River Cities Reader Podcast

Hosted by River Cities Reader Podcast

Business Marketing News Politics ArtsInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Live to tape interviews with Reader team members as guests on other broadcast, radio and podcast shows. Alive & Free Since 1993. The Quad Cities’ Independent Newspaper. Know More. Do More.

Listen to episodes

10 recent

September 4, 202619 min

September 3, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Coyote vs Acme,” “It Ends,” “Buddy,” “The Dog Stars,” and “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and the latest of Mark Wahlberg’s crimes against humanity. Under review: Coyote vs Acme (dir Dave Green, starr Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P J Byrne, Kenneth Choi, and John Cena; voice Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Jim Cummings). It Ends (dir Alexander Ullom, starr Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, and Mitchell Cole). Buddy (dir Casper Kelly, starr Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, Topher Grace, and Keegan-Michael Key). The Dog Stars (dir Ridley Scott, starr Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce). T eenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (dir Jane Schoenbrun, starr Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jess McLeod, Aren Buchholz, Florence Barrett, Ryan McEwen, Louise Weard, and Patrick Fischler). Under consideration for forthcoming review: Onslaught (dir Adam Wingard, starr Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall). Fall 2: Deadpoint (dirs Peter and Michael Spierig, starr Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, and Grace Caroline Currey). By Any Means (dir Elegance Bratton, starr Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry, David Strathairn, and Giancarlo Esposito). “Coyote vs Acme,” “It Ends,” “Buddy,” “The Dog Stars,” and “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”

August 27, 202621 min

August 27, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Insidious: Out of the Further,” “Tony,” “The Magic Faraway Tree,” “Mutiny,” and “Spa Weekend”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and the unmissability of Buddy . Reviewed: Insidious: Out of the Further (dir Jacob Chase, starr Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Lin Shaye). Tony (dir Matt Johnson, starr Dominic Sessa as Bourdain, Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas). The Magic Faraway Tree (dir Ben Gregor, starr Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, Jennifer Saunders, and Rebecca Ferguson). Mutiny (dir Jean-François Richet, starr Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis, Adrian Lester, Jason Wong, Roland Møller, Arnas Fedaravicius, Adrian Lester, and Ramon Tikaram). Spa Weekend (dirs Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, starr Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau). Forthcoming: Coyote vs Acme (dir Dave Green, starr Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P J Byrne, Kenneth Choi, and John Cena; voice Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Jim Cummings). The Dog Stars (dir Ridley Scott, starr Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce). Finding Emily (dir Alicia MacDonald, starr Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn, Minnie Driver, Sadie Soverall, Cora Kirk, Jack Riddiford, Isabella Laughland, Yali Topol Margalith, Kat Ronney, Phil Wang, Timothy Innes, Nadia Parkes, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Amber Grappy, Anthony J Abraham, Scarlett-Mai Grant, Faye Campbell, Tash Major, Carl Blakeley, Julia Rogers, Trudy Akobeng, Fiona Allen, Toby Rothwell, Dalu Thebe, Emily Ash, Nathan Foad, Hannah Greensmith, and Harry Trevaldwyn). It Ends (dir Alexander Ullom, starr Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, and Mitchell Cole). Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (dir Jane Schoenbrun, starr Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jess McLeod, Aren Buchholz, Florence Barrett, Ryan McEwen, Louise Weard, and Patrick Fischler). Idiots (dir Macon Blair, starr Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, and Peter Dinklage). Legend of the White Dragon (dirs Sean and Aaron Schoenke, starr Jason David Frank, Jason Faunt, Cerina Vincent, Ciara Hanna, Aaron Schoenke, David Ramsey, Rachele Brooke Smith, Andrew Bachelor, Michael Madsen, and Mark Dacascos). Colony (dir Yeon Sang-ho, starr Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, and Go Soo). Buddy (dir Casper Kelly, starr Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, Topher Grace, and Keegan-Michael Key). “Insidious: Out of the Further,” “Tony,” “The Magic Faraway Tree,” “Mutiny,” and “Spa Weekend”

August 21, 202620 min

August 20, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “The End of Oak Street,” “The Brink of War,” “Nimrods,” and “The Last House”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and the ungodly plethora of previews. In theatres now: The End of Oak Street (dir David Robert Mitchell, starr Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery). The Brink of War (dir Michael Russell Gunn, starr Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, J K Simmons, Hope Davis, Branka Katić, Aya Cash, Guy Burnet, John Ross Bowie, Adrian Rawlins, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson). Nimrods (dir Lee Kirk, starr Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, Ryan Foust, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Fred Armisen, Bobby Lee, Jolene Keen Ruffalo, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Sean Gunn, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, and Mckenna Grace). The Last House (dir Louis Leterrier, starr Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Riley Chung, Emma Ho, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Gabriel Chung, Audrey Anderson, Ali Asghar Shah, Sid Edwards, and Eveline Reynolds-Boison). Forthcoming: Insidious: Out of the Further (dir Jacob Chase, starr Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Lin Shaye). Mutiny (dir Jean-François Richet, starr Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis, Adrian Lester, Jason Wong, Roland Møller, Arnas Fedaravicius, Adrian Lester, and Ramon Tikaram). Tony (dir Matt Johnson, starr Dominic Sessa as Bourdain, Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas). The Magic Faraway Tree (dir Ben Gregor, starr Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, Jennifer Saunders, and Rebecca Ferguson). Spa Weekend (dirs Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, starr Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau). It Ends (starr Alexander Ullom, starr Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, Mitchell Cole, Jon Linstad, Jenny Doyle, and Ian Weir). Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (dir Jane Schoenbrun, starr Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, and Patrick Fischler). “The End of Oak Street,” “The Brink of War,” “Nimrods,” and “The Last House”

August 13, 202617 min

August 13, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “One Night Only,” “I Want Your Sex,” and “Ice Cream Man”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and the odd bluegrass musician. Under review: One Night Only (dir Will Gluck, starr Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Okieriete Onaodowan, Este Haim, Ziwe, King Princess, Ben Marshall, Nicholas Braun, Quintessa Swindell, Michelle Hurd, Charlie Gillespie, Kam Patterson, Pete Davidson, Bobby Canavale, and Jay Ellis). I Want Your Sex (dir Gregg Araki, starr Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, Charli XCX, and Daveed Diggs). Ice Cream Man (dir Eli Roth, starr Ari Millen, Charlie Zeltzer, Shiloh O’Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman, Sarah Abbott, and Benjamin Byron Davis). Coming attractions: Nimrods (dir Lee Kirk, starr Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, Ryan Foust, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Fred Armisen, Bobby Lee, Jolene Keen Ruffalo, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Sean Gunn, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, and Mckenna Grace). The End of Oak Street (dir David Robert Mitchell, starr Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery). The animated adventure comedy Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (dir Cal Brunker, voice Carter Young, Mckenna Grace, Terry Crews, Jennifer Hudson, Fortune Feimster, Jameela Jamil, Bill Nye, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and Henry Bolan). The filmed stage musical SIX The Musical Live! The Brink of War (dir Michael Russell Gunn, starr Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, J K Simmons, Hope Davis, Branka Katić, Aya Cash, Guy Burnet, John Ross Bowie, Adrian Rawlins, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson). The Rivals of Amziah King (dir Andrew Patterson, starr Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, and Kurt Russell). “One Night Only,” “I Want Your Sex,” and “Ice Cream Man”

August 7, 202613 min

August 6, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film, which this week entails Spider-Man: Brand New Day . But not to worry: The previews promise us films other than Spider-Man: Brand New Day ! Speaking of: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (dir Destin Daniel Cretton, starr Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, and Mark Ruffalo). The previews: One Night Only (dir Will Gluck, starr Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Okieriete Onaodowan, Este Haim, Ziwe, King Princess, Ben Marshall, Nicholas Braun, Quintessa Swindell, Michelle Hurd, Charlie Gillespie, Kam Patterson, Pete Davidson, Bobby Canavale, and Jay Ellis). I Want Your Sex (dir Gregg Araki, starr Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, Charli XCX, and Daveed Diggs). Maddie’s Secret (dir John Early, starr Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer, and Chris Bauer). Ice Cream Man (dir Eli Roth, starr Ari Millen, Charlie Zeltzer, Shiloh O’Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman, Sarah Abbott, and Benjamin Byron Davis). Super Troopers 3 (dir Jay Chandrasekhar, starr Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske). “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”

July 31, 202612 min

July 30, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Motor City,” “Hadestown: The Musical,” and “Her Private Hell”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and advise Spider-Haters against going out this weekend. What’s in theatre: Hadestown: The Musical (dir Brett Sullivan, starr Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page, Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel). Motor City (dir Potsy Ponciroli, starr Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, and Shailene Woodley). Her Private Hell (dir Nicolas Winding Refn, starr Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, and Hidetoshi Nishijima). What’s coming: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (dir Destin Daniel Cretton, starr Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, and Mark Ruffalo). “Motor City,” “Hadestown: The Musical,” and “Her Private Hell”

