Ride the Omnibus artwork

Ride the Omnibus

262 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratings

Each week, we discuss social justice through the lens of pop culture, taking you on a journey to places and times you never knew were connected. Give your ears a treat, and your eyes a new perspective. Warning: All discussions can contain spoilers for featured content.

TV & Film pop culture social justice educational culture and society marginalized voices
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Episodes

Unapologetic

December 01, 2021 05:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MB

Ariel sits down with Ashley O'Shay, director of the new documentary, Unapologetic, about two Black women advocating for justice in Chicago on behalf of countless Black victims of police violence. Support the show

Thanksgiving Special: Young Plato

November 25, 2021 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MB

This one goes out to all the teachers who deserve our thanks in the pandemic. Director Neasa Ni Chianáin discusses her new film about a school that is turning around the lives of at-risk kids through the use of philosophy. Young Plato is a film not about the questions that matter, but about why questions matter. Support the show

Climate Change: Tom Bowman

November 17, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

Ariel and Rabia discuss the current state of environmental policy around climate change with Tom Bowman, author of Empowering Climate Action. Support the show

Cryptozoo

November 11, 2021 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MB

Ariel sits down with director Dash Shaw to discuss his Sundance-winning adult animated fantasy of mythical creatures, Cryptozoo.  The film will be screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on Saturday, November 13th at 4pm, with a Q&A led by Ariel. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: Dreams on Fire

November 03, 2021 13:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MB

Ariel and Rabia sit down with director Philippe McKie to discuss his film Dreams on Fire, an exploration of one woman's journey through the Tokyo underground dance scene. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: Glasshouse

October 27, 2021 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MB

Ariel speaks with writer and director Kelsey Egan about her new film, Glasshouse, set in a dystopian matriarchal landscape, about memory, history, and culture. Support the show

Dune (2021) & Donald Mowat

October 20, 2021 14:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MB

Ariel speaks with Donald Mowat, the BAFTA-nominated hair and make-up designer behind films as varied as Skyfall, Cowboys & Aliens, and Blade Runner 2049. Now he tackles the world of Dune, and shares his insights into the process. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: Frank & Zed

October 13, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

Ariel and Rabia speak with Jesse Blanchard, director of Frank & Zed, a gory puppet horror masterpiece that premiered at Fantasia this year. Support the show

Frank & Zed

October 13, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

Ariel and Rabia speak with Jesse Blanchard, director of Frank & Zed, a gory puppet horror masterpiece that premiered at Fantasia this year. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)

Fantasia 2021: Indemnity

September 29, 2021 21:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

Ariel and Rabia have a wide-ranging conversation with South African filmmaker Travis Taute about his new thriller, Indemnity. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: When I Consume You

September 15, 2021 04:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

Ariel and Rabia discuss the relationship between trauma, fantasy, and the horror genre in this conversation with Perry Blackshear, director of When I Consume You. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: The Sadness

September 12, 2021 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

Ariel and Rabia sit down with Canadian director Rob Jabbaz to discuss his new award-winning and deliciously gory horror film, The Sadness. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: Yakuza Princess

September 08, 2021 23:00 - 11 minutes - 8 MB

Rabia catches up with MASUMI, the singer/songwriter and star of the action hit of Fantasia, Yakuza Princess. Support the show

Fantasia 2021: Kratt

August 25, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MB

Ariel and Rabia sit down with director Rasmus Merivoo to discuss the premiere of his new film Kratt, a horror comedy that's genuinely for the whole family.  Support the show

Fantasia 2021: King Knight

August 18, 2021 04:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MB

Ariel sits down with Richard Bates Jr. to discuss his new coven comedy, King Knight, newly premiered at Fantasia 2021.  Support the show

Rawn James: The Truman Court

August 11, 2021 12:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MB

Rawn James, the author of the new book The Truman Court: Law and the Limits of Loyalty, sits down with Rabia to discuss the Supreme Court's place in history and politics. Support the show

Violation

August 05, 2021 18:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MB

Ariel talks with filmmakers Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer about their film, Violation, now available on Shudder. The conversation dives directly into hard topics, including rape revenge, trauma, and artistic responsibility. Listeners may be triggered by this conversation's topics, including sexual violence and trauma. Support the show

