PODCAST · tv
The Filmographers
by The Filmographers Podcast
Welcome to the Filmographers Podcast, where we study a director’s entire career, one film at a time. In each episode, we discuss why a single film succeeded or failed and examine it in the context of the Hollywood landscape when it was released.In our first season, we’re turning the spotlight on Steven Soderbergh, one of the most celebrated, fascinating, and versatile directors in modern American cinema.
Episodes
-
Kiss Me, Stupid
When a star singer stops for gas in small-town Nevada, two struggling songwriters hatch a plot that is in no way problematic: they hire a local prostitute to pose as the piano player’s wife and offer her to the singer, hoping he’ll buy one of their songs. Join our Patreon for episodes and content...
-
The Social Reckoning Review
Sixteen years after winning an Oscar for writing “The Social Network,” Aaron Sorkin follows up by writing AND directing “The Social Reckoning.” He claims it’s not a sequel, but it IS a look at what happens when Mark Zuckerberg—and Facebook—are all grown up. Keir Graff and guest co-host Scott...
-
Interview with Paul Diamond, son of Billy Wilder’s writing partner, I. A. L. Diamond
Paul Diamond knew Billy Wilder well—his dad was Wilder’s writing partner, I. A. L. Diamond. A novelist, screenwriter, and movie producer himself, Paul spoke to Keir about meeting Marilyn Monroe, the true story behind his dad’s initials, and who wrote the line, “Nobody’s perfect.” Join our Patreon...
-
Irma La Douce
Billy Wilder’s last film, a savage satire of capitalism, was a flop. With Irma la Douce, he returned to the subject that gave him his greatest successes—sex!—by making a movie about a hooker with a heart of gold. Join our Patreon for episodes and content you won’t find anywhere else!...
-
Wilder Inspires: Jerry Maguire
It's no secret that Billy Wilder was an important inspiration in Cameron Crowe's life and work. Crowe did, after all, write a book on Wilder. But how much of Wilder shows up in Crowe's movies? We look at Crowe's 1997 smash-hit Jerry Maguire and ask the most important question: Does Crowe show...
-
It Ends Review
Part existential road trip, part liminal horror nightmare, It Ends captivated audiences during its festival run and is hoping to build on that success with a theatrical release. We explore writer/director Alex Ullom's micro-budget effort and how it might give voice to the Covid generation. Also…
more -
One, Two, Three
It's 1961, and Hollywood is changing. Foreign films are wooing critics and audiences alike, and a new wave of filmmakers is starting to emerge. But while movies are taking a step forward, Wilder is taking a step back with One, Two, Three, a throwback comedy featuring an aging star. Grab yourself…
more -
The Samurai and the Prisoner Review
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's The Samurai and the Prisoner is an equally epic and intimate story of war, nobility, and murder in 16th-century Japan. Mike and Kevin explore its many layers, its narrative construction, and how Kurosawa taps into Sydney Lumet's rich tradition of "moral claustrophobia" to…
more -
The Apartment
By 1960, nearly twenty years into his career as a writer/director, Billy Wilder had made one unforgettable film after another. And yet, his latest effort might just be his best yet--it is, some say, the quintessential Wilder movie: The Apartment. But nothing's easy with Wilder, and making his...
-
Secrets and Lies With Nathan Deming
Nathan Deming is one of our favorite up-and-coming filmmakers. We previously discussed his film February, and now he's back with a new movie, Winter Hymns, an epic and wonderful story of life, death, and more. We chatted with him about his influences, specifically his experience studying under…
more -
The Odyssey of Christopher Nolan
A movie as big as The Odyssey cannot be contained to just one episode. Since we've already reviewed Christopher Nolan's masterful epic, we're going to look at how The Odyssey fits into Nolan's filmography--the obsessions, the themes, the recurring motifs. Join us as we journey through…
more -
The Odyssey Review
Christopher Nolan is back, and he's going epic with an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey. Does is reach the heights of his Academy Award-winning masterpiece Oppenheimer? Mike and producer Kevin share their thoughts, and they rank their five favorite Nolan movies! Join our Patreon for episodes and...
