The MUBI Podcast is an audio documentary series about great cinema–how it happens and how it brings people together. Each season, host Rico Gagliano deep dives into a different facet of the film world, from history making cinemas to legendary needle drops.
It has been twice named Best Arts or Entertainment Podcast in the L.A. Press Club’s 2022 and 2023 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. It was nominated for a 2022 Webby Award for Best Individual Podcast Episode - TV or Film, and for Best New Podcast at the 2022 British Podcast Awards. Most recently, the series was nominated for Best Entertainment Show and Best Scriptwriting (Non-fiction) at the 2023 Ambie Awards.
GRAND THEFT HAMLET tells the radical tale of a band of artists who stage a virtual production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet inside the online video game Grand Theft Auto. But it’s hardly the first time filmmakers have messed with Shakespeare’s great Dane. Host Rico Gagliano learns the history of Hamlet on screen, with help from the movie’s cocreators, Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, director Michael Almereyda (HAMLET 2000), and Rico’s own playwright father. GRAND THEFT HAMLET is now streaming exclusively ...
Magnus von Horn discusses his film, *The Girl with the Needle*, inspired by a true crime story of infanticide in early 20th-century Copenhagen. He explores the societal factors that contributed to the grim events and reflects on the film's relevance to contemporary issues like women's rights and oppression. Von Horn shares insights into recreating the historical setting and working with the actors to portray complex, morally ambiguous characters.
For their first project together since last year's steamy hit CHALLENGERS, director Luca Guadagnino (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME) and writer Justin Kuritzkes tackle another story about a sensuous 1950s romance of desire and longing: an adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novel QUEER. The pair tell host Rico Gagliano about why they vibe, how they make audiences feel the heat, and how their films are like a MAD MAX movie. QUEER is streaming exclusively on MUBI in the UK, Ireland, Latin America,...
After THE MATRIX and V FOR VENDETTA, the Wachowskis were ready to turn from darkness, into the bright, bright candy-colored light. The result was SPEED RACER , an eyepopping postmodern explosion that honored the gravity-defying spirit of old-school anime… and which audiences couldn’t quite figure out. Host Rico Gagliano talks with the SPEED RACER star Roger Allam (THE THICK OF IT), legendary special effects artist John Gaeta (THE MATRIX), and more about how the movie was made, why it tanked, and...
When screenwriter Charlie Kaufman started making his epic, heartbreaking directorial debut SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK , he was the toast of Hollywood. Then it flopped, put a pause on his career, and arguably marked the end of the heady “indiewood” era of the oughties. Host Rico Gagliano talks to one of the film’s stars, Daniel London (MINORITY REPORT), comedy star and SYNECDOCHE superfan Jamie Demetriou (FLEABAG), and LA Times critic Amy Nicholson to learn about a movie that’s now seen as one of the b...
In 1994, indie darlings the Coen Brothers went for the big time with a playful pastiche of classic Hollywood movies that pulled out every visual and comedic stop… and still crashed and burned at the box office. Host Rico Gagliano tells the story of the soaring Coens movie that paved the way for the flatlands of FARGO. Guests include HUDSUCKER’s legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (BLADE RUNNER 2049), acclaimed film podcaster Karina Longworth (YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS), and more. The latest sea...
It’s hard to imagine Katharine Hepburn as anything but a Hollywood icon. But in 1935, director George Cukor ’s dreamy, gender-fluid comedy SYLVIA SCARLETT derailed her career for years. Host Rico Gagliano tells the story of a movie with sexual politics way ahead of its time — and which paid for it dearly at the box office. Guests include movie star and Hepburn devotee Rebecca Hall (THE PRESTIGE), film scholar Elyce Rae Helford ( WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD ), and arts writer Lesley Chow ( YOU’RE HISTOR...
The first BABE was a family-friendly megahit. So for the sequel, why did director George Miller thrust his sweet porcine hero into a family-unfriendly nightmare? Host Rico Gagliano takes a trot down the mean streets of BABE: PIG IN THE CITY, telling the story of its rise and box-office fall with the help of guests including Farmer Hoggett himself, James Cromwell (SUCCESSION), and voice-of-Babe E.G. Daily (PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE). The latest season of The MUBI Podcast – BOX OFFICE POISON — dives...
In the mid-’70s, legendary director William Friedkin — fresh off THE EXORCIST — helicoptered into South America with tens of millions of dollars… and emerged with malaria and a bleak, thrilling masterpiece called SORCERER. The only problem was the competition: A little movie called STAR WARS. Host Rico Gagliano tells the story of how SORCERER crashed and burned at the box office — with help from the film’s screenwriter Walon Green (THE WILD BUNCH), Oscar-winning producer Mark Johnson (THE HOLDOV...
