PODCAST · tv
Film Trace
by Film Trace
We trace the Life of a Film from conception to production all the way to its release and reception. You know when you dive into a film's wikipedia and imdb after watching it? Then the director's page, then the actor's page. Our show does that for you. We use our nerd superpowers to obsessively tell the story of a movie: how it came to be, how it played out, and what it means today. It is a crash course on a single film filled with primary documents, lovely asides, and frequent guest voices. It is an investigation and celebration of films both great and small.
Episodes
-
The Rise of A24 - Spring Breakers (2013) and Kids (1995)
The season finale of our Rise of A24 series starts at the beginning, Harmony Korine's neon maximalist Spring Breakers (2013) as well as his first big break as the writer of Kids (1995). Problematic doesn't begin to describe the mid 1990s molotov cocktail of Kids. Harmony Korine was a skateboard…
more -
The Rise of A24 - Enemy (2014) and The Tenant (1976)
The penultimate episode in our Rise of A24 season features two psychological free falls, Denis Villeneuve's Enemy (2014) and the infamous Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976) Special Guest: Hollywood Insider and great friend of the show, Ryan Slipping identity is one of the better themes for...
-
The Rise of A24 - Green Room (2016) and Straw Dogs (1971)
In our seventh episode of The Rise of A24 series, we revisit the pitch black thriller Green Room (2016) and its even even darker precedent Straw Dogs (1971). Special Guests: David, comedian and musician from Chicago, check out his band Humdrum Green Room is perhaps the most divisive film that...
-
The Rise of A24 - It Comes at Night (2017) and The Crazies (1973)
In our sixth episode of The Rise of A24 series, we plunge into the cold dark heart of humanity with It Comes at Night (2017) and The Crazies (1973) Special Guests: Bridget D. Brave, horror writer and horror film aficionado I will admit. These are a couple of tough films. It Comes at Night is…
more -
The Rise of A24 - First Reformed (2018) and Ordet (1955)
In our fifth episode of The Rise of A24 series, we go to church with Paul Schrader’s First Reformed (2018) and Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Ordet (1955). Special Guests: Jen and Sarah of the great podcasts - Movies & Us and TV & Us Paul Schrader has spent a lifetime wrestling with the question of...
-
Under the Silver Lake (2019) and L'Avventura (1960)
In our fourth episode of The Rise of A24 series, we are covering the newly minted cult classic Under the Silver Lake (2019) and the art cinema bonanza of L'Avventura (1960) Special Guest - James Adamson, the host of the great Double Reel Podcast, a monthly magazine podcast for the discerning film...
-
After Yang (2022) and Late Spring (1949)
In our third episode of The Rise of A24 series, we are covering Kogonada's quiet meditation on familial AI, After Yang (2022) alongside the wondrous Late Spring (1949) by Yasujiro Ozu. Special Guest - Lillian Crawford is a freelance writer covering film and culture for publications including…
more -
Audio Essay - The End of the Blum Supremacy - State of Horror Films 2025
“If Blumhouse is in a slump, I’d like to tell that story. I don’t want other people to tell that story.” Jason Blum, The Town, July 2025 In a baffling moment of industry transparency, Jason Blum called into The Town podcast on the morning after M3GAN 2.0’s disastrous opening weekend in late June…
more -
The Rise of A24 - Talk to Me (2023) and Possession (1981)
In our second episode of The Rise of A24 series, we are covering the gonzo horror of the Philippou brothers in Talk to Me (2023) and the roots of elevated horror in Andrzej Żuławski's Possession (1981) Special Guest - Returning to the podcast, Writer and Horror Film Aficionado, Andrea Gomez A24…
more -
The Rise of A24 - Sorry, Baby (2025) and Eddington (2025)
We are back with a new season of Film Trace. In this season, we will survey the short but illustrious history of film studio upstart A24. We will analyze how they have made such a massive impact on filmmaking in such a small amount of time. In this premiere episode, we are covering two new…
more -
The Maltese Falcon (1941\1931)
In the season finale of our Visionary Remakes season, we investigate two versions of The Maltese Falcon, the original from 1931 and the more famous 1941 version. The Maltese Falcon has almost become shorthand for both Humphrey Bogart and the beginning of film noir. That famous film was preceded…
more -
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Yojimbo (1961)
In episode seven of our Visionary Remakes season, we traverse two classic westerns. First, Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961) and its nearly immediate Italian reaction, Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars (1964). The western has always been seen as a distinctly American film genre. The "west" in the word…
more -
King Kong (1976\1933)
In episode six of our Visionary Remakes season, we explore two versions of the King Kong myth, the original from 1933 and the 1970s remake. We toss in a dash of Peter Jackson's 2005 version as well. Special Guest: Riley - Good friend of the show and true film buff King Kong is a cultural...