-
Troma, Lloyd Kaufman, and Billy Wilder
As the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, Lloyd Kaufman has blazed a singular trail through cinema for over 50 years. He's behind all-time classics such as The Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke 'Em High, Tromeo and Juliet, and so many more. He's an icon, a cult legend, and we were thrilled to talk…
more -
Some Like It Hot
With his new writing partner at his side and a parade of hit movies trailing behind him, Billy Wilder was ready to start the next chapter of his career. While he began his latest act by making one of the greatest comedies of all-time, it came at a cost: The cost of doing business with Marilyn...
-
The Billy Wilder Story So Far
Whether you've been following along with us all season or have only recently joined us, this brief recap will prepare you for our journey into the back half of Wilder's career, which kicks off on June 30 with our episode on Some Like It Hot. Join our Patreon for episodes and content you won’t…
more -
The Death of Robin Hood Review
Michael Sarnoski's The Death of Robin Hood is a dark and grim reevaluation of the Robin Hood mythos. But is it just another gritty take on a beloved character, or does the movie have something deeper on its mind? We discuss this very question, and more, in our review. Join our Patreon for…
more -
The Furious Review
Keir and Mike may not be martial artists, but they know a good fight when they see one, and The Furious has *a lot* of great fights. But is that enough to carry a movie? Plus, our five favorite fightin' movies! Join our Patreon for episodes and content you won’t find anywhere else!...
-
Billy Wilder's 10 Rules of Screenwriting—with Pulitzer winner Daniel Kraus
Keir and Mike are joined by a very special guest and friend of the show—Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Kraus!—to dissect Billy Wilder’s 10 Rules for Screenwriting. Which ones are still relevant? Which ones aren’t even rules? Listen and find out! Join our Patreon for episodes and content you...
-
Witness for the Prosecution
Billy Wilder needed a hit, so who could he turn to? A hit-making machine: the one and only Agatha Christie. But change is in the air for Wilder, and his career is about to experience a plot twist that the queen of mystery herself couldn't see coming. Like what we do here on the Filmographers?…
more -
Obsession + Hokum
It's a Filmographers first: Mike is flying solo! Keir is away on writer business, but Mike saw two new horror releases that he's dying to discuss: Damian McCarthy's Hokum and Curry Barker's Obsession. Mike breaks down what works about each of these movies and what's a bunch of, well...hokum. Like...
-
Love in the Afternoon
Billy Wilder’s last film was a flop. But he would get two do-overs in 1957—and the first was his Ernst Lubitsch homage, “Love in the Afternoon.” He also met his second great writing partner: I. A. L. Diamond. Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please consider joining our Patreon!...
-
The Spirit of St. Louis
After stringing together three hit movies based on Broadway plays, Billy Wilder pivoted to new territory: a biopic of Charles Lindbergh. On one hand, Lindbergh was an American myth whose life story was ripe for Hollywood treatment. On the other, he was a Nazi sympathizer, and Wilder was a Jew…
more -
Ace in the Hole Commentary Track
They're no Billy Wilder, and this isn't a director's commentary, but Keir and Mike provide plenty of insight into what makes "Ace in the Hole" one of the best movies of all-time. Also, forgive their math. They're just writers, after all. Enjoy this preview of our Patreon exclusive? Then sign up...
-
The Christophers Makes the Case for Human-Created Art
Steven Soderbergh is back! The Filmographers' OG director has returned to the scene with The Christophers, a movie about art and authenticity starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. Is his latest effort a forgery, or is it the real deal? Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please...
-
Top Five Wilder (So Far)
We're nearly at the midway point of our second season, which means it's time to rank our favorite films from the first half of Billy Wilder's career. We also discuss Steven Soderbergh's embracing of AI, and Mike delivers his review of Exit 8. Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please...
-
The Seven Year Itch
Billy Wilder’s last film was a classy, black-and-white romance that paid homage to his mentor, Ernst Lubitsch. In The Seven Year Itch, Wilder goes widescreen and Technicolor to squeeze out plenty of boob jokes. Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please consider joining our Patreon!...
