Filmmakers. Actors. Artists. You never know who might show up on Movie People. Veteran journalist Eric Kohn, the artistic director of the historic Southampton Playhouse, engages with new guests to discuss the past and present of moving images and other related art forms, as well as how they relate to the world at large.
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Eric Kohn Podcasts
Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.
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Acton Unwind is a weekly roundtable discussion of news and current events through the Acton Institute's lens on the world: promoting a free and virtuous society and connecting good intentions with sound economics. Host Eric Kohn is joined by Acton Institute experts for an exploration of news, politics, religion, and culture.
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Actor Pat Healy (Compliance) talks with moderator Eric Kohn of Indiewire about his outrageous new film, Cheap Thrills. The black comedy thriller tells the story of Craig (Healy), a struggling family man who’s lost his low-wage job and is facing eviction, only to have his life turned upside down by a wealthy couple who offer a path to financial security—for a price. The film also stars Ethan Embry (Empire Records) and Sara Paxton (The Innkeepers).
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Writer/director Justin Simien and actor Tessa Thompson talk about their new film Dear White People. Winner of the 2014 Sundance U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, the provocative comedy follows a group of African-American students as they navigate life and racial politics at a predominantly white college. Moderated by Eric Kohn from Indiewire.
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Join writer/director Jay Duplass and actors Mark Kelly and Steve Zissis as they sit down with Indiewire’s Eric Kohn to discuss the hilarious comedy "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon." They’ll be joined by brothers Anton and Mark Solak—the real-life inspiration for the film about two grown brothers who rekindle their competitive childhood sporting event during a family reunion. When their games become fierce and disruptive, they continue to carry on in secret.
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Father Robert Sirico on What Christmas Is All About
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25:52
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25:52In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Father Robert Sirico, co-founder and president emeritus of the Acton Institute, about the true meaning of Christmas. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Charlie Brown Christmas | Charles M. Schulz A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens Pied Beauty | Gerard Manley Hopkins If you’d like to support …
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Guillermo del Toro Sums Up 2025 for Movie Lovers
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40:27We are wrapping up a busy year with a truly wonderful guest: Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, one of the most celebrated directors working today. From the early genre efforts like Cronos and The Devil's Backbone all the way through Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, del Toro has built a career out of generating empathy for monsters …
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Stephen Barrows Explains the Jimmy Lai Verdict
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23:01In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephen Barrows, chief operations officer of the Acton Institute, about the recent conviction of entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Monday in a landmark national security trial. Who is Jimmy Lai, and what is his long-standing relationship with Acton…
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Josh Safdie on Directing Timothée Chalamet / The Joys of 35mm Film
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31:22Filmmaker Josh Safdie and veteran cinematographer Darius Khondji join the Southampton Playhouse to discuss the new dark comedy Marty Supreme, which stars Timothée Chalamet as ping pong pro Marty Mauser, and share some of the films that inspired them. Then, expert 35mm projectionist James Faller explains his craft and why watching movies projected o…
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Peter Boettke Is Teaching the Humanistic Foundations of Austrian Economics
1:02:49
1:02:49
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1:02:49In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Peter J. Boettke, Distinguished University Professor of Economics at George Mason University, as well as the director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about the importance of the history of economic thought …
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Stephanie Slade Is Chronicling the New Right
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54:47In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and a fellow in liberal studies at the Acton Institute, about the “New Right.” Who comprises the New Right, and what is their approach to politics? Has the old conservative movement failed? How does the New Right’s rhetoric relate to their larger political pro…
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This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. Essays: Fall 2025 Religion & Liberty American Religion by the Numbers by Miles Smith A Pope for the 21st Century Video content: Anne Bradley Interrogates Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance Yasir Qadhi on LEAVING Salafism and Rejecting Sectarian…
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Andrew Abela Is Popularizing the Virtues with “Superhabits”
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39:39In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Andrew Abela, founding dean of the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America and affiliate faculty member at Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, about his book Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life. How do we best popularize virtues? How does the positive psy…
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John Wilsey Is Priming Conservatives for Religious Freedom
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57:16In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Wilsey, professor of church history and chair of the Department of Church History and Historical Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, about his new book, Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer. How have the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty existed harmoniously in the American …
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'Grey Gardens' at 50: The Surviving Filmmaking Team Revisits the Legacy
23:05
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23:05The Playhouse closes out its East End Cinema series with a 50th anniversary celebration of the most famous Hamptons movie of all time, the legendary documentary Grey Gardens. Producer Susan Froemke, co-director Muffie Meyer, and Rebekah Maysles of the Maysles Documentary Film Center joined Playhouse artistic director Eric Kohn to discuss the genesi…
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Peter Lipsett Is Podcasting to Answer the Question, "What Is the Right?"
