Ride the Omnibus
262 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsEach 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.
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Episodes
Sunday Scares: Sound of Violence
March 22, 2021 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBAriel sits down with Director Alex Noyer to discuss his new film, Sound of Violence, that just premiered at SXSW. They discuss disability representation, and the ultimately destructive nature of creativity. Support the show
SXSW 2021: See You Then
March 19, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBAriel sits down with director Mari Walker and actresses Pooya Mohseni and Lynn Chen to discuss their film, See You Then, a drama about a pair of women catching up over drinks. The film is real, and raw, as an exploration of what it means to affirm your gender, and what it truly means to be a woman. Support the show
SXSW 2021: The Return - Life After ISIS
March 17, 2021 04:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBIn this episode, Ariel sits down with Alba Sotorra Clua to discuss her powerful documentary, The Return: Life After ISIS. Revenge, justice, and forgiveness are the topics of the day, as the formerly enslaved women of ISIS apply to return home countries, and the world considers their fate, and that of their children. Support the show
SXSW 2021: Luchadoras
March 15, 2021 07:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBAriel sits down with Paola Calvo and Patrick Jasim to discuss their film, Luchadoras, premiering at SXSW this week. Their film focuses on female fighters in Ciudad Juarez, the women who fight in the lucha libre arena. They discuss the empowering image of the luchadora as a masked superhero in the ring in a place where violence against women and femicide is a very real threat. Support the show
Sunday Scares: Stuffed
March 14, 2021 21:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBThe beginning of a new series, celebrating creepy content on Sunday nights. Join us for these interviews that are co-productions of Ride the Omnibus and Ghouls Magazine. In this inaugural episode, Ariel talks with Theo Rhys and Joss Holden-Rhea about their new horror musical, premiering at SXSW this week. The film centers on a taxidermist looking for a human specimen, and the man, afraid enough of aging to volunteer. The film will be available to stream online beginning on March 25th. Su...
Berlinale 2021: Bloodsuckers
March 12, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBDirector Julian Radlmeier stops by to discuss Bloodsuckers, his comedic take on Marx's Das Kapital, but filtered through Soviet cinema and set in the 1920's with vampires. It's a unique kind of film that directly confronts the evils of capitalism, the trappings of class, and the propaganda that sustains it all. Support the show
Berlinale 2021: Kapita
March 10, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBDirector Petna Ndaliko Katondolo and producer Cherie Ndaliko stop by to talk about their film Kapita, an exploration of colonial forces at work in the world, not just in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This wonderful conversation talks about what has been made invisible by boundaries, names, and images. They discuss their restorative process as they make visible what is hidden in plain sight. Through film work, indigenous farming practices, and teaching, they work to help people tell their...
Berlinale: Kapita
March 10, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBDirector Petna Ndaliko Katondolo and producer Cherie Ndaliko stop by to talk about their experimental short film Kapita, an exploration of colonial forces at work in the world, not just in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This wonderful conversation talks about what has been made invisible by boundaries, names, and images. They discuss their restorative process as they make visible what is hidden in plain sight. Through film work, indigenous farming practices, and teaching, they work to hel...
Berlinale: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
March 08, 2021 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBDirector Ryusuke Hamaguchi stops by to discuss his Silver Bear-winning film, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, in another bilingual conversation, this time in Japanese. He discusses the power dynamics within relationships, his preference for female characters as protagonists, and the way moving vehicles drive people closer to the truth. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)
Berlinale 2021: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
March 08, 2021 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBDirector Ryusuke Hamaguchi stops by to discuss his Silver Bear-winning film, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, in another bilingual conversation, this time in Japanese. He discusses the power dynamics within relationships, his preference for female characters as protagonists, and the way moving vehicles drive people closer to the truth. Support the show
Creators: TEOATL (2021)
March 05, 2021 03:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBWorld Languages Month continues with another bilingual episode, this time in Spanish. Writer Kevin Garcia and artist Emmanuel Valtierra stop by to discuss their graphic novel, TEOATL, a pre-colonial Aztec adventure, now available for digital download through Kickstarter. They discuss why the world needs indigenous storytelling that isn't told through the lens of the Spanish conquistadors, and the importance of Aztec heroes, gods and history in helping people to understand their own heritage...
