Curated by Chance

Episode 94: Curly-Wurly Mustache Prompts: Tin, Mark, Cream, 487 This week's episode begins with Neal talking about his much-need day off and if it was really a day off or something else entirely. Both the hosts thank YOU the listeners for engaging with the show and repeat the call to help get 50 reviews on Apple and Spotify and 50 patrons! Lauren starts this week's episode by talking all about the Pop Art movement. The history, the major players, the misconceptions, and the post-war ideologies at play in both the United States and England. She then chooses to focus on perhaps the most famous pop artist of all time, or at least most recognizable, Andy Warhol. Neal takes over and decides to KISS (keep it simple stupid) and uses tin to get him to Tin Cup the 1995 romantic sports movie all about golf starring Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, and Don Johnson. He discusses the origins, the film's writer-director, declares Kevin Costner the king of sports movies, and reveals the "inspiration" behind the film's character which prompt Neal and Lauren to have a bit of fun when they see who it actually is. If you'd like to support Neal on his new book Mission Impossible: The Ultimate Fan Guide please pre-order a copy and spread the word to your friends or loved ones who might like it for a holiday gift as it comes out December 1st! Pre-orders count as first week sales and are the greatest metric for publishers to consider letting Neal do another book! Pre-order here: https://www.globepequot.com/9781493096152/mission-impossible/ Join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curatedbychance Next Week's Prompts: 4891, Frog, Pumpkin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 93: I Thought it was Pearl! Prompts: Neptune, Pastel Blue, 991 This week's episode begins with Lauren recounting her conference that felt like a night out in Las Vegas complete with backlit menus and highly priced steak! Neal talks about handing in his book and making a video for Colleen's students before our dynamic duo hop into their respective topics. Neal begins and takes the word Neptune to inspire a conversation about Veronica Mars, the Rob Thomas-created (no, not that Rob Thomas) television show that had early 2000s TV viewers in a chokehold and thrust Kristen Bell into superstardom. He highlights the origins of the project, talks about the heart of the show (the father-daughter relationship) and covers how the TV series became a movie and then a reboot. Lauren then admits that she completely botched one of the prompts Chance provided last week and could have sworn that the word "pearl" was one of them. She goes in-depth on Vermeer, his painting The Girl with the Pearl Earring, the documentary Tim's Vermeer and how it's received in the art community, and even tells us an absolutely fascinating factoid about the famous portrait that you won't want to miss. If you'd like to support Neal on his new book Mission Impossible: The Ultimate Fan Guide please pre-order a copy and spread the word to your friends or loved ones who might like it for a holiday gift as it comes out December 1st! Pre-order here: https://www.globepequot.com/9781493096152/mission-impossible/ Next Week's Prompts: Tin, Cream, Mark, 487 Join in supporting the show with our listeners by becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/curatedbychance for ad-free episodes, book clubs, stickers, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 92: Three Sports Cars in a Culver's Prompts: Beast, Emerald, 9 Welcome to an all-new and endlessly entertaining (we hope) episode of Curated by Chance. The episode starts off with a bang, or, more literally, a CUT, as Neal accidentally cuts himself and shows blood. He's okay, but after you hear the rest of the episode, it actually all comes together in relation to his topic and it was unplanned. Neal talks about a freaky moment watching the new movie APEX on Netflix and a quick NYC update, and Lauren gives an update on her house hunting. Both of the hosts send out the call to help them reach 50 reviews on Apple and Spotify and 50 patrons! To start this week, Lauren takes us on a deep dive into the Fauvist art movement and how artists like Henri Matisse used color with emotion rather than realism. LT talks about controversial paintings like Blue Nude and The Green Stripe and breaks down the themes of gender ambiguity, colonialism, sexuality, and color. This movement, evolving out of Impressionism and Pointillism rejected realism and inspired negative reactions from audiences at the time but ultimately became influential in modern art. Neal then takes the word beast very literally, chronicling the infamous cult film Roar (1981) often called "the most dangerous movie ever made." Neal talks about producer Noel Marshall living and filming with real lions, tigers, and other big beasts and talks about the absolutely insane behind-the-scenes stories of a years-long filming process that resulted in dozens of serious injuries, near-death experiences, escaped animals and more. The film did result in a real-life big cat sanctuary but what happened on set seems too crazy to be true and is something you have to witness at least once in your movie going journey! Next Week's Prompts: Neptune, Pastel Blue, 991 Join us on Patreon and help us reach 50 patrons!: www.patreon.com/curatedbychance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 91: Mother's Book Club Prompts: Hell, Gray, 106, Baby Blue This week's episode starts out with a joyous exclamation by LT that she is FREE from classes for the summer! Well, at least she thought so, but that'll be on next week's episode. Neal then recounts babysitting his two nieces with his wife, Colleen, and how quickly caring for your nieces can turn expensive. We've all been there right? Anyone? Bueller? Since Neal pulled Chance last week, he's up first, and he discussed Hell of High Water the 2016 neo-noir Western crime drama with great performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, and Gil Birmingham. Neal takes the time to talk about the film's themes of economic collapse and predatory banking, the moral gray areas of the film (no true heroes or villains) and how generational struggle affects small-town America. He then turns the discussion over to an exploration of Taylor Sheridan, the film's writer whose career has absolutely blown up and taken Hollywood by storm. LT takes the mantle and gushes about a book she's recently read called Catabasis by R.F. Kuang, a dark academia/fantasy/horror that's inspired by Dante and mythology and absolutely enraptured her. The story follows two grad students who travel to hell to retrieve their dead professor for a recommendation letter of all things. LT talks about the themes of language, math, and magic and gives us the tea on her "Mother's Book Club" which actually isn't called that. Oh, and Chance is definitely in a dark and brooding mood. Next Week's Prompts: Beast, Emerald, 9 Thank you to all of our patrons who make this show possible! We're on a road to 50 patrons, and 50 reviews on Spotify and Apple, give us a hand if you're willing and able! And come join us by donating today for the price of a cup of coffee a month! www.patreon.com/curatedbychance Listen to Neal on Triviality! Listen to Lauren on Miss Information! Follow us on Instagram: @curatedbychance Or follow Neal and LT: @nealefischer & @paisleylo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 90: Rain Pains Prompts: Wound, 1300, Walnut Wow! We are 10 episodes away from 100. Crazy that we've come this far and we cannot thank YOU, the listener, enough! On this week's episode Neal is battling an oncoming migraine from the huge weather shifts (that have given him six days of migraines) and Lauren coins the best description of it ever. Hint: It's the title. After a little catch-up, the episode goes full speed. Lauren starts with The Side Wound of Christ (Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg) and discusses how the side wound wasn't just artwork, but was used for deep devotion and carried unexpected erotic and queer interpretations which have since challenged modern assumptions of medieval beliefs. Lauren's lesson shows us that the Middle Ages were actually full of complex, layered thinking about gender and were far from the “dark ages” stereotype we see in popular media. Neal goes to the 1300s, but in film form, and breaks down The Seventh Seal the highly regarded film from arguably Sweden's greatest filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman. Here, Neal talks about Swedish cinema, the behind-the-scenes magic, and filming perhaps the most famous chess scene of all time that itself, was inspired by a piece of artwork! And he surprises Lauren with that fact. Next Week's Prompts: Hell, Gray, Baby Blue, 106 Help Support Our Summer of "50" by getting us to 50 reviews on Apple and Spotify and 50 patrons on Patreon! To join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/curatedbychance Thank you for all you do for us Patrons. We are making this show for YOU! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices