Justin Sutherland promises a ramped-up new season of ‘Fast Foodies’: “Everything’s just taken up a notch”

Posted on February 3, 2022 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

The second season of truTV’s Fast Foodies is here, allowing fans to watch the exciting combination of celebrities, cooking and, of course, fast food. If that wasn’t enough to grab your attention, star Justin Sutherland teased to ABC Audio, “Everything’s just taken up a notch this season.”

Sutherland, who’s one of the chefs tasked with recreating the celebrity guest’s favorite fast food and giving it a five-star remix, dished, “The celebrities that we’re having this season just run the gamut from athletes to top-end actors.” Among those he name-dropped were Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Baron Davis.

In addition, Sutherland says his fellow chefs have gotten into the swing of things. “I think we’re all doing way better food, not that last year’s food wasn’t good, but we just we know the format. We’re comfortable with each other,” he remarked.

And while he is responsible for fancying up fast food for his celebrity guests, one must wonder which drive-thru Sutherland likes to visit the most. “I love a beef and cheddar from Arby’s,” the Iron Chef champion revealed, noting that it’s his go-to when he’s “hung over and, like, you can’t stomach a lot of food.”

Sutherland also has a penchant for a particular condiment from a famous fried chicken chain. “I will put KFC gravy on anything,” he admitted. “Sometimes I will get [an] Arby’s beef and cheddar and then go across the street and get just a side of gravy from KFC. And then I call it a slutty French dip, and then just sit in the parking lot and shamefully shovel this gravy and make sure nobody’s looking.”

Fast Foodies season two airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on truTV.

Maggie Gyllenhaal explains how ‘The Lost Daughter’ lets women feel seen

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

Olivia Colman as Leda. CR: YANNIS DRAKOULIDIS/NETFLIX © 2021.

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her directorial debut in The Lost Daughter, one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year that’s racking up award nominations left and right.

Maggie tells ABC Audio the movie takes a hard look at a little-shown side of the female psyche and features two mothers acting out in different ways after struggling to live up to expectations. That experience, says Gyllenhaal, is universal but not explored enough in film.

“Many many women have spent a whole long time watching movies where there was no one for us to immediately identify with,” she explained, adding she wanted the audience to think, “This person doesn’t look exactly like me, but I’m going to find a way in to understand their experience and have it be important to my experience.”

Peter Sarsgaard, Maggie’s husband, who co-stars in the movie, recalled when the audience at the Venice International Film Festival, where the movie premiered globally, praised Maggie’s vision. “I remember several people who came up to her and they feel that need to say, ‘You did something to me. I’m thinking. I’m feeling,'” he said.

Another cast member, Olivia Colman, explained why she jumped at the opportunity to star in the film, saying, “I’ve never seen this woman depicted so honestly before on screen and I wanted to have a crack at it.”

Echoing those remarks was Dakota Johnson, who was interested because the movie explored “an unhappy mother and wife — you’re not supposed to be that.”

“This idea that Nina wanted more for herself and had never really been seen and wasn’t being nourished in her heart and her mind just resonated with me,” she continued. “I found it heartbreaking and so real and so common.”

The Lost Daughter premieres Friday on Netflix.

King Richard will tell the “deeply inspiring” story about Venus and Serena Williams, says star Tony Goldwyn

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

Venus and Serena Williams‘ true and powerful story about how they became tennis stars is about to hit the big screen. King Richard takes a deep dive into the major role their father, Richard Williams, played in their success.

Tony Goldwyn, who plays Paul Cohen aka the Williams sisters’ first tennis coach, was touched by their story and told ABC Audio, “It’s deeply inspiring about family and the power of family.”

The movie focuses on how Richard, played by Will Smith, labored to make his girls’ “dreams come true” and, while Goldwyn admits he knew the basics of the story, he didn’t know the details.

“I had no idea that Richard Williams had a vision and wrote, I think a 75 or 80 page manifesto before Venus and Serena were even born,” remarks the 61-year-old. “He literally envisioned this and wrote a plan and then implemented it in the most extraordinary way. You just couldn’t make this stuff up!”

Goldwyn also notes that, despite his ambition, Richard nor the girls’ mother, Oracene, were brutal taskmasters.

“It was something borne out of love and passion. And if the girls ever didn’t want to do it, they didn’t have to,” he explains. “Tennis became this metaphor for them, for building their character as human beings.”

The Scandal alum also salutes the parents for ensuring the sport didn’t “rob [Venus and Serena] of their childhood” nor allowing them to become spoiled by “the pressures of competitive tennis.”

Goldwyn also reserved some high praise for Smith, saying he was “super fun” to work with and made people “feel relaxed in his presence.”

Additionally, he teased, “In this movie, [Will] just brings his A-plus game.”

King Richard premieres Friday in theaters and on HBO Max.