Berlinale: Last Days at Sea
March 03, 2021 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBAriel sits down with Venice Atienza to discuss her film Last Days at Sea, a documentary portrait of Reyboy, a young boy living in the beautiful village of Kerihatag in the Philippines. She discusses her decision to step out from behind the camera to engage in a more collaborative and open process as a filmmaker, and to engage personally with her subject. She talks about her desire to show how climate change and pollution affect the daily routines of the villagers, and articulates the immea...
Berlinale 2021: Last Days at Sea
March 03, 2021 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBAriel sits down with Venice Atienza to discuss her film Last Days at Sea, a documentary portrait of Reyboy, a young boy living in the beautiful village of Kerihatag in the Philippines. She discusses her decision to step out from behind the camera to engage in a more collaborative and open process as a filmmaker, and to engage personally with her subject. She talks about her desire to show how climate change and pollution affect the daily routines of the villagers, and articulates the immea...
TRANS
March 01, 2021 03:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBAriel reports from Nevermore Film Festival, this time with Korean director Naeri Do in a bilingual episode with simultaneous translation from SaeHee Chun. This conversation, much like the film, is one wild ride. Hear more about why humans shouldn't be considered the center of everything as we discuss the complexities of crossing boundaries in time, space, disability, and gender. From trans-humanism to cyber-feminism, this is a whole new kind of science fiction. Connect with the world of TRA...
An Ideal Host
February 26, 2021 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBAriel continues reporting from Nevermore Film Festival in North Carolina with this conversation with Robert Woods, about his directorial debut, An Ideal Host. They discuss his rather unique approach to writing a movie, why an alien invasion is the perfect metaphor for modern life, and his personal approach to inclusive film-making. Support the show
A Ghost Waits
February 24, 2021 09:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBAnother day, another festival! Coming from Nevermore Film Festival in North Carolina, Ariel talks with director Adam Stovall about his new horror comedy A Ghost Waits, now available on the new Arrow streaming service. The conversation starts in technique, veers into capitalism and gets real about how this comedy deals with ideas of depression and suicide. Support the show
IFFR 2021: Bebia, à mon seul désir
February 22, 2021 05:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBAriel sits down with Juja Dobrachkous to talk about her new film, Bebia, á mon seul désir, an evocative and haunting story of a young girl’s rite of passage after the death of her grandmother. They talk everything from Greek mythology, to the intricate textures portrayed in the film, to the secret sense that is key to her artistic vision. Support the show
Promising Young Woman
February 21, 2021 04:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBAriel and Rob have a chat about one of the major awards contenders this year, Emerald Fennell's enormous hit, Promising Young Woman. They explicitly discuss the critical reception of the film, the realities of rape culture in the modern world, and gender politics as discussed in the film and in the media narrative around it. #notallmen or #yesallmen? Support the show
IFFR 2021: King Car
February 19, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBBrazilian director Renata Pinheiro and her co-writer and producer Sergio Oliveira discuss their new film King Car, about a transhumanist future where man and machine can become one, where the relationship between cars and humans becomes entirely symbiotic. They discuss how their film emerged from discussion of a real law that was passed in Brazil, and how the script evolved to respond to fascism, to embody romantic ideals, and create a picture of a future that is, in many ways, already here....