-
Sabrina vs. Sabrina
Hollywood will never tire of remakes, even though few of them manage to capture the spirit of the original. Can the 1995 update of Billy Wilder's classic "Sabrina" buck that trend? It does have an all-star cast and a veteran director behind the camera. Surely this remake won't be like all those...
-
Sabrina
Billy Wilder is still playing it safe. Sabrina (1954) has stars (Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden) and is based on a popular Broadway play. But is that enough to keep his latest winning streak going? Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please consider joining our...
-
Wilder Inspires: Network
In Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole," audiences were given a look at what happens when news becomes more focused on sensation than truth, more allegiant to entertainment than dignity. Twenty-five years later, Sidney Lumet took those themes even deeper in "Network," a movie that predicted...
-
Stalag 17
Billy Wilder once made a romance in the ruins of post–World War II Berlin, so it makes sense that he'd also have the nerve to write and direct a full-fledged comedy about POWs in a Nazi prison camp. With his 1953 picture, "Stalag 17," the wacky set-ups just keep on coming. Like what we do here on...
-
Ace in the Hole
In complete charge of his destiny, Wilder followed the triumph of Sunset Boulevard with Ace in the Hole, perhaps his most personal movie—certainly his darkest. But the movie bombed, giving Billy Wilder his first taste of failure and changing the course of his career. Like what we do here on the...
-
Sunset Boulevard vs. All About Eve
Wilder vs. Mankiewicz! Swanson vs. Davis! Hollywood vs. New York! It's a ten-round, heavyweight bout between two classic films--two classics that explored similar terrain, were released within 10 weeks of each other, and duked it out at the 1950 Oscars. And now, 76 years later, we're putting them...
-
Sunset Boulevard
Billy Wilder is depressed. He’s breaking up with his writing partner, Charles Brackett, and an encounter with a ghost from Hollywood’s past has left him shaken. What can he do? Make a movie, of course—an enduring classic about the way Hollywood eats its own. Like what we do here on the...
-
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple + Best Horror Franchises
We loved "28 Days Later", and we loved "28 Years Later" even more. Does the latest installment continue this upward trajectory? (We're ignoring "28 Weeks Later" for the moment.) Listen to find out! Also, we tackle what might be our toughest Filmographers Five yet: Top Five Horror Franchises...…
more -
The Best of 2025
2025 might not have been the best year for the movie industry, but it was a very good year for movies themselves, and Keir and Mike watched a lot of them. Here, they look back on the year that was and count down their top 10 favorite movies from 2025. Like what we do here on the Filmographers?…
more -
The Shop Around the Corner + You've Got Mail
Right in time for the holidays, we discuss one of the best Christmas movies ever made, 'The Shop Around the Corner.' Not only is it a seminal classic, but it's also directed by Billy Wilder's mentor, Ernst Lubitsch. We also discuss one of its remakes, 1998's 'You've Got Mail.' Enjoy this preview…
more -
Remembering Rob Reiner + Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
In the wake of Rob Reiner's tragic passing, we discuss his wonderful career and the movies that have impacted us. We also look at Rian Johnson's latest entry in his Knives Out series, "Wake Up Dead Man." Like what we do here on the Filmographers? Then please consider joining our Patreon!...
-
A Foreign Affair
Many have called Billy Wilder's work "cynical." Some have even called it "mean." But Wilder, well, he'd say he's just being honest. If that's the case, "A Foreign Affair" may just be his most honest film to date. It's also, in his own words, one of his most personal. Like what we do here on the...
-
The Emperor Waltz
After a blistering noir and a searing portrait of alcoholism, Billy Wilder’s next film was . . . a Technicolor musical comedy starring Bing Crosby! Why did he make “The Emperor Waltz”? We’re just as puzzled as you are. We're upping our Patreon in a major way for Season 2, so be sure to join…
more -
Billy Wilder at War
Just as World War II was ending, Billy Wilder was made a colonel in the United States Army. HIs job? Simple: Root Nazis out of the German film industry and get it up and running again. But this is Billy Wilder, and his return to Germany was a colorful one--and a deeply personal one. Enjoy this...
