incredible career, from The Twilight Zone to The Birds to Alien and Witches of Eastwick, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and, yes, even Scary Movie 2. Cartwright also shares her thoughts on Steven Spielberg's career, including an incredible anecdote of watching Jaws for the first time with…

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with Charles Soule 1:39:59

8M ago1:39:59

1:39:59

Charles Soule (author of the Star Wars: The High Republic series as well as some of the best Star Wars comic books) joins the show to talk all about one of the most controversial and heavily debated Steven Spielberg films: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We all know co-host Josh Robert Thompson goes to bat for this one, but does…

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Bear McCreary Picks His Top 5 John Williams/Steven Spielberg Scores 1:17:45

8M ago1:17:45

1:17:45

Incredible composer Bear McCreary (God of War, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Battlestar Galactica, Happy Death Day) knows a thing or two about composing badass scores. Vespe challenged him to come up with top 5 favorite John Williams/Steven Spielberg collaborations and the resulting episode sees McCreary putting his Top 5 against Vespe' To…

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Innerspace with Anthony Breznican 1:16:54

9M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

The Spiel welcomes Anthony Breznican, Vespe's Kingcast co-host and entertainment reporter extraordinaire at Vanity Fair, to talk about Amblin's Innerspace. This weird-ass movie was directed by Joe Dante and produced by Spielberg and is all about a shrunk down Dennis Quaid getting injected into Martin Short's butt and that's just the start of this c…

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Spielberg's Endings with Clarke Wolfe 1:18:16

9M ago1:18:16

1:18:16

I think we can all agree that Steven Spielberg knows how to end a movie. He's got some all-timer endings in his filmography, but he also has some divisive endings. We're talking about War of the Worlds, A.I., Munich, and more. Noted filmmaker, podcaster, entertainment host, and professional geek Clarke Wolfe (Malum, Torn Hearts, Sending in the Wolf…

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The Goonies with Flula Borg 1:13:36

9M ago1:13:36

1:13:36

The Goonies is an important movie for folks of a certain generation, including the absolute madman who is this week's guest. You know him from Pitch Perfect 2, The Suicide Squad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Silicon Valley and now he's here to talk about The Goonies, Richard Donner's coming-of-age adventure story produced by Steven Spielberg. We bounc…

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Casper with Mallory O'Meara 1:12:44

9M ago1:12:44

1:12:44

Leave it to Vespe and JRT to turn a conversation about the 1995 Amblin family adventure story CASPER into a lewd, R-rated talk about ghost titties. In our defense, bad influence (and James Beard award-winning author) Mallory O'Meara is our guest and despite all of our best efforts when we three get together things get chaotic and talk quickly turns…

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Twister and Twisters with Stephen Graham Jones 1:19:02

10M ago1:19:02

1:19:02

Celebrated genre author Stephen Graham Jones (The Indian Lake Trilogy, Mongrels, I Was A Teenage Slasher) is a huge fan of both Twister and Twisters, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, and shows up this week ready to talk about what made him laugh, cry, and jump for joy in both the 1996 original film and its 2024 sequel. Topics in…

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West Side Story with Alex Winter 1:06:47

10M ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Spielberg has been working towards making a musical for his entire career, so it shouldn't be a surprise that when he finally got to make an all-out musical he brought not only his A-game, but also his deep love and understanding of Old Hollywood musicals with him. This resulted in 2021's West Side Story, an incredibly smart and charming reinterpre…

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Josh Ruben on Amazing Stories 1:15:38

10M ago1:15:38

1:15:38

This week's topic: 1985's Amazing Stories, an NBC anthology series overseen by Steven Spielberg himself. Not only did he produce the whole thing, but he also directed two episodes. Those two episodes are the focus of the show as we welcome director Josh Ruben (this weekend's rom-com slasher HEART EYES). We talk a bit about marrying those two radica…

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Schindler's List with Jordan Hoffman 1:41:30

11M ago1:41:30

1:41:30

It's a heavy topic, but we somehow found the perfect guest to balance a serious topic with a little humor in noted critic, pop culture journalist, and author Jordan Hoffman (Vanity Fair, New York Daily News, The Times of Israel). Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German Industrialist who worked from within th…

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Ariana Richards Talks Jurassic Park 1:23:26

11M ago1:23:26

1:23:26

The one and only Ariana Richards, Lex Murphy from Jurassic Park, joins Vespe and JRT to talk dinosaurs, Graboids, Martians, and even her ludicrous haircut in 1989's Prancer. This is Ariana's very first podcast appearance and she comes loaded for bear, y'all. She has stories about working on all her big movies including Jurassic Park. Hear about how…

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An Interview with Kiran Shah 53:06

12M ago53:06

53:06

Today's guest is the self-described World's Smallest Stuntman who has doubled everybody from Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings to Christopher Reeve's Superman and James Cameron's Aliens. Kiran Shah is also a poet and an actor who played a not so small part in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark before going on to double Short Round in I…

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Vanessa Chester on The Lost World: Jurassic Park 1:37:46

12M ago1:37:46

1:37:46

Today we have a conversation with Ian Malcolm's Daughter, Kelly, herself, Ms. Vanessa Chester. Despite being plagued by tech issues, this deep-dive interview about Vanessa's experience working with Spielberg, Goldblum, Vaughn, and Moore while making The Lost World: Jurassic Park is funny, illuminating, and is guaranteed to brighten your day. Cheste…