IFFR 2021: Gritt
February 17, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBWe continue our coverage from Rotterdam with this conversation with Itonje Søimer Guttormsen, director of Gritt, a film about a performance artist in pursuit of a dream. The film is an intense psychological portrait, but also an exploration of the reality of the artist, situated in the thin lines between status and livelihood, altruism and manipulation, brilliance and self-delusion. Support the show
IFFR 2021: Beginning (SSFF Winner)
February 15, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBMore from the International Film Festival of Rotterdam! Director Dea Kulumbegashvili discusses her new multi-award-winning film, Beginning, available on the streaming service MUBI, who have picked up the film for distribution. She talks technique, from creating the intuitive timing and specific sonic landscapes of the film, as well as maintaining the camera's emotional connection to her characters' inner lives. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)
IFFR 2021: Beginning
February 15, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBMore from the International Film Festival of Rotterdam! Director Dea Kulumbegashvili discusses her new multi-award-winning film, Beginning, available on the streaming service MUBI, who have picked up the film for distribution. She talks technique, from creating the intuitive timing and specific sonic landscapes of the film, as well as maintaining the camera's emotional connection to her characters' inner lives. Support the show
Love of Letters: Aditya Bidikar
February 15, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 45 MBA Valentine for you! This extended conversation with noted comic book letterer Aditya Bidikar was conducted as an interview for the website Comics Bookcase. The conversation covers much about his philosophy on the work of lettering and ways of collaborating, but this extended conversation covers everything from how humans create meaning, to connection in the pandemic, to a love of literature and languages. Support the show
Sundance 2021: A Review
February 12, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 42.3 MBFour intrepid film friends, Ariel, Katelyn, Chris, and Lisa talk about their takeaways from the 2021 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. They discuss their favorite discoveries, moments of brilliance, moments of weird, and evaluate the first ever virtual version of the Park City spectacle. Support the show
Sundance 2021: The Wrap-Up
February 12, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 42.3 MBFour intrepid film friends, Ariel, Katelyn, Chris, and Lisa talk about their takeaways from the 2021 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. They discuss their favorite discoveries, moments of brilliance, moments of weird, and evaluate the first ever virtual version of the Park City spectacle. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)
IFFR 2021: Manifesto
February 08, 2021 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBMore from the International Film Festival of Rotterdam! Ane Hjørt Guttu stops by to discuss her remarkable prize-winning documentary film, Manifesto, that reveals how the strings of bureaucracy have damaged one art school in Oslo. The film depicts the double life professors must live under the watchful eye of monitors and security guards, and the problems of a demoralized body of students and staff. Support the show
IFFR 2021: Manifesto (KNF Prize)
February 08, 2021 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBMore from the International Film Festival of Rotterdam! Ane Hjørt Guttu stops by to discuss her remarkable prize-winning documentary film, Manifesto, that reveals how the strings of bureaucracy have damaged one art school in Oslo. The film depicts the double life professors must live under the watchful eye of monitors and security guards, and the problems of a demoralized body of students and staff. Support the show
IFFR 2021: Landscapes of Resistance
February 08, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBAriel sits down with Serbian director, Marta Popivoda, to talk about her documentary Landscapes of Resistance, which just had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The film has two storytellers - Sonja Vujanovic, and the spaces she has inhabited. Sonja fought against fascism with the partisan movement in Yugoslavia, and battled her way to survival through many landscapes, including Auschwitz. Popivoda talks about how she made this beautiful historical record of ...