-
The Lost Weekend
Billy Wilder, the refugee who arrived in Hollywood unable to speak or write English, is now an A-lister. But will he be able to maintain that status with his grim fourth feature? Will Paramount even release it? We're upping our Patreon in a major way for Season 2, so be sure to join today!...
-
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein + Top 5 Gothic Movies
Guillermo del Toro's long-gestating Frankenstein adaptation is finally, well...it's alive! Has this project spent too much time in the oven, or has the gothic master managed to once again bring a monster to our world in the way that only he can? Keir and Mike dive into the history behind del…
more -
Double Indemnity
With only his third film as director, Billy Wilder made an all-time classic: “Double Indemnity.” But it wasn’t easy. He had to do it without his writing partner, Charles Brackett. And he had to overcome the film censors who declared James M. Cain’s novel unfilmable. We're upping our Patreon in a...
-
Five Graves to Cairo
For his second movie, Billy Wilder made a hard turn away from fluffy comedy and set his sights not only on the action genre, but also on the burgeoning war occurring across the ocean. His sophomore effort may not be as well-known as his later works, but it's a critical entry in his career--and…
more -
The Major and the Minor
Billy Wilder quickly became one of Hollywood’s hottest screenwriters after teaming with Charles Brackett. But if he wanted to keep directors from changing his words, he’d have to get behind the camera himself. His directorial debut? That was a surprise. We're upping our Patreon in a major way for...
-
Billy Wilder: Mythmaker
Billy Wilder’s true story was colorful enough, but the born storyteller couldn’t help making things even more interesting. Join us as we kick off Season 2 by separating fact from fiction in the director’s early life and first filmmaking efforts. Next stop: Hollywood! We're upping our Patreon in a...
-
Season 2 Announcement!
The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here: We're announcing the director we'll be studying, one movie at a time, throughout our second season! Is it a 70s trailblazer like Peter Bogdanovich? A modern auteur such as Kathryn Bigelow? A Golden Age icon like John Ford? You'll have to…
more -
Season 2 Preview and Honey Don't! Review
Here we go, Filmographers listeners: We're finally pulling back the curtain on Season 2. While we're not revealing the director we chose just yet, we do reveal when that announcement will happen. We also discuss Honey Don't! and ask the question: Can one Coen brother find the Coen magic without…
more -
Sunset Boulevard at 75: Still Ready for Its Close-Up?
Sunset Boulevard is one of the most cynical and darkly funny films ever made about Hollywood. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Mike and Keir zoom in on Billy Wilder's noir classic. It's the movie no one wanted to make, yet it somehow became the movie no one could ever forget. Season 2 is coming...
-
The Filmographers Go to the Movies: Superman
Superman is here, not only to save the day but to save the entire DC Cinematic Universe. Join Michael and producer Kevin as they discuss the newest Superman iteration as well as the ramifications it has for DC/Warner Bros.' future. Join our Patreon! Social media Instagram @thefilmographers…
more
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
Welcome to the Filmographers Podcast, where we study a director’s entire career, one film at a time. In each episode, we discuss why a single film succeeded or failed and examine it in the context of the Hollywood landscape when it was released.In our first season, we’re turning the spotlight on Steven Soderbergh, one of the most celebrated, fascinating, and versatile directors in modern American cinema.
HOSTED BY
The Filmographers Podcast
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Filmographers have?
The Filmographers currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Filmographers about?
Welcome to the Filmographers Podcast, where we study a director’s entire career, one film at a time. In each episode, we discuss why a single film succeeded or failed and examine it in the context of the Hollywood landscape when it was released.In our first season, we’re turning the spotlight on...
How often does The Filmographers release new episodes?
The Filmographers has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Filmographers?
You can listen to The Filmographers 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 The Filmographers?
The Filmographers is created and hosted by The Filmographers Podcast.
URL copied to clipboard!