The Rolling Tape

Christian Sprenger has spent eighteen years in television, but his collaboration with director Hiro Murai is in a category of its own. Together they have built a creative language across more than fifty episodes of television, from Atlanta to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and now to Widow's Bay, the Apple TV+ comedy horror series created by Katie Dippold that has become one of the most talked-about shows of 2026. On Widow's Bay, Sprenger serves not only as cinematographer alongside co-DP Cody Jacobs, but also as a producer, a role he first stepped into during season three of Atlanta. 
Danny Jarabek spoke with Sprenger about the camera techniques he used to straddle the genre line between horror and comedy, the excitement of working with Ti West as the director of Episode 6, and how the colorist team reverse-engineered the filmic look of the show to give it the nostalgic, pre-digital feeling.
Follow our interviewee online:
Christian Sprenger IMDb, Instagram, Website
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Danny Jarabek
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Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

RETRO//RECAP is the spin-off of RETRO//RANKED where we hit pause on the rankings and rewind the tape to catch you up on everything that’s happened in a franchise or filmography before the next entry hits theaters. 
Previously, we’ve recapped the Scream Franchise and The Devil Wears Prada, and this time we’re recapping Pixar’s most successful franchise that dates back to 1995 and includes four primary film entries, two spin-offs, and a television series. The first Toy Story was the first feature-length film to be made entirely using computer-generated imagery. The first two films were directed by John Lasseter, the third film by Lee Unkrich, the fourth film by Josh Cooley, the upcoming fifth film by Andrew Stanton. 
Bring out your Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys and let’s recap before previewing what's ahead for Toy Story 5.
On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Paul Rai
Joshua Mbonu
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
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Have questions? Email info@therollingtape.com
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? That is one of many questions we approach today while discussing Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day which has been theatrically released by Universal as of June 11. We’ve been in eager anticipation of the film which is directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp since April of 2024 when news first hit that Spielberg’s next film would be a UFO movie. 
The world stands poised on the brink of World War III, cybersecurity specialist Daniel Kellner steals a piece of extraterrestrial technology and related files detailing various events of human-alien contact dating back to the Roswell incident from the Wardex Corporation, a secret arm of the U.S. government. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo.
We review the newest sci-fi addition to his legendary catalog and tier rank his entire filmography. 
Our pre-episode Patreon exclusive conversation features:
Gatto teaser
The Social Reckoning teaser
Whalefall trailer
Justice department approves WB acquisition
24 Jump Street announced
On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Joshua Mbonu
Mariana Fabian
Tate Fowler
Timmy Lee
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
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Have questions? Email info@therollingtape.com
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Following the North American premiere of Just Look Up at the Tribeca Festival, Jeremy Strong moderated a panel discussion with journalist and author David Wallace-Wells (“The Uninhabitable Earth”), psychologist and Climate Emergency Fund Board Chair Margaret Klein Salamon, Climate Defiance Founder Michael Greenberg, and Climate Defiance activist Cheyenne. What followed was a conversation about the state of climate activism under the second Trump administration, the gap between public alarm and political action, and what it means to act in proportion to the scale of an emergency. 
The film had its North American Premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 11, with additional screenings on June 12, 13, and 14. Danny Jarabek was in attendance at the premiere to record the panel.
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
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Have questions? Email info@therollingtape.com
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree
Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Happy Pride! We are back with year two of our Pride Mini-series, celebrating Queer artists in Film and Media. After tracking the progression of Queer Cinema last year, the team is back to discuss various topics and give you new recommendations in this four-part series.
This week, the team discusses ‘Queer Bending,’ inspired by Hedda (2025), and what it means to tell a known story from a Queer perspective. They also break down ‘Queer Baiting’ and what that means in 2026. On top of it all, they give their recs, hot takes, and rants as we dive deeper into Queer media and history. 
Check out our full Pride Watchlist on Letterboxd here! 
On this episode:
Sara Ciplickas
Claire May Lewis
Mariana Fabian
Jake Fittipaldi 
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
All Listening Platforms
Have questions? Email info@therollingtape.com
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree
Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller