Best Michael Berk Podcasts (2025)

1
LIVE from FX's Alien: Earth SDCC Podcast Studio! 40:27

3h ago40:27

40:27

This week on The Movie Podcast, we take over FX’s Alien: Earth SDCC Podcast Studio at San Diego Comic-Con! From Alien: Earth and Romulus to our love for all things Xenomorph and Yautja, we’re going LIVE and diving deep into the galaxy’s most iconic sci-fi sagas with plenty of Comic-Con chaos along the way. Catch the full video on YouTube because le…

1
Libraries, Law and LLMs: How Unconventional Paths Are Shaping the Future of AI (E.15) 1:06:23

1d ago1:06:23

1:06:23

In this episode of Free Form AI, we sit down with Lara Rachidi and Maria Zervou, two AI professionals whose paths defy the traditional tech blueprint. Lara began her career in law and economics before pivoting into data science. Maria started at the British Library, digitizing manuscripts and unlocking forgotten datasets. Today, they’re building Ge…

1
Wednesday Interview with Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steve Buscemi, Luis Guzmán, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, and Fred Armisen (Netflix) 27:38

2d ago27:38

27:38

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz head to London, England to sit-down with the cast of Netflix's Wednesday including Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steve Buscemi, Luis Guzmán, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, and Fred Armisen. Wednesday Addams returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await…

1
Donkey Kong Bananza Review (Nintendo Switch 2) 28:57

3d ago28:57

28:57

Daniel and Shahbaz review DONKEY KONG BANANZA for Nintendo Switch 2 from Directors Wataru Tanaka and Kazuya Takahashi. Get ready to go bananas with Donkey Kong Bananza! Join DK and Pauline as they smash their way into a mysterious underground world full of secrets, surprises, and raw power. The deeper you go, the wilder the adventure becomes in thi…

1
Twisted Metal Interview with Stephanie Beatriz 16:50

6d ago16:50

16:50

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Stephanie Beatriz to discuss Season 2 of TWISTED METAL! Following the revelations in the season one finale, John and Quiet find themselves entering the deadly Twisted Metal tournament, a sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso. As they try to surviv…

1
GenAI, Agency and Infrastructure: What’s Actually Holding Back the AI Frontier (E.14) 1:02:10

8d ago1:02:10

1:02:10

In this episode of Free Form AI, we sit down with Puneet Jain, Senior Applied AI Engineer at Databricks, to explore what’s really holding back GenAI from reaching production at scale, and why infrastructure, not intelligence, might be the missing piece. From toy clustering algorithms to national-scale LLMs in healthcare, we unpack how secure data a…

1
From Career Pivots to AI Innovation: Lessons in Building Better Systems (E.13) 56:49

15d ago56:49

56:49

In this episode of Free Form AI, we sit down with Mary Moore-Simmons, VP of Engineering at Kibo (formerly GitHub), to explore how career pivots, leadership, and AI are reshaping engineering. From drying Kona coffee beans with radiant heat to leading complex orgs at GitHub, Mary shares how curiosity, efficiency, and a bias for action can accelerate …

1
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Interview with Director Matt Shakman, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson 24:49

16d ago24:49

24:49

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Director Matt Shakman, along with stars Julia Garner (Silver Surfer) and Ralph Ineson (Galactus) to discuss all things The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, the film introduces Marvel’s First Family as they…

1
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review (Marvel Studios) 47:22

16d ago47:22

47:22

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Matt Shakman's THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, the film introduces Marvel’s First Family as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their…

1
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Interview with Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Martin Quinn, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Babs Olusanmokun 23:45

17d ago23:45

23:45

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz sit down with the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds including Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Martin Quinn, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Babs Olusanmokun to talk all things Season 3. As the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise faces the aftermath of their clash with the Gor…

1
How AI Assistants Are Changing Coding (E.12) 37:39

22d ago37:39

37:39

In this episode of Free Form AI, we explore how AI coding assistants are reshaping the development workflow. From spotting bugs that slip past human review to writing context-aware tests and reviewing entire PRs, these tools are changing how engineers build software. We break down the “secret sauce” behind how they scan a repo with targeted search …

1
SIMPLE PLAN Interview with Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau, and Jeff Stinco (The Kids in the Crowd Documentary) 42:55

25d ago42:55

42:55

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by SIMPLE PLAN members Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau, and Jeff Stinco to discuss their documentary THE KIDS IN THE CROWD. The doc chronicles the remarkable 25-year journey of the Canadian punk rock fan-favourites and offers an unprecedented look into the band's journey from basement…