Sammy Gensaw of Screen and Stream
February 03, 2021 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBSammy Gensaw, director of the Ancestral Guard, joins the show to discuss the recent documentaries that he has been a part of, Gather (2020) and Guardians of the River (2021). Both films highlight the work that he has been doing to advocate for indigenous communities, in the Klamath River Basin and around the world. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/omnibusride)
Indigenous Educators: Sammy Gensaw
February 03, 2021 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBSammy Gensaw joins the show to discuss the recent documentaries that he has been a part of, Gather (2020) and Guardians of the River (2021). He talks about his identity, from his Yurok ancestry to his feeling of kinship with indigenous communities around the world, but most importantly, his identity as an American. Support the show
Documented Lives: Sammy Gensaw
February 03, 2021 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBSammy Gensaw joins the show to discuss the recent documentaries that he has been a part of, Gather (2020) and Guardians of the River (2021). He talks about his identity, from his Yurok ancestry to his feeling of kinship with indigenous communities around the world, but most importantly, his identity as an American. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)
Sammy Gensaw of Gather (2020)
February 03, 2021 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBSammy Gensaw, director of the Ancestral Guard, joins the show to discuss the recent documentaries that he has been a part of, Gather (2020) and Guardians of the River (2021). Both films highlight the work that he has been doing to advocate for indigenous communities, in the Klamath River Basin and around the world. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/omnibusride)
January's Ups and Downs
February 01, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBMonica and Andrea join in a conversation about the emotional roller coaster Americans have lived through this January, and what the competing narratives communicate to us, through the media and pop culture, about the Capitol attack and the Inauguration. What is an America, anyway? Support the show
AntiChrist (2009)
January 27, 2021 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBLondon-based film critic Zoë Rose Smith sits down to discuss controversial filmmaker Lars von Trier's highly controversial film, AntiChrist. The conversation evaluates the aesthetics of the film and performances, the role of misogyny in the film and its reception, the graphic body horror, but most importantly, the lengths we go to in grief to feel something. Support the show
My Sisters (2020)
January 25, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 46.9 MBThe multi-talented creators Weshoyot Alvitre (author and illustrator) and Chag Lowry (author and documentarian) discuss their newly published comic book, My Sisters, about the significance of indigenous basket-weaving traditions in California. They share their reflections on the comic book industry and how they share their own native identities in their work. Link to purchase My Sisters and access free curriculum materials: https://bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov/pathmakers/chaglowry/ Support...
Creators: My Sisters (2020)
January 25, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 46.9 MBThe multi-talented creators Weshoyot Alvitre (author and illustrator) and Chag Lowry (author and documentarian) discuss their newly published comic book, My Sisters, about the significance of indigenous basket-weaving traditions in California. They share their reflections on the comic book industry and how they share their own native identities in their work. Link to purchase My Sisters and access free curriculum materials: https://bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov/pathmakers/chaglowry/ Support ...
Alex Trebek & Jeopardy!
January 19, 2021 02:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBOn November 8th, 2020, we lost beloved TV personality and game show host, Alex Trebek, who hosted 37 seasons of Jeopardy! My guest Emily, a former champion from Jeopardy! shares her fond memories of her time on the show, and what the show and Alex Trebek have meant to her long-term. Support the show
Best Films of 2020: The Movies that Moved Us
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBAriel reunites with a group of film friends - Zoya Fansler, Barbara Sadhana and Andy Gyurisin, the creative manager and film programmer at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester who crafts communities dedicated to film. Together they discuss how their viewing habits have changed in 2020, and the films that defined 2020 for them. All films discussed on the podcast can be found in this list on the podcast Letterboxd account: https://boxd.it/aQKMK Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/omnib...
