15 Best Movie Podcasts to Help You Find Your Next Favorite Movie
If, while browsing Netflix’s latest offerings on yet another countless nights out, you felt like you’d already seen every decent movie in existence, well, you’d be wrong, but you’d also be kind of right. I can confidently say that you will never run out of good movies to watch, but only if you know how to find good movies to watch. For example , finding new music , figuring out what’s worth adding to your watch queue beyond the latest blockbusters and awards. -Winners require time, effort and attention. And increasingly, one of my favorite ways to do this is through podcasts. Movie podcasts have been around since two guys with annoying voices plugged microphones into computers, but today, some 15 years after the podcast boom, there are plenty of them that go far beyond the usual “can we still?” calling them niches (laughing at cheesy movies; obsessively analyzing the Oscars ). While I still enjoy many of these shows (probably because they are made by and for guys like me), there are also podcasts with films from a variety of voices: black men, black women, gay guys, etc. It turns out that by listening to people who don’t look, think, or live like me when talking about movies, I can find a ton of new movies to watch, even if I’m re-watching movies I’ve seen before with new eyes. Here are 15 of my favorite podcasts to deepen my love of cinema and find new movies to watch.
Flop House
It might make more sense to think of House of Sleeping as a podcast to listen to if you want to know what movies you should n’t watch, but there’s also something to be said for learning to recognize what’s bad about watching a movie can be just as interesting (if less rewarding) than watching a good one. Over 400 episodes, the hosts are Dan McCoy (former writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ), Elliot Kalan (former head writer for The Daily Show and member of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot), and Stuart Wellington (i.e. co-creator) owner of several bars in Brooklyn, but , hey, these are great bars ) have turned it into something of an art. The trio (and the occasional guest) bring a goofy, good-natured exasperation to their analyzes of films that either flopped at the box office or with critics (usually both), as they talk about their ridiculous plot twists and poorly developed characters and find enjoyment even among the most painful cinematic experiences. Few of the films they reviewed are “worth” watching (with the exception of Cats ), but I often finish a series wanting to see them anyway. And if bad movies don’t lift your spirits, they end each showing with recommendations for other movies that are actually worth your time.
It had Oscar Buzz
The Oscars have been called the Gay Super Bowl, and in This Had Oscar Buzz , hosts and film critics Joe Reed and Chris Feil certainly dive into the historical Oscar race with all the passion and expertise of our most dedicated staff. your office. fantasy football fan. Each week, they pick a movie that the Oscars forgot – movies that starred big stars or veteran directors, the kind of authority that got people talking about their award potential… but then “Oscar hopes died and [they’re] here to perform an autopsy.” What I love about this series is that it features a lot of movies that I’ve “heard were good” (hence the hype) but never got around to watching. This isn’t a bad movie podcast per se – some of the movies they talk about are really great but have been unfairly ignored ( “I Heart I Heart Huckabees “) – so it’s a great way to find decent, watchable movies, and quality Oscars Being a geek myself, I love their chatter about why this or that movie didn’t make it on the ballot.
Big picture
The Big Picture , an offshoot of online sports network The Ringer, is definitely worth a listen if you’re the type of person who likes to keep up with everything that’s currently playing in theaters, causing a stir at festivals, and likely vying for major awards. . Regular hosts Sean Fennessy and Amanda Dobbins spontaneously react to new releases – from blockbusters to art house – and along the way comment on (or express sympathy for) the state of modern cinema. Thematic episodes abound, including the usual and highly controversial drafts, and with two episodes dropped most weeks, you’ll never need more content.
duck eye
Inspired by a quote from director David Lynch, this show is based on an in-depth analysis of films and their context through “duck’s eye” scenes – those moments or sequences in a film that define the whole. Hosts Dom Nero and Adam Wolerich take back issues (usually grouping them into themed series, from ’80s fantasy to movies set in space), dive into their production history, analyze what’s actually happening on screen, and consider their place in cultural memory. . And, of course, at the end of each episode, each presenter determines his personal “duck’s eye” for a given film. (It’s amazing how often they disagree.)
