SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

Tom Needham
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The SOUNDS Podcast with Tom Needham features in-depth conversations with leading filmmakers, composers, authors, politicians, artists, scientists, actors and philosophers. The SOUNDS Podcast also brings listeners classic interviews from the deep archives of America's longest running film, music and ideas themed radio show, THE SOUNDS OF FILM. For more information, visit: https://soundsoffilm.com

  1. 2D AGO

    Marvel’s Black Widow director, Cate Shortland, Talks Somersault on SOUNDS OF FIlM

    Filmmaker Cate Shortland, known to many audiences for directing Marvel’s Black Widow, first drew international attention with her debut feature Somersault. In this episode of The Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham welcomes Shortland to discuss the newly restored 4K release of the film, a visually haunting and emotionally intimate coming-of-age story set in the snowy landscapes of Australia. The film stars Abbie Cornish in a breakthrough role as Heidi, a vulnerable teenager searching for connection and belonging, alongside Sam Worthington in one of his earliest major screen performances. Set in the resort town of Jindabyne, Somersault explores themes of loneliness, desire, and the complicated path toward self-understanding. The stark winter setting and naturalistic style helped establish Shortland as a filmmaker with a distinctive visual voice and a deep sensitivity to character. The film remains an important early work in Australian cinema of the 2000s and marked the arrival of a director whose career would go on to span both intimate dramas and large-scale international productions. The Sounds of Film with Tom Needham is a long-running podcast and radio show devoted to conversations with the creative artists behind movies and television. Past guests have included John Turturro, William H. Macy, Alexander Payne, Wallace Shawn, Ralph Macchio, Laurie Anderson, Chuck D, D. A. Pennebaker, Howard Shore, and Thora Birch, reflecting the show’s wide-ranging focus on the many voices who shape the art of film.

    20 min

  2. FEB 5

    The Weather Underground’s Bill Ayers on a CLASSIC SOUNDS OF FILM with Tom Needham

    On the next Classic SOUNDS OF FILM, Tom Needham speaks with Bill Ayers, a former community organizer and education professor whose early notoriety came as a co-founder of the Weather Underground, the radical antiwar group that emerged from the late-1960s student movement and was later labeled a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI. His past has remained a subject of debate, but it marks just one chapter in a long public career devoted to questions of democracy, schooling, and civic life. Ayers went on to become a prominent voice in progressive education, serving for many years as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and writing influential books on teaching and social justice. His works include TO TEACH: THE JOURNEY OF A TEACHER, TO BECOME A TEACHER: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN CHILDREN’S LIVES, TEACHING TOWARD FREEDOM, A SIMPLE JUSTICE, and the memoir FUGITIVE DAYS, which reflects on activism, education, and the turbulent era that shaped his early life. Sounds of Film is America’s longest running film, music, and ideas show, exploring the creative minds behind the culture that moves us. Past guests include Chuck D, Chris Hedges, Big Daddy Kane, Thora Birch, Whit Stillman, Carter Burwell, Howard Shore, and DA Pennebaker.

    37 min

  3. JAN 29

    Jeff Gibbs, director of MICHAEL MOORE PRESENTS: PLANET OF THE HUMANS, on a Classic SOUNDS OF FILM

    Released on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic, PLANET OF THE HUMANS takes a harsh look at how the environmental movement has lost the battle through well-meaning but disastrous choices, including the belief that solar panels and windmills would save us, and by giving in to the corporate interests of Wall Street. Planet of the Humans, which will be available for free on Youtube for 30 days, becomes the first documentary project to be released under the Rumble Media banner. Jeff Gibbs, is the director, writer, and producer of the feature documentary film,"Planet of the Humans." Born in Flint, Michigan, Jeff has served as a long time collaborator with Michael Moore. The first film he ever worked on was "Bowling for Columbine." Following the success or "Bowling for Columbine" Jeff became co-producer for "Fahrenheit 9/11," the largest box-office documentary of all time. Jeff also wrote the original score for both films.

    53 min

  4. JAN 21

    Sook-Yin Lee Talks PAYING FOR IT & Chester Brown on THE SOUNDS OF FILM

    In this episode of Sounds of Film, Tom Needham sits down with Sook-Yin Lee, the director and co-writer of PAYING FOR IT, to discuss her daring live-action adaptation of Chester Brown’s acclaimed graphic novel. The film tells the story of an introverted cartoonist who, when his long-term girlfriend wants to redefine their relationship, begins seeing sex workers and discovers a new kind of intimacy. Combining humor, emotional depth, and intelligence, it challenges conventional ideas of love, non-monogamy, and human connection, while bringing underground comic culture to vivid life on screen. PAYING FOR IT features standout performances from Dan Beirne, Emily Lê, and Andrea Werhun, with cinematography by Emmy Award-winner Gayle Ye, production design by Olivia D’Oliveira, and an original score co-composed by Dylan Gamble and Lee herself. Chester Brown’s artwork is woven throughout the film, giving it an authentic graphic novel sensibility while highlighting the perspectives of sex workers in a thoughtful and nuanced way. The film is a deeply personal yet universally resonant meditation on intimacy, desire, and the choices we make in search of connection. Sounds of Film, hosted by Tom Needham, has been the home of insightful conversations with filmmakers, composers, actors, and cultural figures for more than three decades. Past guests include Billy Joel, Cornel West, Chuck D, Michael Moore, Carter Burwell, Nile Rodgers, Hal Hartley, Howard Shore, Ernest Dickerson, Barbara Kopple, Alec Baldwin, and Dionne Warwick, among many others, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry, craft, and stories that shape cinema and music today.