Director Kyle Edward Ball had a nightmare as a child: "I was in my parents’ house, my parents were missing, and there was a monster." Turns out, this is a nightmare a lot of people have had. After honing this craft on his YouTube channel, he finally made his film… and then it leaked online. Joined by Ball himself and Dread Central’s editor-in-chief MaryBeth McAndrews , Anna explores how SKINAMARINK became the perfect haunted house movie for the internet age. Season 6, titled Haunted Ho...
Few films have garnered the rabid, cult following over the years is a sight to behold. Giant cats. Talking houses. Heads coming out of wells. The images might be familiar, but the story behind the film is less so. The debut feature from experimental filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi was done in collaboration with his 10-year-old daughter. Season 6, titled Haunted Homes , explores how haunted house movies have mirrored our relationship with our homes. Each episode visits a horror movie that changed the...
The most famous haunted house in America is a large Dutch Colonial family home that became a bestseller, super-successful horror movie and a franchise that has spawned over 60 movies (and counting). And it’s all based…on a con. Together with horror critic Jenn Addams , FANGORIA editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr. and Bloody Disgusting critic Joe Lipsett , who is possibly the only person in the world to have watched all the Amityville films, guest host Anna tracks how one haunted house movie became a...
After a bad experience in Hollywood, Guillermo del Toro had lost his spark. He got it back with a story of a haunted orphanage during the Spanish Civil War, a script he wrote when he was still a student. Together with the film’s producer Rosa Bosch, BFI’s Creative Director and author of THE FABER BOOK OF MEXICAN CINEMA Jason Wood and co-host of the Filmspotting podcast Josh Larsen, guest host Anna Bogutskaya finds out how THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE gave Guillermo his horror groove back. Season 6, titl...
Before POLTERGEIST, haunted house movies took place in old, creepy mansions. Regular host Rico Gagliano visits the original suburban house in California to check for ghosts and hands over to guest host Anna Bogutskaya to explore how POLTERGEIST transformed horror movies forever with the help of the movie’s star JoBeth Williams, original publicist Mick Garris and horror filmmaker Vincenzo Natali. Season 6, titled Haunted Homes , explores how haunted house movies have mirrored our relationship wit...
Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat's Cannes-winning body-horror blitz THE SUBSTANCE features Demi Moore as an aging star who turns to a mystery drug in hopes of becoming a better, younger version of herself. Fargeat tells host Rico Gagliano about casting Moore, why blood and guts are great metaphors, and the pain of makeup removal. THE SUBSTANCE comes to theaters in the US, UK, Latin America, Germany, Canada and Netherlands on September 19 & 20. Visit trythesubstance.com for showtimes and ...
Oscar-winning actor/producer Riz Ahmed (SOUND OF METAL) and acclaimed UK director Yann Mounir Demange (’71, TOP BOY) tell host Rico Gagliano about treading the line between truth and fiction in DAMMI—Demange’s semi-autobiographical short about an angry young man trying to come to terms with his identity, his dad, and his birthplace: Paris. DAMMI is now streaming exclusively on MUBI worldwide. More films from Riz Ahmed are also available to stream in many countries. God is A DJ - you can listen t...
With Cannes 2024 underway, host Rico Gagliano takes a tour of the less-known corners of the legendary film festival—avoiding red-carpet glamour to bring you tales of spiritual seekers, aspiring filmmakers on the street, and the ongoing drama of the fest’s favorite dive bar. Featuring on-location conversations with Wim Wenders, UK critic Anna Bogutskaya, ecumenical jury member Jane Stranz, and a bunch of random passersby. Wim Wenders' PERFECT DAYS is now streaming exclusively on MUBI in the ...
Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders returns to the show to tell host Rico Gagliano about his Cannes-winning, Oscar-nominated PERFECT DAYS—the story of a Tokyo toilet cleaner who finds joy in routine. They also get into a few of Wenders’s favorite things: Japan, travel, Nina Simone, and having time on his hands. PERFECT DAYS will stream exclusively on MUBI in the UK, India, Turkey, and Latin America starting April 12, and the film continues to show in cinemas in the UK & Ireland. To stream more W...
Superstar fashion designer John Galliano wrecked his career when he was caught on video in a drunken, antisemitic rant circa 2011. Now, in a new documentary, Oscar-winning documentarian Kevin Macdonald (WHITNEY, ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER) asks audiences to gaze into Galliano’s eyes and decide for themselves if he deserves a second act. On this special episode, Macdonald tells host Rico Gagliano about coming to terms with fashion, ambiguity, and the human mind. HIGH AND LOW - JOHN GALLIANO comes to US...
In a wide-ranging interview, Sofia Coppola tells host Rico Gagliano all about the making of her new Priscilla Presley biopic—from the Kubrick flick that inspired her opening sequence...to picking the soundtrack full of pop tunes by just about everyone except Elvis. It's a follow-up to last week's career-spanning look at the themes threaded through Coppola's films and fashions—and a fitting end to our season. Season 5, titled Tailor Made , dives deep into the worlds of film and fas...
