Podcast
Book and Film Globe Podcast
Hosted by Book and Film Globe · EN
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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BFG Podcast #6: Michael Jackson, Ian McKellen, Anne Hathaway, Their Films and More
2w ago00:35:57Tap to summarizeCan 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.
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #5: Spring Film Roundup
3w ago00:25:21Tap to summarizeThe 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.
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #4: Diagnosing 'The Pitt' Season 2
4w ago00:25:01Tap to summarizeWe 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!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #3: 'The Forsytes,' 'Age of Attraction,' 'Survivor,' and, of course, 'Fackham Hall'
Apr 600:37:00Tap to summarizeIn 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!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #2: SXSW, ‘Project Hail Mary,’ and Guy Fieri's 'Tournament of Champions'
Mar 2400:38:30Tap to summarizeOn 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!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #1: Who Will Win the Oscars? A Special BFG Podcast
Mar 1200:37:45Tap to summarizeIn 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]
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #200: 'The Phoenician Scheme,' 'Ballerina,' and A Final Wrap-Up
Jun 1200:40:59Tap to summarizeThis is the final episode of the BFG Podcast. We're as sad to see it go as you are, but editor and host Neal Pollack has a new job at the U.S. edition of The Spectator, the world's oldest magazine, and will no longer be seeing and talking about movies for a living. We had an extraordinary four years on the podcast, bringing you news and commentary nearly every week on a shoestring budget, but it's time to end our amazing little show.Neal welcomes his one and only guest this week, film critic Stephen Garrett, to discuss two new films and a bunch of older ones. First up, Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, which both Neal and Stephen agree stands above the usual fare that Anderson has been producing in recent years. That has a less to do with Anderson's endlessly arch visual style and more to do with emotional and fun performances from the film's three leads, Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera. There's also a fun basketball segment in the middle, and a poignant ending that makes this feel more like a movie and less like an art-school experiment.There's nothing particularly art-school about Ballerina, a side-sequel of sorts to the John Wick saga. Stephen and Neal both were able to see past the self-seriousness of John Wick and Wick-adjacent movies to see the slapstick heart at the film's center. There's an extended flamethrower battle toward the end that is one of the zaniest action sequences ever put to film. And Ana de Armas, while about the size of a peanut, has enough movie-star charm to hold it all together. Plus, there's an extended Keanu Reeves cameo. This is pretty fun.Finally, Neal and Stephen reconsider the hundreds of movies they've reviewed since 2018, when Neal took over the reigns. Mostly, they focus on the five-star movies, films that are good, but that reviewers reacted to in a personal way. They argue extensively about Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, which Neal likes way more than Stephen, and First Man and Ad Astra, which Stephen likes way more than Neal. If you can take any one thing away from Neal Pollack's tenure at BFG, it's that he doesn't like movies where astronauts cry. Astronauts should never cry. They are in space. It is their dream.That's all from us at the BFG podcast. Thank you so much for listening over the years, and enjoy our final episode!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #199: 'Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning,' Season 2 of 'The Rehearsal,' and a report from Cannes
May 2800:40:37Tap to summarizeAfter a two-week hiatus, the BFG Podcast is back, and the culture belongs to us as usual. Host Neal Pollack has returned from his anniversary trip to the Continent, and Stephen Garrett was in Europe as well, covering the Cannes Film Festival like he has done every year since before he can remember. This year, Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme D'Or for his film 'It Was Just An Accident,' the sixth straight year a film distributed by Neon has taken the prize. Neal and Stephen discuss that and then Stephen does a speedy run-through of the festival, covering all the awards winners and other significant films, including the new Spike Lee movie, which he gets in just under the wire as Neal attempts to close out the segment.Nathan Fielder delivered a brilliant six episodes of television with Season 2 of The Rehearsal, which ostensibly is about airplane safety, and is about airplane safety, but is also about so much more. Omar Gallaga appears to talk with Neal about The Rehearsal's narrative sleight-of-hand, which they both love. But there's a curious phenomenon: It's mostly men who jibe with Nathan Fielder's comedy. Neal and Omar, or actors playing them, try to break down this curious situation. In the tradition of Nathan Fielder, they both fail and succeed at the same time.Stephen Garrett is back, to discuss Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which he saw at Cannes and which Neal saw at his usual spot, the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline in Austin. Either way, it's a bombastic edition of the long-running action franchise. Both Neal and Stephen loved the extended submarine action sequence in the middle, and enjoyed a taste of the biplane action scene toward the end, but found the overwrought dialogue tiring, the characters thin at best, and some of the plot laughably stupid. It's about as subtle as a hammer to the face or a nuclear bomb that must be defused in five minutes.Did we mention that the podcast is back? Enjoy!