Exploring Santa Cruz from KSQD

About Exploring Santa Cruz from KSQD

KSQD 90.7 FM Santa Cruz - Community Radio for the Central Coast

Publisher

ksqd.org

Category

arts · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Mar 2019

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

777 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Other Mommy: Film Gang Review

   had higher expectations for Other Mommy, directed by Rob Savage and written by Nathan Elston, than the film ultimately delivered. Given the cast, which includes Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Chastain and filmmaker and actor Jay Duplass, this film was disappointing, to say the least. The premise is that an entity worms her way into a family, targeting Bela, a precocious eight-year-old girl whose mother is seemingly being replaced by “Other Mommy.” Unlike her real mother, “Other Mommy” can fly, is always available to play, and can take Bela, played by Arabella Olivia Clark, to the beach. Bela’s father, Russ, played by Duplass, is a stay-at-home dad, while her mother, Ursula, played by Chastain, is a career woman. Apparently, that arrangement isn’t enough for Bela or Russ, who want more of Ursula’s time and attention. Ursula’s ambition is portrayed as sinister, even though she is supporting the entire family. Heaven forbid Bela should have two parents working outside the home and have to attend daycare! The entity becomes increasingly mischievous, pressuring Bela to let “Other Mommy” into her heart. Her ultimate goal is to find a host who will allow her to experience what it means to be human. As the family grows more desperate to rid their lives of the evil being, they turn to Ursula’s mother, played by Karen Allen, whose character is known for consulting mediums and communicating with the dead. Unfortunately, their ghostbusting efforts fail, leaving the family to fend for themselves against the increasingly hostile mommy spirit. The director attempts to build suspense with a chase scene through a children’s ball pit, but the sequence quickly becomes ridiculous. Primary-colored balls appear everywhere, often without any apparent logic, making the scene feel more indulgent than frightening. Gory special effects also make an appearance, but they do little to heighten the suspense. The film ends with a big reveal that has been foreshadowed throughout, making it anything but surprising. I was left wondering whether the central theme is that mothers should feel guilty for pursuing their ambitions or whether the story is meant to reflect the particular anxieties of a working mother. Either way, the film never quite makes its point convincingly. The acting cannot save this film. In fact, Chastain’s performance is almost unrecognizable. Her portrayal of Ursula feels flat, dull, and difficult to relate to. Duplass plays a doormat of a husband without much range. Allen and Clark deliver the strongest performances, bringing some much-needed interest to their characters. If you’re looking for a genuinely scary psychological horror thriller this season, save your time and money. Other Mommy is one to skip. For KSQD’s Film Gang: Susan Lovegren

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Verity: Film Gang Review

   Oftentimes when movie plots are derived from books some of what made the book so intriguing gets lost in translation, and that is the case with Verity, the film based on the popular novel by Colleen Hoover. Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted by Nick Antosca, Verity stars Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford, a successful mystery novelist whose characters tend to be evil and unredeemable. Verity seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a handsome husband, Jeremy, played by Josh Hartnett, and fraternal twins. But back-to-back tragedies tear her world apart. First, her daughter drowns in a canoeing accident. Then Verity herself is badly injured in a car accident, leaving her unable to walk or talk and requiring full-time care at home. Enter Lowen Ashleigh, played by Dakota Johnson. She is also a mystery novelist, but far less successful. Struggling financially and grieving the recent death of her mother, Lowen is approached by Jeremy to ghostwrite three novels based on Verity’s unpublished notes and ideas. Lowen initially hesitates, but the money is too tempting to pass up. She agrees to move into the Crawfords’ Vermont home with Jeremy, Verity, their remaining child, Crew, and Verity’s nurse, Anna. As Lowen digs through Verity’s notes, she begins uncovering unsettling things about the author herself. Even more disturbing, Verity appears to have moments when she is far more functional than she should be. But why is Lowen the only one who notices? Is Verity hiding something, or is Lowen becoming delusional herself? The film takes a while to get to the crux of the plot. There are scenes that could have been trimmed, and Dakota Johnson’s portrayal of Lowen feels somewhat muddled. At times she is overly timid, at others, suddenly strong and forthright. I was also disappointed with how little the film does with Anna, Verity’s nurse, played by Irina Dvorovenko. In the book, she has much more of a Mrs. Danvers quality—think Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. Here, she is mostly relegated to giving updates on Verity, shopping and leaving. And, the film overdoes the sex scenes. The sexual tension between the characters is already apparent without quite so much emphasis. However, Josh Hartnett does a splendid job as Jeremy, the beleaguered husband and father. He keeps you guessing about his true intentions. But the film’s shining performance belongs to Anne Hathaway. Her Verity is intense and fierce, a woman capable of creating truly evil fictional characters from a very dark place. There is something unnerving about her every time she appears on screen. Like Jeremy, she keeps you guessing about who she really is. Overall, Verity is a good mystery-suspense film that should satisfy viewers looking for a few thrills. But if you’ve read the book, be prepared for a little lost in translation. For the KSQD Film Gang: Molly Sullivan.

3. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Primetime: Film Gang Review

   Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim and distributed by A24, invites a deeper look into performative morality and what those in the entertainment industry will do for ratings. Based on the 2007 Esquire article Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die by Luke Dittrich, the film follows the production of the reality television series To Catch a Predator. Chris Hansen, played by Robert Pattinson, does not disappoint. He dramatically feigns interest in catching bad guys trolling young teens on the internet. Pattinson has been busy of late…think, The Odyssey, The Drama, Die My Love and Mickey 17. While dealing with a tough subject, Pattinson distracts the audience with his character’s personal obsession with notoriety and nobility. In the process, he becomes the contradiction at the heart of this sad premise for a television show. As a reminder, true crime and reality TV were popping up everywhere. Streaming, quality binge-worthy shows, and movie-quality television had not yet widely reached mainstream viewing patterns, leaving plenty of room for more sensationalized fare. The audience response to To Catch a Predator was so strong that the network put the show up against Lost on Thursday nights. Merritt Wever plays the show’s head producer. You may recall her from Nurse Jackie, for which she won two Emmys. Her acting style is natural and approachable, but underneath, she is a complex character. To the audience’s surprise, she evokes a wounded animal in a rough business, one that then preys upon others to satisfy her ratings goals. Skyler Gisondo earns his acting chops as Dan Plum, a young aspiring actor hired for the show’s sting operations and trying to earn his SAG card by getting a “speaking part” on a television show. His “decoy” performance is both humorous and heartbreaking—a performance that stays with you after the movie ends. It is obvious that Oppenheim takes creative license with the characters and events in making the film. This is displayed in Pattinson’s psychotic dream sequences, the campy portrayal of a local sheriff’s department, and the parade of caricatured predators. I did not find the creative direction distracting, as the film accomplishes its central themes: performative morality, winning the ratings game, and trying to break the mold of television offerings circa 2006. For KSQD’s Film Gang: Susan Lovegren.

Who has been a guest on Exploring Santa Cruz from KSQD

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Artistic team members
• Leslie Nielsen
• Carly Memoli
• Steven E Popp
• Joe Truskot

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

160,211

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

0

Contact Exploring Santa Cruz from KSQD

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Exploring Santa Cruz from KSQD