There’s maybe no working filmmaker more associated with film fashion than Sofia Coppola. But in this brief history of her super-stylish body of work, we figure out the thematic stitching inside those perfect fits. Host Rico Gagliano talks with Coppola, her brother (and collaborator) Roman, and her award-winning costume designers past and present, to learn how the director depicts her characters’ search for identity in beautiful, difficult worlds. Season 5, titled Tailor Made , dives deep into th...
Spike Lee’s masterwork DO THE RIGHT THING is an incendiary look at racial tension, an empathetic portrait of a community...and one of the flyest-ever distillations of street style as the ’80s gave way to the ’90s. Host Rico Gagliano learns how double Oscar-winner Ruth E. Carter (BLACK PANTHER) used bright color, afro-consciousness, and a whole lot of Nike sneakers to build a look as complex and political as the story. Guests include Carter, Spike Lee’s longtime cinematographer Ernest Dickerson.....
In 1979, at the tail end of the punk era, Franc Roddam’s QUADROPHENIA helped convince a certain crew of UK kids to favor sharp suits over bondage gear. Host Rico Gagliano tells the twisty story of the movie, the ‘60s mod subculture it celebrates, and the mod revival it fueled. Guests include Roddam himself, superstar fashion designer Anna Sui, mod historians Paolo Hewitt and Eddie Piller…and a cameo from Sid Vicious’s shirt. Season 5, titled Tailor Made , dives deep into the worlds of film and f...
In 1959, a brash critic-turned-filmmaker named Jean-Luc Godard cast movie star Jean Seberg in his first film, BREATHLESS. You probably know it revolutionized movies, but it also had a big impact on fashion, onscreen and off—by seeming like it wasn’t even trying. With the help of historians and critics, host Rico Gagliano decodes Seberg’s “French Girl” style…and also gives you a peek into his ’70s disco wardrobe. Seriously. Season 5, titled Tailor Made , dives deep into the worlds of film and fas...
The Cannes-winning HOW TO HAVE SEX tracks a trio of UK women on a non-stop clubbing holiday...that goes disturbingly off the rails. In this special episode, writer/director Molly Manning Walker tells host Rico Gagliano about the highs and lows of party culture, why consent should be more than a word, and how she prefers her roller coasters. HOW TO HAVE SEX will stream exclusively on MUBI in the UK, Turkey, and Latin America starting December 29, and the film comes to US theaters on February 2. F...
As the “Hot Labor Summer” of union strikes rolls into autumn, legendary British director Ken Loach sits down with host Rico Gagliano to look back on a long career spent telling the stories of working people…and why it might end with THE OLD OAK: a call for solidarity in a northern industrial town. THE OLD OAK releases in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on September 29 and will come to US theaters in January 2024. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated...
Sundance favorite Sebastián Silva tells host Rico Gagliano about his self-described "misanthropic comedy" ROTTING IN THE SUN—the satirical story of a happy hedonist and a not-so-happy filmmaker who end up in the middle of a Hitchcockian mystery. Silva dishes on how he teamed up with superstar Instagrammer Jordan Firstman, the importance of self-mockery, and the film's already-infamous sex sequences featuring "all the d***s." ROTTING IN THE SUN is showing in select US the...
"Let's just say I wanted to make a liberated film. I felt like...am I allowed to say 'f*** it?' Like, 'f*** it.'" So says legendary indie filmmaker Ira Sachs about PASSAGES, his seriously sexy Sundance hit about an insatiable artist in a messy modern love triangle. In this special episode, Sachs tells host Rico Gagliano how his all-star cast (Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski, and Adele Exarchopoulos) liberated their characters, and why he and Hollywood are on the ou...
Oscar-nominated Hungarian filmmaker Ildiko Enyedi is celebrated for her bold, unclassifiable features (like the Cannes-winning sci-fi MY 20TH CENTURY). But at this year’s Cannes she trained her eye on smaller-scale visions: She helmed the jury picking the festival’s best short films. Enyedi tells host Rico Gagliano about her own whimsical shorts, her optimism for the future of the form, and fangirls out on fellow master Ruben Östlund’s first, one-shot foray into cinema. Every May, the population...
At Cannes, celebrated Portuguese directing duo Filipa Reis and Joao Miller Guerra debuted LEGUA — a movie about a housekeeper tending to an empty country estate… and the sacrifices she’s willing to make for work and friendship. Reis tells host Rico Gagliano about turning the camera on her own privilege, the joys and challenges of tag-team directing, and an ’80s Portuguese pop track that’s one of the keys to her main character. Every May, the population of sleepy Cannes, France triples — as film ...