1
Our First Month with Nintendo Switch 2! Reviews: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, Split Fiction, Welcome Tour, Mario Kart World, GameCube, and Superman Fornite 54:56

28d ago54:56

54:56

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz dive into their first month with the Nintendo Switch 2! From early impressions of the hardware to the launch-defining Mario Kart World, there’s a lot to unpack. They also review Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Split Fiction, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Plus, GameCube on Nintendo Swi…

1
LATAM Engineers vs. Offshore Norms: Gino Ferrand on Hiring Right (E.11) 43:04

29d ago43:04

43:04

In this episode of Free Form AI, Michael sits down with Gino Ferrand, CEO of Tecla, to explore how traditional tech hiring misses the mark, especially when it comes to LATAM engineering talent. We break down flawed “rockstar” hiring, AI-proofing your interview process and what successful onboarding actually looks like in a distributed, GenAI-driven…

1
SUPERMAN Interview with Daily Planet Staff: Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Wendell Pierce (Perry White), and Mikaela Hoover (Cat Grant) 21:59

1M ago21:59

21:59

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Anthony are joined by the Daily Planet staff of James Gunn's SUPERMAN including Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Wendell Pierce (Perry White), and Mikaela Hoover (Cat Grant). Superman stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult and is DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen …

1
SUPERMAN Movie Review (James Gunn, 2025) - SPOILER FREE 1:07:49

1M ago1:07:49

1:07:49

Look up! Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review James Gunn's SUPERMAN starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult. Superman is DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen in the newly imagined DC universe and delivers a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. The film also st…

1
Smoke Interview with Taron Egerton, Jurnee Smollett, and Series Creator Dennis Lehane (Apple TV+) 35:08

1M ago35:08

35:08

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Anthony are joined by returning friend of the show and sandwich enthusiast Taron Egerton, along with Jurnee Smollett and Dennis Lehane to discuss the Apple TV+ original series SMOKE. When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a t…

1
10 - Case Study: AI Video Recommender 51:25

1M ago51:25

51:25

In this episode, Michael and Ben discuss the intricacies of building a video clipping service and recommendation engine. They explore the challenges of defining interesting clips, the importance of feature requirements, and the cold start problem when launching without user data. The conversation delves into tagging and metadata extraction, hierarc…

1
Squid Game Season 3 SPOILER INTERVIEW with Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Jo Yu-ri, Yim Si-wan, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-sim, and Director Hwang Dong-hyuk (Netflix) 43:59

1M ago43:59

43:59

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz head to NYC to talk all things SQUID GAME Season 3 with Lee Jung-jae (Player 456), Lee Byung-hun (The Front Man), Park Sung-hoon (Player 120), Kang Ae-sim (Player 149), Jo Yu-ri (Player 222), Yim Si-wan (Player 333) and Series Creator, Writer, and Director Hwang Dong-hyuk (SPOILERS INCLUDED).…

1
F1 Movie Review (2025) 44:10

1M ago44:10

44:10

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Joseph Kosinski's F1: THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt. Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate to come bac…

1
Ironheart Interview with Ryan Coogler and Chinaka Hodge (Marvel Television) 20:30

1M ago20:30

20:30

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Chinaka Hodge (Head Writer & Executive Producer) and Ryan Coogler (Executive Producer) to discuss Marvel Television's IRONHEART. Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the series pits technology against magic when Riri Williams— a young, genius inventor determin…

1
9 - AI Career Leveling 58:35

2M ago58:35

58:35

In this episode, Michael Berk and Ben Wilson discuss the various levels of a data science career, from internships to senior leadership roles. They explore the expectations, responsibilities, and best practices for each level, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, continuous learning, and maintaining a positive team culture. The conversation…

1
Disney and Pixar’s Elio Interview with Academy Award Winner Domee Shi and Review Discussion 38:00

2M ago38:00

38:00

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel sits down in Toronto with Academy Award Winner Domee Shi to discuss Disney and Pixar's ELIO. The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives fro…

1
Materialists Interview with Academy Award Nominee Celine Song and Review Discussion 40:46

2M ago40:46

40:46

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel sits down in Toronto with Academy Award nominee Celine Song to discuss her new film, MATERIALISTS starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. The film follows a sharp and ambitious New York City matchmaker who finds herself caught between the ideal partner and the irresistible pull of her imp…

1
How to Train Your Dragon Interview with Director Dean DeBlois (2025) 25:27

2M ago25:27

25:27

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel sits down in Toronto with three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Director Dean DeBlois to discuss his upcoming live-action reimagining of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. Through cutting-edge visual effects, DeBlois transforms his beloved animated saga into a breathtaking live-action spectacle, bringi…

