Club Random with Bill Maher

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Barry Levinson | Club Random with Bill Maher

Dec 15, 2025

Guest

Barry Levinson

Barry Levinson, an Oscar-winning director known for classics like Diner and Rain Man, shares his gems of filmmaking with Bill Maher. He discusses the art of ensemble storytelling and the importance of loose, actor-driven performances. Levinson reflects on the chaos of making Rain Man during a writers' strike and the unique sounds of Ennio Morricone’s scores. The conversation dives into AI's limits in comedy and the struggles of committee-driven studios today. Their candid chat reveals deep insights on humor, creativity, and the evolution of film.

01:36:56

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Episode notes

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ANECDOTE

Loose Direction Creates Natural Performances

Barry Levinson describes directing actors by giving scenes and rhythm rather than fixed dialogue to elicit natural performances.
He mic'd whole tables on Diner to preserve actor rhythm instead of fixing lines in post.

insights

INSIGHT

Diner Helped Normalize Ensemble Films

Diner helped legitimize ensemble films where no single actor is the star and stories interweave.
That ensemble structure shifted how filmmakers distribute focus and emotional weight across casts.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Discovering Lenny Bruce In A Record Bin

Barry Levinson recounts discovering Lenny Bruce records in his father's store and being blown away by the new comedic voice.
He used that to convince friends to see Bruce and witnessed their shock at the content.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Meeting Barry Levinson and early auditions

02:41 • 3min

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Diner's loose, actor-driven approach

05:16 • 3min

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Altman's naturalism versus Levinson's balance

08:34 • 2min

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Ensemble films and generational themes

10:28 • 5min

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Levinson's 1960s memories and the hippie era

15:20 • 5min

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Lenny Bruce's influence on modern comedy

Comedy's generational shelf life

27:04 • 2min

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Film techniques and widescreen experiments

28:44 • 3min

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Ennio Morricone and musical signatures

32:12 • 1min

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Casting De Niro's dual roles

33:34 • 7min

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De Niro's preparation and work ethic

40:33 • 5min

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Humanizing gangsters through small details

45:29 • 4min

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AI, automation, and cultural fears

AI's social impact and job displacement

55:01 • 11min

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Levinson on avoiding polemics in film

01:06:20 • 1min

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Casting and Robert Evans' studio era

01:07:23 • 5min

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Studios, committees, and filmmaking today

01:11:54 • 7min

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Early TV sketch comedy and writers' rooms

01:19:02 • 6min

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Comedy waves: from Sid Caesar to Python

01:24:42 • 9min

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Making Rain Man during a writers' strike

01:34:05 • 3min

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Closing reflections on filmmaking careers

The Civil War Letters of Lyman Beecher Hannaford

Co. D, 103rd ... Letters Home to Rockport

Lyman Beecher Hannaford

This book compiles the personal letters of Lyman Beecher Hannaford, a soldier in Co. D, 103rd Regiment, detailing his experiences during the American Civil War. Titled 'Letters Home to Rockport,' it was published by the Lakewood Historical Society in June 2011 and also referenced in 'Lakewood In the Civil War.' The letters offer firsthand accounts from the battlefield sent back to his family.

#981

• Mentioned in 32 episodes

Gone with the Wind

Margaret Mitchell

Published in 1936, 'Gone with the Wind' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that explores the complexities of human passions during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The story revolves around Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled and manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner in Georgia, as she navigates through heartbreak, ambition, and survival. The novel vividly depicts the dramatic changes and social upheaval of the time, featuring a cast of unforgettable characters including Rhett Butler, Melanie Hamilton, and Ashley Wilkes. It is a sweeping narrative filled with intricate character relationships, emotional depth, and a striking commentary on resilience in the face of adversity.

Bill Maher sits down with Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson for a fast and funny masterclass in storytelling. Levinson revisits the Diner years and the “controlled chaos” of getting real performances – why loose, actor-driven rhythm can beat perfect dialogue, and how ensemble films changed the game. From there, it’s a hop through Hollywood history: Robert De Niro’s work ethic and the behind-the-scenes realities of building Rain Man during a writers strike. Maher and Levinson also go big-picture – why comedy ages faster than music, what’s been lost in today’s committee-driven studios, and a darkly hilarious debate about AI, jobs, and why machines still can’t do human funny.

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ABOUT CLUB RANDOM

Bill Maher rewrites the rules of podcasting the way he did in television in this series of one on one, hour long conversations with a wide variety of unexpected guests in the undisclosed location called Club Random. There’s a whole big world out there that isn’t about politics and Bill and his guests—from Bill Burr and Jerry Seinfeld to Jordan Peterson, Quentin Tarantino and Neil DeGrasse Tyson—talk about all of it.

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ABOUT BILL MAHER

Bill Maher was the host of “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC) from 1993-2002, and for the last fourteen years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 40 Emmy nominations. Maher won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous.”

Maher has written five bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden,” “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” and most recently, “The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass.”

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