For this excursion into something besides movies, I would recruit friend and Austin-based journalist Dan Solomon to go back 20 years to talk about a year in music - an art form that I love every bit much as film. For this retrospective, my guests and I curate a new list of ten favorite records from that year, playing snippets of certain songs and discussing our feelings about music in general. As of 2021, I decided to include my dear friend Jason Simpson , also a pop culture writer, to join us i...
Jul 11, 2025•2 hr 9 min
Do you like explosions?! Well you're in for a summer treat. Thank you so much to guest hosts Chloe Waryan and Luther Moss for covering a director on Director's Club I never would want to cover without losing my mind. What a delightful discussion and it’s an honor to put this out for all to hear! You "don't want to miss" this episode! You also don't want to close your eyes, you don't want to fall asleep. Animal crackers optional. 00:00 - 05:40 - Show Changes / Intro from Jim! 05:41 - 07:15 - Intr...
Jul 07, 2025•2 hr 46 min•Ep. 238
I once saw a film called Sherman’s March which of course I adored. But then a year or so ago, I watched another film by the same director, Bright Leaves . For some reason, it had a profound effect on me. This episode goes into detail as to why. Joining me throughout is Illinois archivist and historian Eric Edwards for this unconventional approach to this podcast. A lot of it edited, scripted, even EQ’d, but the most obvious difference are included excerpts from other shows. We hear a lot from Ro...
May 04, 2025•50 min•Ep. 237
What an honor and a joy it was to talk with Rachel Bellwoar, an extremely talented writer and pop culture enthusiast whose work I’ve enjoyed discovering over the years. Thanks to many mutual cinephile friends and podcasters, we crossed paths in the world of Facebook and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on the show to talk about an underappreciated British director, Jack Clayton ! Pauline Kael praised The Innocents as "one of the most elegantly beautiful ghost movies ever made” and rightfu...
Apr 21, 2025•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 236
Not too big of a summary this time around since the title says it all and there’s a lot to get to in terms of the episode proper. Every year around late February / early March, I call upon my Chicago film critic buddies Collin Souter & Erik Childress to join me for an epic episode discussing as many movies as we possibly can, traveling back in time to cover an entire year. In the midst of the joyful conversation are lots of clips, songs excerpts, trailers, sound effects and general weirdness...
Mar 07, 2025•5 hr 56 min•Ep. 235
This is a celebration, not just another Director’s Club episode for a reason. Back in 1990, I became an avid fan and follower of today’s guest and he’s been on this show a couple of times in the past, most recently for the Paul Thomas Anderson Part II episode. I’m talking of course about Nick Digilio . 40 years ago, he began his career as a professional film critic, reviewing movies on Roy Leonard’s radio show. It’s also amazing to think that 40 years ago, I first fell in love with movies after ...
Feb 24, 2025•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 234
Let’s forget all about inauguration day (since this comes out on January 20th, 2025) by focusing on someone who truly matters, the legendary comedic mind of Elaine May , pioneer of improv sketch comedy and so much more! We focus on all four of her directorial films and sing the praises of nearly all of them. Yes, that MAY include her last feature from 1987 that does not deserve the reputation or the critical bashing that it received upon its release. Thank you so much to Sharon for being a delig...
Jan 20, 2025•2 hr 3 min
Nearly five hours of conversation and recommendations all about the year 2024 in cinema! Bill Ackerman (host of Supporting Characters and guest host of this show) and I reveal 25 favorite films, talk about the year in general and have a lot to say as usual. In addition, you’ll get to hear thoughts from previous guest Chloe Waryan as well as a traditional song from yours truly where I sing the titles of Bill’s 40 favorites. 00:00 - 15:40 - Intro / Thoughts 15:41 - 02:50:09 - Numbers 25-11. 02:50:...
Jan 06, 2025•4 hr 55 min
Happy holidays! Grateful to my incredibly smart and passionate guests to cover a genre I’m not as well-versed in - Hong Kong cinema particularly martial arts action. I am familiar with Buster Keaton though unlike the first time I saw Rumble In The Bronx back in 1995 at the local multiplex. Nevertheless, I know I was watching a legendary talent of the highest caliber even back then. Joining me for a discussion on the directorial work of a master stunt man, actor, singer, death-defying daredevil J...
Dec 24, 2024•2 hr 57 min
Hello everyone! I am no longer putting out episodes via Libsyn, they are now hosted right here at my Substack. Formerly known as the 5 Years Substack, this is now the hub for all-things Director’s Club including a new URL. Learn about all this and more during my 8-minute preamble before we get to the subject at hand - indeed a very special one since today’s guest is responsible for my favorite film of 2024 (soon to be released next year so stay tuned). I was lucky enough to spend a half hour tal...
