I talk about three books that each present a different approach to writing about the making of a movie: The Wah Wah Diaries, Chris Nashawaty’s book on Caddyshack, and the magisterial The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler.

An epic exploration of the question: was there an American New Wave?

An attempt to explore the question: what makes a mediocre movie mediocre?

A brief appreciation of some of the movies in the Criterion Channel’s current ‘70s Sci-Fi series.

I compare and contrast two relatively recent movies set in New York City and based on true crime cases.

Bonus mini-episode: an off-the-cuff run through of the filmography of one of my favorite filmmakers.

A discussion of the pros and cons of using “who’s the greater director, X or Y?”, as a conversation starter.

A mini-episode on the new Safdie/Sandler movie Uncut Gems.

I talk about why I think 1959 was such a great year for movies, and share thoughts on some of my favorites.

An overly self-indulgent episode where I share my thoughts on my process of coming up with a best movies of the decade list.