‘Home Sweet Home Alone’ is a sequel, not a reboot, says star Aisling Bea

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

Home Alone, the perennial holiday movie about a mischievous boy defending his home from opportunistic burglars, will have its story continued in the new Disney+ original, Home Sweet Home Alone.

Star Aisling Bea [ASH-ling bee], who plays the protagonist’s mother, told ABC Audio the film is “not a remake” of the original 1990 movie — it’s a sequel. That’s a small relief for the Irish comedian, who admits a reboot would mean she’d be compared to Catherine O’Hara — who played Macaulay Culkin‘s on-screen mom.

“The character is so different of the mother,” said Bea, “which I think gives it a new energy and why it makes it a different film. And takes the pressure off ‘Oh, you’re reprising Catherine O’Hara’s role.'”

She further teased, “All of the characters sort of spin on their head in terms of who’s good and who’s bad.”

The This Way Up star, who was about 6 when the first Home Alone movie came out, explains why the original movie was formative for her.

“I remember when I first saw it,” Bea recalled, “I sort of felt like, ‘Oh, this is a film for me like that. It’s from my point of view,’ which was a rarity to see something that felt like a sort of adult movie in a way or comedy that that was told from the child’s eyes.”

So, what would happen if the Wet Bandits broke into her home during the holidays?

“They’d be really disappointed,” she laughed, because her valuables consist of a collection of fridge magnets and modestly-priced jewelry. “Maybe they’d take my one of my 94 pillows and cushions that I have adorning every of every surface and a lot of Irish paraphernalia!”

Home Sweet Home Alone is streaming now on Disney+.

David Chang explores the future of lab grown protein in ‘The Next Thing You Eat’

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

With the practices of meatless Mondays and sustainable eating growing in popularity, it begs to question if the the way we consume food is evolving out of necessity. That is the premise of restauranteur David Chang‘s new show, The Next Thing You Eat.

Speaking with ABC Audio, Chang says the new series takes a hard look at the future of food and the challenges ahead.

“Everybody wants to eat more delicious things,” the chef acknowledged, but warned changes are needed to keep up with the rising demand. “By the year 2050, we’re not going to have enough protein to feed the world.”

Chang sees a potential solution in utilizing lab grown protein and tried synthetic salmon to see how it measured up to wild caught fish.

“It was really good,” he marveled and admitted “it melted my brain” to realize what he had on his plate was the product of sustainable science — not fishing.

“We have the ability to recreate [meat] in a way that does almost no damage and there’s no suffering,” the Eat a Peach author continued, but recognized that not everyone will be as willing to make the switch. “If it allows people to eat better fish more affordably, why would you be against that?”

Chang added that the technology can do far more than grow salmon and remarked, “We’re at that point where you can eat potentially anything.”

“The problem is, can it become cost effective?,” Chang added, leaving that questioned to be explored in his new show, The Next Thing You Eat, which is streaming now on Hulu.

Jamie Lee Curtis promises ‘Halloween Kills’ is not only scarier, but gorier than the last film

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

David Livingston/Getty Images for Fashion Media

If the real world isn’t scary enough, the new Halloween movie fans have been dying to see is out now.

After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its release by a year, Halloween Kills slashes its way into theaters today and star Jamie Lee Curtis promises fans it was well worth the wait.

The actress explains that the film is bigger, badder and even gorier than the previous installment.

“[Halloween] 2018 was about female trauma and violence against women and 2021’s movie is about a mob violence,” Curtis, 62, explained, saying the town of Haddonfield, IL, is finally fed up with Michael Meyers and is “taking matters into our own hands.”

“[It’s] a group of people — collateral damage — coming together, saying, ‘We are as mad as hell. We are not taking it anymore. The system is broken,'” she continued, adding that “the violence is next level.”

However, director and writer David Gordon Green hints taking down the legendary killer won’t be easy, but remained coy on how Meyers will be able to withstand the wrath of an entire town.

Does the slasher have powers or is he just an abnormally strong and violent man? Green said the film won’t answer that age-old question, but it will explore “the mystery [of] what makes him scary.”

In order to do that, he needed to expand the scope of “Laurie versus Michael” and include the thousands of voices of Haddonfield who have been a part of the Halloween saga since the beginning.

“I thought it would be fascinating to study a community, to an effect of fear that transcends the interpersonal and becomes the almost cosmic interpretation of fear,” Green explained.

Halloween Kills — also starring Judy Greer and Andi Matichak — is now playing in theaters.

Jamie Lee Curtis promises ‘Halloween Kills’ is not only scarier, but gorier than the last film

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

If the real world isn’t scary enough, the new Halloween movie fans have been dying to see is out now.

After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its release by a year, Halloween Kills slashes its way into theaters today and star Jamie Lee Curtis promises fans it was well worth the wait.

The actress explains that the film is bigger, badder and even gorier than the previous installment.

However, director and writer David Gordon Green hints taking down the legendary killer won’t be easy, but remained coy on how Meyers will be able to withstand the wrath of an entire town.

