Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Story Matters with Curt Mega
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Musicality & Madness of 'Sinners' with James Tolbert | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:44:02 | |
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners might be one of the boldest and most interesting movies I’ve seen in a long time. I loved it so much that I had to have my friend James Tolbert on to talk through all the details we couldn’t stop thinking about. We dive into how Coogler blends horror, music, drama, and emotional storytelling, while still keeping the film a total blast to watch. We also discuss the sound, the style, that insane juke joint musical sequence, and why Coogler has officially landed on the “I’ll watch anything he makes” list.You can find and follow James on Instagram and BlueSky:James Tolbert on InstagramJames tolbert on BlueSky This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Bryce Charles from Starkid's newest show 'Cinderella's Castle' | 20 Apr 2025 | 00:55:12 | |
In this episode of Story Matters, Bryce Charles (Ella Ashmore) joins me to talk about the creative whirlwind of bringing Starkid’s Cinderella’s Castle to life. • How the tone of the show was discovered This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Ty Simpkins from Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man 3, Jurassic World and more! | 07 May 2019 | 01:09:52 | |
Ty Simpkins (Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man 3, Jurassic World, Insidious, The Nice Guys and more) joins us to talk about his experience as a young actor working in a slew of major franchises and creating characters that are part of a global phenomenon. We also talk spoiler culture, water-cooler conversations, and what it's like to know the end of a story years before the world gets a chance to see it. You can listen to all episodes of Story Matters at www.storymatterspodcast.com! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Oscars 2019 with Joey Richter! | 27 Feb 2019 | 01:36:06 | |
Story Matters alum Joey Richter returns for the 3rd year to take a deep dive into THE ACADEMY AWARDS! We break down the wins and losses, the snubs and successes, and we ask the question... what sort of impact will this year's awards have on future generation of filmmakers and artists?
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Amadeus (GUEST: Jon Cozart) | 27 Nov 2018 | 01:19:41 | |
Jon Cozart joins the show to take a deep dive with us into the world of Amadeus, the 1984 Academy Award winning musical biopic directed by Milos Forman about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as we cap off our exploration of the musical biopic genre with what is considered by many as the greatest biopic of all time! We also examine how this film speaks directly to our culture today (specifically us as artists), our own personal struggle with jealousy, ego, the fear of not being good enough and the madness that is the creative process. You can find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| What I Did For Love (GUEST: Wesam Keesh) | 10 Sep 2018 | 01:36:35 | |
In this episode, Curt, Mike and Kim sit down with actor Wesam Keesh (MTV's Awkward, ABC's For the People and more) to tackle the recent headline news of The Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens' candid discussions on the realities of the jobs we take to pay our bills while trying to pursue a career in the arts. In this roundtable episode, we talk openly about the craziest side-hustles we've all had to work to pay the bills, the societal stigma and shame that seems to be applied to people working regular day-jobs to support their art, the discipline of training like an athlete even when it comes to creativity, and the value of trying new things that scare the living daylights out of you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Oscars 2018 with Joey Richter! Academy Awards discussion on Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, The Shape of Water, The Post, Phantom Thread, Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Lady Bird, and Get Out and Best Director nominees! | 02 Mar 2018 | 01:57:32 | |
In this special OSCARS EPISODE, Joey Richter (Tin Can Brothers, Starkid) joins me once again to talk all things Academy Awards and share our takes on this year's nine nominees (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water, The Post, Phantom Thread, Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Lady Bird, and Get Out). We also discuss some of our favorite films left out of the running for best picture and take a look back at 2017 from a cinematic perspective and what it means going forward for filmmakers, creators, and storytellers both in front of and behind the camera. I had such a blast talking Oscars LAST year with Joey so please join me on this official Story Matters tradition as Joey and I take on THE 2018 ACADEMY AWARDS! Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| The Art of Horror! (GUEST: Eric Carroll) | 27 Oct 2017 | 01:36:12 | |
In this SPOOKY episode of Story Matters Podcast, I sit down with Kim Whalen and Eric Carroll to talk about the art of horror films! We talk about what defines a horror film and what kind of stories we can tell and learn through the genre as an art form. We also go down our top 10 lists of our favorite horror films of all time! So grab some popcorn, unwrap some candy, plug in your headphones, and join us on this terrifying journey as we explore THE ART OF HORROR! Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters!