Best Films of 2020: The Contenders
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBAriel reunites with a group of film friends - Zoya Fansler, Barbara Sadhana and Andy Gyurisin, the creative manager and film programmer at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester who crafts communities dedicated to film. Together they discuss how their viewing habits have changed in 2020, and the films that defined 2020 for them. All films discussed on the podcast can be found in this list on the podcast Letterboxd account: https://boxd.it/aQKMK Support the show
The Social Dilemma and This Moment
January 11, 2021 05:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MBAriel reflects on the nature of alternate realities and narratives promoted to justify political violence across American history. She discusses what the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma has to tell us about this particular moment in our country's history, and how we got here. Included is a re-broadcast of the interview conducted in October 2020 with Jeff Orlowski, the director of The Social Dilemma, and Larissa Rhodes, producer. Support the show
New Year's Special: QI Tribute
January 01, 2021 05:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBTo ring in 2021 right, Kieran hosts a rousing game (and loving tribute to) QI. Also known as Quite Interesting, this British panel show tests the knowledge of guests on esoterica, with a dose of silliness thrown in for good measure. Join the party as Ariel, Megan, Dan, and Ellen prove their ignorance once and for all with some punny, trivial, goofy fun. Support the show (https://lovethepodcast.com/omnibusride)
QI Tribute: New Year’s Special
January 01, 2021 05:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBTo ring in 2021 right, Kieran hosts a rousing game (and loving tribute to) QI. Also known as Quite Interesting, this British panel show tests the knowledge of guests on esoterica, with a dose of silliness thrown in for good measure. Join the party as Ariel, Megan, Dan, and Ellen prove their ignorance once and for all with some punny, trivial, goofy fun. Support the show
Best Comics of 2020: A Full-Color Finale
December 28, 2020 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBAs we say farewell to 2020, Ariel sits down with three fellow members of the Comics Bookcase crew, Zack Q, Harry, & Jacob. Together they evaluate the best graphic novels and comics of the many they read and reviewed this year. ComicsBookcase.com is a website that features analysis, reviews, creator interviews and in-depth discussion of any and every aspect of the comic creation process. You can find the list of recommended reading from the full staff of Comics Bookcase here: https://www.com...
Best Anti-Racist Reads: Black Lives Matter
December 23, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBIn this episode, Monica Belton, a social worker specializing in racial trauma and healing, and Andrea Weiskopf, a teacher researching modern textbook treatments of the concept of slavery, join us to discuss the words that moved us most toward action in our anti-racist efforts this year. As a multi-racial group of educators, we talk about our approaches to the difficult conversations of this year, and what books we would recommend for different legs of the anti-racist journey. This episode...
Best Reads of 2020: Burning for Books
December 14, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBAriel is joined by Joyce, Linda, and Clyde, three avid readers, to discuss the books that carried them through this difficult year. Which books surprised them the most? Which books prompted the best or most difficult conversations? Listen and share in their passion for the written word. This episode was edited by William Dass Support the show
Best Games of 2020: Saving Throws
December 09, 2020 05:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBAriel sits down with Ron and Andrew to discuss the games that have gotten us through this strange year in the life of our world. From RPGs to interactive family games, we've got recommendations that come from our own desert islands, adrift in the ocean of 2020. This episode was edited by William Dass. Support the show
Noirvember: Richard Stark's Parker
November 30, 2020 09:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBAriel talks to Lisa and Brad Gullickson of the Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast about Darwyn Cooke's graphic novel adaptations of the Parker novels by Donald Westlake writing under the pseudonym Richard Stark. Support the show
Noirvember: Panic in the Streets (1950)
November 24, 2020 04:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBAriel and Kieran discuss the film from 1950 that should really be titled, 2020: The Movie. A generally overlooked noir in its time, Panic in the Streets stars Richard Widmark, Jack Palance, Zero Mostel, and Barbara Bel Geddes. With connections from the Ottoman-Turk Empire, to the Hollywood Blacklist, to the pandemic, we're taking you everywhere Philip Marlowe would never dare to tread. Support the show
Eating Animals (2017)
November 18, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 45.4 MBAriel talks with Los Angeles-based professional chef and independent farm enthusiast, Katy Watson, about Jonathan Safran Foer's book, Eating Animals, and the documentary of the same name from 2017, directed by Christopher Quinn. How much does the treatment of animals affect your health? How far, exactly, do you need to go to make sure that your food doesn't come with a secret price tag in hospital bills? And what does all this have to do with the factory farming industrial complex and the U...
Noirvember: Possessor (2020)
November 16, 2020 06:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBAriel and UK-based film critic Zoë Rose Smith discuss all things Possessor (2020), the newly released horror film from Brandon Cronenberg, starring Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott. The conversation about this technonoir ranges from commentary on social media personas to data mining to drone pilots to body dysmorphia to that sneaking suspicion that you're really the only human in a world of automatons. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/omnibusride)