MOVIES: January 2023 podcast playlist

Movies, like podcasts, can expose us to new ideas, perspectives, and cultures that we may not have otherwise encountered. This can broaden our understanding of the world and help us to become more empathetic and understanding of others. They can make us laugh, cry, scream, and even roll our eyes. Movies can be used as a way to escape and unwind or to explore complicated and uncomfortable topics. This playlist explores the history of movies and the trends in filmmaking.

This playlist was curated by Celine Wolff, leader of PBC’s Washington, DC chapter. You can find the DC chapter on Instagram.

Podcast Playlist on MOVIES

Get the full playlist on your podcast player of choice using these platforms:

The Town with Matthew Belloni: “Why Are Movies Longer Than Ever?” (November 2022, 32 min)
In 2010, the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars ran on average 1:52. By 2019, that average bloated to 2:20. And it’s not just the prestige movies. In 2021, the top 10 performers at the box office averaged 2:11. Matt is joined by film producer David Friendly to break down this issue, why it’s happening, and whether this is the new normal.

Twenty Thousand Hertz: “A Thousand Words” (October 2022, 32 min)
Audio description allows you to enjoy a movie or TV show without the need for any visuals. But how do these narrators strike the right tone for a scene? How do the writers decide what needs to be described? And what’s in store for the future of described audio? In honor of Blindness Awareness Month, this is a brand new story about the world of Audio Description.

Smash Boom Best: “Books vs. Movies” (December 2022, 32 min)
Listen to one of our first smash boom best debates ever: books vs. movies! Who are you rooting for? The printed word or the silver screen? Listen to bibliophiles and film buffs duke it out in this awesome smash boom battle!

Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast: “Best Movies with a Strong Female Lead + Badass Female Directors” (March 2021, 31 min)
In celebration of International Women’s day, this episode is focused on highlighting women in film. Mike and Kelsey share their favorite movies with a strong female lead and as well those send in by listeners. Mike gives 5 Badass female directors and a movie from them you should check out. Plus spoiler-free movie reviews for Moxie (Netflix) and Minari (On-demand).

Witness History: “Bollywood’s pioneering lesbian drama” (February 2022, 9 min)
The Bollywood film “Fire” was the first in Indian history to depict a lesbian relationship. Released in 1998, the movie sparked a row over censorship and then a wider debate about LGBT rights in a country where homosexuality was then illegal. In 2015, Lucy Burns met Bollywood superstar, Shabana Azmi, who played a lesbian in “Fire”.

Bonus podcast episodes:

• You Must Remember This: “146: Disney’s Most Controversial Film (Six Degrees of Song of the South, Episode 1)” (October 2019, 1 hr 1 min)
  Disney Plus is launching with the stated intention of streaming the entire Disney library… except for “Song of the South,” a 1946 animation/live-action hybrid film set on a post-Civil War plantation. It was theatrically re-released as recently as 1986, and served as the basis for the ride Splash Mountain, but has never been available in the US on home video. What is “Song of the South?” Why did Disney make it and why have they held the actual film from release, while finding other ways to profit off of it?
• Stuff You Should Know: “Selects: Some Movies That Changed Filmmaking” (July 2022, 57 min)
  An estimated 50,000 films were made worldwide in 2009 alone. Many are surely clunkers, but in this episode Chuck and Josh talk about the ones that emerged throughout cinema history to change the course of all movies that followed.
• Business Daily: “Lollywood or Bollywood?” (July 2022, 18 min)
  This episode takes a look at the fortunes of Bollywood and Lollywood post pandemic. What does the future hold for the film industries of India and Pakistan? The episode explores whose creative ideas and business innovations in cinema are proving to be a hit with audiences. We also hear from critics, directors and analysts who tell us what they think both film industries need to do to increase profits and box office numbers.
• You’re Wrong About: “The Movie Rating System with Karina Longworth” (November 2022, 1 hr 9 min)
  How did Poltergeist get that PG rating? Podcast legend Karina Longworth, host of You Must Remember This, takes us on a wild ride through a century or so of Hollywood history, and shows us what’s been left on the cutting room floor.
• The Bowery Boys: New York City History: “#359 The Magic of the Movie Theater” (April 2021, 1 hr 3 min)
  In celebration of 125 years of movie exhibition in New York City — from vaudeville houses to movie palaces, from arthouses to multiplexes.
• This Day in History Class: “The first drive-in movie theater opens – June 6th, 1933” (June 2022, 10 min)
  On this day in 1933, Richard Hollingshead opened the world’s first drive-in theater in Camden, New Jersey.
• Today, Explained: “The case against movie trailers” (December 2022, 28 min)
  Movie trailers are misleading audiences. Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson says you should stop watching them.

Conversation Starter Questions:

1. What was something you learned about cinema or filmmaking that you didn’t know before listening to this playlist?
2. What was the last movie you saw in theaters or at home? Was it longer than you thought it needed to be?
3. How do you feel that your movie-watching habits have changed in the last 5-10 years?
4. Were you aware of Audio Descriptions prior to hearing about them on Twenty Thousand Hertz? Have you ever used audio descriptions before?
5. Where do you come out on the books vs. movies debate? Do you prefer book or movie adaptations? Why do you prefer it?
6. Do you feel you were represented in the movies you watched growing up? Have more recent films included you in terms of representation?
7. What are your favorite movies with strong female leads?
8. Do you regularly watch films produced outside the United States? If so, please share some good recommendations!