Eisner Awards Special: Parable of the Sower

July 23, 2021 04:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MB

This weekend at San Diego Comic Con, the best and the brightest in the comic book industry will gather together for the Eisner Awards, a celebration of some of the most influential books of the year. Among the nominees are creators Damian Duffy and John Jennings, who came by to talk about the importance of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, the joys of adapting it, and what the Parables mean in this moment. Support the show

Hot Docs: Generation Utøya

July 21, 2021 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack on Utøya Island in Norway. Director Aslaug Holm speaks about her documentary, Generation Utøya, which follows the lives of four women who survived the attack. Support the show

IFFR 2021: Ayako Tachibana Wants To Go Viral

July 19, 2021 21:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MB

Rabia has a conversation with director Sato Amane about his latest film, which premiered at Rotterdam in June. And about the re-introduction of ‘Pink Eiga’ type films onto the Film Festival scene.  Support the show

IFFR 2021: OK Computer

July 17, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

Rabia sits down with directors Neil Pagedar and Pooja Shetty, to discuss OK Computer, their newly premiered Hindi sci-fi comedy set 10 years into the future. Support the show

IFFR 2021: Everything Is Cinema

July 15, 2021 03:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MB

Ariel and Rabia speak with Don Palathara about his new film that premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, Everything is Cinema, an important narrative filmed as if it were a documentary of a difficult relationship in the midst of the pandemic. Support the show

IFFR 2021: Don Palathara

July 15, 2021 03:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MB

Ariel and Rabia speak with Don Palathara about his new film that premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, Everything is Cinema, an important narrative filmed as if it were a documentary of a difficult relationship in the midst of the pandemic. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)

100th Episode: Harley Quinn

July 12, 2021 12:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MB

For our 100th episode, it's a celebration of the Ride the Omnibus family! Ariel and Rabia have a wide-ranging conversation about the many lives of Harley Quinn across comics, television and film, with special guests Billy and Danielle Dass, our amazing production team for the show! Support the show

Baltimore Museum of Art

July 09, 2021 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MB

Ariel sits down with Kwame Webb from the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore Museum of Art to discuss the vitality of the BMA as a cultural institution, and what changes it has gone through in the pandemic. They discuss what the BMA means to the community that surrounds it, and the recent bequest from John Waters. Support the show

The Bank Job

July 07, 2021 19:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MB

Ariel sits down with director Daniel Edelstyn to discuss his documentary, The Bank Job, a collaboration between himself and Hilary Powell to expose the trade of debt and other dark secrets of capitalism.  Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)

Hot Docs: The Bank Job

July 07, 2021 19:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MB

Ariel sits down with director Daniel Edelstyn to discuss his documentary, The Bank Job, a collaboration between himself and Hilary Powell to expose the trade of debt and other dark secrets of capitalism.  Support the show

Mental Health in Horror

June 14, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 46.3 MB

Ariel and Rabia sit down with filmmaker Adam Stovall, director of A Ghost Waits, to discuss the topic of mental health and horror.  Support the show

Bonus: Rabia Sitabi

June 10, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MB

Ariel has several important announcements to make in this episode, a conversation with the Cultured Curator, Rabia Sitabi. Please consider donating a dollar or sharing the following link on social media to spread the word about our new project, Our First Priority. ---> bit.ly/KS-OFP Support the show

Alexander Chard

June 08, 2021 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

Ariel speaks with writer and actor Alexander Chard about his process while performing and collaborating on the film The Blackout, currently available on Amazon Prime.  Support the show

Berlinale 2021: Jack's Ride

June 07, 2021 04:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MB

Ariel speaks with Susanna Nobre about her film Jack's Ride, about cab driver Joaquim as he navigates the retirement system in Portugal and reminisces on his life. It's a touching documentarian reflection on what it really means to respect one's elders. Support the show

Berlinale 2021: Jesus Egon Christ

June 06, 2021 09:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

Ariel sits down with David and Sasa Vajda to discuss their new film, Jesus Egon Christ, about the relationships between religion and addiction and mental health.   Support the show

Berlinale 2021: Kelti

June 02, 2021 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB

Ariel sits down with director Milica Tomovic to discuss her new ensemble drama Kelti, that premiered at the 2021 Berlinale.  Support the show

Berlinale 2021: The World After Us

May 31, 2021 04:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MB

Ariel sits down with director Louda Ben Salah to discuss his romantic charmer of a film, The World After Us, that premiered at the Berlinale this year. Support the show

