Book and Film Globe Podcast

Book and Film Globe
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Everyone’s favorite literature and pop culture site is now a podcast. Entertaining, enlightening chat about books, film, streaming TV, and more with Neal Pollack, editor of Book and Film Globe and its top writers. Pollack is the author of ten semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction, including Jewball, Never Mind the Pollacks, Downward-Facing Death, and the memoirs Alternadad and Pothead: My Life as a Marijuana Addict in the Age of Legal Weed.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    BFG Podcast #1: Who Will Win the Oscars? A Special BFG Podcast

    In the most stunning return since MacArthur landed at Inchon, former Book and Film Globe editor Neal Pollack has come back with a new episode of the beloved Book and Film Globe podcast. Pollack welcomes back the Sancho Panza to his Don Quixote, chief film critic Stephen Garrett, so they can preview this weekend's Oscars together. In surgical fashion, they whittle the list of 10 Best Picture nominees down to five that really matter: One Battle After Another, Sinners, Bugonia, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme, analyze the good and bad of each, and, as they're wont to do, solve all the world's problems in a mere 25 minutes. No one loves movies more than Stephen and Neal do, which is why we love them. They did not, however, love The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal's bizarre reinterpretation of the Frankenstein mythos. Jessie Buckley may win the Oscar this year. But she's going to win a Razzie next year. The Bride! is an all-time turkey. BFG likes to be on the right side of history. Enjoy the show! Hopefully there will be more. [ED'S NOTE: The Holocaust story from Marty Supreme is actually based in fact]

    38 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    BFG Podcast #2: SXSW, ‘Project Hail Mary,’ and Guy Fieri's 'Tournament of Champions'

    On this edition of the totally revived BFG Podcast, host Neal Pollack brings back more of his beloved guests. First up, contributor Omar Gallaga reports from South By Southwest in Austin. Even though Austin has torn down the convention center, leaving SXSW without a clear central point or identity, Omar still had a blast at the festival, catching surprise musical performances, watching movies, and attending panels. Some highlights: A preview of the new Larry David sketch comedy show appearing on HBO later this year, a new musical drama called Power Ballad, from the man who directed Sing Street and Once, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, and an Apple TV comedy, starring Elle Fanning, called Margot's Got Money Troubles. Neal then relays his own SXSW experiences, which involved, in its entirety, falling down on the sidewalk in broad daylight when he wasn't even drunk. Next up, BFG Editor-In-Chief and resident science-fiction expert Dan Friedman stops by the Pod Dome to talk with Neal about the hit film Project Hail Mary, which he reviewed for the site. Dan wasn't as charmed by either book or film versions of Project Hail Mary as the public in large, finding the science a bit soggy and the buddy comedy less than totally amusing. Neal liked the film more than Dan, though he continues, deep into his dotage, to hate flashback-style narratives and believes that astronauts should never cry in space. Finally, contributor Robert Dean stops by to make a meal of Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions. Both he and Neal watch this food-competition show, but there's something kind of unseemly about watching these formerly Top Chef contenders turn into dancing circus performers for our, and Fieri's amusement. And there's something extremely unseemly about the dire financial circumstances in which they find themselves. Neal also discusses other cooking competitions like Top Chef itself as well as CBS's new America's Culinary Cup, which seem like quality programming, but to what end? They don't feed us, but they do feed the hungry Guy Fieri entertainment machine. Enjoy our show!

    39 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    BFG Podcast #3: 'The Forsytes,' 'Age of Attraction,' 'Survivor,' and, of course, 'Fackham Hall'

    In this edition of the new and improved but also exactly the same BFG Podcast, Neal Pollack welcomes his trivia teammate, former trivia rival, and pop-culture savant Jessica Babbitt into the podcast dome to talk about variety pack of topics. First, Jessica, who runs a specialty TikTok where she data-analyzes reality-TV trends, picks apart Survivor's 50th season. Despite a lot of enthusiasm going into the milestone season, there's actually quite a bit of fan fatigue afoot. Too many gimmicks, too many spearfishing expeditions with Zac Brown. Let's get back to basics. Next, Neal and Jess talk about Age of Attraction, the reality-dating show on Netflix where people hook up despite not knowing each other's ages, which leads to some very awkward encounters indeed. Neal wonders why everyone has such a blank gaze in the show, but Jessica reminds him that people don't go on these shows because they're substantial. If you're looking for interesting conversations, look elsewhere. The show switches up in the second half as Neal and Jess talk about The Forsytes, a desecration of the legendary Forsyte Saga now airing on PBS's Masterpiece. The Forsyte Saga is one of the great works of 20th century British literature, was a landmark British TV show in the 1960s, and was one of the best-ever Masterpiece adaptations in 2002. The Forsytes is dumb Bridgerton. This is a miniseries for a post-literate ages, featuring some of the worst hair, costumes, and dancing you'll ever see on TV. Also, you should still watch Fackham Hall on HBO Max, as Neal reviewed on the site weeks ago. Thanks for tuning into the show!