Music:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Leigh Lahav Pt. 2 | 16 Oct 2017 | 01:04:53 | |
Part 2 of my conversation with animator/creator Leigh Lahav. We talk about how she developed her specific style as an artist, her taste in parody and comedy and the changing tide of creating for the internet. Also in this episode, another installment of Story Matters Story Collab Sessions featuring Kim Whalen! Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters! Spooky Ride by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/250/spooky-ride Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Leigh Lahav Pt. 1 | 07 Oct 2017 | 00:46:40 | |
In this part 1 of 2 episodes, I sit down with artist/animator Leigh Lahav to talk about her journey as an animator/artist coming from Israel to Los Angeles, the challenges that go into creating original animation for YouTube/internet culture, her passion for parody and fandom and the isolation that comes from living life as an artist. Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Lauren Lopez Pt. 2 | 25 Sep 2017 | 00:56:27 | |
In this 2nd and final part of my conversation with actor Lauren Lopez (Starkid, Poe Party, Spies are Forever and more!) we talk about her experience being apart of a internet phenomenon and finding her own unique creative voice in the process, the importance of not comparing yourself or your creative journey with others, and the joy of finding a creative community and making your own work! We also talk about recent projects (The Solve it Squad Returns) and her upcoming series (Stellar People) and answer some questions from my Patrons at Patreon.com/storymatters! We also talk about adopting a rescue animal, the joy of being a pet caretaker and her daughter Diane the dog! Enjoy! Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Lauren Lopez Pt. 1 | 18 Sep 2017 | 00:42:37 | |
In this part 1 of 2 episodes, I sit down with Lauren Lopez to talk about her journey from dancer to musical theatre, to college, to Starkid to LA and all the ups and downs in-between. We also talk about the importance on having a life and focus outside of show business and what it means to keep a balanced perspective between career, creativity and living your life in the real world. Some of Lauren's work includes Starkid's A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, Starship, Trail to Oregon, Holy Musical Batman, and Firebringer, Tin Can Brother's Spies Are Forever and The Solve-It Squad Returns, and Shipwrecked Comedy's Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party! You can also find her in Muzzled the Musical and the upcoming series Stellar People! For more info on Lauren, visit http://www.lauren-lopez.com! Support Story Matters on Patreon at Patreon.com/storymatters!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| 2025 Academy Awards with Joey Richter! | 02 Mar 2025 | 02:06:36 | |
We're back with the only Academy Award discussion you need! Joey Richter returns to talk all things Oscars 2025! Join us as we dive into the year's best films!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| William J. Stribling | 20 Jun 2017 | 01:09:20 | |
In this week's episode, I sit down with William J. Stribling (director of Shipwrecked Comedy's Poe Party and so much more) to talk about his creative process from writing to directing to editing and his perspective on storytelling through filmmaking. We also go behind the scenes of Poe Party and find out what it took to shoot such an ambitious project in only 10 days! This is an AMAZING episode filled with so much knowledge and insight into the filmmaking process and I can’t wait you all to hear it and learn from Joe! You can listen to all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Corey Lubowich | 07 May 2017 | 01:27:27 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Corey Lubowich from Tin Can Brothers and Team Starkid, to talk about his journey as an artist from growing up performing and working in theatre in his hometown of Chicago, to becoming an artistic director for BasementArts the University of Michigan, back to Chicago as a member of Starkid and then to Los Angeles as a founding member of the comedy trio Tin Can Brothers! We also storytelling through design, navigating the transition to a new city, the challenge of transitioning from theatre to film/digital video creation and his newest projects Flop Stoppers and The Solve it Squad Returns! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Michael Hitchcock | 23 Apr 2017 | 01:11:39 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the amazing actor, writer, producer and improviser Michael Hitchcock (Glee, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Bridesmaids, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, The New Normal, United States of Tara, Men of a Certain Age, Party Down, The Suite Life On Deck, Madtv and MANY more) to talk about truth in comedy, character driven comedy, episodic storytelling in the process of writing for television. I learned SO much from him and I know you will too! Listen now and share! Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Telly Leung | 14 Apr 2017 | 01:31:37 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the amazing Telly Leung (Broadway: In Transit, Allegiance, Godspell, Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, TV: Warbler Wes on Glee) at his apartment in New York City to talk about his journey to Broadway and beyond. We also discuss learning to be present and content in the moment with what you have despite whatever success does or doesn't come, prioritizing life and relationships in tandem with career, diversity in storytelling, stories of color, stories of minorities, telling human stories that are both specific and universal and the importance of rising up as artists to serve the greater purpose of being a voice of compassion and empathy for the world to see, hear and feel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Eric Carroll | 07 Apr 2017 | 01:14:31 | |