Berlinale 2021: As I Want

May 18, 2021 03:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

Ariel speaks with director Samaher Alqadi about her film, As I Want, an exploration of the push for human rights - women's rights, and female identity under Egypt's increasingly repressive regime.  Support the show

Accessible Festivals

May 15, 2021 01:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MB

Ariel and Danielle discuss the myriad ways that film festivals and other events can do better by their audience, creating an intentional that accommodates the needs of disabled guests and filmmakers. Support the show

Berlinale 2021: A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces

May 12, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MB

Ariel speaks with Shengzhe Zhu about her film A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces, a landscape documentary of Wuhan, China in the early days of the 2020 pandemic. Support the show

Non Western

May 10, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MB

Laura Plancarte, documentary filmmaker, stops by to discuss her film Non Western, a chronicle of one couple's intercultural anxieties as they head to the altar. Support the show

SXSW 2021: The Wrap-Up

May 03, 2021 07:00 - 46 minutes - 31.6 MB

Ariel sits down with fellow journalist and critic Andrew Pope of Whitlock & Pope to discuss all things South by Southwest, from shorts to features, documentaries to animated films, genre to drama, and everything in between. Support the show

Oscar Special: Sound of Sound of Metal

April 28, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MB

Ariel sits down with Oscar winner Phillip Bladh to discuss the sound achievements of one of the year’s finest films, Sound of Metal. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Love Is Just a Death Away

April 19, 2021 18:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MB

Ariel talks with stop-motion animator Bara Anna Stejskalova about her deliciously macabre tale of love and decay, Love is Just a Death Away. Support the show

SXSW 2021: The Feast

April 16, 2021 04:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MB

Ariel talks with Lee Haven Jones and Roger Williams, creators of The Feast, a new Welsh-language horror film that had its premiere at SXSW 2021. It's a story rooted in lore and legend, with a deeply embedded message about what we owe to the land from which we come. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Not Going Quietly

April 14, 2021 04:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MB

Nicholas Bruckman and Amanda Roddy stop by to talk about their film, Not Going Quietly, centered on the life of Ady Barkan, a prominent disability advocate working for healthcare reform across America. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Off Season

April 12, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MB

Ariel sits down with Mickey Keating, director of Off Season, which saw its premiere at SXSW this year. The film is a  Lovecraftian take on a Florida beach town that shuts down for the season, and the conversation ranges from everything from cult film to Ingmar Bergman to parental relationships. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break

April 05, 2021 12:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MB

Ariel sits down with director Nick Gillespie to discuss his new horror-comedy Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break, a hilarious and gory film that also serves as a commentary on accessibility, internet celebrity, and what it means to be an outsider. Support the show

SXSW 2021: 4 Feet High

April 02, 2021 17:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MB

Ariel sits down with the creators, writers, and directors of 4 Feet High, Maria Belen Poncio, Rosario Perazolo Masjoan. The story of Juana, a wheelchair-using senior in highschool, who explores her sexuality and protests for her right to a better education. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Witch Hunt

March 31, 2021 13:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MB

Ariel sits down with director Elle Callahan to discuss the premiere of her new film, Witch Hunt, that imagines a world where witchcraft is controlled by the federal government. The film and the conversation focus on the messaging of misogyny and the treatment of marginalized groups in this supernatural horror film. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Spring Valley

March 26, 2021 15:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MB

Ariel sits down with documentary filmmaker Garrett Zevgetis and healer-activist Vivian Anderson, founder of Every Black Girl, to discuss the premiere of Spring Valley at SXSW.  The film is an exploration of the full context of one viral video, demonstrating the way that one small clip can generate a flurry of media activity without any acknowledgement of the larger patchwork of history and trauma behind it. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Potato Dreams of America

March 24, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

Ariel and director Wes Hurley sit down to discuss his new autobiographical film, Potato Dreams of America, a film that recreates the harsh realities of life in post-USSR Russia, and the way the immigrant narrative plays out in American schools, with teachers who value diversity over individuality. A conversation and a film about the exploration and the claiming of identity as your own. Support the show

SXSW 2021: Soak

March 22, 2021 04:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MB

This timely film set in Korea explores a young woman’s identity and sense of self within her family relationships. Korean-American director Hannah Bang comes by to talk about the female gaze, justifiable anxieties, and the claustrophobia within familial relationships. Support the show