    22 min

  5. JAN 15

    Deep Faking Sam Altman with Adam Bhala Lough & Tom Needham

    In this episode of Sounds of Film, Tom Needham speaks with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough about his bold, provocative, and darkly funny new documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman. When Lough is unable to secure an interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, he takes a radical turn—building an AI version of Altman using publicly available data and cutting-edge technology. The result is “SamBot,” an artificial co-director that becomes both collaborator and mirror, reflecting Lough’s own fears, ambitions, and blind spots. Blending investigative journalism, satire, and deeply personal reflection, Deepfaking Sam Altman explores our culture’s growing obsession with simulation, power, and connection in the digital age. In the conversation, Lough discusses the ethics and legal complexities of deepfakes, the emotional experience of bonding with an AI, the blurred lines between parody and responsibility, and what it means to be human in a world increasingly shaped by machines. The interview offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year and a candid exploration of the promises—and dangers—of artificial intelligence. About Sounds of Film Sounds of Film, hosted by Tom Needham, explores the powerful connection between music and cinema through in-depth conversations with directors, composers, musicians, and industry legends. Past guests have included Billy Joel, William H. Macy, DA Pennebaker, Chuck D, Laurie Anderson, Carter Burwell, Whit Stillman, Dionne Warwick and many more, making the show a trusted destination for filmmakers, film lovers, and music fans alike.

    23 min

  6. JAN 14

    Remembering Scott Adams

    Remembering Scott Adams — creator of Dilbert, host of Real Coffee with Scott Adams, and an early champion of The Sounds of Film. He generously joined us when the show was just getting started, and those conversations about the simulation, his books, and big ideas will always be special.

    39 min

  7. 12/21/2025

    Muppet Christmas Carol & Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas: Paul Williams on a CLASSIC SOUNDS OF FILM

    This week on a Classic SOUNDS OF FILM, Tom Needham welcomes legendary singer-songwriter, actor, and recovery advocate Paul Williams for an in-depth conversation about his extraordinary career and his work with Jim Henson’s Muppets. Williams, whose iconic songs include “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “Evergreen,” “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” and “The Rainbow Connection,” shares stories from his decades in music, film, and television. The conversation highlights Williams’ timeless contributions to the Muppets universe, with a special focus on The Muppet Christmas Carol and the beloved holiday classic Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. Originally broadcast on HBO in 1977 and nominated for four Emmy Awards, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas features Williams’ music performed by an all-puppet cast of woodland creatures. He also discusses his CD collection of music from the special and reflects on composing for other Henson projects, including The Muppet Movie and A Muppet’s Christmas: Letters to Santa. For over 30 years, The Sounds of Film has been the nation’s longest-running film, music, and ideas-themed program, delivering a unique mix of interviews and music to listeners across Long Island, parts of Connecticut, and worldwide via online streaming. Past guests have included Alec Baldwin, Billy Joel, Noah Baumbach, Matthew Broderick, Ralph Macchio, Marco Beltrami, and Alexander Payne, bringing unforgettable insights into film, music, and pop culture. Listen to this special episode and the entire Sounds of Film podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

    37 min

  8. 12/19/2025

    THE LAST 600 METERS: Michael Pack’s Gripping Documentary About the Iraq War

    On this episode of Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham speaks with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Michael Pack, director and producer of The Last 600 Meters, a compelling look at two of the deadliest battles of the Iraq War told through the firsthand testimony of the Marines and soldiers who fought them. The conversation explores Pack’s approach to documentary storytelling, the challenges of capturing the realities of modern combat, and the enduring relevance of this film in today’s world. The Sounds of Film podcast grew out of Tom Needham’s long-running radio show of the same name, dedicated to in-depth conversations about cinema, music, culture, and ideas. Over the years, the program has featured a remarkable range of guests from the worlds of film, television, music, literature, and activism, including Alexander Payne, D.A. Pennebaker, and Barbara Kopple, composer Howard Shore, Alec Baldwin, Pam Grier, Nile Rodgers, Chuck D, and Michael Moore, among many others. Sounds of Film is available as a weekly podcast on major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Audible, as well as through the Sounds of Film website. The show continues the tradition of thoughtful interviews and diverse voices that has made Sounds of Film one of the nation’s longest-running film and music themed programs.

    25 min
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About

The SOUNDS Podcast with Tom Needham features in-depth conversations with leading filmmakers, composers, authors, politicians, artists, scientists, actors and philosophers. The SOUNDS Podcast also brings listeners classic interviews from the deep archives of America's longest running film, music and ideas themed radio show, THE SOUNDS OF FILM. For more information, visit: https://soundsoffilm.com

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