In order to do that, he needed to expand the scope of “Laurie versus Michael” and include the thousands of voices of Haddonfield who have been a part of the Halloween saga since the beginning.

“I thought it would be fascinating to study a community, to an effect of fear that transcends the interpersonal and becomes the almost cosmic interpretation of fear,” Green explained.

Halloween Kills — also starring Judy Greer and Andi Matichak — is now playing in theaters.

Gonzo, Miss Piggy and Yvette Nicole Brown want to help you face your fears in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

With Halloween fast approaching, Disney+ has a spooky new offering perfect for family fun night. The new mini-movie Muppets Haunted Mansion is out now and it combines the Muppets, Disneyland, and Halloween all into one.

Gonzo tells ABC Audio that the message of Muppets Haunted Mansion is not being afraid to face your fears.

“I think facing your fears is a way to sort of set yourself free in life. I want everybody to face their fears,” Gonzo remarked. “Why not just have some fun? You never know what can happen.”

The Muppet also provided a great mantra that anyone can recite when feeling a bit overwhelmed, which is “Don’t turn away. Don’t be afraid. Face them!”

Miss Piggy shared a few tips of her own, which all revolved around why you should carry a photo of her around at all times.

“If you get a little nervous, a little anxious, you’re scared… You have a picture of me! You can look at it and you can think, ‘Oh, I have Miss Piggy with me. She will help me through this!,'” the prima-donna declared.

Yvette Nicole Brown says facing her own fears of starring alongside such a famous crew led to her having the time of her life.

“It lived up to every expectation, and working with Pepe and Gonzo was every dream come true,” the actress raved. “Everyone that works at Muppet Studios is joyful, kind, professional — a little naughty in the best way. So when you’re on set, you literally are having the best experience!”

Added Gonzo, “We had a great time with you, too!”

Muppets Haunted Mansion is streaming now on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Jon Bernthal says ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is “its own thing” and not another episode of ‘The Sopranos’

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

It’s the weekend Sopranos fans have been desperately waiting for — the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark is out today.

Instead of picking up where The Sopranos ended nearly 15 years ago, the movie delves into the past and explores the life of a young Tony Soprano and the circumstances that led him to become the DiMeo crime family’s boss.

Jon Bernthal plays Tony Soprano’s father, known as Johnny Boy, in the film. He tells ABC Audio that fans of the original series shouldn’t treat the movie like two extra episodes of the award-winning HBO series.

“It’s absolutely its own thing. And I think that’s very smart. Those are shoes that are impossible to fill,” Bernthal explained, while keeping details about why that is to himself. “That’s something that exists on its own.”

There are whispers the movie does address what really happened to Tony Soprano in that controversial cut to black series ending, but don’t ask Bernthal to reveal what really happened to James Gandolfini‘s character.

“I think there’s a there’s a myriad of potential answers. And, yeah, I got no interest in answering it,” he teased.

And while The Many Saints of Newark will delight fans of the original series, Ray Liotta, who plays “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti in the film, says the movie will also entertain those who haven’t tuned into the series –and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t watched The Sopranos.

“You don’t have to have been a fan of the show or even watched the series in order to appreciate what goes on in this movie,” Liotta assured. “You don’t have to be a big Sopranos fan or know everything that happened in order to appreciate and like it.”

The Many Saints of Newark is now in theaters and on HBO Max.

Melissa Joan Hart reflects on ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ ahead of show’s 25th anniversary

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Megan Stone and Jason Nathanson

Sabrina the Teenage Witch turns 25 next Monday. Ahead of the milestone anniversary, star Melissa Joan Hart is looking back at what made the show such a success.

“It brings you to this escapism that the world is always looking for… And you’re looking for a happy ending,” said Hart, 45, tells ABC Audio. “Are you looking for this escapism of this girl who can do anything at the point of a finger? We all want that. We all dream of that.”

Hart said that desire of wanting to use magic to “solve my problems” and make life easier is what “people are always looking for” — even today.

Beyond the “fun” and “adventure” the lighthearted sitcom offered, Hart says Sabrina was also enhanced by its “great guest stars [and] fun music.”

“So it’s starting to be nostalgic. But, I think it also still does hold up in a way,” she remarked.

Hart also said Sabrina‘s finale is also what made the show so special. The fantasy sitcom ended with Sabrina and her high school sweetheart, Harvey Kinkle — played by Nate Richert, riding away on a motorcycle while No Doubt‘s “Running” plays in the background.

“I think it was such a perfect ending. It was so perfect,” Hart declared, adding that she thinks the two would still be together after everything they went through: “They ran off, they had kids [and] the kids have magic powers.”

Because the show ended on such a high note, Hart revealed, “I would never want to reboot it because it just ended so perfectly. How are you going to improve on that?”

Sabrina ran between 1996 to 2003 for seven seasons. It also spawned an animated spinoff, two TV movies, and the Netflix reboot Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which aired for two seasons.