Best Doug Dillaman Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 101: Alien: Romulus & Alien 59:23

13d ago59:23

59:23

The Alien franchise. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Alien (1979) and Alien: Romulus (2024), as well as Aliens (1986), Alien³ (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017). Our conversation dips in and out of all these films, praising and critiquing the work of directors Ridley Scott, Fede Alva…

1
100 Episodes of Cinema in Context 1:27:11

15d ago1:27:11

1:27:11

Looking back at 100 months. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the last 100 months of Cinema in Context. We reminisce on the beginnings of the podcast, referencing the many people who have contributed along the way. We discuss our top films of the 'new' films we've focused on since 2016. The films we discuss include Thor: Ragnarok …

1
Minisode: Extra Content - Avatar 2 & Titanic 21:30

2M ago21:30

21:30

Originally from January 2023, Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the films Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Titanic (1997). This additional content covers three key questions: each person's favourite moment from the films, one thing they would change and a third film they would group with these movies.…

1
Episode 99: Furiosa & Babe: Pig in the City (feat. Sophie Ricketts) 1:10:29

2M ago1:10:29

1:10:29

George Miller sequels. Special guest Sophie Ricketts joins Jeremy Downing and William Chen to discuss Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). We begin by discussing our reactions to Babe: Pig in the City, by first considering its predecessor Babe (1995) and then reminiscing the circumstances in which we watched its 1998 seq…

1
45: A Corman Tribute, With Digressions 2:10:46

3M ago2:10:46

2:10:46

Roger Corman may be the only man who was involved with the making of more films than we could mention in a single podcast. But that doesn't mean we don't try! Come celebrate BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, DEATH RACE 2000, A BUCKET OF BLOOD and much much more. Plus we conclude with a brief (lol) round of What We Watched, which explains…

1
Episode 98: Civil War & Apocalypse Now 1:00:20

3M ago1:00:20

1:00:20

War-torn "road trips". Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Civil War (2024) and Apocalypse Now (1979). We begin by discussing the different versions of Apocalypse Now and our reaction to the different elements in each film. We shift to talk about Civil War and how the film evokes a visceral response and gets the audience thinking. W…

1
44: Radiant Snipers, Fully Exposed 1:02:33

3M ago1:02:33

1:02:33

If you pay attention to obscure UK boutique Blu-ray labels - and who doesn't? - you know that Radiance is the most exciting new player in the market. Profiling two of their titles from Europe in the mid-70s would have been specific. Choosing two that had male nudity would be very specific. But two that also have their plot disrupted by the arrival …

1
43: What We Watched, Summer Edition 1:31:21

4M ago1:31:21

1:31:21

Two martyrs, three sperm donors and a kajillion ninjas walk into a podcast. And then there's the robot, the senile mother, and the devil. Tune in for ninety minutes of everything we've been watching: comedies, classics, current releases, and, of course, a Godfrey Ho film.

1
Episode 97: Dune: Part Two & The Empire Strikes Back 52:36

5M ago52:36

52:36

Space Opera Sequels. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen begin by discussing our reactions to Dune: Part Two, how it compares our perspectives of Part One and how the films connect to the source text. We talk about our opinions and connections to The Empire Strikes Back (aka Star Wars Episode V), and our experiences watching it growing up. …

1
42: Sinister Zombie, Not Sinister Zombies 1:11:44

5M ago1:11:44

1:11:44

ELMER GANTRY. DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS. Two films bound together by nothing whatsoever. Except the sinister urge of Rob Zombie, who sampled them both on the first track of one of his albums. The Sinister Urge, to be specific.

1
Episode 96: Oscars Debrief 2024 51:11

6M ago51:11

51:11

Unpacking the Academy Awards. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the 96th Academy Awards ceremony. We begin by talking about the presentation of the ceremony itself. Our conversation moves to the Best Picture category and we consider Oppenheimer, Zone of Interest, American Fiction and The Holdovers. We discuss the Sound category an…

1
Episode 95: May December & Notes on a Scandal (featuring Doug Dillaman) 52:20

7M ago52:20

52:20

Scandalous love affairs. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and Doug Dillaman discuss May December (2023) and Notes on a Scandal (2006). We begin by hearing each person's reaction to watching or rewatching Notes on a Scandal. We touch on the real case that both films are based on, focused on the relationship between Matu Kay Letouneau and Vili Fualaau. We …

1
Minisode: Films from the Holidays 40:03

7M ago40:03

40:03

Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the films they watched over the December-January holiday period. We talk about Bluey (2018-Present), Wonka (2023), Ferrari (2023), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023), The Holdovers (2023), American Fiction (2023), A…

