The Letterboxd Show

Scriptwriter and film columnist Mia Vicino (aka Brat) joins hosts Gemma and Slim to discuss her four Letterboxd favorites: Mikey and Nicky, Down with Love, Smiley Face, Kill Bill Volume 1. Mia also talks about reality vs perception in being a high-profile Letterboxd member, and her role as a co-host of our new weekly show, Weekend Watchlist. Plus: Elaine May’s Hollywood battles, everybody’s crush on Ewan McGregor, our severe screwball rom-com drought, stoner movies, handheld ’90s camcorder vibes, being gay and doing crime, Adam Brody with dreadlocks, getting a contact high from watching movies, feminist buzzkill vibes, ‘She Did That’ and ‘Good For Her’ cinema, and our pent-up excitement for The Northman. Links: The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode, episode transcripts Letterboxd lists mentioned: guys being dudes, Hate to Love, b-movies for the GIRLS, Films about people who don’t have their shit together, comedies that are ahead of their time. Reviews mentioned: Gemma’s review of The Batman, reviews of Mikey and Nicky by Branson, Chaim, Katherine Krueger; Down with Love review by Doinkdedoink, Smiley Face review by Maggie, Kill Bill Vol.1 reviews by kayla, nadia. Credits: This episode was recorded in Auckland, Los Angeles and Pennsylvania, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

Welcome to Weekend Watchlist, brought to you by The Letterboxd Show! A brand new weekly show focused on new movies dropping in theaters and streaming. Join us every Thursday as we discuss our growing watchlists. We’ll get through this. Together. This week Mitchell and Slim talk about Turning Red, The Adam Project, Ultrasound, and look back at The Batman and After Yang. We also spotlight The Last Farmer which has jumped up Jack’s new weekly Top 50 of 2022 list. Sponsor: You can try MUBI free for 90 days at www.mubi.com/letterboxd. With MUBI, each and every film is hand-selected. It’s like your own personal film festival -- streaming anytime, anywhere. Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned: Transcripts of podcast episodes available; BRATT’s Batman review; Corey’s After Yang review; Isaac’s After Yang Journal article; Jack’s Top 50 of 2022 list; Rolling Stone’s article on 1980s movies; list version of the Rolling Stone article. Credits: This episode was recorded in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘IZON’ by Trent Walton.

The Letterboxd Show returns with more movie-lovin’ conversations about our four favorite films. In this season 3 premiere, hosts Gemma and Slim discuss their childhood faves: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Superman the Movie and Bloodsport. Was Christopher Reeve the most handsome human in history? How many times can Slim say “machismo” in one episode? Why does Bloodsport fall into Gemma’s female-gaze good books? Plus: our hosts’ nanogenre personalities, journalistic ethics in action movies, the missing contours of The Batman, ’80s movie censorship, and Letterboxd Twitter poll winner Lewis on his two childhood faves (Toy Story 2, The Dark Knight). Links: The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode Letterboxd lists mentioned: Best Blazin’ Films, letterboxd trans femme vibes, movies which searching their titles will result in porn, movies where the protagonist looks directly in the camera at the end, Official list of gay subtext in film, man ass, The Sequel Was Better, Movies that Have Been Meme’d to Death, Movies that destroyed me, in which I replied by saying to them love me, red flag for men white flag for women, movies which would be better if jack black played the main character, when guys turn 20, they chose one of these movies to base their entire personality on. Reviews mentioned: Robyn’s Pee Wee review; Austin Powers reviews by Juliet and EvilParsley; Superman by tyler, Vinny and Mark; Bloodsport by Ethan Colburn; Toy Story 2 by aaaaaa!, ksenija, Leighton; The Dark Knight by Joe Lynch. Credits: This episode was recorded in Auckland, Manchester and Pennsylvania, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

It’s a 2021 Year in Review extravaganza! Hosts Gemma and Slim open the Letterboxd Hotline to experts on the three highest-rated films of the year: Matt Singer (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Juan Barquin (Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time) and Bintang Lestada (Yuni)—all of whom take a moment to plead for justice for Barb & Star, woefully ignored in the Letterboxd 2021 Year in Review. Senior editor Mitchell Beaupre and London correspondent Ella Kemp also join for discussion of Year In Review favorites. Topics include: unabashed crowd-pleasers, rethinking Andrew Garfield, how to comfort a hedgehog, movies and mental health, recency bias, the power of stills photographers, the 2021 film that bypasses Slimfluence, an update on Ella’s dating status, feelings as a genre, our love for Mike Mills, the influence of The Beatles on 2021 fashion, Gemma’s favorite George Harrison moments, and how Summer of Soul saved us all. Links The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Matt Singer’s book on Spider-Man; Bintang’s Substack essay on Yuni; Lists mentioned: Japanese Films That Will Blow Your Mind; GAY HORROR; Reviews mentioned: Matt Singer’s 3.5 star review of No Way Home; Juan’s Evangelion review; Demi’s Bo Burnham: Inside review; Chvrches’ Cruella review; Journal stories on Evangelion, Mike Mills, Emma Seligman; Rachel Sennott’s quarantine dating guide; Ross Bratin; Ella’s previous appearance on the podcast; black-and-white with a splash of color; Newfest, Sundance and TIFF on Letterboxd Credits This episode was recorded in Brooklyn, Miami, Jakarta, London, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

We’re ecstatic to present this exclusive 90-minute audio commentary for The Beta Test. Rewatch the film with this playing in your ear and it’ll be just like having PJ and Jim in your living room! (Jim presses play on the movie at the 28-second mark, following a short intro.) Read more on Journal.