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #198: 'Thunderbolts,' 'The Four Seasons,' and Tariff Threats Hit Hollywood
May 7, 202500:36:33Tap to summarizeHollywood in crisis! When is Hollywood not in crisis? This week on the podcast, the tariffs have come home to roost in Tinseltown. Neal Pollack hosts Richard Rushfield of The Ankler to discuss what in the hell is going on. Why couldn't Jon Voight stop Trump from issuing tariff threats? Is Trump serious? Maybe it's good to have a President who's actually engaging in issues that threaten the movie industry. Maybe he wants to help? No one has any idea what's happening, which makes it all suspenseful and vaguely fun, like a good studio genre picture. Richard empties what's left of his brain and he and Neal try to break down the issues.There are no issues with 'Thunderbolts,' a current hit from that underdog Marvel Studios. Richard went to the world premiere in Los Angeles, and, frankly, he found the buffet kind of wanting. I mean, it tasted good, but was maybe a little skimpy. You could say the same about Thunderbolts, which, let's face it, is trying to sell us some C-list heroes as A-list heroes and it's hard to tell if people are going to bite permanently or not. There's so much Bob, so little Spider-Man. And that buffet? My lord.Matthew Ehrlich makes a late-episode appearance to absolutely ravage Tina Fey's remake of a very dated Alan Alda movie called 'The Four Seasons.' Except that this isn't a movie. It's a four-hour miniseries on Netflix. No one cares about these three couples who are somehow supposed to be able to afford to take four luxury vacations a year. Together. Matthew wonders why the gay couple, half of whom is Colman Domingo, would even consider going on holiday with such boring straight people. Once, maybe, because they went to Vassar together. But four times? In a year? What are we doing here, people. Everyone loved Alan Alda back in the day, but Matthew broaches the unthinkable: That maybe Tina Fey has peaked. We will rue such words, I'm sure.Enjoy the podcast!
Transcribe →BFG Podcast #197: 'Andor' Season 2, 'The Accountant 2,' 'The Shrouds,' and a Resurgent Box Office
Apr 30, 202500:40:35Tap to summarizeIn the past on this podcast, host Neal Pollack and guest Scott Gold have occasionally steered listeners awry, we'll admit it. After watching the first couple episodes of genre shows like The Acolyte or Daredevil: Born Again, they've encouraged people to watch the shows, and then had to sit back and cringe for weeks as the shows not only failed to stick the landing, but flopped entirely. With pretty good confidence, we can say that's not going to be the case with Season 2 of 'Andor,' which will surely be one of the best TV shows of the year when all is said and done.While it may sometimes be a little too "grownup" for its own good, 'Andor' is still thrilling and intelligent entertainment, a Star Wars not really for kids, with great action scenes, a skilled cast, nuanced writing, and gorgeous costumes. It's about the best you could hope for out of a TV show, particularly a Star Wars one. Neal and Scott feel no shame.Stephen Garrett pops into the pod-dome to discuss the surprisingly popular 'The Accountant 2,' which Stephen didn't really like much. It takes a brotastic genre turn away from the moody character piece that was the first 'Accountant' movie several years ago. While Stephen admires it when a sequel breaks so far from the original source material, he found this one just plain goofy.Unable to comment on 'The Shrouds' from David Cronenberg because of a professional conflict of interest, Stephen mostly lets Neal have at this film, which is weird and awkward and stiff and throws away cool ideas and amazing future tech on a weird conspiracy plotline about sinister Chinese doctors helping the CCP throw a surveillance blanket over the entire world--by using dead bodies. It's not a bad conceit for the movie, but there's lots of telling, not showing. Stephen breaks character to say he thinks The Shrouds is a profound meditation on mortality and grief. That's true, but it buries its depth beneath six feet of plot exposition.Meanwhile, Neal and Stephen are celebrating, because the box-office is through the roof. It's a glorious time to go to the movies, and to be a movie fan. At last, movies are back. We never lost faith at the BFG podcast. Just please keep your devices silent and out of sight, and no talking unless you're at a special screening of A Minecraft Movie.Enjoy the show!
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