The Playlist Podcast Network

Alan J. Pakula was an under-celebrated voice in 1970s American cinema. Most famous for “All the President’s Men," Pakula built a career focused on rule-breakers and the vast conspiracies they untangle. With Criterion Collection releasing “The Parallax View” (1974) this month, Be Reel takes the opportunity to dive into Pakula’s conspiracy/mystery standouts, focusing on “The Parallax View,” “Klute”...

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss the new film," Saint Maud," from A24 and speak with Morfydd Clark, the unbelievable star of the film. She also talks about the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" TV series and what the future might hold. 

We're back. On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, our guest is writer/director Aaron Sorkin known for writing "The Social Network," "Moneyball," "A Few Good Men," "The West Wing," and many more. The legendary screenwriter has shifted his focus to directing and returns with his second feature-length film following "Molly's Game." Originally a Steven Spielberg project, nine-some years in the ma...

This episode is a callback return to summer 2020 when Rebecca Hall joined the podcast to talk “Tales From The Loop.” Now that her directorial debut “Passing” is about to make its debut at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, I wanted to revive and excerpt our 20+ minute conversation about “Passing”—as it’s the part that’s stayed with me the most—and really let her feelings on the matter take center st...

With “Brothers by Blood” arriving in theaters this weekend, Joel Kinnaman spoke with The Playlist Podcast and discussed his new crime drama. He also spoke about David Ayer’s Director’s Cut of “Suicide Squad,” what James Gunn brings to “The Suicide Squad,” and years later, the things he’d do differently if he made a new “RoboCop” film. 

On this special episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles and Mike speak with acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani about his latest feature, “The White Tiger." And unfortunately, as we discuss, the film has taken on new meaning in the era of the pandemic and rampant wealth inequality. In addition to the film, Bahrani also talks about a project he was developing about the Silicon Valley that fell apart...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its triumphant return to the public with “WandaVision.” And not only does the new streaming series mark the return of the MCU after being gone for over a year, but it also establishes itself as the beginning of Marvel Studios’ run on Disney+. On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian breakdown the new series and whether it lives up the hy...

The most exciting filmmakers are those who meticulously curate the tone and craft of their work. Directing every episode of a television season, as “ WandaVision ” executive producer Matt Shakman recently did, enables an artist to have a level of control over their work that television rarely provides. “WandaVision” is the first project in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , and Marvel S...

On this episode of The Playlist podcast, we have an in-depth conversation with Rolando Rodriguez, the CEO and President of Marcus Theatres. Marcus Theatres is the fourth-largest cinema chain in the US and fifth-largest in North America with more than 1,100 screens. And with 2021 upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to speak with an expert on the theatrical release business about the...

To remember the recently passed John le Carré and his 60-year writing career, Be Reel starts 2021 with a super-sized episode revisiting six film adaptations of the master spy novelist, including "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" (1965), "The Constant Gardener" (2005), "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011) and more. Happy new year. And rest easy, Mr. Cornwell.

With 2020 finally coming to a close, The Playlist Podcast adds one more Best Of list to the pile. Well, not so much a Best Of, but instead, Charles, Mike, and Brian talk about the only list that “New Mutants” might find itself on this year, the Most Disappointing Films of 2020.

It’s finally here! After months of delays and the announcement that it would be arriving on HBO Max the same day as in theaters, “Wonder Woman 1984” is upon us. And this week’s episode of The Playlist Podcast features Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Sharronda Williams are here to discuss the good, the bad, and the campy in one of the most anticipated films of the year. 

If you thought Pixar’s resume couldn't get any more impressive, “ Soul ”—the studio’s upcoming release about passion, music, and a soul-in-training—will prove you wrong. That’s no small task. After all, Pixar already boasts a repertoire of celebrated works. “ Toy Story ”, “ Monster’s Inc. ”, “ Finding Nemo ”, “ The Incredibles ”, “ Cars ”, and the list goes on. The team at Pixar has shown beyond d...

