Best Billywilder Podcasts (2025)

The guys continue into the Man with No Name trilogy but it gets a little Bad. They talk about the complexity of the story, how the shooting scenes talk about character and, of course, Klaus Kinski. Sergio Leone's Five 1) A Fistful of Dollars 2) For a Few Dollars More 3) Once Upon a Time in the West 4) Duck, You Sucker! 5) Once Upon a Time in Americ…

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A Fistful of Dollars 25:11

Play Pause

4+ y ago25:11

25:11

Cue the Morricone score! The guys start their Sergio Leone Five with the beginning of his Man With No Name trilogy. They talk about its Kurosawa roots and what makes his movies so cool. Sergio Leone's Five 1) A Fistful of Dollars 2) For a Few Dollars More 3) Once Upon a Time in the West 4) Duck, You Sucker! 5) Once Upon a Time in America…

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Kate Winslet Wrap-Up 26:42

4+ y ago26:42

26:42

The guys look back at the career of one of their favorite working actors, tangent briefly to talk about Alan Rickman and then reveal the subject of their next Five...

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Revolutionary Road 34:02

4+ y ago34:02

34:02

And we're back in the suburbs. Last time we discussed the nuance of Little Children and this week we're discussing the.....we're discussing Revolutionary Road! Kate Winslet's Five 1) Heavenly Creatures 2) Quills 3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 4) Little Children 5) Revolutionary Road

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Bonus - Reflections Through the Glass: Darkly Visions of Movies and Moving Away 23:55

4+ y ago23:55

23:55

In which Eric is in town and wants to talk about the nature of art criticism.

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Little Children 36:25

4+ y ago36:25

36:25

Austin and Eric record in person for the first time since Season One to discuss the adaptation of Tom Perrotta's Little Children. Kate Winslet's Five 1) Heavenly Creatures 2) Quills 3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 4) Little Children 5) Revolutionary Road

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 33:07

4+ y ago33:07

33:07

Didn't we already record this? The guys continue their Kate Winslet Five with another Oscar nomination for her on the modern sci-fi classic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A movie where she gets to wear jeans! Kate Winslet's Five 1) Heavenly Creatures 2) Quills 3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 4) Little Creatures 5) Revolutionary Ro…

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Quills 32:07

4+ y ago32:07

32:07

Get washed up and get ready for the guys talk about the 2000 film, Quills, about the final months of the Marquis de Sade and the young woman who risks everything to get his work to the public. Kate Winslet's Five 1) Heavenly Creatures 2) Quills 3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 4) Little Children 5) Revolutionary Road…

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Heavenly Creatures 38:35

4+ y ago38:35

38:35

In her first feature film, Kate Winslet shocked the world with her bold and complicated performance of one of the two notorious participants in the Parker-Hulme case. Listen as the guys talk about the nuances of sympathy in the movie as well the ambitious of tone in this early Peter Jackson film. Kate Winslet's Five 1) Heavenly Creatures 2) Quills …

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Jackie Chan Wrap-Up 35:36

4+ y ago35:36

35:36

The boys have made it to the end of their Jackie Chan Five and one of them is very relieved. They talk once more about what makes Jackie Chan action movies different from other action movies and then get distracted talking about 90s cartoon adaptations of movies. Then they unveil the new Five...

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Rush Hour 31:11

4+ y ago31:11

31:11

Are you listening to the words coming out our mouths? Yes, the guys changed up their line-up so they can talk about the wildly successful Rush Hour. Jackie Chan's Five 1) Project A 2) Wheels on Meals 3) Police Story 4) Rumble in the Bronx 5) Rush Hour

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Rumble in the Bronx 32:13

4+ y ago32:13

32:13

We've been to Hong Kong, we've been to Spain and now we're in America* with Jackie Chan! The guys had to change their schedule due to availability, but that means they get to watch this movie earlier than expected. Is that a good thing? *Canada Jackie Chan's Five 1) Project A 2) Wheels on Meals 3) Police Story 4) Rumble in the Bronx 5) Rush Hour…

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Police Story 36:24

4+ y ago36:24

36:24

The guys have hit Jackie Chan's biggest international hit, Police Story. It is filled with awe-inspiring stunts and a more grounded story. But.....what do they think?

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Wheels on Meals 37:40

4+ y ago37:40

37:40

Jackie Chan is in Spain! The guys talk about this wacky comedy of two food truck cooks teaming up with a fake private eye to save a secret heiress by storming a castle. Obviously. Find out if this movie broke Eric! Jackie Chan's Five 1) Project A 2) Wheels on Meals 3) Police Story 4) Operation Condor 5) Rumble in the Bronx…

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Project A 33:25

4+ y ago33:25

33:25

The Jackie Chan Five has begun and it's time to go into the simple story of sailors who are now pirates who are tracking down illegal gun sales to pirates. (We think). The guys discuss Jackie Chan's directorial intent, the pros and cons of how much should action heroes bleed and what are the stakes of this movie. Jackie Chan's Five 1) Project A 2) …

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Francis Ford Coppola Wrap-Up 29:13

4+ y ago29:13

29:13

The time has come! The guys look back at their time with Francis Ford Coppola and where he stands in cinema's past and present. Also they announce their next Five that will start next week.

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Bram Stoker's Dracula 32:53

4+ y ago32:53

32:53

Is it, though? Is it actually Bram Stoker's Dracula. For better or worse, I'm pretty sure it's Francis Ford Coppola's. Listen as the guys gleefully try to figure out if this movie is any good. Francis Ford Coppola's Five 1) The Godfather 2) The Conversation 3) Apocalypse Now 4) The Godfather Part III 5) Bram Stoker's Dracula…

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The Godfather Part III 40:32

4+ y ago40:32

40:32

Finally, the guys are here to talk about the most beloved entry in the Godfather franchise. They are actually looking at both versions of Part III, the original and the newly re-edited version. Listen as they try to answer the immortal question "Does this movie work?" Francis Ford Coppola's Five 1) The Godfather 2) The Conversation 3) Apocalypse No…

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Apocalypse Now 36:50

4+ y ago36:50

36:50

Madness....madness. Eric and Austin wrestle with their admiration and confusion about the iconic Vietnam war film. They discuss what it's like to dislike the protagonist and how this fits in as an anti-war movie. Francis Ford Coppola's Five 1) The Godfather 2) The Conversation 3) Apocalypse Now 4) The Godfather Part III 5) Bram Stoker's Dracula…

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The Conversation 34:57

4+ y ago34:57

34:57

Did you hear that? The guys end up being recorded as they talk about Francis Ford Coppola's paranoid thriller, The Conversation. Francis Ford Coppola's Five 1) The Godfather 2) The Conversation 3) Apocalypse Now 4) The Godfather Part III 5) Bram Stoker's Dracula

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The Godfather 37:40

4+ y ago37:40

37:40

Well....it's The Godfather! Eric and Austin look at this immortal classic and how it embraces immersion, authenticity and scale. Also Austin talks about You've Got Mail.

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Ethan Hawke Wrap-Up 27:07

4+ y ago27:07

27:07

The guys have finished another Five and are looking back at how much they just like this good boy. They look at what seems to drive Ethan Hawke, his interest in getting better and they get distracted to talk about Warcraft. They also announce their next Five...

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First Reformed 31:44

4+ y ago31:44

31:44

As we enter the end of our Five, we maybe get to Ethan Hawke's best performance of a depressed priest who starts to radicalize himself. They talk about the movies ambiguous qualities as well as how the film embraces transcendentalism. Don't sit on this underseen masterpiece. Ethan Hawke's Five 1) Training Day 2) Before Sunset 3) Sinister 4) Before …

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Before Midnight 40:34

4+ y ago40:34

40:34

Austin and Eric talk civilly about a movie that is primarily about a fight. The guys talk about the final(?) entry in the Before series by talking about Ethan Hawke returning to the role for the second time. Ethan Hawke's Five 1) Training Day 2) Before Sunset 3) Sinister 4) Before Midnight 5) First Reformed…

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Sinister 36:03

5y ago36:03

36:03

No more of these movies where Ethan Hawke has one very emotional day. We're going to watch one where it's four days! Eric and Austin get into the very scary horror film Sinister to see what it's like to see Hawke play a bad guy and lean into genre. Ethan Hawke's Five 1) Training Day 2) Before Sunset 3) Sinister 4) Before Midnight 5) First Reformed…

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Before Sunset 43:15

5y ago43:15

43:15

After several episodes, Eric and Austin return to have a long conversation again about the Before trilogy. They break down Before Sunset with their usual amount of hyperbole including wondering if this is the best sequel ever made. Ethan Hawke's Five 1) Training Day 2) Before Sunset 3) Sinister 4) Before Midnight 5) First Reformed…

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Training Day 28:47

5y ago28:47

28:47

We have covered a number of Ethan Hawke movies before but haven't devoted any time looking purely at his career. We start our Five looking at his first Oscar nomination playing the supporting(?) role in Training Day. Does the movie hold up? At all? Find out! Ethan Hawke's Five 1) Training Day 2) Before Sunset 3) Sinister 4) Before Midnight 5) First…

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Paul Thomas Anderson Wrap-Up 29:31

5y ago29:31

29:31

First Five of the season completed! Eric and Austin look back at Paul Thomas Anderson's career, talk about the films they didn't cover, and what it means to be an event director. Also they announce the next Five...

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Phantom Thread 40:48

5y ago40:48

40:48

The boys come to the end of their Paul Thomas Anderson Five with his latest film, the beautiful Phantom Thread. Listen as they talk about the underrated performance of the film, what it means to write about an artist who isn't a writer and pondering the romance of the ending. Paul Thomas Anderson's Five 1) Boogie Nights 2) Magnolia 3) Punch Drunk L…

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The Master 37:36

5y ago37:36

37:36

What happens when a cult leader is past his prime? That's what Paul Thomas Anderson showed us in The Master. The guys talk about the career of Joaquin Phoenix, what PTA is saying about male friendships and the psychology of manipulation. Paul Thomas Anderson's Five 1) Boogie Nights 2) Magnolia 3) Punch-Drunk Love 4) The Master 5) Phantom Thread…

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Punch Drunk Love 38:48

5y ago38:48

38:48

Time to get romantic during this Valentine's Day week. (It counts!) Eric and Austin dive into Paul Thomas Anderson's film Punch Drunk Love. They look into how PTA shifted his approach from his last two films, the legacy of Adam Sandler and Paul Thomas Anderson and wondering if the film let the female lead down. Paul Thomas Anderson's Five 1) Boogie…

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Magnolia 41:01

5y ago41:01

41:01

Eric and Austin dive into their next PTA film by looking at...everything. What is the purpose of coincidences? Is the screenwriter god? Is the score there to make us anxious? That's Magnolia!

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Boogie Nights 36:07

5y ago36:07

36:07

Austin and Eric start their Paul Thomas Anderson Five with a look at the movie that launched his career, Boogie Nights. Why is the film about porn not sexy? Does PTA judge his characters? Was Luis Guzman stoned in that scene? Was that Tom Jane?! All of these will be answered. Paul Thomas Anderson Five 1) Boogie Nights 2) Magnolia 3) Punch Drunk Lov…

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Let's Take Five Returns! 16:12

5y ago16:12

16:12

You thought they were dead because they straight up said over 10 episodes they were dead. Guess again! Eric and Austin are back and ready to talk about more good movies.

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Let's Take Five Finale 47:37

6+ y ago47:37

47:37

Fin

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Episode #130 -- There Will Be Blood 31:48

6+ y ago31:48

31:48

Grab your milkshakes before they're gone, it's the final movie review of Let's Take Five. The guys dive into the Paul Thomas Anderson Oscar winning film, There Will Be Blood. They look into the complexity of the character of Daniel Plainview, the themes of duplicity and the films long-lasting impact on pop culture. Get excited! Let's Take Five's Le…

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Episode #129 -- The Royal Tenenbaums 34:31

6+ y ago34:31

34:31

"All my life I wanted to review The Royal Tenenbaums." "Me too." Eric and Austin break down one of Eric's favorite films--and favorite films to quote. It is the story of a father who abandoned his family and left them all emotionally stunted geniuses. The guys break down how this film features some of the best performances by its cast (included Gen…

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Episode #128 -- The Last Temptation of Christ 33:05

6+ y ago33:05

33:05

As we get closer to Easter, the guys look back at one of the great films by Martin Scorsese and his most controversial. The Last Temptation of Christ tells the story of the last days of Jesus as he embraces his destiny to die on the cross while dealing with the mortal fears and doubts. The guys talk about the powerful titular temptation, Willem Daf…

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Episode #127 -- Die Hard 38:46

7y ago38:46

38:46

Since the guys never did a Christmas Movies Five, they had to use these final episodes to dive into the holiday classic, Die Hard. They are joined by a big action movie fan, Adam Lord! They dive into what makes this movie move so quickly, the durability of its hero and why Ellis may be a secret MVP. Let's Take Five's Let's Take Ten Let's Take Five …

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Episode #126 -- Amadeus 28:09

7y ago28:09

28:09

Podcasts are like notes, you can never have too many of them. That's what Eric and Austin learn as they rewatch one of their favorite epics, Amadeus. They dive into what makes the rivalry matter so much between these classic composers, how the movie differs from the theatrical version and how the director was able to make this a movie for everyone,…

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Episode #125 -- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 34:48

7y ago34:48

34:48

With a premise like this and a title like that, there's no way the two guys could cover this movie by themselves. So they are joined by Eric's brother Ray Martindale (The Good). Ray brings his editing background to talk about what Sergio Leone was able to accomplish in tension and tone. Eric (The Bad) dives into why these characters are so iconic a…

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Episode #124 -- The Seventh Seal 25:26

7y ago25:26

25:26

It should be no surprise that the podcast is ending. Death has been our companion for sometime. In the Ingmar Bergman classic The Seventh Seal, Death appears in front of a knight from the Crusade, ready to take him to whatever is next. Instead the knight challenges Death to a game of chess and during that time they both see who is living through th…

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Episode #123 -- 12 Angry Men 34:05

7y ago34:05

34:05

12 men enter a small room to decide the fate of a man on trial. For Let's Take Five, two men walk into a decently sized apartment in Chicago to decide the fate of the fate of a man on trial. The guys dive into the Sidney Lumet masterpiece in how it treats mob mentality, personal prejudice and the ideal justice system. Get excited! Let's Take Five's…

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Episode #122 -- Rear Window 31:04

7y ago31:04

31:04

The guys return to one of their former subjects as they look into the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. Instead of being a creepy dude in Vertigo, Jimmy Stewart plays a creepy dude in Rear Window. After an accident, Stewart is locked up in his apartment with a broken leg and nothing to do all day but spy on his neighbors and watch their lives. The guys…

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Episode #121 -- Casablanca 30:08

7y ago30:08

30:08

As the guys start their journey into the final 10 films of the podcast, they watch perhaps the most beloved pice of Old Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are at the heart of a romance that has global consequences in Casablanca. The guys are in awe of how many quotable lines are in this, the way WWII is drawn while they are in the middle…

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Pedro Almodovar Wrap-Up 19:15

7y ago19:15

19:15

Pedro, we hardly knew you! After five films, the guys wrapped-up their look at the work of Pedro Almodovar. They look back at the legacy around the artist and their own rankings of his films. They also make a big announcement on what is next for the podcast. Get excited! Pedro Almodovar's Five 1) Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 2) All Abo…

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Episode #120 -- The Skin I Live In 29:38

7y ago29:38

29:38

The guys have seen Pedro Almovodar dance around darkness in all of his films. None of them compare to the terror of The Skin I Live In. It's a puzzle box mystery about a woman who appears to be held captive in a very rich house while she wears a strange medical skinsuit. With every episode of Let's Take Five, the guys are looking at the film as a w…

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Let's Take Hiatus 0:59

7y ago0:59

0:59

Quick note about taking a quick break. See you in 2019 and thank you all for listening! –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric's video game YouTube channel, Constant Diversion –Listen to Austin's other podcast, The Immortals. Twitter iTunes YouTube

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Episode #119 -- Volver 31:04

7y ago31:04

31:04

For reasons unknown, Volver is the most popular film in America for Pedro Almodovar. All of them were Oscar darlings, but this brightly colored family drama was the one that got the biggest audience. Eric and Austin try to understand why as they look into the complicated story that involves secrets, a dead body and a ghost. As always, the podcast d…