1
Episode 94: Maestro & Amadeus 48:04

7M ago48:04

48:04

Conductor composer biopics. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Maestro (2023) and Amadeus (1984). We begin by discussing the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and its connection to the film. We talk about the film itself and how it tells the story of Mozart, as well as fabricating its own cinematic narrative. We praise Maest…

1
41: What We Watched, Holidays Edition 2:06:09

8M ago2:06:09

2:06:09

You know Darren wouldn't let go of the holidays that quickly. We're kicking off the year with a few faves since our last recording, from Christmas-y musicals to two takes on the future 90s style at the absolute opposite ends of the budget and quality spectrum to, of course Godfrey Ho. We also take a surprisingly soulful detour into the question: if…

1
Episode 93: Highlights of 2023 1:10:13

9M ago1:10:13

1:10:13

The good, the average and the weird. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss their film and television highlights of the year, including each of their best film of the year, their biggest surprise, their biggest disappointment, their wildcard film or television season of the year and their best television show of 2023. Here are the film…

1
40: A Very, Very Unmerry Sally Field 70s TV Movie Xmas 1:26:00

9M ago1:26:00

1:26:00

Another Christmas, another set of Christmas-adjacent movies. But what *is* Christmas-adjacent, anyway? What makes a Christmas movie? And why does Darren love TV movies so much? All these mysteries - and more - are explored through the lens of two 70s tv movies featuring Sally Field available on YouTube that you've probably never seen: MONGO'S BACK …

1
Episode 92: Napoleon & Gladiator [Extended] 1:05:06

10M ago1:05:06

1:05:06

Ridley Scott historical epics starring Joaquin Phoenix. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Napoleon (2023) and Gladiator (2000). We begin by discussing Gladiator and our initial and most recent reactions. We talk about the strength of the performances, particularly Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed and Ric…

1
39: WWW, 2023 Wrap-up Edition 2:06:42

10M ago2:06:42

2:06:42

Is 2023 over already? No, sorry. But we're over with 2023, and so we're chatting about our best cinema experience, biggest cinematic disappointment, our favourite film of the year, and much more. From Hundreds of Beavers and Rat Race to Stop Making Sense and Oppenheimer, join us for another ramble where we traipse through films that are sublime, fi…

1
38: Beat It, NYC 50s Style 1:49:36

10M ago1:49:36

1:49:36

In our latest connections episode, it's time to take two charismatic singers, put them on the streets of New York, give them percussion skills, and watch them squirm their way through very stressful situations, in luminous black and white. It's Frank Sinatra in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM and Harry Belafonte - *not* Sidney Poitier - in ODDS AGAINST…

1
Episode 91: The Creator & Children of Men 52:03

10M ago52:03

52:03

Dystopian prejudiced world, where a male protagonist escorts a young woman across war-torn lands. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss The Creator (2023) and Children of Men (2006). We begin by discussing The Creator and exploring its strengths and faults, especially how great the film looks and how it was achieved with a small budge…

1
37: What We Watched, Q3 Edition 1:48:38

12M ago1:48:38

1:48:38

So: it's been a time since adulthood and winter bugs have allowed us to gather And it's only a few moments before the 24th Annual Movie Marathon. So it's a double duty episode: a rave about Auckland's (New Zealand's?) (Australasia's?) (The Universe's?) greatest cinemagoing event that doubles as a chance to shamelessly beg for our dream programming,…

1
Episode 90: Theater Camp & Waiting for Guffman 43:16

12M ago43:16

43:16

Amateur theatre mockumentaries. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Theater Camp (2023) and Waiting for Guffman (1996). We begin by hearing William's fresh take on Waiting For Guffman (we had just watched the film together before our recording). We collectively praise Waiting for Guffman and trace its influence upon comedy for the f…

1
Episode 89: Barbenheimer 57:58

1y ago57:58

57:58

Barbie and Oppenheimer. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Barbie (2023) and Oppenheimer (2023). We begin by discussing the Barbenheimer phenomenon and the influences that contributed to making this cinema event happen. We talk about the musical qualities of Barbie, as well as the cinema homages. We move to discuss the representati…

1
36: Putting The Team in Flying Guillotines 1:23:09

1y ago1:23:09

1:23:09

If it's a secret that one of your hosts loves flying guillotine movies, it's a very badly kept one. So when Steve dug up two flying guillotine movies with what some might call a ludicrously specific connection, it was happy times in podcastland! Come join us as we unpack THE DEADLY SILVER SPEAR and THE HEROIC TRIO - but don't forget to duck and dod…

1
Episode 88: Movies That Made Us 2 40:28

1y ago40:28

40:28

Movies that made William. Jeremy and William discuss the most significant films in William's life in our series of Movies That Made Us. He talks about Who Am I (1998), The Iron Giant (1999), Les Triplettes de Belleville | The Triplets of Belleville (2003), Fantasia (1940), and Back to the Future (1985). If you enjoy our podcast then consider joinin…

1
35: What We Watched, June Edition 1:25:27

1y ago1:25:27

1:25:27

Agnes Varda, Ronald Reagan and Kinji Fukusaku walk into a podcast. You expect nothing less, right?