Fighting in the war room
Fighting in the War Room is a kind of movie podcast for the online crowd, hosted by four of Film Twitter’s loudest voices (I can’t call it Film X, sorry): Vanity Fair’s Katie Rich, Polygon’s Matt. Patches, Geek.com’s Dave Gonzalez and IndieWire’s David Ehrlich. Each episode, they get together to argue about the latest episodes and talk about the latest events in the world of pop culture. It’s a little broader than most of the others on this list, also touching on television a bit, but the discussions are always interesting and (despite the title) sometimes a little controversial (in a friendly way).
Knife for linoleum
The linoleum knife was recommended by a reader in the comments of an earlier version of this post, and I’m so glad it was because it has become my favorite comfort tool. This casual, intimate talk show that looks at movies from a strange perspective is hosted by married film critics Dave White and Alonso Duralde (who are both regulars on a number of podcasts, including others in this review). If you feel like you’re listening to your old married friends bicker at the dinner table, this is exactly what you need. (True fans can subscribe to Patreon to listen to a range of additional articles that will take you deeper into the duo’s lives and relationships.)
Next movie show
If you’ve been around the fantasy online film space for any length of time, you may remember the late, lamented site The Dissolve, founded by former core staffers of the once indispensable pop culture site The AV Club and intended to offer a sort of “Pitchfork for movie”. (This made sense, since it started out as an offshoot of Pitchfork itself.) Dissolve had a podcast that I liked, but it, uh, disappeared (along with the rest of the site) when Pitchfork shut it down in 2015, shortly before that . acquired by Condé Nast. From the ashes of that podcast emerged The Next Picture Show , featuring former Dissolvers Genevieve Koski, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson and Scott Tobias. It retains the irreverent but seriously knowing atmosphere of the previous series, but with a new and memorable conceit: each episode is part of a duology, exploring two films that are somehow connected, either because they represent two eras of the director’s work, or because that they are working on similar topics (they are currently midway through a two-way discussion between Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron ). I’m so glad these people are still in my ears after all these years.
Screen drafts
One of the great ironies of my life is that I rarely have time to watch the many two-and-a-half to three-hour movies that I want to watch, but I regularly listen to podcasts about movies that are three or three hours long. more. (Of course, I often listen at double speed, which I know many of you consider a crime.) “Drafts” is regularly one of the longest shows I listen to (one episode was over six hours long), but I love it . The idea is that a rotating group of film lovers come together to “compile” a definitive list of the best films on a particular topic, be it the best Disney animated films or a screenwriter’s important debut films. “Draft Commissioners” Clay Keller and Ryan Marker make it a real game, introducing wrinkles like the limited veto that can get a film delisted, and players bringing their own biases and tastes to the recording booth so you you will never succeed. be sure where your pets will land.
You’re good
A favorite of resident Lifehacker podcast expert Lauren Passell , You Are Good is a “feelings podcast about movies” from You Are Wrong hosts Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed. Each episode they feature a guest who chooses a movie they like for sentimental reasons. This show is less about analyzing films for what they are or what awards they’ve won, and more about how they make us feel – which is ultimately what matters, right? It’s great to hear people talk unapologetically about why they like a movie (even one that’s generally considered “bad”), and it’s rare that I don’t end an episode wanting to watch (or rewatch) what was just discussed.
