As much as I love radio, I hardly listen to it anymore. Part of this has to do with the fact that since the demise of Indie 103, there aren't really any stations out there playing the type of stuff I want to listen to. But the chief reason for my abandonment of the airwaves, is the sheer number of podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. In any given week, I will listen to roughly five or six hours of podcasting. It's even come to the point where I will listen while I shower so as to not fall behind.
So that I don't have to be alone in my addiction, here are some great film-related podcasts for you to get hooked on!
If you're ever in Los Angeles, I highly recommend you attend one of weekly Doug Loves Movies recordings at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Host Doug Benson's guest list is always a surprise and always awesome. Ever want to meet Jon Hamm? This could be your chance! He might even pick your name-tag and play The Leonard Maltin Game on your behalf! Even if you can't make it to the city of Angels, audio evidence of this hilarity plops every Friday.
The Treatment
This one is kind of a cheat in that this show was not originally conceived as a podcast. Since 1996, film critic Elvis Mitchell has been conducting fascinating half-hour interviews with a wide range of guests for Santa Monica's legendary NPR affiliate KCRW. The decision to make it available as a podcast was a no brainer. While Mitchell is a serious critic filled with wonderful insights, he's also a generally fun guy with tastes ranging from arty foreign films to down and dirty exploitation flicks. LACMA made a great choice appointing him as head film curator.
Regardless of what you think of his work, you've got to agree that Kevin Smith is funny as shit - and so are these conversations. Where else are you going to find a three-part, multi-hour, career-spanning interview with Penny Marshall? Who else would host a round-table discussion with John Lithgow and Peter Weller about The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension? This podcast isn't released on a very regular basis but when you see it start to auto-download, you know you are in for a treat!
Team Jack
Let me get this out of the way first - yes this podcast has a connection to the "dreaded" Twilight franchise. The titular Jack is Breaking Dawn 1 & 2 director Bill Condon's partner (yes in the gay sense) Jack Morrissey and those books and films do come up frequently. Hopefully you can get over your preconceived notions like I did and just enjoy these hilariously catty and dirty dissections of all things geek. Jack's interview with DVD bonus-material producer Charles de Lauzirika is super fascinating stuff. I guarantee that over the course of each hour-long podcast, your Netflix queue will grow exponentially.
Let me get this out of the way first - yes this podcast has a connection to the "dreaded" Twilight franchise. The titular Jack is Breaking Dawn 1 & 2 director Bill Condon's partner (yes in the gay sense) Jack Morrissey and those books and films do come up frequently. Hopefully you can get over your preconceived notions like I did and just enjoy these hilariously catty and dirty dissections of all things geek. Jack's interview with DVD bonus-material producer Charles de Lauzirika is super fascinating stuff. I guarantee that over the course of each hour-long podcast, your Netflix queue will grow exponentially.
The Q&A
Jeff Goldsmith cut his teeth interviewing for Creative Screenwriting Magazine. When that particular periodical went the way of the dodo in 2011, Goldsmith wisely decided to keep the interview train rolling. No longer limited to just screenwriting, Jeff is now able to more fully explore, "the creative process of storytelling." The real masterpiece of this series is the interview he conducted with Quentin Tarantino and Richard Kelly about their relationship with the late Tony Scott a mere week after Scott's death. I really wish Goldsmith's old Creative Screenwriting podcasts were still available. Get on that internet!
Jeff Goldsmith cut his teeth interviewing for Creative Screenwriting Magazine. When that particular periodical went the way of the dodo in 2011, Goldsmith wisely decided to keep the interview train rolling. No longer limited to just screenwriting, Jeff is now able to more fully explore, "the creative process of storytelling." The real masterpiece of this series is the interview he conducted with Quentin Tarantino and Richard Kelly about their relationship with the late Tony Scott a mere week after Scott's death. I really wish Goldsmith's old Creative Screenwriting podcasts were still available. Get on that internet!
How Did This Get Made?
Films don't necessarily have to be good in order to be enjoyed. In fact, shitty movies often make for a much more enjoyable viewing experience. Comedian Paul Scheer and his co-hosts understands this concept intimately. Each episode digs seriously deep into some of the worst films ever made. I'm pretty sure they think about these films more than the people who actually made them. And speaking of the people who make these monstrosities - some of them come on as guests! The interview with Punisher War Zone director Lexi Alexander is pretty sweet, but the one with Greg Sestero who played (oh, hi) Mark in The Room, is not to be missed.
Films don't necessarily have to be good in order to be enjoyed. In fact, shitty movies often make for a much more enjoyable viewing experience. Comedian Paul Scheer and his co-hosts understands this concept intimately. Each episode digs seriously deep into some of the worst films ever made. I'm pretty sure they think about these films more than the people who actually made them. And speaking of the people who make these monstrosities - some of them come on as guests! The interview with Punisher War Zone director Lexi Alexander is pretty sweet, but the one with Greg Sestero who played (oh, hi) Mark in The Room, is not to be missed.
Aw man, I miss 103.1. Remember listening to that when I drove to and from my old job. Now it's just NPR, which is plenty interesting, but doesn't always offer the same kick.
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