    37 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    BFG Podcast #4: Diagnosing 'The Pitt' Season 2

    We have a Caucasian male, late 50s, presenting as overly snarky and cynical, complaining of excessive exposure to hot doctors on TV. Another white male, approximately the same age, somewhat less cynical. And a Caucasian woman in her 30s, quite optimistic, some would even call her a fan. They're here to comprehensively discuss Season 2 of The Pitt, which just concluded it run on HBO Max. Editor-in-chief Dan Friedman, former editor-in-chief Neal Pollack, and now-frequent BFG podcast contributor Jessica Babbitt break down the highs and lows, but mostly highs, of the season, discuss their doctor crushes, and dissect the politics of The Pitt, the most sneakily political show on TV, in detail so granular, you'd think that they might need an MRI. You have to listen to this episode until you're done with your charting. Enjoy!

    25 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    BFG Podcast #5: Spring Film Roundup

    The Book and Film Globe podcast is back with a Spring Movie Roundup, or at least a First Half of Spring Movie Roundup, as there have been some other movies in the second half of spring, which we'll talk about next week. Stephen Garrett returns to talk with host Neal Pollack about a grab-bag of movies, including Project Hail Mary, which we'd previously discussed, but it's also the only film everyone has seen in common this season. "Did you see Project Hail Mary?" people will ask, and the answer is usually yes. Less seen, but somewhat important, is The AI Doc, Or How I Became An Apocalyoptimist, which Neal and Stephen found interesting and thought-provoking, but rather twee. This is what happens when you give millennials access to a camera. Perhaps you shouldn't give Gen-X directors access to filming millennials, which is what happened with Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli, who made the romantic "comedy" The Drama. Neal and Stephen discuss the movie's weird tonal shifts, disturbed morality, and class cluelessness better than any two critics have or ever will. Finally, Stephen admits that he just wasn't the audience for the Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie, and Neal recommends Pixar's charming Hoppers for him instead. At BFG, we see everything. And we see it well! Enjoy the show.

    25 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    BFG Podcast #6: Michael Jackson, Ian McKellen, Anne Hathaway, Their Films and More

    Can you feel it? Summer movie season is rumbling down the tracks. And this week BFG Podcast host Neal Pollack puts his ear to the ground for the last major releases before the real blockbusters start. First up is Michael, the bizarrely popular Michael Jackson biopic that has the world forgetting how weird and sinister late-era Michael Jackson really was. This is a hero's origin story, from the beginnings of the Jackson 5 up until the near-tragedy of the "Victory" tour. Contributor Gillian Gaar joins Neal in breaking down why she thinks this movie is a flat highlight reel that doesn't really work, and compares it to other recent popular music biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Back in Black. Neal agrees with her mostly but really liked Colman Domingo as Michael's Machiavellian father, and has to admit the music scenes are pretty good. Stephen Garrett makes his regular stop to talk about The Devil Wears Prada 2, the sequel to a popular movie from the fashion industry from 20 years ago. Our critics agree that this sequel seems flat and unnecessary and they get very bitchy talking about music and fashion, which is appropriate. Neal did like Justin Theroux as a Jeff Bezos-style billionaire magnate weirdo, and Emily Blunt is also pretty funny in the sequel. But most of the goings-on are pretty annoying. Neal and Stephen clash on The Christophers, a Steven Soderbergh indie joint about the London art world. Soderbergh, who is 63, claimed to have retired 13 years ago, Ian McKellen is 87 at the end of this month and is not retiring any time soon. They agree that McKellen is wonderful as the lead, a dying 80-something former "Bad Boy" painter, and Neal tries unsuccessfully to persuade Stephen that Michaela Cole is NOT a film actress. They agree to disagree, as they always do.

    36 min
See All Season 3 (6)

5
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6 Ratings

About

Everyone’s favorite literature and pop culture site is now a podcast. Entertaining, enlightening chat about books, film, streaming TV, and more with Neal Pollack, editor of Book and Film Globe and its top writers. Pollack is the author of ten semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction, including Jewball, Never Mind the Pollacks, Downward-Facing Death, and the memoirs Alternadad and Pothead: My Life as a Marijuana Addict in the Age of Legal Weed.

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