The Letterboxd Show

Latest Episodes:

Best in Show: Guilds, Globes, Puss in Boots and the 1976 Best Director revisited Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

As a flurry of guild nominations land, Mia, Brian and Gemma discuss their fave noms and gongs from the directors’, art directors’ and cinematographers’ unions. A quick look at the Golden Globes leads to a discussion on which awards Letterboxd would love to live-stream. EE BAFTA Rising Star award public voting is open!

And it’s animation time: Turning Red director Domee Shi has a message for the Letterboxd community, and we go deep on Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman and Sergio Leone with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish director Joel Crawford. Then, we re-evaluate the 1976 Best Director Oscar lineup according to how the Letterboxd community distributes their hearts, and find out why Brian has put forward Marcel the Shell director-star Dean Fleischer Camp as this week’s Player of the Season nominee. Bienvenido, mi casa es su casa, as our amigo Puss would say!

Credits:

Recorded in Los Angeles, Auckland and Philadelphia. Edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Red carpet interviews by Flynn. Transcript by Sophie. Theme: ‘Hyperlight’ by Letterboxd member Trent Walton (AKA Echo Wolf). Best in Show is a TAPEDECK production. Title courtesy of Christopher Guest. Thanks to all the studios and publicists!

Lists & Links:

The Letterboxd list of films mentioned; Selome Hailu on Jerrod Carmichael’s Golden Globes monologue; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish reviews by Joel Haver & Nick; Little Dear’s list of “Himbo thrillers”; vote for the EE BAFTA Rising Star award.

Best in Show: Year in Review Special with The Daniels & more Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

The Daniels read 1-star and 5-star Letterboxd reviews! Jenny Slate, S.S. Rajamouli, Johnny Knoxville, Charlotte Wells and more Year in Review chart-toppers phone in with their thanks to the Letterboxd community! Hosts Mia, Brian and Gemma stare googly-eyed into the bagel to investigate the highest rated films of the past year. This supersized episode also sees Jack’s Facts joining for a deep dive into the themes of the winning films (he’s seen most of them!), and Slim and Mitchell sneak in the back door for the after party, where we find out who they’d love to watch peeling potatoes for three hours. It’s a truly global celebration of films and fanny-packs.

Sponsor:

Credits: Recorded in Los Angeles, Auckland, Philadelphia, Delaware, New York and more. Edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Red carpet interviews by Flynn. Transcript by Sophie. Theme: ‘Hyperlight’ by Letterboxd member Trent Walton (AKA Echo Wolf). Best in Show is a TAPEDECK production. Title courtesy of Christopher Guest. Thanks to all the studios and publicists!

Lists & Links:

The Letterboxd list of films mentioned; the 2022 Year in Review; Letterboxd’s Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films; reviews of Bones and All by Gemma, The Batman by Tay, Aftersun by J, TÁR by Sophia & Brian, The Quiet Girl by Ian & Theo, Everything Everywhere All at Once by Lily, Bernieandbust, CosmonautMarkie, Jude & blackkiernan, Top Gun: Maverick by Slim.

Best in Show: Roger Deakins, Oscar math and the 2001 Best Picture revisited Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

Does Roger Deakins ever lose his rag? Find out in the first full episode of Letterboxd’s limited series awards season podcast, in which Mia Vicino, Brian Formo and Gemma Gracewood go over the 95th Academy Awards shortlists, praise Kirsten Dunst’s Oscar voting diligence, talk to the G.O.A.T. of cinematography about Empire of Light and his work in animation, and form a fellowship of beautiful minds to revisit the 2001 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees. We love math and we are loose with our hearts!

Credits: Recorded in Los Angeles and Auckland. Edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Hyperlight’ by Letterboxd member Trent Walton (AKA Echo Wolf). Best in Show is a TAPEDECK production. Title courtesy of Christopher Guest.

Lists & Links:

The Letterboxd list of films mentioned; Letterboxd’s Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films; Byways: Photographs by Roger A. Deakins.

Additional content notes: Plus: Mia’s mathematical skills; Brian on what makes an Academy Award-winning original song; Gemma on why you should add Dirty Three to your playlists. Roger Deakins chats about his childhood as a fisherboy, talking movies with Richard Burton and John Hurt, visualizing films before he shoots them, the wonder of working with the Coen Bros, what it means to win awards and what it’s really like in the cinematography club.

