Gimme Three Podcast - A Series For Cinephiles

The World Cup has the entire globe buzzing. So we figured we'd do some world traveling here on the Gimme Three Podcast and celebrate three unforgettable and undeniable international short films.  - We begin in France with the 1993 short film Emilie Muller. A gorgeous black-and-white picture that is so great you'll be dying to rewatch it as soon as you finish.  Watch Emilie Muller here! -...

This episode marks the long awaited return of Gimme Three A-Z. Each month, Bella, Nick, and one lucky listener will contribute a film that they adore for each letter of the alphabet. This month is we've got nothing but BANGERS for the Letter B.  - We start with our audience selection: Charlie Kauffman and Spike Jonze collaborate in one of the more inventive and mind-expanding concepts to grac...

In this compilation episode we celebrate three independent cinema gems that highlight magnificent and original queer stories.  - We start with Cheryl Dunye's 90s indie-classic, The Watermelon Woman.  - Second, we travel to Sweden and do a deep dive into the angsty teenage coming-of-age romance, Show Me Love.  - Finally, we revisit our interview from last year's Los Angeles Diversity Film...

In this week's episode, we celebrate queer joy in movies with three hilarious films that are widely considered classics among the LGBTQ community.  - We start with a bonafide classic. Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman star in the side-splitting Mike Nichols film, The Birdcage .  - Second, Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall wow audiences in the creative and subversive cult gem, But I&a...

Happy Pride, everyone! In honor of Pride Month, we’re celebrating with a specially curated selection of some of the greatest queer love stories in cinema! Join Nick and Bella as they discuss three of the most celebrated, impressive, and romantic queer love stories ever told. We’re talking all about the visual beauty of these films and the touching love stories within. Bella introduces one of her a...

Is the theater experience back? Independent horror films like Obsession and Backrooms are making waves at the box office. Fresh stories like The Drama and Crime 101 have made their mark. So co-host Nicholas Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu thought this was a great time to highlight some independent films that are absolutely worth seeing on the big screen while you still can.  - We start with Boots...

Today's episode spotlights Claudette Colbert, a genuine icon of cinema.  Colbert's career traversed multiple eras in Hollywood: the Silent Era, the Pre-Code Era, and the Golden Age.  To kick it off, we discuss what is widely considered one of the all-time greats, It Happened One Night . Claudette Colbert co-stars opposite Clark Gable in this genre-defining classic.  Next, Claudette Colbe...

This week, The Gimme Three Podcast is proud to host two outstanding Latina filmmakers, Arianna Ortiz and Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel. Their film, The Birthday Gift, will have its West Coast Premiere at the 25th Annual LA Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF).  Arianna and Cruz discuss the adaptation of the piece (from play to short film), their creative process, their approach to character-driven wo...

2026 is the year of Anne Hathaway. With five films being released this year, Nick and Bella are feeling the Hathaway fever. In this episode, the duo explores some of the prolific performer’s most iconic roles.  We start with Anne Hathaway’s first Academy Award-nominated performance in Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married.  Second, to commemorate the theatrical success of its sequel, we dive hea...

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of many amazing films from the year 2001. In this episode, we go back in time to revisit some of our favorite episodes and discuss the ensemble casts from 2001.  - We start by revisiting our episode in which we honored the late, great David Lynch. We explored the mind-bending, pulse-pounding thriller Mulholland Drive.  - Second, we explored the early work of We...

This episode marks the first in a brand new monthly series: Gimme Three A - Z. Each month, Bella and Nick will go through each letter of the alphabet and suggest one film that they love and think everybody should have on their watchlist. We also get feedback and suggestions from you, our audience.  This month: the letter A! We open with a submission from one of our listeners, Adriana Lopez Lacen,...

To commemorate the release of Michael, Nick and Bella explore some of the short films (yes, short films... not music videos) from the King of Pop. Jackson helped define this art form and brought the medium to a prominence that no other artist had approached.  *Click on the titles of the films to watch them on YouTube* - We start with what is widely considered to be the greatest music video of all...

Put on your dancing shoes and crank up your favorite 80s beats, because on this episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we're cutting some rug. Actor, writer, producer (and dancer) Hannelore Berlin joins Nicholas Ybarra as they deep-dive into three of the 1980s' most impactful dance films.  - We start with perhaps the most iconic dance film of the decade, in which Patrick Swayze and Jennifer...