-
The Fly (1986\1958)
In episode five of our Visionary Remakes season, we dissect the original The Fly from 1958 as well as David Cronenberg's bombastic remake from 1986. Special Guest: Daniel Malone - Host of the great You Talkin' to Me? podcast where Daniel watches classic films with his son for the first time.…
more -
Cape Fear (1991\1962)
In episode four of our Visionary Remakes season, we cross-examine two versions of Cape Fear, the original starring a creepy and enigmatic Robert Mitchum, and the 1991 remake from Martin Scorsese starring a crazed and manic Robert De Niro. Special Guest: Amanda Jane Stern - writer, producer and…
more -
Dawn of the Dead (2004\1978)
In episode three of our Visionary Remakes season, we bite into Dawn of the Dead, the original by George Romero from 1978 and the kinetic remake by Zack Snyder from 2004. Special Guest: Karl Delossantos, founder and film critic at Smash Cut, editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved...
-
True Grit (2010\1969)
In episode two of our Visionary Remakes season, we survey the recent Coen brothers remake of True Grit (2010) and compare it to the original film, a John Wayne vehicle from 1969. Special Guest: Brian Eggert is the owner and film critic of Deep Focus Review, where he has written movie reviews,...
-
Nosferatu (2024\1922)
A new season of Film Trace is here! This season we will try something a bit different. We are focusing on Visionary Remakes. In each episode, we will watch a remake made in the selected decade and then go back and compare it to the original film. First up, we are covering Nosferatu. This season…
more -
A House Divided: 2024 Films We Love, Films We Hate
A House Divided: 2024 Films We Love, Films We Hate In this special episode, Dan and Chris delve into the films that split them down the middle—where one of us loved a movie, and the other couldn't stand it. It's our version of cinematic crossfire, complete with slightly heated debates and a dash…
more -
While the City Sleeps (1956) and M (1931)
In the season finale of our Manhunt series, we trace the trajectory of Fritz Lang's exceptional beginnings with M (1931) to his wilting end in While the City Sleeps (1956). Fritz Lang had already created two masterpieces, Metropolis (1927) and M (1931), by the time he reached middle age. He went…
more -
Bullitt (1968) and Le Samouraï (1967)
In episode seven of our Manhunt series, we traverse a gritty and rebellious San Francisco in Bullitt (1968) alongside an oddly sleek and barren Paris in Le Samouraï (1967). Bullitt is famous for two reasons: Steve McQueen and the car chase. Like most famous films, its celluloid holds many more...
-
Apocalypse Now (1978) and Logan's Run (1976)
In episode six of our Manhunt series, we face the masterpiece that is Apocalypse Now (1978) alongside the much lesser Logan's Run (1976) Special Guest: the great Mike Field, Co-host of the Forgotten Cinema podcast Any film critic or scholar who dares traverse the muddy waters up river within...
-
Manhunter (1986) and The Running Man (1987)
In episode five of our Manhunt series, we discuss two films very rooted in the 1980s Aesthetic. First up is Michael Mann's neon blue serial killer thriller, Manhunter from 1986 followed by the bombastic and preposterous Schwarzenegger action movie, The Running Man from 1987. Special Guest: Friend...
-
Cure (1997) and One False Move (1992)
In episode four of our Manhunt series, we explore two films that veer off the beaten path of their genre linenage. From Japan, Cure (1997), an atmospheric and fatalist horror film that helped launched J-Horror and the concept of elevated horror. From the United States, One False Move (1992), a…
more -
Memories of Murder (2003) and The Bourne Identity (2002)
In episode three of our Manhunt series, we delve into two films that helped redefine and revive the genre of pursuit. From South Korea, Memories of Murder (2003), a haunting and postmodern crime drama. From the United States, The Bourne Identity (2002), an adrenaline-fueled yet grounded spy...