1
Episode 87: The Flash & Batman Returns 53:38

1y ago53:38

53:38

Michael Keaton Batman films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss The Flash (2023) and Batman Returns (1992). We begin by discussing the Tim Burton films in the late 80s and early 90s, including Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Ed Wood (1994). We talk about th…

1
34: Quadruple Threats Of The Past 58:56

1y ago58:56

58:56

One of the most celebrated films of all time joins one of the least celebrated films of all time. What of the many possible possibilities brings these two films together? Well, of the many options, there's the phrase "of the", but there's another connection between SPECTER OF THE ROSE and THE RULES OF THE GAME: their multi-hyphenated creators!…

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33: What We Watched, May Edition 1:35:01

1y ago1:35:01

1:35:01

From Stephen King ripoffs and champagne-drinking birds to art documentaries and dueling werewolf flicks, from Peter Greenaway to Takashi Miike, from Jimmy Stewart to Gong Li, once again, it's a slice of something for everybody as we review another month of viewing in the Ludicrously Specific household! (Note: any resemblance to an actual household …

1
32: Sight And Sound, Streaming, Short, Sfemale directors 1:39:33

1+ y ago1:39:33

1:39:33

With the venerable institution Sight and Sound releasing not only its top 100 list but every last film that got a vote, we decided it was well past time to get classy and choose two feature films to watch. Short ones. Ones available on streaming services in New Zealand. And by female directors. And *that* is how you get Valerie Massadian's NANA and…

1
Episode 86: Tetris & Argo 47:03

1+ y ago47:03

47:03

Cross-political pop culture thrillers. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Tetris (2023) and Argo (2012). We begin by discussing Tetris: the game, the book and the film. We explore the wider world of video gaming and the development of technology. We shift to Argo and our initial reactions and our rewatching reactions. We discuss th…

1
31: What We Watched, April Edition 1:47:33

1+ y ago1:47:33

1:47:33

An existential Bergman classic. A Bible epic. A no-budget creature feature. Can you guess who watched what? If so, you know us better than we know ourselves! Some left-field viewing choices this month also include the second movie we've covered called DETENTION, Ernest Borgnine on a bus, Peter Sellers on a rampage, and a bear ... ON COCAINE?!?!?…

1
Episode 85: Super Mario Bros. (featuring Billy Revell-Siō) 46:14

1+ y ago46:14

46:14

Super Mario Bros. films. Jeremy Downing and William Chen are joined by friend to the podcast Billy Revell-Siō to discuss the recent The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and the 30-year old Super Mario Bros. (1993). We begin by discussing our bafflement by the 1993 film... what did we watch?! We discuss the mythology of the Mario games and wider Ninte…

1
30: Not The 80s, Not Action 1:12:16

1+ y ago1:12:16

1:12:16

What do Road House and Raw Deal have in common? If you say that they're 80s action movies, you're clearly not talking about the same film noirs that we are! And that's just the beginning of a long web of commonalities these two crackers share. We've divided this one into non-spoiler and spoiler sections, so if you're curious but averse to having to…

1
28: Cape Fears: The Complete Abridged Collection 1:20:33

1+ y ago1:20:33

1:20:33

It sounded so simple. We thought we'd watch every feature-length version of CAPE FEAR that wasn't CAPE FEAR (1962). Obviously there was Martin Scorsese's CAPE FEAR (1991), and less obviously, FORCE OF EVIL (not the film noir, but something much stranger and made for television), but our holy grail - the Bollywood version - proved elusive, while ano…

1
Episode 84: Triangle of Sadness & Triangle 51:44

1+ y ago51:44

51:44

Triangle named films at sea. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Triangle of Sadness (2022) and Triangle (2009). We begin by discussing Triangle and how the successful the fils works on building the narrative on a small budget. We talk through the time loop logic in Triangle and how the central character is represented throughout. W…

