EP027 - Living The Dream with Mike Blizzard

Welcome to Austin Studios, the airport-turned-soundstages located at the intersection of Austin Film Society and Richard Linklater's Detour Filmproductions… and who better to catch on the backlot than Mike Blizzard? A producer known for APOLLO 10½, HIT MAN, and this month's BLUE MOON, all made with longtime collaborator Richard Linklater, Mike takes us through the old airport hangars where MISS CONGENIALITY stumbled and where WALKER spurred onto screens. Breaking down how true stories become narrative films. We dig into the real Gary Johnson (fake hitman, real person), Lorenz Hart's final night at Sardi's (BLUE MOON), and why Linklater keeps returning to stories that actually happened.  Mike produced the Sundance doc NO NO: A DOCKUMENTARY, and as director of the non-fiction ode to local film, ALSO STARRING AUSTIN, he's the perfect tour guide through Austin film history. And, we're catching Mike just as CLEMENTE, his baseball-doc about Roberto Clemente, is rounding third on it's theatrical run and sliding into THE HISTORY CHANNEL — and BLUE MOON releases nationwide. It's a busy time for Blizzard, and we're glad he gave some of it to us….   Discussed Works: HIT MAN (2023) - Netflix | BLUE MOON (2025) - Sony Pictures Classics | APOLLO 10½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD (2022) - Netflix | ALSO STARRING AUSTIN (2018) - Available online | NO NO: A DOCKUMENTARY (2014) - Netflix | MISS CONGENIALITY (2000) - Various platforms | BERNIE (2011) - Various platforms | BOYHOOD (2014) - Various platforms | CLEMENTE (2024) - History Channel