Dec 16, 2024•45 min
Have you been waiting for the Mann? Well it's been over a decade since we last discussed his work back when Patrick and I mainly covered our love for both Heat & The Insider . Cut to present time, I have recruited two of my favorite returning guests to touch upon nearly every title by Michael Mann focusing on his post- Collateral output since it wasn't covered last time. Grateful to both Ryan Verrill ( The Disc-Connected ) and Brian Tallerico ( RogerEbert.com ) for joining me for a delightfu...
Nov 25, 2024•1 hr 44 min
The spooky season is here! Why not indulge in the twisted fantasy worlds of one renowned, revered Mexican filmmaker by the name of Guillermo Del Toro! Of course I needed to enlist a super fan of his and I was lucky enough to have returning guest Chloe Waryan back on the show for another truly delightful discussion. Chloe may very well be my go-to guest every October (well at least for next year so we can finally talk about Mike Flanagan). Not to mention, you're in for a surprise when Chloe and I...
Oct 28, 2024•2 hr 11 min
It's been six weeks since a new episode of the show but this will be worth the wait, given not only the director we're covering but the guest is one of the best film critics working today. Letterboxd's very own Mitchell Beaupre returns after their debut a couple years ago for a nail-biting discussion on one of our premiere action-thriller directors working today. Jeremy Saulnier has a terrific new movie out on Netflix called Rebel Ridge which we review at length in addition to the rest of his fi...
Sep 30, 2024•2 hr 19 min
Couldn't be more thrilled to share the latest conversation I had with one of my favorite returning guests, actor/writer/director Keith Gordon who may remember as Arnie from John Carpenter's Christine . He's been on several times in the past to not only talk about his films and his career but particular movies he thinks you should seek out from a particular decade. In the tradition of the Pure Cinema Podcast, this is more of a back-and-forth conversation about ten titles from a list that we put t...
Aug 15, 2024•2 hr 27 min
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on! Patrick Ripoll (of 96 Greers) joins me once again, returning to discuss two horror films that left me a bit perplexed. About six years ago, I asked Patrick to come back on to review David Gordon Green's Halloween along with the Suspiria remake simply because I wanted to hear his thoughts. Upon walking out of both Longlegs and In a Violent Nature , I had that same feeling of needing Patrick to come over for a couple hours so we could hash out my thoughts (and ne...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 39 min
For this excursion into something besides movies, in case you didn't know, I once hosted Voices & Visions and I would recruit friend and Austin-based journalist Dan Solomon to go back 20 years to talk about a year in music - an art form that I love every bit much as film. For this summer tradition, my guests and I curate a new list of ten favorite records from a favorite year, playing snippets of certain songs and discussing our feelings about music in general. As of 2021, I decided to inclu...
Jul 03, 2024•2 hr 6 min
Once again, the format has changed a little for an experiment. Not quite a magic trick if you will, but Erik and I hope to "incept" you with our collaborative ranking of a director's filmography (not a draft, repeat not a draft ). Last time Erik Childress was on to talk Christopher Nolan, it was way back in 2011 - the very first year of this podcast. Now the time has come for a sequel especially since my personal favorite Nolan film came out a few years after that first recording. My love for it...
Jun 19, 2024•2 hr 38 min
Do you remember when Bill Ackerman and I revealed our 50 favorite movies episode for the 10-year anniversary of this show? That was Part One in what eventually has become a trilogy! Little did you know, when I briefly had a Patreon, we did a sequel that was exclusive for subscribers. I no longer have Patreon so not only do you get Part Two (50 More Favorites) but also the newly recorded Part Three (Another 50 Favorites), both available the same day as a birthday bonus treat. All in all, not only...
May 04, 2024•7 hr 32 min
Do you remember when Bill Ackerman and I revealed our 50 favorite movies episode for the 10-year anniversary of this show? That was Part One in what eventually has become a trilogy! Little did you know, when I briefly had a Patreon, we did a sequel that was exclusive for subscribers. I no longer have Patreon so not only do you get Part Two (50 More Favorites) but also the newly recorded Part Three (Another 50 Favorites), both available the same day as a birthday bonus treat. All in all, not only...
May 04, 2024•6 hr 24 min
Two reasons this podcast exist: Film Junk and Patrick Ripoll. So I'm always grateful when Patrick returns since he's the OG co-host of this show. He's always doing killer work with Reg on 96 Greers that I highly recommend. But I vividly recall two moments of the past decade: his love of Clouds of Sils Maria and my love for Personal Shopper. Made a mental note to put French filmmaker Olivier Assayas on the list of potential directors and the time has come to cover him. He will have a movie out la...