1
27: What We’ve Watched, Februaryish Edition 1:34:38

1+ y ago1:34:38

1:34:38

Supernatural film noir, topless tennis smuggled into a martial arts film, Uruguayan cinematheques, 70s car chases, Bette Davis, and Jeff Goldblum. Join us for another rambling celebration of what's passed through our eyeholes in the last month! (Also: WRECK, mentioned by Darren, is on TVNZ+ now. Call this a show note. Would you like show notes? Let…

1
Episode 83: M3GAN & Housebound 50:59

1+ y ago50:59

50:59

Gerard Johnstone horror comedies. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss M3GAN (2023) and Housebound (2014). We begin by discussing the strengths of Housebound, especially how it references to many other horror classics. We talk through the horror tropes throughout the film and how successfully these moments intersect with the characte…

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26: Scorsese Literary Adaptations, From A to B 1:36:26

1+ y ago1:36:26

1:36:26

Throw a dart at Martin Scorsese's filmography and you could come up with a subset of films to discuss. But who throws a dart at the bloody Roger Corman-produced BOXCAR BERTHA and the prestigious Oscar-winning PG-rated THE AGE OF INNOCENCE? No points for realising the answer is us. Join us as we connect the dots on two of Scorsese's literary adaptat…

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25: What We’re Watching, January Edition 1:59:28

1+ y ago1:59:28

1:59:28

It's 2023, and we're changing things up. From now on, we'll have a ramble of films we've seen as a standalone episode at the start of the month, and a deep dive into two films midway through the month. At least, for as long as we can keep it up! From BLOOD GAMES to ROVER DANGERFIELD to DIAL H-I-S-T-O-R-Y, and some little sci-fi film called NOPE, ge…

1
Episode 82: Avatar: The Way of Water & Titanic 54:23

1+ y ago54:23

54:23

James Cameron two billion dollar epics. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Titanic (1997). We begin by discussing the themes of James Cameron films and how he captures big emotions in his films, and how these intersects with the representation of indigenous peoples. We discuss the performance cap…

1
24: Not Christmas, Not Special 3:18:53

1+ y ago3:18:53

3:18:53

Are you ready for this year's Ludicrously Specific Christmas special? We certainly weren't, which is why we recorded this three days after Christmas. That's okay, because when it comes to seasonal topicality, the three films that we found to chat about make DIE HARD look like THE NATIVITY STORY. So after a pre-chat that lasts longer than that lefto…

1
Episode 81: Highlights of 2022 1:28:50

1+ y ago1:28:50

1:28:50

Highs and lows of the year. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss their film and television highlights of 2022, including best film of the year (and runner-ups for best film of the year), biggest surprise of the year, worst film of the year, best time we had at the cinema and the best season of television of the year (and runner-ups f…

1
Episode 80: Decision to Leave & Vertigo 48:29

2y ago48:29

48:29

Detective thrillers from great heights. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Decision to Leave (2022) and Vertigo (1958). We begin by expressing our reactions to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, with a range of reflections. We discuss the representation of gender and power in the film, while trying figure out what the film is trying to sa…

1
Minisode: Films Abroad 23:08

2y ago23:08

23:08

Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the films they watched while abroad, jet setting around the world. They discuss the following films: Lapsis (2020); Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021); Bridesmaids (2011); Ocean's Eleven (2001); Game Night (2018); The Rehearsal (2022); The Lost City (2022); Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022); the S…

1
Episode 79: Don't Worry Darling & Midsommar 52:42

2y ago52:42

52:42

Florence Pugh thrillers. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Don't Worry Darling (2022) and Midsommar (2019). We begin by talking about our experiences and reactions watching Midsommar, both the first time and any subsequent rewatching. We discuss the film in connection to Hereditary (2018), Sing Street (2016) and A Nightmare on Elm…

1
23: Blank You New York 2:01:35

2y ago2:01:35

2:01:35

Have you watched the documentary BLANK CITY? Neither have two of our hosts. But one early morning viewing by our third host led to this installment covering three of the films profiled therein that emerged from the No Wave scene of New York in the early 80s. Meet three spray painting directionless protagonists in an urban ruin. Not your hosts. We d…

1
Episode 78: Thor: Love and Thunder & Cabin in the Woods 49:02

2y ago49:02

49:02

Jam-packed genre films with Chris Hemsworth. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Cabin in the Woods (2011). We begin by sharing our honest reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder, especially how ridiculous film is - comparing to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Free Guy (2021), Black …

1
Episode 77: Elvis and Strictly Ballroom 48:01

2y ago48:01

48:01

Baz Luhrmann's oeuvre. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the most recent Luhrmann film Elvis (2022) and his first film Strictly Ballroom (1992). We begin by discussing Baz's visual style, especially his use of computer generated images. We move into a discussion of Elvis and how successful we each feel the film was. We move into a…

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