Ed Burns Watches: Tender Mercies (Audio Commentary)

The Season Two Premiere (dropping 8/26) of What Are We Talking About? delivers something the Internet has asked for incessantly. Namely: bringing two iconic film actors (Keith David and David Keith) together for the first time ever. Ben, Mitch and Paul dig deep into their iconic films like An Officer and a Gentleman, They Live, The Thing and hear behind the scenes stories from their long list of credits. Plus: what movie concept will it take to get these two doppelgängers to finally act together in a movie? Coming August 26th. Subscribe now: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vR4D1HqG5SuRIi1LZiFi3?si=ee5f202b87484eec

Episode 117 of Paul Davidson's new podcast WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT with Mitch and Ben. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe and follow us on your favorite podcast service. Find us @wawtacast on Instagram.

The trailer for Paul Davidson's brand new podcast, What Are We Talking About? Now available everywhere. You know him as the host of The Side Track, but Paul Davidson is now joined by co-hosts Benjamin Raab (co-EP of NBC's Quantum Leap) and Mitch Graham (head of Unscripted for a major television network) for What Are We Talking About? It's a new weekly comedy podcast where they don't know what they're talking about until you do -- that is, until they pull a new mysterious idea out from the popcorn bowl. It's like the Seinfeld of podcasts -- and we hope if you liked The Side Track, you'll try this one out. Available now everywhere your favorite podcasts live! Follow What Are We Talking About (@wawtacast) across X, Instagram, Threads, BlueSky and more, and find the new podcast on Apple, Spotify, Audible, iHeartRadio and more.

Writer/Producer Alex Blagg (@Midnight, Workaholics) joins to discuss how he went from being a ghost writer for the Kardashian's blogs and turning down a job at TMZ to writing for TV and creating a Comedy Central game show that ended up filming more than five-hundred episodes. Then, listen intently to his Almost Famous-esque story about how a random job opportunity to shadow the cast of MacGruber gave him a ringside seat to an experience that would make him a fan for life.

Writer/Producer Alex Blagg (@Midnight, Workaholics) delivers his feature length audio commentary for the 2010 comedy cult classic MacGruber. Starring Will Forte, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph and directed by The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone.

Writer/Producers Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio (Despicable Me trilogy, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who) deliver a feature length audio commentary for the 1971 not-so-child-friendly Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Starring Gene Wilder and at least a dozen or more Oompa Loompas, this hilarious commentary is an eye opening look at how today's storytellers view a classic such as this.

Screenwriter/Producers Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio (Despicable Me trilogy, Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who) discuss the art of screenwriting for feature length animated movies, their first cult-favorite bomb Bubble Boy, their upcoming Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon and all about that Pixar vs. Illumination feud that's still currently in motion. Plus, Cinco's experience working with Sacha Baron Cohen on Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Ken's crappy-watch run-in with Jeffrey Katzenberg and the answer to the ultimate Mormon question, "Who broke my window?"

Writer/Director/Producer Ed Burns (The Brothers McMullen, She's the One, Sidewalks of New York) delivers his own feature-length audio commentary for the 1983 Academy Award winning Robert Duvall film, Tender Mercies. One of three movies that Burns considers to be a "Texas Trilogy" of films that inspired his own craft, it's a quiet, affecting film of standout performances.

Writer/Director/Producer Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen, She's the One, Saving Private Ryan) does an entertaining deep dive into how he broke into Hollywood via a micro-budget indie smash, how working with Spielberg gave him insight on how to be a better Director and insight into the dozens of films and TV shows he's written, directed and acted in since then. Plus all about his new EPIX series Bridge and Tunnel, how Sarah McLachlan wrote a song just for him and why a certain cat broke down barriers for his screenwriting productivity. 

In 1999, über Writer/Director John Hughes recorded his first and only commentary for the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It would appear on that year's DVD release, then per Hughes would be removed going forward. Hard to find, this commentary treasure is our gift to you on this Christmas Eve, and hope that all fans of the genius filmmaker enjoy the experience. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jeffrey Jones and more.