Conversations about books, music, movies, shows, tech, culture, and more. Jim is a songwriter and leader of the band Jim’s Big Ego. He is also an author of The Wakeful Wanderer’s Guide series. Lionel Cassin is an IT security specialist and a voracious reader of Science Fiction and History. They enjoy lively conversations with each other and interesting guests and are sharing those exchanges with you.
A podcast about technology, films, music, history, and fiction.
Hosted by Jim Infantino and Lionel Cassin
with Lionel and Jim
Season 6, Episode 32: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and AI Music
Symphony Four, Rite of Spring, Petrouska, Suno and Udio
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Today we talk about the world of classical music, the creative process of composers like Stravinsky, and the impact of AI on music creation and authenticity. We dig into Stravinsky's use of folk themes in classical music, the orchestration and [...]
with Lionel & Jim
Season 6, Episode 31: Marcionite Fan Fiction
Christ Before Jesus, The Historicity of the Gospels
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
This week we dive into a fascinating book by Jaaron Wingo and Matthew Britt titled Christ Before Jesus: Evidence for the Second Century Origins of Jesus . This is a dense historical refutation of the historicity of [...]
with Lionel & Jim
Season 6, Episode 30: The inexplicable Béla Tarr
The Turin Horse, Werckmesiter Harmonies, religion in post Soviet film
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Well, we did it. After years of swearing off the films of Béla Tarr; a director recommended to us by Bob Loy, we bit the bullet and watched two of his films: Werckmeister Harmonies, and The Turin Horse. These are [...]
with Lionel & Jim
Season 6, Episode 29: Solaris & Stalker
The films of Andre Tarkovsky
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
This conversation explores the depths of Andre Tarkovsky's films Solaris and Stalker, delving into their themes, production challenges, and philosophical insights. Spoiler: we really loved Stalker, and we really didn't love Solaris. It also touches on science fiction's portrayal of [...]