When we both worked at a Seattle video store we were required to create year-end movie lists. Apparently it's a habit that stuck. Here are our favorite podcast episodes from last year.
ALEX
Film Junk is hands down my favorite podcast. It’s hosted by three Canadian friends (Sean, Jay, & Frank) who talk about movies. With almost 600 episodes in the bag, listen to enough and these guys really start to feel like the most charming, hilarious and quirky friends you wish you had (I prefer them to almost all of my real-life friends). This special road trip episode was particularly delightful.
2. I Was There Too: The Revenant
Matt Gourley sat down with Joshua Burge from The Revenant and they had the nicest, most interesting conversation that two of the biggest sweetie pies you’ve ever heard could possibly have. It's great.
3. You Must Remember This: Six Degrees of Joan Crawford
For those of you who don’t know, I’m basically obsessed with Joan Crawford. I consider it my life's work to restore her good name as the number one goddess of all things sexy, glamorous and beautiful. This is actually a series of 6 podcasts focusing on her extraordinary life. It’s impeccably researched and narrated by Karina Longworth and definitely worth a listen for anyone who’s interested in classic Hollywood.
4. WTF with Marc Maron: Laura Albert and Jeff Feuerzeig
I mean, this interview is just crazy. These two (Maron and Albert) are some of the most self involved people there are and somehow their over the top lamenting of the banality of modern celebrity and the horrors of everyday life is fascinating. I actually liked this interview more than the documentary Albert was there to promote. Also, there are some David Milch stories. So, check it out cocksuckers.
I love this podcast but this one really stood out. On the surface this story doesn’t sound like riveting true crime but it turns out to be a totally outlandish, absurd and relatively lighthearted episode of an otherwise pretty dark and depressing podcast. The less you know going in, the better.
Warren
1. 99% Invisible: Vox Ex-Machina
Not only is this an exemplary episode of the show but it strikes a special chord with me and possibly fans of our show(IDKMAYBZ?). It centers around a device called The Voder that was invented in the thirties to synthesize speech, then follows the technology used in that machine through history up to the modern day vocoders we all love/lothe in modern pop songs. The score/huge variety of outside sound/narration/interviewer/interviewees woven audio-doc tapestry makes it the perfect 99% Invisible ‘sode.. for me.
2. Revisionist History: The Satire Paradox
Think piece incarnate Malcolm Gladwell’s manifesto about how toothless satire has become, maybe always was, and how to fix it. Lots of sound from many comedic sources flesh out and vertebratize his points. I think about it a lot, and that’s always a good thing.
3. Film Junk: Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Alex turned me onto this show saying it was the best podcast maybe ever made. A year later I never miss an episode, and feel sadness when an episode is over. Having both worked in a video store this show satiates the void left when the store closed...wherein constant everyday bickering about movies/tv was everpresent. I hardly ever agree with these guys, but I don’t come here to get my opinions validated, rather, just to hear a variety from three hysterical/informed people. On this particular episode, and whenever they tackle event-y type movies, they like to bring in extra returning panelists who you’ll get to know and love as the show goes on as much as the regular hosts. As Alex mentioned, this show is Canadian, and each episode is just a long ass conversation, that is miraculously enthralling every. single. time. Six stars.
DUDE. This story is such a sadness, but in the most berserk way. Criminal is good. (Radiotopia hire us.)
5. Stuff You Should Know: Some Interesting Cases of Mass Hysteria
Oh man. I would cry so hard for the rest of my life if this show ever stopped. Josh and Chuck are just such a great way to zone out and still feel productive. They’re all good, so I basically just picked a random episode, but this really is a good one.
Reply All gets to the bottom of the internet's wackiest/most mysterious animated GIF trove. Alex always says I love a mystery, and this is no exception. These dudes aren’t everyone’s(Alex) cupOteas... But I think the way they connect the dots from point A to point WTF in this story is pretty fun. AND the reporting in the story comes with interesting consequences that pertain to the ethics of journalism, and Schlongdinger’s(SP?) cat.
Worst: Love + Radio: A Girl of Ivory
When we made these lists at the video store we had to pick our worsts of the year and for me this episode was a grade A slab of slam dunk in that category. K, I like this show normally but in this episode there’s a twist (that I won’t reveal)..but if you’re all smart like me(JK-ING) you too will see it coming a godzillion miles away. I appreciate trying to be different/new but whoa nelly did this just completely miss the mark for me. Like, sometimes the artsy fartsyness is just hacky whackness, and it’s blatantly obv that it’s just a way to make this pretty boring story remotely interesting. (Radiotopia hire us.)