-
New World (2013) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
In episode two of our Manhunt series, we explore two international films. From South Korea, New World (2013), a topsy-turvy crime drama. From New Zealand, the playful and whimsical, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). Crime dramas have been a staple of cinema since its inception. We find comfort in...
-
Longlegs (2024) and Trap (2024)
We kick off a new season of Film Trace exploring Manhunt Movies with Longlegs and Trap. In this season of Film Trace, we will dive into movies about being hunted or being the hunter. While these hunted vs hunter films span a wide breadth of genres, we start with the most tried and true model, the...
-
Johnny Guitar (1954) and Imitation of Life (1959)
We conclude our Camp Cinema season with our eighth episode covering Johnny Guitar (1954) and Imitation of Life (1959). In our finale, we delve into the origins of Camp Cinema in the 1950s, spotlighting Nicholas Ray's flamboyant western Johnny Guitar and Douglas Sirk's melodramatic Imitation of...
-
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and Barbarella (1968)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our seventh episode covering The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and Barbarella (1968) Special Guest: Manish Mathur, host of the It Pod to Be You, covering romantic comedies from classics to modern hits and everything in between. French director Jacques Demy...
-
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and The Day of the Locust (1975)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our sixth episode covering The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and The Day of the Locust (1975). Special Guest: scholar, artist, author, and curator Marisa C. Hayes of the wonderful Afterimages podcast and book series. The first film discussed needs no...
-
Hairspray (1988) and Xanadu (1980)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our fifth episode covering Hairspray (1988) and Xanadu (1980) Special Guest: Gavin Mevius and Louie Rendon from the great Mixed Reviews podcast John Waters is the prince of camp. We simply had to choose one of his films for our season on Camp Cinema. The…
more -
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and Magnolia (1999)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our fourth episode covering To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and Magnolia (1999) Special Guest: Returning Guest, Rotten Tomato approved film critic, Natasha Alvar from Cultured Vultures When watching To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!...
-
Sugar and Spice (2001) and Vanilla Sky (2002)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our third episode covering Sugar and Spice (2001) and Vanilla Sky (2002) Special Guest: Good friend and frequent guest, Molly The early Aughts was a bizarre time in American culture. The heady surge of the late 90s into Y2K was quicky benzo'd by 9/11 and the...
-
The Love Witch (2016) and Black Swan (2010)
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our second episode covering The Love Witch (2016) and Black Swan (2010) Special Guest: Filmmakers Emily Gallagher and Austin Elston of Fishtown FIlms As the dust begins to settle on the 2010s, the topsy turvy decade begins to come into focus. At the start of...
-
Madame Web (2024) and Pearl (2022)
Welcome to the first episode of Season 13 of Film Trace. In this season, we will explore the notion of Camp in Film. Building off of Susan Sontag's foundational 1964 essay, Notes on Camp, we will explore two films each episode we think demonstrate Sontag's concepts of naive camp and intentional...
-
A Discourse on The Oscars 2024
We felt like doing an Oscars show, so we did: Topics of discussion 1. Intro: 2023's Film Trace movies. They stood the test of time, but were they awarded upon release? 2. Nominated film most obviously conceived specifically with little gold men in mind? 3. Nominated film conceived originally with...
-
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
In the eighth and final episode of our Future Wars season, we discuss the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) alongside the b-movie stunner Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Alas we have come to the finale of our Future Wars cycle. It has been a long season with a super-sized...
-
Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Alphaville (1965)
In the seventh episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss the classic Dr Strangelove (1964) alongside a bizarre artifact from the French New Wave, Alphaville (1965) Special Guest: Good friend of the show and onscreen performer Harry Brammer, dialing in from Tokyo. Here we have two masters,...
-
The Omega Man (1971) and Zardoz (1974)
In the sixth episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss the last man on earth romp The Omega Man (1971) as well as the bonkers fever dream that is Zardoz (1974). Special Guest: Sean Patrick from the great Everyone’s a Critic podcast The 1970s were a trip. The Omega Man is a zany, over-the-top...
-
The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986)
In the fifth episode of our Future Wars cycle, we tackle two giant films from the action sci fi maestro James Cameron: The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986). Special Guest: David Riedel, film critic and co-host of the great Spoilerpiece Theatre podcast. James Cameron is a master filmmaker. This...