Weekend Watchlist: Giant-Sized 2023 Preview Spectacular Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

This week Mitchell, Mia and slim discuss the most anticipated movies of 2023 according to Letterboxd members. It’s an episode so massive we needed all three hosts! Mitchell also makes shocking revelations about having multiple watchlists. After a deep dive into what the hosts are looking forward to in 2023 releases, they also make some movie-watching predictions for the upcoming year. It’s a different format this week so no refunds, sry. Weekend Watchlist will return in February!

Weekend Watchlist – Updated Weekly list > movies mentioned in this episode.

Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned:

Transcripts of podcast episodes available
Mitchell’s list of 52 films they will watch in 2023

Credits:

This episode was recorded in Philadelphia, Delaware and LA and edited by Slim.
Facts by Jack.
Transcript by Sophie Shin.
Theme: ‘IZON’ by Trent Walton.

Weekend Watchlist: Babylon, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Women Talking Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

This week Mia and Slim discuss their growing watchlists including Babylon, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Women Talking. Mia also talks about which foreign movie is really her Avatar. After a quick look back at recent releases and community reviews they discuss their Holiday Watchlists and using mind powers to drift into the dreams of poor otters.

Weekend Watchlist – Updated Weekly list > movies mentioned in this episode.

Sponsor: You can try MUBI free for 90 days at https://mubi.com/letterboxd. With MUBI, each and every film is hand-selected. It’s like your own personal film festival—streaming anytime, anywhere. Kingdom: Exodus streaming now exclusively on MUBI in the UK, US, and other countries.

Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned:

Transcripts of podcast episodes available
Alex’s Babylon review
Brenna’s Glass Onion review
Jess’s Women Talking review
Kev’s Avatar: The Way of Water review
Jason Still’s Nanny review
Reel Latinos
Flynn’s The Inspection review
Darth Nome’s Christmas 2022 ideas list
Nick Whant’s Christmas 2022 Watchlist list
Brandy Bell’s Christmas Movies list
Steven Dow’s Holiday Favorites list
Aroley’s 2022 Christmas Movies list

Credits:

This episode was recorded in Philadelphia and LA, and edited by Slim.
Facts by Jack.
Transcript by Sophie Shin.
Theme: ‘IZON’ by Trent Walton.

Best in Show: meet the hosts Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

A short introduction to Best in Show, Letterboxd’s new limited podcast series covering the 2022–2023 film awards season. Meet your hosts: Mia Vicino, Brian Formo and Gemma Gracewood, as they share what film awards mean to them, reveal the trophies they won in their youth, and call on The Muppets, Todd Field and the LA Dodgers to help contextualize the practice of judging something “the best”. Plus, hear from Brad Pitt on the Babylon red carpet, and a breathless Anna Paquin at the 66th Oscars. Our first full episode drops on January 3, 2023.

Sponsor:
This episode was brought to you by Emily, presented by Bleecker Street. A daring, richly imagined portrait of the brilliant mind behind the novel “Wuthering Heights”, Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut stars Emma Mackey as Emily Brontë, a reclusive and rebellious preacher's daughter with a passion for storytelling. Emily opens in the US in February, only in theaters.

Lists & Links:
Todd Field’s 2022 Gotham Awards speech. Anna Paquin’s 66th Academy Awards speech. Reviews of Emily by Bethany and Frances.

Credits:
Recorded in Los Angeles and Auckland. Edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Theme: ‘Hyperlight’ by Letterboxd member Trent Walton (AKA Echo Wolf). Best in Show is a TAPEDECK production. Title courtesy of Christopher Guest.

Five Festive Favorites with Letterboxd’s podcast hosts Gemma, Slim, Mitchell, Mia and Brian Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

It’s the great quintuple fist-pump high-five joining of the podcast forces for a yuletide cracker of festive delights. Hosts of The Letterboxd Show, Weekend Watchlist and our soon-to-launch Best in Show awards-season pod gather to get seasonally affected by Carol (Brian); Bridget Jones’s Diary (Mia); Eyes Wide Shut (Mitchell); Batman Returns (Slim) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Gemma). Three podcasts, five hosts, five Christmas movies, one gloriously chaotic final episode of The Letterboxd Show Four Favorites for 2022.

