Interesting Indiana Podcast

Indiana has its share of notable filmmakers. Sydney Pollack, Angelo Pizzo, John Hancock, Fred Willamson. You name it.  We interview one of the next generation of Hoosier film directors. Kendall started making films in her hometown of Munster, IN and has continued her passion ever since. Her first feature, When Jeff Tried to Save the World, stars Jon Heder and Jim O'Heir.

Mont Handley talks with Paul Nelson about developing Pitt Moss, a revolutionary peat moss alternative, his experience on Shark Tank, and what entrepreneurs need to know to get started

Jimmy Valiant grew up in Hammond Indiana and began traveling the wrestling circuit in the late 60s.  He gained a strong work ethic from mentors like Dick the Bruiser and Frank Zela, aka Boris Karloff. We talk about his rise in the wrestling world to the WWWF which became the WWF and now the WWE and his days punching and slamming with the likes of Rick Flair, Bobby the Brain Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Dusty Roads and others. Jimmy Valiant's enthusiasm is infectious so get ready to rumble with a Hoosier icon.

Plastic. It's been a lifesaver and helped us to progress in ways we couldn't imagine a hundred years ago.  It has also become one of our greatest environmental concerns in recent years.  For our first Indiana Business spotlight we talk with Brent Grafton of Green Tree Plastics about the challenges of recycling our most troublesome materials and creating useful products to keep plastics out of our waste stream.

Hoosiers and Rudy are not only great Indiana sports films, they are considered two of the best sports movies of all time. We talk with Angelo Pizzo, who along with David Anspaugh created both films. He's also written dozens of other screenplays and produced movies such as My All American.  So join us as we talk with Angelo as he strolls the streets of Bloomington and talks about his days growing up close to the Indiana University, career in Hollywood, working with Gene Hackman and scriptwriting.

Tim Stoddard had an impressive career as a relief pitcher in the Majors for 13 years but his accolaides don't stop there. Stoddard was also part of the Undefeated state champion East Chicago basketball team and an enforcer on the NC State NCAA championship team. You may also remember him as the gruff pitcher from the family sports movie Rookie of the Year.  We talk with Stoddard about his days growing up in East Chicago to living across the US while playing for the Cubs, Orioles, Padres and Yankees.

Ferid Murad won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998, but thats not the extent of his accolades.  He has earned multiple honorary doctorates and has taken on executive level positions at numerous medical facilities and companies.  He still works today and travels the globe meeting kings and queens and teaching the next generation of medical researchers. We talk with him about his Nobel experience, the research he has done on nitric acid and growing up in Whiting, Indiana.

Barnett is not just a New York Knick legend, but a basketball legend.  From the historic Indiana state championship game in 1955, which was the first time two all black teams competed for the trophy, to his two NBA Championship rings.  We talk with Dr. Barnett about his years growing up in Gary Indiana, ball at Tennessee State and pursuing higher education while storming the courts in the NBA. We talk about race in sports, Oscar Robertson, education and more.

John Hancock is known for many films that could not be more different from each other.  From Let's Scare Jessica to Death, a cult horror classic to Bang the Drum Slowly, a baseball sports drama, to the holiday classic Prancer.   Hancock has also directed numerous plays, television shows, commercials and many other notable films, most recently the indy drama The Looking Glass which was filmed in Northern Indiana.  We talk with Hancock about his career in film and some advice on independent filmmaking.

Interesting Indiana has a conversation with Olympic runner David Neville who won a Bronze medal in the 400m and Gold medal in the 4x400m relay in the 2008 Olympics. Neville grew up in Highland and Merrillville Indiana and was a standout runner at Merrillville High School as well as Indiana University. We talk with David about the sacrifices and training to be a high level track athlete and what he has learned over the years to help him in his coaching career at Taylor University.