by Ken B.

I love podcasts. They’re a great device for listening to interesting people talk about interesting things, and listening to them can make menial or mundane tasks more bearable. I subscribe to many podcasts about a wide range of subjects, but today, in the vein of Recommended Movie Websites, I decided to open up my podcast app of choice on my iPod (Downcast), and talk about the movie-related ones I listen to.

The Cinephiliacs – The Cinephiliacs is a show where host Peter Labuza interviews a subject, usually a film critic (but could be nearly anyone), and provides us with two hours of fascinating talk, ranging from the interviewee’s first film related experience, the story of how they got to where the are today, and is capped off by a  discussion of one movie of the subject’s choice.

Linoleum Knife – Film critics Alonso Duralde and Dave White record this weekly show from their home where they talk about the newest releases, odd titles on DVD, and generally, whatever crosses their minds. They have an excellent dynamic that is quite fun to listen to, still holding on even when they bring an outsider on the show, which in the past, has included such critics as Manohla Dargis, Amy Nicholson, and Matt Zoller Seitz.

Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Reviews – Or Wittertainment. That’s what everyone knows this BBC Radio 5 show as. Mark Kermode, one of my favorite film critics, provides weekly reviews whilst Simon Mayo conducts interviews with wide swaths of guests. Always light and fun, and crosses into the legendary if Kermode goes off on a lengthy rant about an especially bad production. (Oh, and hello to Jason Isaacs.)

Movie Podcast Weekly – I must admit that I very rarely am able to listen through an entire episode of Movie Podcast Weekly. That’s not a slight against the show, but rather a comment on how jam-packed each episode is, often clocking in at well over two hours. Host Jason Pyles brings on a handful of regular participants and some interesting guests every Tuesday, as they talk about new theatrical releases and whatever else they may have been watching over the week. But of course, when you get so many people together in conversation, something unexpected could always happen…

Rotten Tomatoes – The Rotten Tomatoes podcast is an entertaining extension of the website. A handful of staff members (usually including editor-in-chief Matt Atchity and senior editor Grae Drake) go down the list and talk about the scores for the week’s major releases, DVDs, and TV shows. This is followed as Drake (the editor, not the rapper) interviews actors or directors with a new project hitting the screen (big or small).

You Must Remember This – I just discovered this one last week (as of this writing), and I’m very glad I did. Former LA Weekly critic Karina Longworth spends each half-hour episode telling us about a relatively obscure or underdiscussed story from the first century of Hollywood’s history. Presented as part narration, part radio play, You Must Remember This tells fascinating, informative and sometimes tragic stories from years gone by.

So now you hopefully have some new listening material. Are there any film-related podcasts you think I should check out? Tell me in the comments below:

 

• Blog
• Ken B.