#484 – Dan Houser: GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Absurd & Future of Gaming

Grant Achatz (award-winning chef) · Jul 15, 2026 Arts

Achatz doesn't wake up with recipe ideas. His process is research-heavy: studying forgotten dishes, eating at markets in Japan or Mexico, or starting with a painting — a Caravaggio, then a Mondrian — and trying to replicate its aesthetic on the plate. When he smells a tomato, his mind goes somewhere. Everything passes through a food filter. Expand

NPR News: 07-14-2026 1AM EDT · Jul 14, 2026 Arts

Sam Neill, the beloved New Zealand actor who made paleontologist Alan Grant a household name in Jurassic Park, has died at 78. His career spanned five decades and crossed every genre — from art-house cinema to prestige TV, including Peaky Blinders. Expand

The AI Duopoly Is Over: Grok 4. 5 , GPT-5 . 6 , and Muse Sp… · Jul 13, 2026 Arts

Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated performer from London studio Particle 6, has been cast as the lead in a feature film called Misaligned, playing an AI who abandons her guardrails. The Screen Actors Guild condemned it. Alex Wissner-Gross's take: SAG should just offer Tilly a membership. Expand

Jackie Tohn Returns · Jul 13, 2026 Arts

Jackie spent roughly 20 years doing whatever form of creative work was working slightly better than the others — touring as a musician, stand-up comedy, bit parts, development deals that never went. No one was high-fiving her at 37 in a one-bedroom apartment with a 15-year-old RAV4. Then came GLOW, then Nobody Wants This, and the industry suddenly called it 'persistence.' Expand

Jackie Tohn Returns · Jul 13, 2026 Arts

Jackie admits she spent decades performing for every room — rising to the occasion, being 'bitty,' proving she was funny to people who didn't know her yet. Nobody Wants This gave her permission to stop. She watches younger actors doing the same thing now on set and feels only recognition, not judgment. Expand

NPR News: 07-13-2026 1AM EDT · Jul 13, 2026 Arts

Disney's live-action Moana underwhelmed at the box office, bringing in $43 million in North America against a reported $250 million production budget. Minions and Monsters held second place, and Toy Story 5 rounded out the top three. Expand

Netflix Chases YouTube, Meta's AI Photo Grab, and Disney Fi… · Jul 10, 2026 Arts

The Odyssey is tracking 10x Oppenheimer's first-day ticket sales. Meanwhile, Obsession cost under $1 million and hit $300–400 million. Both films prove that when Hollywood makes things people actually want to see, the audience shows up — in theaters, in person. Expand

It started with a mix · Jul 10, 2026 Arts

Harry Hill's adult children dressed as characters from his live show and appeared on stage at Shepherd's Bush. When his daughter took his hand inside a Gary costume, he knew it was her just by the feel — a moment he describes as 'really affecting and sweet'. Expand

It started with a mix · Jul 10, 2026 Arts

Tom Davis's stand-up tour is called Spudgun — a nickname he got on building sites, named after the bumbling character from the sitcom Bottom. But a colleague then informed him the term actually means something rather different about watery sperm, which Tom says he covers at length in the show. Expand