Thursday, November 4, 2010

iListened to... The /Filmcast

iListened to... is a column of movie, television and pop culture podcast reviews.  Between work and kids, I don't have a lot of time to catch up on film news.  These are my thoughts on what I am listening to on my commute or at the gym.

The /Filmcast
Hosted by David Chen, Devindra Hardawar and Adam Quigley
Focus: Primarily film, but also television and film criticism

/Filmcast was the first podcast I ever started following on a regular basis so (spoiler alert!) needless to say I am a fan.  Each week, the /film website releases two podcasts: the flagship podcast (which airs live most Sunday or Monday nights) and an "After Dark" episode.  The main podcast includes discussions on what the hosts have been watching that week, film news and a longer featured movie review.  The After Dark can include any topic, ranging from listener email to more in depth discussions on casting or other movie news.


There are a number of things I love about this podcast.  First, it is amongst the most well-produced podcasts out there.  The audio is always great.  They treat every podcast as though it may be your first exposure to them.  David Chen introduces every episode with a brief description of the podcast and briefly introduces each subsequent section.  It's a minor detail, but when you are listening to another podcast and they just start talking without any context, you come to appreciate the details.  You never get lost within this podcast which is a definite widespread failing amongst the podcasting community.

The hosts are all knowledgeable, opinionated and well-spoken.  Again, there are a lot of hosts that seem content to turn on a microphone with some friends and see what happens.  The /Filmcast trio always brings their "A" game and it shows in the presentation.  Chen, as the host, is ready at a moment's notice to provide further information about every film and television show they discuss.  That said, they are also clearly friends and colleagues and engage in good-natured ribbing throughout the episode.

/Filmcast also regularly features a fourth guest host.  Usually, it is a fellow film blogger like Matt Singer from IFC News, the guys from The Totally Rad Show or Katie Rich from Cinema Blend.  However, they have also attracted notable directors.  In fact, Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) has developed into David Chen's arch-nemesis on the podcast (and I meant that in the most hilarious possible way).

Two more minor elements of the podcast that I appreciate as a listener.  First, while it is an "explicit" podcast, the language is pretty tame.  Profanity is usually used to punctuate an opinion or reveal how deep the hate goes for a particular casting choice.  I don't need my movie news to come with an R rating.  Second, the hosts are committed to avoiding spoilers unless they give the listener fair warning.  Lately, they have taken this to the extreme of bleeping out spoilers that inadvertently were revealed during an episode.  I know I'm not going to have to worry about getting a plot detail revealed unless I decide to hear it.

However, the thing that truly sets /Film apart in my eyes is the mirror it holds up to the film community.  The most striking example of this was a recent episode with guest host Armond White of New York Press.  White is best known as a contrarian reviewer, one who goes against the popular grain to praise Transformers 2 and tear down Inception. 

During the film review and After Dark, the hosts pressed White, but never debated him.  As a result, listeners were treated to a fascinating discussion of the state of film criticism and an alternative view of what makes a motion picture art.  I didn't come away agreeing with White, but he gave me a lot to think about (which is more than you can expect from most podcasts).


Notable recent episodes: 
Available at /Film or iTunes
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