In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Eric Carroll (Alex Brody in Buffering, photographer extraordinaire and my co-writer/co-director of my feature film project POV) to talk about our process of writing a short film only to realize we had a bigger story on our hands and being willing to start over and reinvent everything we thought we know about the project. We also revisit our characters from Buffering as Ben and Alex in an improvised Buffering reunion! Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Lili Froehlich & Madison Mitchell from Broadway's CATS | 02 Apr 2017 | 01:41:14 | |
In this week’s episode, I sit down with Lili Froehlich and Madison Mitchell from the Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and talk about the reality of working on Broadway, the grind of performing 8 shows a week in one of the most physically demanding shows of all time, the challenges of being a swing and covering multiple roles and what happens when your dream becomes your job. How do you maintain your stamina, both mentally and physically, beyond opening night? We also talk about working with Tony Winning Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (In the Heights, Hamilton) and interpreting movement into story.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Kathryn Gallagher | 26 Mar 2017 | 01:03:57 | |
In this episode, I sit down with actress, singer, songwriter Kathryn Gallagher to talk about her work in the recent Broadway revival of Deaf West's Spring Awakening! From a tiny theatre in LA all the way to Broadway, she shares her incredible experience of being part of the re-telling of this beautiful story in such a powerful and profound, new way through the use of sign language. We also talk creative education beyond college, the process of auditioning for theatre and Broadway and how it differs from film & television, and her work as a singer and songwriter. Enjoy! You can find links to more of her work on her website HERE: http://www.kathryngallaghermusic.com and check out her upcoming show on May 25th at 54 Below in NYC! https://54below.com/events/kathryn-gallagher/ You can support the show on PATREON at Patreon.com/storymatters and if you like the show, click the rating button on iTunes and leave us a rating and review! You can also email Curt directly at storymatterspodcast@gmail.com with your feedback, thoughts, stories and ideas! You can listen to all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com! Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Joey Richter | 19 Mar 2017 | 01:21:06 | |
In this episode, I sit down with actor, writer, creator, comedian and producer Joey Richter (Starkid: A Very Potter Musical, Starship, Me and My Dick, Trail to Oregon and more, Tin Can Brothers, Spies are Forever, Poe Party, Henry Danger on Nickelodeon, Jessie on Disney Channel) to talk about making a living as an artist, discovering new creative skills through unexpected opportunity, his firsthand perspective of experiencing Starkid erupt into an internet phenomenon while still being in college at University of Michigan (#GoBlue), discovering his skills as a writer, his journey to LA, and creating his own work as a core member of the dynamic comedy trio The Tin Can Brothers! We also talk comedy, improv, spoiler culture, story structure, audience engagement, and experiencing twists and turns in musicals, movies and Television! Enjoy! Subscribe to The Tin Can Brothers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tincanbros You can support the show on PATREON at Patreon.com/storymatters and if you like the show, click the rating button on iTunes and leave us a rating and review! You can also email Curt directly at storymatterspodcast@gmail.com with your feedback, thoughts, stories and ideas! You can listen to all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com! Enjoy!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Titus Makin | 12 Mar 2017 | 01:40:42 | |
In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend, actor, singer and songwriter Titus Makin (Fox's Glee, ABC Family/Freeform's Pretty Little Liars, ABC's Grey's Anatomy, CW's Star-Crossed, Nickelodeon's Victorious) to talk about his work as an actor, his newest album Love Addict. We discuss the journey of balancing career and passion. We also take a crack at writing some Glee Fanfiction while we're at it! ;) Featured Music: Addict & Ropes from Love Addict by Titus Makin You can support the show on PATREON at Patreon.com/storymatters and if you like the show, click the rating button on iTunes and leave us a rating and review! You can also email Curt directly at storymatterspodcast@gmail.com with your feedback, thoughts, stories and ideas! You can listen to all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com! Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Oscars 2017 with Joey Richter | 26 Feb 2017 | 01:37:14 | |
In this episode, I sit down Joey Richter (Starkid, Tin Can Brothers, Henry Danger, Jessie, School of Thrones, Muzzled the Musical, I Ship It, Spies are Forever) to talk about the 2017 Oscar Best Picture nominations! We also talk about our favorite films from 2016, our take on the film industry as a whole and what films and we hope will win that little gold statue! Enjoy! Music: The theme music of the 84th Academy Awards. Composed by German composer Hans Zimmer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Story Matters with Starkid's Meredith Stepien! | 08 Dec 2024 | 01:05:45 | |
