Podcast & Pop Culture Guest

Halvorsen has become the female voice of the FanEffect podcast sharing her opinion and reviews on several pop culture topics.

Listen to some of her favorites now:

“Frozen 2” Avoids Problems that Hurt Many Sequels & Kids Films By Aiming Older

• Disney Animation’s “Frozen 2” is dominating the box office as fans, parents and kids eat up the long-awaited sequel. Andy Farnsworth is joined by KellieAnn Halvorsen of KSL NewsRadio’s Movie Show and Disney D23 insider Matthew Hansen for some SPOILER TALK as they break down why “Frozen 2” seems to be resonating with so many viewers, and what things it did right to avoid looking like just a cynical cash grab. Also, they debate whether it’s the intent of, or the result of, a character’s personal sacrifices in a story that makes those sacrifices meaningful.
• NOTE: This podcast contains spoilers for ‘Frozen 2’ (2019).a
• Listen here.

Going Inside the Mind of “JOKER”…Whether We Want To Or Not

• Joker, perhaps the most iconic comic book villain of all time, has his own movie now… made by director Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix. The movie has drawn both praise and criticism for its grounded portrayal of a character who is an unapologetic, psychopathic murderer in the source material.
• NOTE: This podcast contains spoilers for ‘Joker’ (2019).
• Listen here. 

“The Lion King” Remake Doesn’t Quite Make a Full Roar

• One of Disney’s iconic animated cartoon movies gets a photo-realistic remake in “The Lion King,” this time with an all-new voice cast and state-of-the-art computer animation. In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by KellieAnn Halvorsen of KSL’s “Movie Show” and YouTuber, FanX host and Disney superfan Chris Provost to talk about whether or not “Lion King” should even have been re-made in the first place, the strengths and weaknesses of the new version, and where it ranks among Disney’s recent run of remakes.
• NOTE: First segment is spoiler-free, but final segments contain mild spoilers for “The Lion King” (2019).
• Listen here.

Toy Story 4 & Why Disney/Pixar Should Keep It Going

• Nearly 25 years after the original “Toy Story” movie changed the standard for animated films…we’ve got “Toy Story 4”. In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by guests KellieAnn Halvorsen (KSL’s “Movie Show”) and Chris Provost (actor, FanX host, & Disney superfan) to discuss this latest–or is last?–entry in the Pixar franchise that started it all, including how it makes them feel about the ending of “Toy Story 3,” thoughts about the new characters introduced, which ones got short-changed in terms of screentime and what Disney/Pixar should do with them in the future.
• Listen here. 

Talking Spoilers and Pop Culture With Author Richard V. Greene

• There’s no bigger sin in pop culture right now than spoiling details of a mega-popular movie or TV show before someone else can see it. Reports have come out about people being physically assaulted after giving away details of a major Hollywood blockbuster. Yet as recently as 30 years ago the concept of spoiling something wasn’t a concern for most people.
• In this episode, Andy Farnsworth and guest host KellieAnn Halvorsen are joined by Richard V. Greene, a philosophy professor and author of Spoiler Alert! (It’s a Book About the Philosophy of Spoilers) to talk about how this spoiler culture came to be, why we fear spoilers, what things *can’t* be spoiled, and debate some of the biggest spoilers in movie history. (WARNING: This podcast episode contains spoilers!)
• Listen here

Disney’s Imperfect “Aladdin” Remake Has Its Moments

• In this episode, Andy Farnsworth, Ryan Meeks and KellieAnn Halvorsen are talking Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” remake (WITH SPOILERS).
• Disney hopes this new movie from director Guy Ritchie puts people in the seats like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Cinderella” did, but fans seem more apprehensive than usual about this remake of the 1992 animated classic.
• Andy, Ryan and KellieAnn didn’t find this new “Aladdin” to be quite to the level of the best Disney remakes, but really liked some of it–Naomi Scott as Jasmine, in particular.  Listen to find out what else they liked, their quibbles with some of the movie’s choices, and ideas for a possible sequel!
• Listen here

AVENGERS: ENDGAME discussion w/ spoilers

• We are inevitable! Andy Farnsworth, Adam Thomas, Ryan Meeks, KellieAnn Halvorsen and Kristian Odland assemble for a SPOILER-FILLED discussion of “Avengers: Endgame”.
• “Part of the journey is the end.” Those words from Tony Stark sum up where we find ourselves after 11 years, 22 movies and an epic final three-hour emotional ride.  Join us in this episode AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED THE MOVIE as we talk about the moments that surprised, excited, cracked us up, and gave us all the feels. Also, what we think or hope will happen as the Marvel Cinematic Universe moves on from here.
• listen here

SHAZAM and How DC Finally Relaxed and Made a Fun Live-Action movie

• When it comes to superhero movies, turning one into a comedy does not always “pan out” the way everyone wants. (e.g. Thor Ragnorok) Shazam sets the bar for the genre of superhero comedies, and it sets it high. Andy Farnsworth and Ryan Meeks are joined by KellieAnn Halvorsen and Johnny Mckeon to review this great addition to the DCEU. The consensus seems to be that whether or not you know who Shazam is, we think you will like this movie.
• Listen now.

DUMBO and Disney’s Live-Action Cartoon Remake Empire

• Andy Farnsworth is joined by guests KellieAnn Halvorsen and Natalie Mollinet to talk about the new live-action version of “Dumbo” directed by Tim Burton… then have a much more broad discussion about Disney’s live-action remakes of cartoon movie classics, including: Their favorites and least-liked movies so far; which upcoming movies are they most looking forward to and which are they hoping never make it to the big screen; and what do these remakes HAVE TO HAVE in order to be “good”? SHOW NOTE: This episode contains 100% more singing than any previous episode in “Fan Effect” history.
• Listen now. 

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Deep Dive WITH SPOILERS

• OK, you’ve seen “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and you’ve got questions! That’s what we’re here for. In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by Harry Potter-philes Becky Bruce and KellieAnn Halvorsen for some deep, SPOILER-FILLED discussions of J.K. Rowling’s latest entry in the wizarding world we know and love. If you feel like you got a lot of info dumped on you by the end of the movie, we’ll help you sort it out, make sense of it and hopefully make your next viewing of “Fantastic Beasts 2” and the latest adventures of Newt Scamander even more enjoyable.
• Listen now.

Halvorsen has also been a special guest at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, discussing her favorite fandoms.

Halvorsen is available as a special guest for podcasts, panels, and more. Her fandom specialties include DC Comics, Movies/Film, Disney, Disney Parks, Harry Potter, Warner Brothers, Theater, Arts, and more.

You can contact Halvorsen with a request here.