July 23, 202614 min

July 23, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “The Odyssey”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk film and there’s only one film, really, to discuss. The rest is preview. That film: The Odyssey (dir Christopher Nolan, starr Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Bernthal, Zendaya, Eliot Page, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Bennie Safdie, and Charlize Theron). The others: Hadestown: The Musical (dir Brett Sullivan, starr Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page, Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel). Motor City (dir Potsy Ponciroli, starr Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, and Shailene Woodley). Her Private Hell (dir Nicolas Winding Refn, starr Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, and Hidetoshi Nishijima). And the trailers: I Play Rocky (dir Peter Farrelly, starr Anthony Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell, P J Byrne, Stephan James, Jay Duplass, Robert Morgan, Tracy Letts, and Matt Dillon). Avengers: Doomsday (dir Anthony and Joe Russo, starr Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Mabel Cadena, and Tenoch Huerta Mejía). Other Mommy (dir Rob Savage, starr Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Arabella Olivia Clark, Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, and Karen Allen). “The Odyssey”

July 17, 202615 min

July 16, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “The Invite,” “Evil Dead Burn,” “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass,” and “Moana”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk cinema, particularly that of Christopher Nolan. Everything in theater under discussion: The Invite (dir Olivia Wilde, starr Seth Rogen, Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton). Evil Dead Burn (dir Sébastien Vaniček, starr Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey). Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (dir David Wain, starr Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Sabrina Impacciatore, Ben Wang, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Joe Lo Truglio, Mather Zickel, Ken Marino, Tobie Windham, Fred Melamed, Michael Cassidy, Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Richard Kind, Thomas Lennon, Toby Huss, Kevin Allison, Beth Dover, Zac Oyama, Wain, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Winkler, Elizabeth Banks, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Paul Rudd, Penn Jillette, Elizabeth Perkins, and Robert Herjavec). Moana (dir Thomas Kail, starr Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and the voice of Jemaine Clement). Everything forthcoming: The Odyssey (dir Christopher Nolan, starr Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Bernthal, Zendaya, Eliot Page, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Bennie Safdie, and Charlize Theron). “The Invite,” “Evil Dead Burn,” “Gail Daughtry & the Celebrity Sex Pass,” and “Moana”

July 9, 202620 min

July 9, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Minions & Monsters” and “Young Washington”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk movies and disagree vehemently over Minions & Monsters — well, not vehemently , but they hold their own opinions, and if they were compelled to defend them with pistols at dawn, they’ll feel somewhat aggrieved that one of them had to take a bullet. Under Discussion and in Theatres: Young Washington (dir Jon Erwin, starr William Franklyn-Miller, Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley). The animated comedy Minions & Monsters (dir Pierre Coffin, voice Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr). Forthcoming: Moana (dir Thomas Kail, starr Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and the voice of Jemaine Clement). Evil Dead Burn (dir Sébastien Vaniček, starr Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey). The Invite (dir Olivia Wilde, starr Seth Rogen, Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton). Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (dir David Wain, starr Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Sabrina Impacciatore, Ben Wang, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Joe Lo Truglio, Mather Zickel, Ken Marino, Tobie Windham, Fred Melamed, Michael Cassidy, Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Richard Kind, Thomas Lennon, Toby Huss, Kevin Allison, Beth Dover, Zac Oyama, Wain, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Winkler, Elizabeth Banks, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Paul Rudd, Penn Jillette, Elizabeth Perkins, and Robert Herjavec). “Minions & Monsters” and “Young Washington”

July 6, 202613 min

July 3, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Supergirl” and “Jackass: Best & Last”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz talk movies and observing 4 July in the only manner patriots can truly appreciate: Watching Jaws on the Last Picture House rooftop. The here and now: Supergirl (dir Craig Gillespie, starr Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, and Jason Momoa). Jackass: Best & Last (dir Jeff Tremaine, starr Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Danger Ehren, Poopies, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, and Rachel Wolfson). The here and later: Young Washington (dir Jon Erwin, starr William Franklyn-Miller, Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley). An extended-footage version of Backrooms (dir Kane Parsons, starr Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell). The animated comedy Minions & Monsters (dir Pierre Coffin, voice Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr). “Supergirl” and “Jackass: Best & Last”