It’s a Christmas crossover episode with Joe Dante and Josh Olson from The Movies that Made Me podcast, and Gemma and Slim from The Letterboxd Show! Four hosts, four festive favorites: We’re No Angels; Scrooge; National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; and Elf (with a side of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Also: Joe’s reaction to our Gremlins Easter egg, the odious proliferation of Christmas movies, cinema’s secret weapon Alastair Sim, the Scrooge blooper you can’t unsee, Chevy Chase’s superciliousness, Will Ferrell’s innocence, Humphrey Bogart’s comedy, the gift to cinema that was Dick Miller, what happened to Billy’s mom in an earlier Gremlins script, and the best 2021 films Josh and Joe have seen. Note: This is the last episode for 2021—we’ll be back after a short break with a special Year in Review show. Links The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Julie’s Neverending Christmas list; lists mentioned: the gdcu (good dads cinematic universe); movies my dad likes more than he likes me; An Overly-Friendly Religious Extremist etc; Top 250 Horror; reviews of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation by russman and Sean Fennessey; review of We’re No Angels by Anthony Herrera; review of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Marna Larsen. Credits This episode was recorded in Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

Letterboxd member and filmmaker Sean Baker talks Red Rocket, and his four current Letterboxd favorites Paradise: Faith; River’s Edge; Oasis; and The Sugarland Express. Plus: Sean chats with hosts Gemma and Slim about casting Suzanna Son and Simon Rex, unconventional movie merch ideas, Goldie Hawn, filming people on foot, Tangerine’s place in the Christmas canon, Sean’s time as a cycle courier and taxi driver, filming without permits during Covid, how to deal when the cops turn up to shut down your film, exploring moral grey areas, casting ideas for Sean’s next films, Keanu Reeves’ best performance, watching movies on fifth-generation VHS tapes, Ryan Reynolds as comfort food, and being tongue-tied in front of Gary Oldman. Credits This episode was recorded in Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

Letterboxd crew members Aaron Yap and Mitchell Beaupre join hosts Slim and Gemma for a chat about their four favorite new films of 2021, including: Titane; The Power of the Dog; Malignant; and Godzilla vs. Kong, along with the best ‘new to us’ films we saw this year. Also: fetish objects, physical-media collections, the 3.9 club, torture by banjo, Mitchell’s love for Julia Ducournau, Gemma’s thirst for Issey Takahashi, Slim’s ongoing ‘Slimfluence’ issues, Aaron’s horror joys, everyone’s adoration of Pig, and the reassurance that life truly begins at 30. Links:  The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Gemma’s interview with film composer Tom Holkenborg (AKA Junkie XL); Reviews of Malignant by Patrick and Josh; and Hellbender by Justin. Credits: This episode was recorded in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

Irish scriptwriter and Letterboxd member Will Collins dives into his four Letterboxd favorites: Jaws; Fargo; Aliens; and, because it’s holiday season, It’s a Wonderful Life. Also in this chatty episode: how to use the Letterboxd heart; Gemma fangirls over Will’s work on Cartoon Saloon films Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers; Will fanboys over Letterboxd (“I love the lists!”); Slim fanboys over graphic novels and slips in a li’l Tom Cruise; Will gets Fargo’s Mike Yanagita scene off his chest; and the best synopsis of the season so far (“There’s a shark at the beach but nobody believes it”). Plus: How the Coens reveal character, how Frank Capra’s Christmas classic makes visible the unseen emotional labour of women; is Gemma starting a podcast segue workshop?; playing ukulele for Sigourney Weaver; Muppet enthusiasm; and supreme Irish heartthrob Cillian Murphy. Links: The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Will’s Best Bits Podcast; reviews of Jaws by Friendly Shark and Aaron Michael; reviews of Fargo by JR and Brat; RKO Chester’s list of 46 non-political & non-depressing Irish movies; Leo Koziol’s essays (part 1; part 2) on Indigenous films. Credits: This episode was recorded in Donegal, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.

To sign off Mr November, two of The National’s creative minds, lyricist Carin Besser and musician Bryce Dessner, dive deep into their four favorite films: The Green Ray and Singin’ in the Rain for Carin, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Harold and Maude for Bryce. Plus! Bryce shares all about three new films landing this holiday season with his musical stamp on them: Mike Mills’ C’mon C’mon, Clint Bentley’s Jockey, and Joe Wright’s take on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, with lyrics by Carin and her husband, Matt Berninger. And there’s more! Romance! Peter Dinklage thirst! MGM musicals! Debbie Reynolds, badass! The joy and pain of touring, and the joy and pain of not touring. Links: The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Reviews of Cyrano by David Ehrlich, Eternal Sunshine by katie and juulindonkeyboy; Letterboxd lists mentioned: Typically comedic actors play dramatic roles and smash the f—king shit out of them; Movies where the Romantic Moment™ features profound chasteness instead of making out; Feel-good films to watch when you’re depressed, lonely, or have a general feeling of worthlessness. Credits: This episode was recorded in France, Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and Auckland, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Linda Moulton. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker.