5. Christopher Storer & Brian Koppelman Talk “The Bear”
Brian Koppelman’s The Moment podcast is excellent. He maybe doesn’t do as many film and TV podcast interviews as we’d like—the writer/director/producer is a man of multitudes and often does book, music, and cultural podcast conversations that we simply don’t have the time for because we’re listening to all this stuff!). And FX’s “The Bear” was not only the breakout show of summer 2022, all-consuming word of mouth like we’ve rarely seen—a show no one knew about or anticipated at first, but quickly dominated the conversation anyhow—but one of the best TV shows of the year. But who was this Christopher Storer, writer/director/showrunner on the series who seemingly came out of nowhere and impressed the hell out of everyone? Well, he’s a Bo Burnham collaborator (producer on “Eighth Grade” and many of his stand-up specials, a director on “Ramy” and has produced work for Jerrod Carmichael and more (this is a line-up of great taste). And if you’ve ever wanted to learn more about someone you suddenly instantly admired (we put “The Bear on the Best Direction of 2022, and Storer did much of it), this is the podcast for you. Bonus: Storer revealed that his longtime girlfriend Gillian Jacobs will appear or guest on “The Bear” season two (also that Steve Albini talk was great too for our music fans).
4. Sterlin Harjo Talks “Reservation Dogs”
If you’re not watching FX’s Indigenous teens dramedy, “Reservation Dogs,” well, you’re missing out on one of the best shows of 2022. But if you really want to be sold on an amazingly layered mix of comedy, drama, tenderness, kindness, soulfulness, absurdity, and great empathy, then listen to Harjo talk (again on our list of the Best TV of 2022). Full disclosure, we had a fantastic conversation with Harjo for season 3 but had audio issues (we salvaged a little bit of it in print here). This one’s a bit of a tie. We encourage you to listen to two Harjo podcasts, one on The Watch from the Ringer Podcast Network and Terry Gross’ Fresh Air interview on NPR. Incredible stuff that really shows how funny and soulful Harjo is and is a big part of why the show is so moving, beautiful, and hilarious.
3. Brian Tyree Henry Talks “Causeway,” “Atlanta,” & More
For my money, and personally what I think should be everyone’s money, KRCW’s The Treatment podcast is the most insightful podcast there is because of the wonderfully insightful and observational film critic Elvis Mitchell, who also directed the terrific documentary “Is That Black Enough For You???” this year. Not only are all of Mitchell’s conversations enlightening, but he has an uncanny knack for encapsulating someone’s entire career in a way that’s entirely accurate but also tends to be a way you’ve never articulated to yourself out loud or otherwise, a unique kind of eureka each time he speaks it into existence. Pair that with Brian Tyree Henry, who starred in “Causeway” next to Jennifer Lawrence and gave as good as he got, and two seasons of “Atlanta,” and also turns out to be one of the most thoughtful actors of his generation. Oh man, this is a fantastic conversation, and Henry is so attuned, so insightful, and more; if I were a filmmaker, I’d be knocking down his door to work with him immediately.
2. Tony Gilroy Talks “Andor”
Writer/director/showrunner Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) did a slew of interviews during the press tour for his “Star Wars” series “Andor” (on our list of the Best TV Series of 2022 and Best TV Episodes of 2022), hell, we interviewed him twice. You should check those out (here and here). But you can’t compete with a 45-minute talk and the ability to quiz Gilroy for that long (hint hint, for season two). Gilroy spoke to Jeff Goldsmith’s The Q&A podcast three (three!) times. The first conversation is the best one, but if you’ve ever wanted a masterclass deep dive on the inside-and-out of the incredibly meaningful and poignant “Andor” show, including hearing Gilroy call Cassian Andor a “shitbag”—at least the person he starts out as, before he evolves into a more profound, more heroic person—these are the podcasts for you.
1. Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson Talk “The Fabelmans”
Yes, The Director’s Cut – A DGA Podcast is terrific and on this list a lot; sorry for repeats, but they’re this damn good. Now, every time Steven Spielberg does a DGA podcast, Paul Thomas Anderson tends to host the conversation, and there’s good reason: the two definitely know each other. They have a rapport, and after the third or fourth one of these, Spielberg is always sincere and candid with the younger PTA, who clearly admires and has great reverence for his work while also being a peer that the older filmmaker acknowledges. This “The Fabelmans” podcast may not have great news, but there are excellent insights into Spielberg discovering his mom’s infidelity—and making the Zapruder-like sequence in the film at the moment he does find it—why the filmmaker couldn’t make the film until he lost his parents, why the entire thing was like the most expensive therapy session ever and PTA’s praise for Michelle Williams (“one of the best actresses out there right now,” one has to wonder if he may cast her soon).
Bonus content on the last page too!