On this episode of the podcast, I had the absolute joy of chatting with the brilliant and delightful Meredith Stepien. We dove into our shared love for VHS Christmas Carols, the art of crafting cinematic vibes that radiate coziness and calm, and the beauty of embracing imperfection. Meredith also shares her perspective on releasing the weight of ambition and rediscovering joy in the creative process. You can check out VHS Christmas Carols right now at https://starkid.vhx.tv/products/vhs-christmas-carols-2024-digital-rental. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Broadway & Storytelling through theatre with Tessa Netting | 19 Feb 2017 | 00:51:42 | |
In this special Broadway-themed bonus episode of the podcast, I sit down with the awesome Tessa Netting (Broadway's Billy Elliot, Bunk'd, YouTube) for a special bonus episode to talk about Broadway, Hamilton, Les Mis, Rent, Billy Elliot, and other shows that changed our life and storytelling through the medium of theatre. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Mary Kate Wiles | 12 Feb 2017 | 01:06:33 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the fiercely talented Mary Kate Wiles (Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Party, Spies are Forever, I Ship It, School of Thrones, Squaresville, Muzzled the Musical, Hello My Name is Frank, The Sound and the Shadow, Kissing in the Rain and MANY MORE!) to talk about her journey as an artist, creator, YouTuber, producer and all around amazing artist! You can currently catch Mary Kate in the new hit series from Shipwrecked Comedy Poe Party at YouTube.com/SHIPWRECKEDCOMEDY, support her work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/mkwiles, subscribe to her channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/emkaysmiles, and follow her both on Twitter and Instagram at @mkwiles! We also talk about rejection, the reality of trying to pay the bills while you attempt to be a storyteller and the act of making your own work for the sake of doing something you love that’s not about getting hired and networking, but purely for the sake of creative passion. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Tessa Netting | 29 Jan 2017 | 01:48:13 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the amazing Tessa Netting (Billy Elliot, Bunk'd, Voice Over Actress, Maker of Incredible Parodies and YouTuber extraordinaire) and talk about her journey as an artist from Broadway to YouTube sensation, fantasy, fandom, audience ownership of the stories they love, and the power and joy of creating your own world to escape reality. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Riker Lynch | 15 Jan 2017 | 00:51:45 | |
Riker Lynch is a man of many talents. Glee Warbler, Rockstar, Dancing with the Stars alumni and blossoming actor. In this episode, Curt sits down in Riker's dining room at the Lynch home in Southern California to talk Glee, Warblers, social media, the new yet-to-be-released R5 album, his upcoming films Voyeur and Colossal Youth, storytelling through music, creating comedy and more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Starkid's 'VHS Christmas Carols' with Janaya Mahealani Jones | 23 Dec 2023 | 01:01:09 | |
Janaya Mahealani Jones, star of the newest Starkid musical 'VHS Christmas Carols', joins me to chat about the show! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| VHS Christmas Carols with James Tolbert | 20 Dec 2023 | 01:11:27 | |
Director James Tolbert joins me to chat about directing the newest Starkid musical, VHS Christmas Carols!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Oscars 2021 with Joey Richter! | 24 Apr 2021 | 01:07:22 | |
Joey Richter joins me for our annual Oscars roundtable as we talk about the films that marked the surreal, bizarre and crazy year that was 2020. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| It's a Warbler Reunion! OH YEAH! | 29 May 2020 | 01:33:25 | |
In this special installment of the podcast, my Warbler bros, Riker Lynch, Dominic Tracy, Jon Hall, Telly Leung, Eddy Martin, Brock Baker and Tim Davis join me to reflect on our time working on Glee, how the experience has impacted out lives and what we've been up to since then!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| The 2020 Academy Awards Spectacular with Joey Richter! | 03 Feb 2020 | 02:24:24 | |
Joey Richter (from Tin Can Brothers, Team Starkid, Jesse on Disney Channel and more) joins us for the 4th year in a row for our 2020 ACADEMY AWARDS OSCAR SPECTACULAR! We dive into each of the nominated films along with the main categories. So put on your best tux or gown, hop in a limo and join us on the RED CARPET for this year's STORY MATTERS OSCARS PODCAST!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| The Future of Theatre with Vijay Nazareth from Pixel Playhouse! | 26 Jan 2020 | 01:06:32 | |
Vijay Nazareth, creator of Pixel Playhouse and AVbyte , joins us on this week's episode to talk about the FUTURE OF THEATRE! How does theatre adapt for the digital age in a way that's both accessible and relevant? Vijay's mission is to bring theatre TO THE INTERNET, to make it more accessible and break down the barrier between creator and audience.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Jon Matteson becomes Paul Matthews (again)! | 16 May 2025 | 01:22:17 | |
Jon Matteson joins me here on Story Matters to talk about what it’s like returning to the role of Paul in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals nearly seven years after the original Starkid production. We get into the process of stepping back into a character after so much time has passed, how the fandom has shaped the show’s legacy, and what Jon is doing to prepare for the physical and emotional demands of the remount. We also get real about burnout, overcommitment, and the myth that you have to destroy yourself to make good work!If you prefer to watch a VIDEO version, you can check it out here: Check out Team Starkid’s newest Kickstarter project, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals: Reprised! (Trailer shot by yours truly!) -Curt Mega CONNECT WITH ME: Join my Patreon community!Follow me on Twitch!Follow me on Instagram!Follow me on Twitter!Follow me on Bluesky! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| The Odyssey Is About the Life You're Not Living | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:12:26 | |
15 years ago, I moved across the country to pursue a dream. I had this vision of what success would look like, and I told myself that achieving it would justify everything. The sacrifice. The longing. The years of grinding toward a thing. The failures, the small victories would all add up one day to achieve what I would consider to be success. And I have sacrificed a lot in pursuit of this dream. Often sacrificing the very thing that fuels the possibility of the dream. My own physical and mental well-being. Spending time with loved ones. Being present in the world. Putting all of that on pause for the pursuit of the dream. And then I sat in a theater to watch Christoper Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey and watched a man tied to the bow of a ship and realized that everything he ever wanted, he already had. In that moment I saw myself tied to that boat. What makes The Odyssey the quintessential story, the one that has lasted thousands of years, is that we can see ourselves in it no matter where we are in the journey. Perhaps we are stranded on that beach for ten years waiting for our shot at glory. Perhaps we are within the walls of Troy itself, the bitterness and rage of denial finally unleashed as we get exactly what we came for. Or perhaps we’re somewhere along the journey home, wondering if everything we did was worth what we gave up. You look at Christopher Nolan’s filmography and there’s a recurring theme about time, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we think we are. Memento. Inception. Interstellar. Oppenheimer. Each one a different angle on the same question. Who do we believe ourselves to be? Versus what do we actually do? The Odyssey is his most ambitious attempt at that question yet. And it’s very much an interpretation. The dialogue is modern. The characters speak in plain American English. There’s no overwrought Shakespearean cadence. There’s no archaic formality we’re used to out of these sword and sandal epics. At first it can feel jarring, but I think Nolan is doing something very specific here. These stories began as an oral tradition, and the movie begins as such. They were told around fires and in feasting halls. They were passed between people. They were kept alive in the mouths of whoever was telling them. They were never meant to feel like these archaic museum pieces. They were meant to feel like they were of the now, like us. Like something happening to someone you know. The choice to embrace the modern dialect and vernacular here, I think, is Nolan saying this story belongs to you, it belongs to us, it belongs to this present moment. And it has a lot to say about who we are and where we are in this current moment of our civilization. Because in many ways, The Odyssey is about literally everything. It’s the story of stories. Grandeur, ambition, regret, hope, dreams, victories, failures. That mishmash of all the ideas could leave you feeling like you got a buffet of everything but not a singularly satisfying meal. But I think Nolan very astutely locks into something specific. He has a very specific take here. I want that to be clear. I don’t think this is necessarily Homer’s Odyssey. The ancient text is not particularly interested in Odysseus’s guilt. In fact, maybe the ancient Greeks weren’t really that concerned with it at all. Odysseus is a hero. Granted, he’s flawed, but he wins. He comes home. This is something very different. This is Nolan’s Odyssey. And Nolan is obsessed with the weight of victory. What it cost to win and whether the world is better off for it. For me, it actually puts the film in direct conversation with his last film, the Oscar winning Best Picture, Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer, facing a great evil, tasked to rise to the occasion, won the war with his mind and his ingenuity by creating the bomb. And in doing so, he handed humanity the means of its ultimate and seemingly inevitable nuclear damnation. Was the world better for it? He spent the rest of his life inside that question. Nolan asks the same thing of Odysseus. At the center of it all is the regret of what might be the single greatest evil one human can visit upon another: offering peace as a ruse for violence and power. And that is Nolan’s Trojan horse. Odysseus lives with this. It haunts him quite literally. The journey is long. The gods are cruel. And yet some part of him knows he doesn’t deserve to go home. He knows what he did. And he knows exactly when he did it. There’s a really interesting moment in The Odyssey that the audience in my theater absolutely erupted into cheers for. Odysseus has come up with the concept of the Trojan horse. It works. The horse is taken inside the gates of Troy. They are able to