The Brattle Film Podcast

Author Marya E. Gates joins us on the occasion of her new book, Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words, as a prelude to a series of screenings at the Brattle introduced by Marya. Two of the directors from her book will join her for these screenings: Bette Gordon on April 17 and Mira Nair on May 10th.

Ned, Alissa, and Ivt attempt to explain March Madness to non-sports fan Ian, and we engage in a freewheeling conversation about the many films going head-to-head in this year's March Madness movie brackets.

With the Oscars just days away, we conclude our annual deep dive into more of our favorites from the past year, including most of the films nominated for Academy Awards, alongside many more smaller films that may not have caught the attention of our listeners, and numerous favorite 2024 movies suggested by our audience through voice messages.

In our annual deep dive into some of our favorite, mostly lesser-known titles of the past year, we touch on 50 films recommended by at least two, if not all four hosts. If you think 2024 was not a great year for movies, this might change your mind. We also pay tribute to friend of the Brattle and personal hero to us all, David Lynch, who passed away the day we recorded.

Every January 1st, The Brattle kicks off the new year with a Marx Brothers marathon. 2025 seemed an ideal year to dive deep into the history and films of the legendary comedic team of siblings whose films and distinctive humor have endured for nearly a century and still have as much to say about contemporary times as they did in the 1920s, '30s and '40's

In November, The Brattle invited bestselling author, cinephile, and Brattle regular Rebbeca Kuang to program a day of movies in conjunction with the release of a special collector's edition of her first novel, The Poppy War. That whole day of screenings sold out rapidly, so we invited her onto the podcast to share her thoughts on watching movies, how movies differ from novels, how movies impact an artist working in a different medium, and other topics with our listeners.

For this year's "spooky season" episode, we take a look at some outside-the-box options for October viewing. From those lesser-known or under-celebrated horror movies to counter-programing options to comedies and thrillers with a cozy, Halloweeny vibe, Ian, Ivy, Ned, Alissa, and our listeners have suggestions for you.

We pay tribute to one of our favorite movie stars on the occasion of what would have been her 100th birthday. Lauren Bacall's early films played a major role in the history of the Brattle Theatre, and she's a figure all four of us have long admired. We take a deep dive into some of Bacall's most revered pictures as well as some of her lesser-known films, discuss her life and work, and Ned shares the story of his brief encounter with the screen legend.

As the dog days of summer approach, we take a look at the sweatiest movies we can think of. Many of these films artfully showcase how oppressive heat leads to conflict.

We welcome Susan Seidelman to the podcast in celebration of her new memoir and her upcoming live appearance at the Brattle on July 18th. In addition to listening to stories about her life in film, we talk about what her films have meant to us and what it was like revisiting many of them while reading her book. We also dive into the past couple of months of listener mail.