Join the dangerous minds of Nicholas Ybarra and Bella Efstratis as they discuss one of the 21st century's most fabulous performers, Michelle Pfeiffer. To celebrate Ms. Pfeiffer's birthday, Nick and Bella explore three wildly entertaining films from Michelle's filmography. In this episode, we discuss titillating Dangerous Liaisons , the outrageously deft The Witches of Eastwick , and...

Co-Host Bella Efstratis and Producer Sonja Mereu discuss the power of documentaries and how modern technology and ingenuity shaped some of 2025's most powerful films.  - The Alabama Solution - The Perfect Neighbor - Mr. Nobody Against Putin These films are not only a masterclass in editing but also an important tool for empathy and a call to action. Let us know what you think of these films a...

On this week’s episode, we honor one of the greatest comedic minds ever to grace the silver screen. Catherine O’Hara. In particular, we explore her wildly impressive improvisational collaborations with Christopher Guest. These films highlight some of the most impressive elements of O’Hara’s talents: her improv skills, her dramatic range, her world-building, and her overall magnetic star power. We...

For Women’s History Month, the Gimme Three Podcast is spotlighting a filmmaker whose name was nearly lost to history: Alice Guy-Blaché . Before Hollywood existed, before the language of cinema had even fully formed, one woman was already experimenting with storytelling on screen—directing hundreds of films and helping shape what movies could become. So why don’t more people know her name? In this...

Today, we celebrate the birthday of a tremendous actor who elevates every film that he’s in. Of course, we are talking about Mr. Oscar Isaac. In his prolific career, Isaac has helmed many blockbuster franchises. Still, he hasn’t shied away from layered, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying characters - those are the type of performances that we tackle in this week’s episode.  We start with Oscar I...

In the third and final installment of our Lord of the Rings episodes, co-host Nicholas Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu discuss the epic finale to one of the most impactful trilogies in cinematic history.  Return of the King concludes the epic tales of Middle-earth, Frodo, Gollum, Gandalf, Samwise, and Aragorn.  Join us as we get Nicholas' final verdict on the trilogy and another gushing tale...

We return with our Lord of the Rings deep dive. This week, we explore the pulse-pounding second installment, The Two Towers . Peter Jackson and team raise the stakes, sharpen their skillset, and deliver a whollop of a sequel.  In this episode, co-host Nicholas Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu discuss their favorite moments from the film, Andy Serkis's incredible performance as Gollum, and the...

For the first time, the Gimme Three Podcast is slowing things down and taking it one movie at a time. Co-host Nick Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu began their in-depth analysis of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  In this episode, we take a look at 2001's Fellowship of the Ring .  Peter Jackson's hypnotic and game-changing fantasy film broke the mold and set the stage for one of the most i...

Love is in the air… and it just might kill you. We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a trio of unconventional love stories from the horror-romance genre. The twisted sisters are back at it again. Special guest Jessica McLaughlin joins co-host Bella Efstratis to gush over some of our favorite monster love stories—films about obsession, intimacy, and connection that push romance to its most...

It’s the final installment of Favorites of 2025! We’re closing out the series with a very special guest: writer and filmmaker Jessica McLaughlin.  In this episode, the trio brings their individuality, passions, and distinct cinematic taste to the table with three wildly different films that captured their hearts and minds in 2025. Up first, Nick hits it out of the park with Carson Lund’s charming...

This week, we’ve got more favorite films from 2025.  Nick and Bella are honored to be joined by actress, comedian, writer, paranormal investigator, and host of the Directora podcast, Stephanie Weber.  The trio dives deep into three of the most emotionally gripping films released last year.  We start with Eva Victor’s directorial debut—the impeccably written Sorry, Baby .  Second, Joel Edgerton sta...

It’s that time of year! Bella, Nick, and Gimme Three Producer Sonja Mereu start our Favorite Films of 2025 Series with three excellent selections.  Since these are 2025 releases, we do want to warn our listeners that we get into some spoilers for all three films we discuss.  We start with Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically-charged epic and Best Picture contender, One Battle After Another .  Second...