6 great podcasts for film and TV fans

Fire up those podcast apps, film and television fans. From deep dives into a director's filmography to retrospectives of forgotten movies that arguably should stay that way, these are some of the most entertaining podcasts that anyone who loves film and television should be listening to: 

'The Video Archives Podcast'

Quentin Tarantino reunites with his "Pulp Fiction" collaborator Roger Avary in the hugely enjoyable, ultra-nerdy "Video Archives Podcast." 

Each week, the two discuss several films from the inventory of Video Archives, the video store where they worked together before becoming famous. Many of their picks are quite obscure, but the conversations are entertaining regardless.

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Plus, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" fans won't want to miss the surreal "Day of the Dalton" episodes, which serve as a semi-extension of the movie with Tarantino spending more than two hours memorializing Leonardo DiCaprio's character.

'Blank Check with Griffin & David'

Actor Griffin Newman and The Atlantic critic David Sims look back on a director's entire filmography on "Blank Check," but with a focus on filmmakers who became so successful early in their careers that they could seemingly get funding to make whatever they wanted after that. Think M. Night Shyamalan, Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis, all of whom have produced genuine classics, but also bizarre misfires that would never have been made if not for the filmmaker's industry clout. 

What sets "Blank Check" apart from other movie podcasts is its meticulous research. Each episode feels simultaneously like a rigorously fact-checked documentary while also being a hilariously off-the-rails discussion between friends.

'This Had Oscar Buzz'

For every movie like "Nomadland" that steamrolls through Oscar season, there are films that appeared destined for awards glory, only to go nowhere. 

On "This Had Oscar Buzz," hosts Joe Reid and Chris Feil devote each episode to one of these films and try to figure out what went wrong. In some cases, it's obvious, as the film turned out to be a disaster. Other films may have been unjustly snubbed. 

Films covered on the show have included "Dear Evan Hansen," "Burnt," "We Bought a Zoo," and "Downsizing." Join Reid and Feil as they dive into movies that no one has thought about since they came out — and may never think about again. 

'The Filmcast'

One of the earliest movie podcasts, "The Filmcast," is still going strong 15 years later. 

In each episode, hosts David Chen, Devindra Hardawar and Jeff Cannata review the biggest new movie release of the week, but not before having brief discussions about the latest film news and offering quick reviews of movies and shows. The format allows for more variety than other podcasts with hyper-specific premises, as virtually every major new release will be hit on at some point. 

The podcast is loose but well-structured, and the hosts have such great chemistry that you'll feel like you're sitting alongside them.

'Screen Drafts'

A movie podcast meets a game show in Clay Keller and Ryan Marker's "Screen Drafts." 

In each episode, guests work together to create the ideal list of best movies in a specific category, often disagreeing passionately about the greatest films in a genre, filmography or franchise. The conversations are enlightening, and the competition aspect keeps episodes lively. The game begins with a trivia competition, and guests may veto a pick they feel shouldn't be on the list, though they can only do so once per game.  

Unlike most podcasts, the show is largely driven by the guests, and the hosts do a great job of stepping back and letting them lead the discussion. If you've got a long car ride coming up, look no further than "Screen Drafts," whose episodes can run up to five hours. 

'The Rewatchables'

The Ringer has no shortage of excellent film and television podcasts, but the gold standard is "The Rewatchables," which sees Bill Simmons and guests discuss those movies one can't help but revisit every time they're on TNT. 

Simmons brings aspects of sports coverage to a movie discussion by breaking the episode up into categories, from basic ones like "most rewatchable scene" to questions of "who won the movie" and an award for the performer who crushed it with little screen time.

Simmons and guests may leave you seeing your favorite movies in a whole new light — and wondering if the lead role could have been played by Matt Damon instead.