Blank check with Griffin and David
What started as a playful attempt to analyze the Star Wars prequels has become one of my favorite podcasts, as hosts Griffin Newman (an actor you may recognize from Prime Video’s The Tick ) and David Sims (a critic for The Atlantic) delve into a long-running mini-series dedicated to the entire filmography of a particular director. The idea behind “Blank Check” is that these directors made one movie that was such a hit that it gave them the ability to do whatever projects they wanted after that, so they could see what kind of movies they decided to make film and hear the voices of the hosts and their guests. thinking about why they made them is addictive. This is a great way to explore in-depth passages from a director you may not be too familiar with. If The Silence of the Lambs is the only Jonathan Demme movie you’ve ever seen, their Jonathan Demme mini-movie Stop Podcasting will definitely give you pause. I want to check a few more. The show can meander, as the hosts spend a lot of time talking about everything other than the movie of the week at the beginning of the episode, but you get used to it. They definitely approach things from a white guy perspective, but in recent years they’ve made strides in being more inclusive in who they invite as guests and what directors they cover; Take, for example, the recent series about the films of South Korean director Park Chan-wook and African-American director Gina Prince-Bythewood. If you give them $5 a month on Patreon, you can also enjoy a huge catalog of feature-length commentaries on mega-franchises like the Marvel films, Toy Story and… Crocodile Dundee ?
Black on black cinema
In more than 250 episodes of Black on Black Cinema to date, hosts Terrence Carpenter, Jay Jacksonrao and Micah Payne—who, you won’t be shocked to learn, are all black men—discuss and dissect, with equal parts humor and insightful criticism, the works from black Hollywood directors, but also films by white writers and directors that focus on black actors and characters. I found this show through a friend’s recommendation from an episode of The Help , released amid police protests in early June 2020, when the 2011 film inexplicably trended on Netflix. I already knew, of course, that the film was deeply problematic— Green Book used to be Green Book, in the same “white people learn about or deal with racism” category as Driving Miss Daisy —but their sharp and the hilarious analysis of this film was enlightening. This is a great entry point into a fun and entertaining capsule.
Maximum movie
The show formerly known as Who Shot You? , Maximum Film is clearly “a podcast that isn’t just a bunch of straight white guys.” Maximum Film is hosted by comedian Ify Nwadiwe, director Drea Clark and film critic Alonso Duralde. The focus is more general than some of the other shows on this list in that it doesn’t explicitly explore issues of race and representation (though they certainly come up). Episodes typically focus on one new film, although sometimes they focus on an older film or analyze an entire franchise.
Bechdel’s cast
The Bechdel Test has become something of a meme—a way to analyze how women are portrayed in movies by counting scenes that don’t feature or revolve around men. The Bechdel cast was inspired by the original parameters of the test, but goes beyond them as hosts Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus (both Los Angeles-based comedians) look at the films from a feminist perspective, considering how female-identifying characters are women. was treated in them. The discussions are a good mix of humor and insight, and usually feature guests from the worlds of filmmaking or comedy. The films they focus on tend to be catalog titles rather than new releases – recent shows run the gamut from Y Tu Mamá Tambien to Videodrome – so there’s a healthy dose of historical perspective in the mix.
You must remember this
If you think old black and white movies are stupid, slow and boring, this famous podcast will quickly change your mind. This one stands out a bit from this list because instead of reviewing or discussing a different movie each episode, host Karina Longworth, who also researches, writes, and produces the show, dives deep into Hollywood history to place classic films. legendary stars and forgotten examples of both in their proper context. While you don’t have to watch the movies she discusses to be entertained, you might want to—her recently released series Erotic 90s has everyone I follow on Letterboxd diving back into the likes of Basic Instinct and Showgirls . Listening to Longworth discuss the rise and fall of MGM or the sad stories of Tinsel Town’s many doomed dead blondes helped me expand my knowledge of film history far beyond any classes I took in college, and given that she names tons of old movies. with each episode, I’m never without a new title to add to my to-watch list. Even better: it gave me a great way to choose which one to watch next .
Black Girl Cinema Club
The idea for Black Girl Film Club came from hosts Ashley and Brittney’s desire to talk about movies from their “often underrepresented perspective”—the perspective of two black girls—and it’s a super fun, super smart show that embraces all types of cinema; episodes focused on everything from the costume design of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette to the directorial excesses of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (one of this ’90s baby’s personal favorites). Just browsing through their catalog reminded me of about a dozen films I really wanted to see, and their discussions are a great teaser (or stalker) for your viewing experience.