As we end a truly bizarre movie year, Chance and Noah dive back into the work of seven directors who made their marks and cemented their voices in 2020. Happy holidays, one and all. 3:00- Leigh Whannell (“The Invisible Man”) 9:45 - Kitty Green (“The Assistant”) 17:20 - Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance”) 25:15 - Garrett Bradley (“Time”) 36:40 - Sean Durkin (“The Nest”) 44:30 - Eliza Hittman (“Never Rar...

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour tackle "The Stand," the new CBS All Access streaming series that is co-created by Benjamin Cavell. The hosts actually speak to Cavell about the process of adapting a 1,200-page epic and some of the major changes that had to be made. In addition, the hosts are joined by writer/King expert Warren Cantrell, wh...

" Mad Men " star Jon Hamm seeks creative fulfillment in more places than the alpha-male, womanizing life of Don Draper. Whether he’s in budget giants like the upcoming " Top Gun: Maverick " or festival titles like " Lucy in the Sky ," he gravitates toward projects he’s passionate about. In the world of television, too, he prioritizes creative alignment over adherence to a consistent personal brand...

Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour return to discuss the massive news dropped by Disney during its 2020 Investors Presentation. The multi-hour presentation saw Disney unveil about 60 new projects including new films from Marvel, "Star Wars" and Pixar, as well as dozens of TV shows coming to Disney+.  There's A LOT to cover.  0:00 - 5:30 - Disney+ numbers & the future...

As a special bonus to our listeners, we're premiering the fourth episode of the new(ish) podcast "Fun City Cinema," which looks at the history of New York City, the history of New York City movies, and their intersection. "Fun City Cinema" was co-founded by Playlist contributor and reviewer Jason Bailey. In this special holiday episode, hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull are joined by special guests...

If you're a sports fan, there's nothing quite like the rush of watching a half-court buzzer-beater or a Super Bowl-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. There's just something remarkable about a group of individuals uniting to accomplish something greater than themselves. It's a trait that's inherently cinematic, however, simply recreating the excitement of game day for a feature fil...

Discussing films about real screenwriters on this episode of Be Reel, we dig into David Fincher's "Mank" (2020)—the new Netflix film about Herman Mankiewicz and the origins of "Citizen Kane." Then, we leap to the 21st century to reappraise Charlie Kaufman fictionalizing and splitting himself in "Adaptation" (2002) as he labors to adapt Susan Orlean's "The Orchid Thief." Finally, it's Dalton Trumbo...

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss two new films, "Nomadland" and "Another Round," both hoping to collect trophies this awards season. One is an incredibly emotional look at a woman hitting the open road and searching for connection wherever she can find it, while the other is a Danish film that shows that Mads Mikkelsen can do more than just play a villain....

This special episode of The Playlist Podcast features our new interview with director Darius Marder, the man behind the awards-contending feature, “Sound of Metal." Marder talks about his film, its unique origin story, and the painstaking process it took to make "Sound of Metal" an immersive film experience. 

On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour are joined by Rodrigo Perez to talk about "The Mandalorian," as the series enters the second half of Season 2. With 12 total episodes released of this "Star Wars" live-action TV series, the group asks whether or not this is actually a good series or a show without purpose? 

Ahead of Bruce Lee’s (would-be) 80th birthday, we marvel at the flying kicks, unforgettable shrieks, and star wattage of the global icon. This week, Be Reel dives into the Dragon’s life, many afterlives, and three of his major films—“Fist of Fury” (1972), “Way of the Dragon” (1972), and “Enter The Dragon” (1973)—with the help of biographer Jeff Chang and professor/martial artist Lory Dance.

As we entered 2020, there was arguably no actor poised to have as monumental of a year as  Alison Brie . With an already diverse body of work ranging from period dramas to comedies, animation, video games, indie darlings, and more, this year especially feels like a snapshot of everything she's strived for her entire career thus far. She has four acting credits across such films as " Horse Gir...