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59:21In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Peter Lipsett, vice president at DonorsTrust, about the recently concluded 11-part series “What Is the Right?” for the Giving Ventures podcast. What is “the Right”? What are its largest and most influential factions? Does it share a common intellectual culture or merely political interests? How does the botto…
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Sigrid Nunez on Watching Her 'Unfilmable' Novels Become Great Movies
24:41
24:41
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24:41This week, we're joined by the brilliant author Sigrid Nunez, who has been churning out imaginative stories for over 30 years. However, her work has been adapted to the big screen only recently with two movies both released at the top of 2025: The Room Next Door, the first English language movie directed by Pedro Almodovar, which stemmed from Nunez…
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Anne Bradley Interrogates Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance
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55:20In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Anne Bradley, vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies and professor of economics at The Institute of World Politics, about Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s book Abundance, which she reviewed for Religion & Liberty Online. What is the concept of “abundance,” and who comprises the boo…
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This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan & Dylan chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. Essays and Books: The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought God at Work: Loving God and Neighbor Through the Book of Exodus Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life | Andrew Abela Can Nigeria’s Church …
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This week, we're wrapping up a month of Halloween program with a very special conversation about the legacy of one of most resilient horror franchises of all time, Scream. When Wes Craven's movie was released in 1996, the horror genre was in a bit of a dormant phase. That changed rather quickly with this comedic riff on the horror movie formula, a …
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John Pinheiro Interrogates Thomas Jefferson on Limited Government
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57:49In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, about his feature essay in the latest issue of Religion & Liberty: “Thomas Jefferson ant the Virtue of Limited Government.” What is Jefferson’s status today relative to the other Founding Fathers? What was Jefferson’s agrarian republican vision for A…
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A Real-Life Ghostbuster on What the Movies Get Right (and Wrong)
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28:41This week, we've got a Halloween season double bill: First, a conversation with NPR journalist Larry Maslan, whose new book Hitchcocktails pairs films from the master of suspense with first-rate drink recipes. Then, we'll hear from a real-life ghost hunter: Michael Cardinuto, co-founder of the Long Island Paranormal Investigators.…
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Dylan Pahman Is Starting the Conversation on Orthodox Christian Social Thought
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59:39In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, about his new book, The Kingdom of God & the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought. What is the state of contemporary Orthodox Social Thought? What is the “s…
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'Black Phone 2' Editor Louise Ford on Horror Movies & More
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40:54This week, we're keeping the spirit of Halloween season alive. First we looked at vampires, then zombies, and now it's ghosts...thanks to this conversation with Black Phone 2 editor Louise Ford, best known for her collaborations with director Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse, Nosferatu). Tune in to learn more what it takes to cut a good hor…
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Anthony Bradley Finds the Answer to Anxiety in Exodus
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57:13In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Anthony Bradley, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and research professor of Interdisciplinary and Theological Studies at Kuyper College. They discuss Anthony’s new book, God at Work: Loving God and Neighbor Through the Book of Exodus. Why is Exodus such a great evangelistic conversation st…
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Pope Leo XIV Exhorts Us in DILEXI TE to See Christ in the Poor
1:08:58
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1:08:58In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Caleb Whitmer, project manager at the Center for Social Flourishing, about Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te. This exhortation to all Christians encourages us to see Christ in the poor among us. How does Pope Leo use scripture…
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Jesse Eisenberg on the Life of an Actor, Before and After 'Zombieland'
25:59
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25:59This week, we're keeping the spirit of Halloween season alive, following on recent episode, which focused on the vampire monstrosities of I Am Legend. Now we're moving on to zombies...and, specifically, Zombieland, the 2009 horror-comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg. In addition to looking back on this major turning point in his career, Eisenberg spoke…
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