The Letterboxd Show

Actor, documentarian and excellent human Alex Winter joins Letterboxd’s Gemma Gracewood and Jack Moulton to talk about his three new films: Showbiz Kids, Zappa and the long-awaited Bill & Ted Face the Music. 

Films mentioned by Alex:

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This episode was recorded in Los Angeles and Auckland, and edited by Morgan Avery. Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. Our theme music is ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation. Our next episode is also about documentaries, with the directors of The Fight. Leave us a voice message about your favorite doc of 2020.

From pitching to studios via video to filming in confined spaces, the filmmakers behind found-footage favorites Searching (Aneesh Chaganty) and new browser-horror Host (Rob Savage, Jed Shepherd and Gemma Hurley) share their best tips for making movies in quarantine. Plus, Rob and Aneesh reveal their heavy-duty Letterboxd habits, Aneesh talks about casting his next film, Run, and his roommate Blake pops in to explain their elaborate method for how to choose what film to watch.

Films mentioned by Jed, Rob and Gemma

Films mentioned by Aneesh

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On Letterboxd: Jed Shepherd; Aneesh Chaganty; Aneesh’s roommate Blake. 

This episode was recorded in London, Los Angeles and Auckland, and edited by Morgan Avery. Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. Theme music is ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation. Our next episode is about documentaries, with writer-director and Bill & Ted star Alex Winter, and the directors of The Fight. Leave a voice message with your question for Winter.

Since the roll-out of Studio Ghibli films on Netflix and HBO Max this year, there’s been an explosion of Letterboxd activity around the famed studio’s films. Our Ghibli-loving guests couldn’t be happier. David Jenkins (Little White Lies), Tasha Robinson (Polygon) and Adam Kempenaar (Filmspotting) share their Ghibli obsessions and discuss whether to “sub or dub”. Letterboxd members phone in with their favs. Plus: Little White Lies turns 15.

Links

This episode was recorded in Chicago, London and Auckland and edited by Morgan Avery. Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. Theme music is ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation. Leave a voice message for Aneesh Chaganty, our next guest, or tell us the ‘so bad it’s good’ film you’ve been rewatching in isolation for an upcoming episode.

We recorded this episode as the news of George Floyd’s death by police brutality was emerging, and held it back in order to amplify Black voices and stories. Racism has no place on Letterboxd. Here are some ideas for activism; here are more; and more. We are donating all proceeds from screenings of Josephine Decker’s Shirley via our virtual screening link (available to US members only) to BIPOC film non-profit Firelight Media. Black Lives Matter.

This episode is dedicated to films about the Black experience. Our guest is Letterboxd member Adam Davie, creator of the extensive Black Life on Film list. Adam explains why he has spent three years creating the list and why it includes “the good, the bad and the ugly as it relates to the Black experience”.

Links

This episode was recorded in Pittsburgh, PA and Auckland, NZ and edited by Morgan Avery. Our podcast artwork is by Ann Davenport and our theme music is ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation. Leave a voice message telling us your favorite Studio Ghibli film, or a ‘so bad it’s good’ film you’ve been rewatching in isolation for our upcoming episodes.

Listeners in the US can watch Josephine Decker’s Shirley via our virtual screening room—we’re donating all proceeds to film non-profit Firelight Media. For other links, resources and places to donate in the fight for justice, here are some anti-racism resources for white people. This Letterboxd review of I Am Not Your Negro also contains useful links. Black Lives Matter.

This episode has been removed from our feed. We apologize for the inconvenience and we still love Steven Spielberg!

Has lockdown got you thirsty? This is the episode you need. Inspired by film writer Justine Peres Smith’s popular ‘Best Horny Movies for Quarantine’ list, Letterboxd editor Gemma Gracewood, Montreal-based Smith, and The Black List’s Kate Hagen dive deep into several erotic thrillers from the past two decades: Jane Campion’s In The Cut, Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden and Yann Gonzalez’s Knife + Heart. And we ask: where’s all the hot sex in Western film these days? Plus: Cronenberg, PTA, Roeg, Marilyn Monroe and more.

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Horny movies:

Quarantine recommendations:

Filmmakers on social:

Edited by Morgan Avery. Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. Theme music: ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation. Leave a voice message telling us your favorite Steven Spielberg film for our next episode.

Nostalgic for recent life, Letterboxd editor Gemma Gracewood, our West Coast editor Dominic Corry and New York-based freelance film critic Susannah Gruder celebrate movies set in big cities while we stay home to save lives. We discuss how directors like Michael Mann, Susan Seidelman and Richard Linklater move through cityscapes, and we see New York through newcomers’ eyes in Eliza Hittman’s stunning new film.

P.S. Join our L.A. Showdown: nominate your favorite films set in the City of Angels.

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City films for empty streets: 

Quarantine recommendations:

Filmmakers on the Internet:

Edited by Morgan Avery. Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. Leave a voice message telling us your favorite erotic thrillers for the next episode.

Locked down and looking for comfort, Letterboxd editor Gemma Gracewood, London-based film and music writer Ella Kemp and LA-based musician and writer Demi Adejuyigbe explore why Paddington Bear, Donald O’Connor and Talking Heads are deeply uplifting in these strange times, nominate their favorite actors-doing-things-on-the-internet, and find film-watching solutions to the attention-span issues that come with staying home.

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Pixar director recommendations for children:

The Letterboxd Feel-Good Showdown

Our interview with Paddington and Paddington 2 writer-director Paul King

Edgar Wright’s 100 favorite comedies

Rian Johnson’s favorite 70s movie musicals

Bright Wall/Dark Room’s crowd-sourced list of most obscure movie recommendations. Our panel’s picks:

Patrick Stewart’s Sonnets

Sam Neill’s therapeutic Twitter and Instagram feeds

Demi’s food-bank donation drive

Richard E. Grant on Twitter

Art House Online—help us support art house cinemas by renting these new, recent and re-released films, and read Ella’s interview with Levan Akin, director of And Then We Danced

The panel’s feel-good picks for this week:

This podcast was recorded in Los Angeles, London and Auckland and edited by Morgan Avery. Our podcast artwork is by Ann Davenport. Leave a voice message telling us your favorite films set in big cities for our next episode, in which our West Coast editor Dominic Corry and New York correspondent Susannah Gruder will remember the recent past through movies.

A panel discussion ahead of the 2020 Oscars, hosted by Letterboxd editor Gemma Gracewood with guests Kate Hagen, Demi Adejuyigbe and Dominic Corry. We revisit our favorite films of 2019, figure out why we still love the Oscars, award some additional trophies, and talk maybe a little too much about Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Links

Letterboxd’s downloadable Oscars Ballot: JPEG or PDF

Letterboxd 2019 Year in Review

2020 Oscars — All nominated films

2019–2020 awards season winners

The best years for Best Picture nominees, ranked (thanks to Jack Moulton)

Kate Hagen’s list of Essential Erotic Thrillers

Demi Adejuyigbe’s lists of Movies whose full titles can be perfectly sung to the rhythm and cadence of “Moon River, wider than a mile” and Movies whose entire titles can be comfortably sung to the tune and rhythm of “Little Red Corvette”

Dominic Corry’s lists of Yuppies in Peril and Films that Poetically Capture the Experience of Living in Los Angeles

Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans ’66): What really happened at the end?

Watch: Anna Paquin wins Best Supporting Actress at the 66th Academy Awards, hyperventilates for 22 seconds straight

Watch: La La Land, sorry Moonlight wins Best Picture

Letterboxd’s Top 10 Sundance 2020 World Premieres