Hand Me the Mike
Hand Me the Mike
Podcast Description
Michael Shannon: A true Midwesterner with over 100 acting credits to his name; a fan of The Smiths and REM; a man who remains dedicated to the stage; General Zod. Shannon may be remembered as a character actor to many, but there’s no doubt that the gravity of a scene shifts in his direction whenever he is on screen or the stage. While his roles range in size and screen time, genre, legacy, collaborators, and quality, a look through Shannon’s filmography reveals a fascinatingly comprehensive snapshot of America. The country’s paranoia and crookedness... its diseased capitalism... the American nuclear family... the U.S.’s possibility of resilience and community... our worst superhero movie impulses... our valiant depictions of war... our adoration of Rock n’ Roll... it all exists within the Mike Shannon Canon.
Host Daniella Mazzio will be joined by a rotation of Michael Shannon fans, film critics, and Chicagoans, to discuss how Shannon’s filmography and what makes him such an illuminating performer, with special reported episodes that look at his work across other mediums, including music and theatre.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into themes such as the complexities of American identity through cinematic storytelling, exploring Michael Shannon's roles that reflect societal anxieties, moral dilemmas, and the American experience, with episodes discussing films like Man of Steel and Take Shelter, highlighting philosophical and political undertones.
Michael Shannon: A true Midwesterner with over 100 acting credits to his name; a fan of The Smiths and REM; a man who remains dedicated to the stage; General Zod. Shannon may be remembered as a character actor to many, but there’s no doubt that the gravity of a scene shifts in his direction whenever he is on screen or the stage. While his roles range in size and screen time, genre, legacy, collaborators, and quality, a look through Shannon’s filmography reveals a fascinatingly comprehensive snapshot of America. The country’s paranoia and crookedness… its diseased capitalism… the American nuclear family… the U.S.’s possibility of resilience and community… our worst superhero movie impulses… our valiant depictions of war… our adoration of Rock n’ Roll… it all exists within the Mike Shannon Canon.
Host Daniella Mazzio will be joined by a rotation of Michael Shannon fans, film critics, and Chicagoans, to discuss how Shannon’s filmography and what makes him such an illuminating performer, with special reported episodes that look at his work across other mediums, including music and theatre.
We don’t want these wounds to get infected.
As we near the end of 2025, host Daniella Mazzio is joined by cartoonist Whitney Wasson (Sober Rabbit) to discuss Michael Shannon’s directorial debut Eric LaRue. Though the film (written by Brett Neveu, adapted from his play) hasn’t made it into awards conversations, Daniella and Whitney discuss the 2025 release and how it encapsulates many of the feelings from the past year—particularly how Americans handle discomfort around tragedy and fear.
Whitney Wasson is a Chicago-based cartoonist, theater person, and comedian originally from Arkansas. They draw Sober Rabbit, an ongoing comic series about addiction recovery, disability and mental health. You can learn more at soberrabbit.com.
Follow Whitney on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Subscribe to the Sober Rabbit Patreon.
This is a completely free, DIY project; support is optional, but greatly appreciated.
Follow Daniella on Twitter and Instagram at @DaniellaMazzio and on Bluesky at @daniellamazzio.bsky.social.
The Hand Me the Mike theme song samples R.E.M.’s ”Nightswimming.”
Additional music includes Hallelujah the Hills’ very generous public domain track ”01 Untitled, Actual Title (Joker 1)” from the album DECK: JOKERS. Check out the band’s playing card-inspired releases at: https://hallelujahthehills.bandcamp.com/.
Hand Me the Mike cover art features an illustration from Daniella and fonts designed by Steve Shanabruch as part of The Chicago Neighborhoods.
Additional audio snippets are from Eric LaRue and Arrested Development.
This episode of Hand Me the Mike was produced by Joe Engleman and Daniella Mazzio, and edited by Daniella Mazzio.
Shout out to the Chicago International Film Festival. 😊
Reviews, profiles, and interviews featured in the episode:
Everytown Research and Policy’s Gunfire on School Grounds data: https://everytownresearch.org/maps/gunfire-on-school-grounds/(Additional sources for each incident named in the episode are cited in Everytown’s data).
Isaac Feldberg‘s interview with Michael Shannon: https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/michael-shannon-eric-larue-interview
Variety interview with Michael Shannon and Judy Greer: https://variety.com/2025/film/features/eric-larue-michael-shannon-judy-greer-1236359453/
Chicago Reader interview with Michael Shannon and Brett Neveu: https://chicagoreader.com/film-tv/movie-feature/eric-larue-film-brett-neveu-michael-shannon/
Al-Jazeera explainer – U.S. school shootings in 2025: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/28/how-many-school-shootings-have-there-been-in-the-us-in-2025
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.