infiltrate Troy, and Odysseus goes to open the gate. He opens the gate and there stands Agamemnon. He’s towering. He’s commanding. He looks like a freaking superhero. He looks like Batman. And you can feel the electricity in the theater. Everyone in my theater burst out cheering because it’s awesome. It’s pretty badass. He comes strutting in and the entire army rushes in and begins to destroy and sack the city. Nolan brings you back to this exact moment much later on in the film, and like Odysseus himself, you understand what you’re actually looking at, and it’s not a heroic moment. It’s the moment he opens the gates to destruction. He lets in violence where he offered peace. He betrays the ethic. He betrays the law of Zeus. Odysseus is introduced as a man of principle. He demands that beggars be fed. He demands the weak and disenfranchised be given what they need. He plucks his hunting bow in pursuit of equanimity. He wants even the animals he’s hunting to have a fair chance. He is by every measure he holds himself to a good man. And then he burns Troy to the ground. Through trickery, he tricks an entire city with the promise of peace and rains down destruction in its place. The burning horse. The screaming. The ash. He spends the rest of the film wandering through a purgatory of his own making. The winning itself was the wound. On a personal level, despite the scale, the scope, the battles, the fury of the elements, the pounding of the score, there is a singular scene that clarified not only the thesis of the film but my own personal connection to it. Odysseus is tied to the bow of the boat as they drift past the sirens on the rocks. We all know this scene. The famous siren song. All the men put wax in their ears save for Odysseus. We only perceive the song through Matt Damon’s heartwrenching performance. When asked what the siren song said, he remembers: “It told me what you most want is what you most can’t have. What you most can’t have is what you already had and lost. And most, it was the song of all the promises I failed to keep.” That line took my breath away. He already had everything he could have ever wanted. Before the war. Before the idea of the horse. Before he burned the city to the ground. It was already in his hands. He left it all behind in pursuit of something he convinced himself was greater. It made me think about my own journey, the vision I carried halfway across the country, the version of success that I told myself would justify everything. How much of my life I have put on hold in pursuit of the idea of a dream. How much of my life I sometimes don’t live because I’m waiting around for the phone to ring or for an email to come through. And I wonder how much of what I’ve been chasing has already been there. Already mine. Before I decided it wasn’t enough. Most of us have never burned a city down. Most of us do know what it feels like to convince ourselves that winning is more important than how we win. That the achievement of our success will justify everything we give up in the present. That not living now, that putting our life on hold, that not spending time with our loved ones, that not prioritizing the things we already have at our fingertips, it’s all going to be worth it when we finally achieve something we don’t yet have. I think the ultimate takeaway for me is that going home is about being present in this very moment. I believe in hard work and I think hard work comes with sacrifice. But I found myself recently asking, what does that mean? What kind of sacrifice is it? The sacrifice of comfort and leisure? Okay, I’m willing to give some of that. But is it the sacrifice of my own mental and physical health? Is it the sacrifice of being present for the people around me? Is it the sacrifice of family and loved ones? Is it the sacrifice of my own ideas for other ideas that I think would be deemed more valuable? It’s really easy to give everything up that you already have in hopes of something better. The truth is, often the best things you have to offer the world, you already have. They’re already inside you. Next to you. There with you. Your mind. Your heart. Your loved ones. The people you’re on the journey with. This movie reminded me that returning home, embracing what I already have, is an act of bravery. Is an act of courage. So much of our society revolves around rejecting that notion. Believing that value is achieved by earning a certain amount of money, or having a certain title in your job, or achieving a certain amount of success for your peers and for the people that follow your work. The truth is, if you give up everything that made you you in the process, what’s left is nothing. An empty shell. I love that The Odyssey made me think about the world, our country, and my own very specific personal journey as an artist and as a creator and as a person living on this earth. And that’s the power of stories. That’s the power of the quintessential story, a story like The Odyssey, which is the story of humanity itself. It asks the essential questions. The question of whether or not we are still wandering. Whether we are finally ready to go home. Thanks for reading Story Matters by Curt Mega! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| You Should Let Movies Break Your Heart | 18 Apr 2026 | 00:11:16 | |
