With the presidential election cycle eating itself (and many of our souls), this week’s episode takes on three recent electoral satires: 1999’s Election, 2012’s The Campaign and 2003’s Head of State. In them, races for student council president, a rural Congressional seat and the highest office in the land are wrought with the betrayal, the puppeteering and the backroom handshakes we imagine (or try not to) in the political system.

On this week’s show, we’re also joined by journalist Leo Adam Biga, author of “Alexander Payne: His Journey In Film,” to talk about Election, a young Payne trying to capture Omaha, and a sneak preview into Payne’s return to satire with 2017’s Downsizing. A new edition of Biga’s interview collection with Payne is due out this Septemeber with added chapters and design components. Stay tuned to Biga’s work and find the book via his website.

Episode Table of Contents:
3:40 – “Election” and its fearlessness
16:00 – Leo Adam Biga on Alexander Payne’s career and his next movie
29:00 – “The Campaign” doesn’t understand satire
39:40 – “Head of State” gets a bad rap