Mar 25, 2024•2 hr 51 min
The epic yearly retrospectives continue as we travel back 30 years to rewatch, reconsider and share favorites along with many memories too! Join me on this 6-hour plus journey alongside Chicago critics Erik Childress and Collin Souter . Many laughs, songs, clips, trailers, excerpts and so much more! Thank you so much for the support and for listening. And of course, thank you so much to Collin & Erik for spending time nerding out about a wide range of titles. For all the retrospective episod...
Mar 07, 2024•6 hr 24 min
When I first saw Hiroshima Mon Amour, this particular director went on the long list of names I wanted to cover. Alain Resnais is an internationally acclaimed film director, associated with both the Left Bank Group and the Nouvelle Vague. His preoccupation with the themes of time, memory and history, and his dazzling exploration of cinematographic technique, made him one of France’s most distinctive and influential filmmakers for over 60 years, inspiring the likes of David Lynch & Michel Gon...
Feb 01, 2024•2 hr 21 min
The title of this episode says it all. Over four hours of nerdy movie conversations and recommendations all about the year 2023. Two Director's Club mainstays return. Bill Ackerman (host of Supporting Characters and guest host of this show) along with Patrick Ripoll (co-host of 96 Greers ) join me as well all share their favorite films of 2023. No categories this year (like Best Actor, etc.) but plenty of reflection, surprising disagreement and even a wild story about what happened when Patrick ...
Jan 08, 2024•4 hr 29 min
Happy New Year! This is a podcast. The Director’s Club Podcast. Maybe you should get a coffee first before listening. A coffee and a muffin might help. Gosh I’m so tired. But what a way to start the new year. Podcasting with a wonderful person like Sharon. Then editing it. Then writing these show notes. The thing that you’re reading right now. Or maybe you’re not reading this, you’re listening to the podcast. Wouldn’t it be weird if suddenly you were on the podcast? You the listener? Sometimes i...
Jan 02, 2024•2 hr 21 min
Just in time for turkey day, in which we have a lot to be thankful for, comes this delightful discussion with plenty of fixins. Fresh from their excellent new podcast, A Tripp Through Comedy , two new guests join me but I've been following them ever since we all met during Triviaspotting. Ross Bratin and Tripp Burton join me to talk all about the filmography of Frank Oz , someone each of us love and grew up with - whether as a Muppet or as a director, his achievements and talent are immeasurable...
Nov 21, 2023•3 hr 8 min
This episode is about the same running time as The Conjuring 2! Why does a horror movie need to be well over two hours? One might inquire to breakthrough horror filmmaker James Wan and that's exactly what I set out to do for this Halloween spooktacular! This is my favorite month of the year for a reason! Well, actually we have another delightful episode due in large part to a very special guest making her Director's Club debut. Joining me is librarian and Instagram sensation Chloe Waryan to talk...
Oct 24, 2023•2 hr 22 min
The new episode arrives a few days later than planned (since it was scheduled to be our September episode) but nevertheless, we have a delightfully animated episode on tap here featuring another two of my favorite podcasters. The talented, prolific Billy Ray Brewton (of The Incinerator Podcast & Movie Mixtapes) joins me alongside his good friend and co-host Ryan Verrill, who also has own podcast that I highly recommend called The Disc-Connected. We learn about their passion projects and thei...
Oct 02, 2023•2 hr 21 min
Wendell B. Harris Jr. is an American independent filmmaker trained in drama at Interlochen and Juilliard. His family founded Prismatic Images, a multi-award-winning film/video/audio production facility in Flint, Michigan, in 1979 and he broke onto the scene by making the breakthrough Sundance smash, Chameleon Street just one year after Steven Soderbergh broke with his debut film. One of my favorite film critics, Robert Daniels joins me to talk about Chameleon Street and the reason why it was Har...
Aug 28, 2023•2 hr 7 min
Delightful guests Jack Draper and Clay Williams of a new favorite show of mine, Exiting Through The 2010s , make their debut to talk about a mutual favorite directors of theirs: Mr. Carl Franklin (ONE FALSE MOVE, DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS). We focus on the five films he made all in a row, most of which are highly acclaimed and one of them should be far more acclaimed than it seems to be. Wondering which one that is? You'll have to listen! Before we launch into the filmography, Clay and Jack talk abo...
Jul 10, 2023•2 hr 40 min
Soon enough Bill Ackerman will be bringing us an official director-centric episode soon and I will be discussing another in early July. For this excursion into something besides movies, in case you didn't know, I once hosted called Voices & Visions and I would recruit friend and Austin-based journalist Dan Solomon to go back 20 years to talk about a year in music - an art form that I love every bit much as film. For this retrospective, my guests and I curate a new list of ten favorite record...
Jun 14, 2023•2 hr 35 min