I think you should get your heart broken as often as possible. I try to do it three or four times a week. Not in real life. At the movies. Like Nicole. Nicole understands. And that is why she is our Queen. Here’s what’s been happening to me lately. I’ll read a headline about something genuinely devastating. Something that, if I really sat with it, should completely wreck me. A tragedy. A crisis. Something real, happening to real people, right now. And my reaction is just… “Man, that’s awful.” And then I scroll on. Before I know it, that horrible, painful thing is an afterthought. And I want to be clear about something. It’s not that I don’t care about the tragedies that come into the feed. It’s that the way I’m encountering this information is specifically designed to prevent me from caring fully as a human being. A notification. A fifteen second clip. A headline between two memes. The format tells my brain this is content to be consumed, not a human story to be felt. And when everything arrives the same way, wars, political corruption, celebrity gossip, natural disasters, sports scores, Kalshi predictions on whether or not we’re gonna drop a nuke and also if Timothée Chalamet will win the Oscar… it all starts to flatten. Not because the tragedies aren’t real. But because the delivery system treats them like they aren’t. It’s like every channel on the mixer is pushed all the way up. And instead of feeling more, you just get noise. Flat. Constant. Background. And somewhere along the way, your emotional response doesn’t disappear. It just dulls. And then I go to the movies. I sit in a dark room. I watch something I know isn’t real. And it destroys me. I’m crying over people who don’t exist. Situations that never happened. A completely constructed emotional experience. And somehow, that hits harder than the real thing. Why? Why does something fictional feel more real than reality? I don’t think it’s because stories are more powerful than real life. I think it’s because real life, the way we experience it now, isn’t built to be felt. It’s built to be processed. You skim it. You categorize it. You move on. Stories don’t let you do that. They inherently slow you down. They give pain, joy, loss, tragedy, victory, love, heartache and hope a shape, a face, a beginning, a middle, and an end. They don’t let you scroll past it. They make you stay. The problem isn’t that the news isn’t real. It’s that it arrives in fragments. A headline. A clip. A scroll. Nothing has a beginning or an end. Nothing asks you to stay. A story does. In a story, your attention is locked. There’s no next tab. No notification. No algorithm pulling you somewhere else. You’re just there. And when your attention is actually there, your emotions follow. And there’s something else going on too. Stories give you proximity to pain without responsibility. You don’t have to fix it. You don’t have to respond to it. You don’t have to do anything except feel it. Fully. Without guilt. Without the pressure to act immediately. And that’s something most of us don’t give ourselves permission to do anymore. So it’s not that stories make you feel more than reality. It’s that they don’t let you look away. And the more I sit with that, the more I think this isn’t just entertainment. It’s maintenance. Here’s the analogy I keep coming back to. When you go to the gym, you’re not lifting weights because lifting weights is the point. You’re lifting weights in a controlled, artificial environment so that your body is strong enough to handle the demands of the real world outside the gym. The workout isn’t the destination. It’s the preparation. I think stories work the same way. When I sit in a dark room and let something wreck me, when I feel grief for people who don’t exist, fear for situations that never happened, I’m doing reps. I’m exercising something. Empathy. The capacity to feel what someone else feels. To imagine a life that isn’t mine and care about what happens to it. And like any muscle, if you don’t use it, it atrophies. If you only ever engage with things that are comfortable and easy and safe, you slowly lose access to everything else. The range of motion closes down. The sensitivity fades. But here’s the thing about the gym. You don’t go to the gym and never leave. The workout only means something if you take the body somewhere. If you do nothing with the strength you’ve built, the reps were just reps. The point was never the lifting. The point was what the lifting makes possible. Same thing here. I don’t want to mistake feeling a lot of emotion for a fictional character for meaningful action in the real world. Crying at a movie is not the same as showing up for someone. Being moved is not the same as moving. But I do think one leads to the other, if you let it. The practice of feeling something fully and of not looking away, of staying in the room with someone else’s pain even when it’s uncomfortable… that’s not the destination. It’s the training. It’s building the muscle memory of care so that when the real moment comes, you’re not starting from zero. So feel it. Let it wreck you. And then take that somewhere. So when I hear someone say “I don’t want to watch something sad right now”, I get it. I really do. But I also think that instinct, taken too far, leads somewhere worse. Because the world is not going to stop being hard. The headlines are not going to stop coming. The noise is not going to quiet down on its own. And if you spend enough time avoiding the things that might hurt, you wake up one day and realize you’ve gone numb. Not because you’re broken. Because you adapted. Because the alternative felt like too much. But here’s what I know. When I let a story wreck me, when I sit in the dark and feel something all the way through, I can feel my chest open back up. I can feel the electricity of empathy moving through me again. It reminds me what I’m capable of feeling. It reminds me what it actually means to be a person paying attention. The world needs people who are paying attention. So yeah. Get your heart broken. On purpose. Regularly. As often as you can manage. Not because it’s fun. Not because it’s cathartic, exactly. But because it’s one of the only places left where you can feel something all the way through without being asked to immediately do something about it. And if the world starts to feel like noise… and the only place you remember how to feel is inside a story? That’s not weakness. That might be exactly the point. I made a video about this too, including two specific films that broke me open in ways I didn’t expect. You can watch it here: - Curt Thanks for reading Story Matters by Curt Mega! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| Breaking Down the 2026 Oscar Nominees (with Joey Richter) | 15 Mar 2026 | 02:21:10 | |