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Paramount Pictures’ Babylon. Damien Chazelle’s new film opens in theaters December 23 and stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva. Babylon is on 116,000 Letterboxd watchlists. It’s about early Hollywood decadence and depravity—best seen in theaters to be a part of the conversation. Movie lovers love movies about movies with big movie stars, so see it in theaters December 23. Also: we went to the premiere!

Lists & Links:
The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Letterboxd’s 2022 Gift Guide; Aimee Knight’s Magic in the Air: The Muppet Christmas Carol at 30; Slim’s “Man ass” list.

Reviews of Carol by Anna, J, Ryan and Grace; Bridget Jones’s Diary by Phoebe and Clarko; Eyes Wide Shut by Jillian and Demi; Batman Returns by Sam Kirchoff, Adam L and Zherrig; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Kayt.

Credits:
This episode was recorded in Auckland, Los Angeles, Delaware and Philadelphia, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Brian Formo. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Art by Samm. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker. Thanks and Merry Christmas to Linda Moulton! The Letterboxd Show is a TAPEDECK production. Happy holidays, one and all.

Weekend Watchlist: Avatar: The Way of Water, BARDO and Nanny Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

This week Mitchell and Slim discuss their growing watchlists including Avatar: The Way of Water, Bardo and Nanny. Slim also talks about doing a weekly watchlist cleanse. After a quick look back at recent releases and community reviews, they shuffle their watchlists and discuss exploding intestines and grimy New York City.

Weekend Watchlist – Updated Weekly list > movies mentioned in this episode.

Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned:

Transcripts of podcast episodes available
Slim & Katie Walsh’s Avatar: The Way of Water review
Ana V’s Bardo review
Robert Daniels’s Nanny review
JoeJazzy’s Guillermo Del Torro’s Pinocchio review
Gemma’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish review
Justin LaLiberty & Chuck Forsman’s Alphabet City review
Rob’s Eye’s Wide Shut review
Kayla’s The Shop Around the Corner review
DamRoberts744’s March the Shell with Shoes On
Jack’s Top 50 of 2022 list

Credits:

This episode was recorded in Philadelphia and Delaware, and edited by Slim.
Facts by Jack.
Transcript by Sophie Shin.
Theme: ‘IZON’ by Trent Walton.

Four Favorites with Aaron Yap: Local Hero, The Brainiac and films both strange and gentle Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

If you follow any of our social channels, you’re about to meet the genius behind the team behind the TikToks. Letterboxd’s head of social, Aaron Yap, joins Gemma and Slim to tell us about childhood memories of Malaysian DVD stores, and his four favorites: The Brainiac;Footprints; Local Hero and Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession.

Plus: Aaron’s early memories of bodily reactions to ’80s horrors, Slim’s first DVD player, what Gemma got Aaron from the Criterion closet, Gemma’s memories of buying blank VHS tapes, the obsolete sound of the DVD snapper, why The Brainiac’s logic flaws don’t matter, fighting over Giallo, the restorative magic of Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and the joys of movies without conflict, the wall calendar in Z Channel and the wild west of life before film recommendation algorithms, and Slim’s Rob Zombie blind-spot when it comes to the Halloween movies.

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Searchlight Pictures and their new film, Empire of Light. Now playing in select theaters.

Lists & Links:
The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Aaron’s essay about being a professional film reviewer; Aaron’s article on Come and See; House of Psychotic Women Rarities Collection Blu-Ray Box Set; Justin Hullinger’s The Almost Complete Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film; Edgar Wright’s 1,000 favorite movies; MewithYou’s list of Safdie Brothers favorite films; K Abeto’s list of Every film Taika Waititi has ever mentioned.

Reviews of:
The Brainiac by Amy Vorhees; Footprints by Sylvie J, Matt Winfield, WraithApe; Local Hero by Wes and Gemma; Z Channel by Gemma and SexRaySpex.

Credits:
This episode was recorded in Auckland and Philadelphia, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Brian Formo. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Art by Samm. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker. The Letterboxd Show is a TAPEDECK production.

Weekend Watchlist: The Whale, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Empire of Light Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

This week Slim and Mia discuss their growing watchlists including The Whale, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Empire of Light. Mia also talks about sexy candles and the two different Americas. After a quick look back at recent releases and community reviews, they shuffle their watchlists and discuss Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time list.

Weekend Watchlist – Updated Weekly list > movies mentioned in this episode.

Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned: