Cinema Shame

Beyond subject matter itself, podcasts live and die on their host’s passion and intellect, and a hefty dose of charisma is pretty much a prerequisite as well. The particular joy of successful podcasts is that charisma comes less from conventional charm and more from a combination of wit and wisdom—somehow, the host’s passions become our own. The relationship begins with a shared interest, of course, but love of a podcast blooms when your own predilections blur into the host’s world to the extent that you will happily follow them wherever they roam. Cinema Shame is just this kind of podcast. It has a voice, a perspective, a vision. It is witty and wonderful, informed and informative, and it provides a home for the left of-center cinephile who likes their dives to be deep. Its very premise is its beating heart—there is no shame here. This is a place for the devoted to be proud in their devotion. And if this all sounds a bit overblown, it’s by design—this is a podcast that encourages lofty thinking. Here, you feel that your passions matter. Because they do! Highly recommended, and a whole lot of fun as well.

This is one of those podcasts where the audio is very inconsistent. For example, the first person has low volume and speaks quietly, then the 2nd person has higher volume and also speaks at almost a yell. I made about 5 minutes in before tapping out. Can’t imagine how much worse it’d been wearing headphones. The content might be great but I couldn’t get that far.

Any movie fan, at any level, has a film or films that they somehow just never got too. Showing the care, appreciation and insight that he always puts in his writing, James creates a terrific place to explore & discuss those first watches and how they affect us.

Great podcast for film fanatics that dives deep into the history of each topic/movie being explored. Not too dense for the casual fan either. Love this show.