We’re back with our annual Oscars podcast.This year Joey Richter and I break down the nominees, the films we loved, the ones we didn’t, and what the year in movies really looked like.You can watch the video version here: Thanks for reading Story Matters by Curt Mega! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||
| 10 Things I Learned in 2025 That Changed Everything | 07 Jan 2026 | 00:18:11 | |
What did I actually learn in 2025? Not the highlight reel. The real stuff.Burnout. Reflection. Health. Creativity. Letting go of old identities. Rebuilding new ones.This isn’t a “look what I achieved” post. It’s a personal inventory of the 10 biggest things that reshaped how I live, create, and think about my work.If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, lost in the noise, or wondering if your creative spark is still there, maybe this one’s for you. 1. I Don’t Love Vlogging… And That’s Okay In theory, I love the idea of capturing moments of my life and creating stories from them. In practice, vlogging pulled me out of the moment. I love photography, love capturing things, love documenting projects but I realized I thrive with intentionality. 2. Consuming Without Reflecting Doesn’t Make Me Better I consumed a ton this year, intentionally so. Films, books, performances, all in the effort of rekindling a creative spark. Turns out, it doesn’t mean anything unless I actually sit with it. Write something down. Infer meaning. Input without reflection is just noise that my brain quickly discards. Art is too precious to be discarded into the content heap. I want to take the time to let the stories I engage with actually resonate. 3. My Body Wasn’t Broken. It Was Burned Out Years of bad sleep, stress, and “grind” disguised as momentum finally caught up with me. I had to rebuild my physical health from the ground up. And what shocked me was how fast my body responded once I stopped punishing it and started listening. I feel better than I have in a decade and it wasn’t because I achieved anything. It was because I stopped trying to do everything and focused on giving myself what I needed. Proper nutrition, exercise, rest, sleep and creative play. 4. Consistency Beats Inspiration The unsexy truth is that showing up and doing the freaking thing is 90% of the game. The boring stuff usually has the largest ROI. You may not feel it for a long time, but even mediocre consistency over time will be bouts of genius. 5. Saying Yes to Everything is a Form of Self-Abandonment Trying to be everything, on every platform, in every project, left me fragmented. I had to start saying no to find my voice again. And in doing so, I remembered what I actually love to make.
6. Photography Made Me More Present Photography helped me see again. Not just aesthetically, but emotionally. It reshaped how I think as a filmmaker, as an actor, as a storyteller. It’s not about monetizing or content. It’s about presence and the power of telling a story in one single frame. 7. Sleep is the Foundation Sleep wasn’t optional. It was the missing piece. For years I told myself I didn’t need it because I am able to function on a very little of it. But functioning isn’t the same as thriving. Once I started prioritizing real rest, everything changed. Focus. Energy. Creativity. All of it. I’m the very last person to learn this very obvious lesson but hey, I got here eventually. 8. Pursue Creative Authenticity I am letting go of the desire to be seen and replacing it with the intent to go deep. I want to talk about creativity, about characters, about stories. If fewer people care, so be it. I’d rather be honest than optimized and know that I can stand by what I put put out there. 9. I Thought I Was Done But I Was Just Running on Empty There were moments this year I truly thought the spark was gone. But what I needed wasn’t a breakthrough, it was a better fuel source. I didn’t need to quit. I needed to recharge. 10. I’m More Alive, Creative, and Lit Up Than I’ve Been in Years I don’t know exactly what’s coming in 2026. But I feel clear. Present. Focused. Alive. Recommitted to the path and genuinely loving the idea of what it means to be an artist and live the creative life day in and day out. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters deeply to me. And I’m freaking lucky to be doing it. As part of this reset, I’m doing a 30-day creative shift series over on TikTok, IG, and YouTube. One small video a day, each focused on a tiny perspective shift that’s helped me get unstuck. No heavy lifting. Just simple, doable resets that might help you reconnect with your own spark. If that sounds like something you need right now, it’s all up on my socials. If you’d rather watch than read or listen, there’s a video version of this here: 👉 Thanks for reading Story Matters by Curt Mega! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtmega.substack.com | |||