1
Predator: Killer of Killers Interview with Director Dan Trachtenberg and Review Discussion 37:09

2M ago37:09

37:09

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel is joined by director Dan Trachtenberg to dive into the latest chapter in the Predator franchise— PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS. The anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge; a ninja in feudal Japan who turn…

1
Bring Her Back Movie Review 31:46

2M ago31:46

31:46

Shahbaz and Anthony review Danny and Michael Philippou's BRING HER BACK starring Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sora Wong. The film follows a brother and sister who uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. Bring Her Back. Bring Her Back releases exclusively in theatres on May 30, 2025 in C…

1
Bring Her Back Interview with Danny and Michael Philippou, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Jonah Wren Phillip (RackaRacka) 23:06

2M ago23:06

23:06

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Shahbaz and Anthony are joined by Danny and Michael Philippou, Billy Barratt, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sora Wong to discuss their new film Bring Her Back. Bring Her Back follows a brother and sister who uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. Bring Her Back releases exclusiv…

1
8 - Microservices with Mark Fussell 59:34

2M ago59:34

59:34

In this episode, Michael and Ben speak with Mark Fussell, CEO of Diagrid, about Dapr, a runtime for building distributed applications. Mark shares insights on the challenges of microservices development, the importance of durable workflows, and the actor model. The conversation also touches on API design, the future of AI in software engineering, a…

1
Lilo & Stitch Interview with Director Dean Fleischer Camp and Producer Jonathan Eirich 29:14

3M ago29:14

29:14

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Producer Jonathan Eirich and welcome back friend of the show Director Dean Fleischer Camp to discuss the live-action reimagining of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. The film is a wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken…

1
Interview with Miku Martineau aka Yumeko in Netflix's BET (Based on Kakegurui) 23:43

3M ago23:43

23:43

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz sit down in Toronto with the star of Netflix’s BET, Miku Martineau— aka Yumeko herself! Bet follows the students at a boarding school for the global elite, where underground gambling determines the school’s hierarchy. When Yumeko, a mysterious transfer student arrives, her gambling prowess pu…

1
Lilo & Stitch Movie Review (2025) 40:11

3M ago40:11

40:11

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Dean Fleischer Camp's LILO & STITCH, a live-action reimagining of the 2002 animated film. Lilo & Stitch is a wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family. The film stars Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Ha…

1
Final Destination Bloodlines Interview with Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein 23:44

3M ago23:44

23:44

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by fellow Canadians and Directors Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein to discuss FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES— the sixth instalment in the series and the first film in nearly 15 years. Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person…

1
Interview with Simon Pegg and Pom Klementieff of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 27:54

3M ago27:54

27:54

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by the incredibly talented Simon Pegg and Pom Klementieff to talk all things MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING. The film releases in theatres and IMAX on May 23. Watch and listen to The Movie Podcast now on all podcast platforms, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠TheMoviePodcast.ca⁠⁠⁠ …

1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Review 54:29

3M ago54:29

54:29

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Christopher McQuarrie's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING starring Tom Cruise. This review is spoiler-free. The film also stars Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Mariela Garriga, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Till…

1
Trump Targets Movies with Tariffs, Thunderbolts* Rebranded as The New Avengers, Reviews: Netflix’s North of North and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners 1:42:23

3M ago1:42:23

1:42:23

On this week’s episode of The Movie Podcast, we break down Donald Trump’s proposed movie tariff and its impact on Hollywood, Canada, and global film production. We review Ryan Coogler’s new film Sinners and unpack his major deal to regain the rights to the project, Thunderbolts has officially been renamed The New Avengers— what does this mean for t…

1
7 - What are the best AI Software Packages 1:03:48

3M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

In this episode, Michael and Ben explore the world of open source projects in AI, focusing on MLflow and its various flavors. They discuss popular machine learning libraries like Scikit-learn, SparkML, and tree-based algorithms such as XGBoost and LightGBM. The conversation also delves into time series forecasting techniques and the rapidly evolvin…

1
The New Avengers Interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, and Hannah John-Kamen (Thunderbolts) 30:35

3M ago30:35

30:35

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz sit down in Toronto with the legendary Julia Louis-Dreyfus— better known in the MCU as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to discuss her role in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Following their conversation, Daniel is joined by fellow cast members Lewis Pullman (Bob Reynolds / Sentry) and Hannah Joh…

1
Until Dawn Interview with Special Effects Makeup Designer Steve Newburn 33:04

3M ago33:04

33:04

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Special Effects Makeup Designer Steve Newburn of Applied Arts FX Studio to discuss his work on UNTIL DAWN. Applied Arts FX Studio has nearly 30 years of experience on hundreds of film, television, commercial, and venue projects throughout Canada, the United States, and around th…

1
The New Avengers Movie Review (Thunderbolts, Marvel Studios) - SPOILER-FREE 47:37

3M ago47:37

47:37

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Jake Schreier's THUNDERBOLTS* starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In “Thunderbolts*” Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of …

1
6 - When Should You Bail 42:34

3M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode, Michael and Ben discuss the challenges of decision-making in software engineering, particularly focusing on the sunk cost fallacy, emotional attachment to work, and the importance of prototyping. They explore how to recognize when to pivot or bail on a project, the complexities of ROI calculations, and how to effectively communicat…

1
Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 Recap, Andor Season 2 Review in Progress, and Our Tokyo DisneySea Adventure 1:06:21

3M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

THE MOVIE PODCAST IS BACK FROM JAPAN! On this week’s episode, Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony recap everything from Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 — from Star Wars: Starfighter, Maul: Shadow Lord and beyond. They also share their thoughts on Andor Season 2 and where the show is heading as it builds toward Rogue One. Plus, the guys dive into their tr…

1
Havoc Interview with Tom Hardy and Director Gareth Evans (Netflix) 21:35

3M ago21:35

21:35

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by the legendary Tom Hardy and visionary director Gareth Evans to dive into their explosive new Netflix Original film, HAVOC. After a drug deal gone wrong, a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, while unraveling …

1
The Last of Us Season 2 After Show: Episode 2 - Through The Valley Spoiler Discussion (HBO) 39:29

4M ago39:29

39:29

The moment we’ve dreaded has finally arrived. Join Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony for a spoiler-filled recap, breakdown, and discussion of Season 2, Episode 2 (“Through The Valley”) of HBO’s The Last of Us series. This episode is Written by Craig Mazin and Directed by Mark Mylod. Season 2 of The Last of Us picks up five years after the events of Seas…

1
Interview with Jacob Elordi, Simon Baker, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, and Thomas Weatherall of The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Prime Video) 38:37

4M ago38:37

38:37

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony head down under to speak with Jacob Elordi, Simon Baker, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, and Thomas Weatherall of THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH, a five-part drama series based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel. Set during and after World War II, the series follows L…

1
The Last of Us Season 2 After Show: Episode 1 - Future Days Spoiler Discussion (HBO) 47:58

4M ago47:58

47:58

The Cordyceps Crew is back! Join Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony for a spoiler-filled recap, breakdown, and discussion of Season 2, Episode 1 (“Future Days”) of HBO’s The Last of Us series. This episode is Written and Directed by Craig Mazin. Season 2 of The Last of Us picks up five years after the events of Season 1. Joel and Ellie’s collective past …

1
Doctor Who Interview with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu 18:54

4M ago18:54

18:54

On this episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel is joined by the Fifteenth Doctor, a.k.a. Ncuti Gatwa, and new companion Varada Sethu to discuss Doctor Who Season 2. In the new season, the Doctor meets Belinda Chandra and begins an epic quest to return her to Earth. But a mysterious force is preventing their return, and the time-traveling TARDIS team …

1
The Last of Us Season 2 Series Review (HBO) - SPOILER-FREE 55:37

4M ago55:37

55:37

Daniel, Shahbaz, and Anthony review Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us series, based on The Last of Us Part II, the critically acclaimed video game developed by Naughty Dog and available on PlayStation. Season 2 of The Last of Us picks up five years after the events of Season 1. Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into c…

1
5 - How to Lead Engineers with Ben Johnson 58:44

4M ago58:44

58:44

In this episode, Michael Berk and Ben Johnson discuss the essential traits of effective engineering leadership, the importance of customer-centric software development, and the challenges of integrating AI into business processes. They emphasize the need for clear communication, trust, and vulnerability in leadership, as well as the potential risks…

1
Why Authenticity Beats Algorithms: The New Rules of Digital Marketing - ML 185 55:37

4M ago55:37

55:37

In this episode, we dive deep into the evolving landscape of digital marketing and brand storytelling. We explore how the intersection of authenticity, community, and technology is reshaping how brands connect with people—and why it's no longer just about the product, but about the experience. We talk about how we've shifted our focus from performa…

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Michael Berk Podcasts

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