-
The Matrix (1999) and Starship Troopers (1997)
In the fourth episode of our Future Wars cycle, we explore two late 90s classic, The Matrix (1999) and Starship Trooper (1997). Special Guest: Evan Crean, film critic and co-host of the great Spoilerpiece Theatre podcast. Here we have two films with diametrically opposed authorial voices. The...
-
War of the Worlds (2005) and The Road (2009)
In the third episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss Spielberg's bad guy alien film, War of The Worlds along side the bleak and desolate Cormac McCarthy adaptation, The Road. Special Guest: Film critic and co-host of Spoilerpiece Theatre and The Slashers, Megan Kearns. The world doesn't end...
-
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and The Purge (2013)
In the second episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss with George Miller's gonzo-apocalypto in Mad Max: Fury Road alongside the low budget middle-brow of The Purge. Special Guest: Tommy Thevenet from the fantastic Haven't Scene It: A Movie Podcast As we dip a little further into the last...
-
The Creator (2023) and Dune (2021)
In the first episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss the new Gareth Edwards sci-fi epic, The Creator, and Denis Villeneuve's recent attempt of adapting Dune onto film. Our Future Wars cycle is focused on how the conflicts of tomorrow were depicted in the past. Over this 8 episode series, we...
-
Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
In the final episode of our Set in the 1950s cycle, we cover two classics, Cool Hand Luke and Rebel Without a Cause. We have come to the end of our 1950s cycle, and we are struggling to find a thread that weaves through all of these films. The films we covered all use the 1950s in different ways:...
-
The Last Picture Show (1971) and Lenny (1974)
In the sixth episode of our Set in the 1950s cycle, we discuss Peter Bogdanovich's coming of age story, The Last Picture Show (1971), along with the Lenny Bruce bio pic, Lenny, directed by theater great Bob Fosse. Special Guest: Andrea G, co-founder of filmchisme, X: @alifebydreaming The 1950s…
more -
Desert Hearts (1985) and Diner (1982)
In the fifth episode of our Set in the 1950s cycle, we discuss the 1980s hidden gem Desert Hearts and the highly lauded Diner. Special Guest: Friend and frequent guest, Molly, who led us both to the existential oasis that is Desert Hearts We often try to choose two films that create a discourse...
-
L.A. Confidential (1997) and This Boy's Life (1993)
In the fourth episode of our Set in the 1950s cycle, we cover the 1990s neo-noir LA Confidential along side the coming of age tale in This Boy's Life. We dive into two different worlds of the 1950s: the glam and seedy glitz of Los Angeles vs the cold and wet solitude of rural Washington. LA...
-
Far from Heaven (2002) and The Majestic (2001)
In the third episode of our Set in the 1950s cycle, we compare two hommages to the post war decade: Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven and Frank Darabont's The Majestic. Special guests: Brian Eggert from Deep Focus Reviews, Rotten Tomato Approved and frequent KARE 11 guest film critic What started out…
more -
Tree of Life (2011) and The Master (2012)
In the second episode of our cycle Set in the 1950s, we look at two auteurs who swing for the fences with Terrence Malick's Tree of Life (2011) and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master (2012). Special guests and friends of the show Molly and Ryan join us to discuss what happens when Malick and...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
We trace the Life of a Film from conception to production all the way to its release and reception. You know when you dive into a film's wikipedia and imdb after watching it? Then the director's page, then the actor's page. Our show does that for you. We use our nerd superpowers to obsessively tell the story of a movie: how it came to be, how it played out, and what it means today. It is a crash course on a single film filled with primary documents, lovely asides, and frequent guest voices. It is an investigation and celebration of films both great and small.
HOSTED BY
Film Trace
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Film Trace have?
Film Trace currently has 131 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Film Trace about?
We trace the Life of a Film from conception to production all the way to its release and reception. You know when you dive into a film's wikipedia and imdb after watching it? Then the director's page, then the actor's page. Our show does that for you. We use our nerd superpowers to obsessively tell...
How often does Film Trace release new episodes?
Film Trace publishes regularly with 131 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Film Trace?
You can listen to Film Trace on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Film Trace?
Film Trace is created and hosted by Film Trace.
URL copied to clipboard!