NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Magazine has launched Reel Magnolias, a weekly podcast exploring the films, filmmakers and locations that have shaped Louisiana’s cinematic identity.
Hosted by Jeremy Marshall, branded content writer for Renaissance Publishing and film critic for MyNewOrleans.com, the podcast features recurring discussions with film critic Lucia Bellanger Koski and Future Shock Video owner Eden Chubb as the trio examines movies with Louisiana connections, from Hollywood classics to lesser-known productions.
The podcast launches as Louisiana’s film industry continues to gain momentum. Film New Orleans reported that productions spent $200 million in the local economy during the first quarter of 2026 alone, putting the city on pace to surpass the $342 million in production spending recorded in 2024.
The inaugural episode focuses on the 1994 film Interview With the Vampire, based on the novel by New Orleans author Anne Rice. The discussion explores the film’s influence on vampire cinema, its New Orleans setting and performances by Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst. Filmed in Louisiana, it remains one of the state’s most recognizable movie productions.
“Interview With the Vampire hits right at the cross-section of everything we hope to explore with Reel Magnolias,” said Marshall. “It’s campy, it’s swampy, it’s sexy, it’s bloody; it’s got everything you could want from a Louisiana movie all rolled into one, including movie stars doing barely passable accents.”
“Whether you’re talking Blockbuster success or just a cult classic, there’s something about movies as an art form that speaks to everyone,” said Kelly Massicot, podcast producer and New Orleans Magazine digital editor. “Taking a cue from the success of Jeremy’s weekly ‘Screen Time’ blog, and noting the continued advancement of Louisiana in and out of the movies, it just made sense to extend the conversation into a podcast that can highlight and appreciate both the state and the art.”
Reel Magnolias Looks Ahead
Future episodes will revisit films spanning genres and decades, exploring the people, places and stories that have made Louisiana a recurring star of the silver screen.
Marshall said the podcast is designed for both longtime movie fans and viewers interested in the state’s unique place in film history.
“Reel Magnolias is a celebration of films set in Louisiana and how filmmakers have interpreted, sometimes accurately if often disastrously, the culture, people and overall feeling of living here,” said Marshall. “We plan to leave no stone unturned, from Hollywood epics to Hallmark Christmas movies. There’s a whole wealth of cinema just begging to be uncovered!”
The first episode of Reel Magnolias is available at MyNewOrleans.com.
Among the films slated for future episodes is the 1993 action film Hard Target.
“An episode I am very much looking forward to focuses on Hard Target, the 1993 John Woo-directed, Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring vehicle about a kickboxing Cajun loner who finds himself caught in the middle of a ‘Most Dangerous Game’-style manhunt,” said Marshall. “There’s explosive action, a ridiculous sense of spatial geography, snake punching, moonshine swilling, and a final showdown in an abandoned Mardi Gras float warehouse. It’s a blast!”
