Best IFF Podcasts (2026)

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The B-Side Ep. 174 – James Stewart (with Mitchell Beaupre) 2:01:56

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14d ago2:01:56

2:01:56

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss America’s everyman and one of its most indelible movie stars: James Stewart!Our returning guest is our dear friend Mitchell Beaupre, Head of Editorial at Letterboxd and our B-Sides…

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The B-Side Ep. 173 – James L. Brooks (with Adam Drosin) 1:30:06

25d ago1:30:06

1:30:06

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.Today we celebrate filmmaker James L. Brooks! His new movie Ella McKay is in theaters now!Our returning guest is very good friend Adam Drosin, and together we are The Brooks Brothers. Our B-Side…

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The B-Side Ep. 172 – Daniel Craig (with Gavin Mevius) 2:09:08

1M ago2:09:08

2:09:08

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about someone who played Bond, James Bond, and Blanc, Benoit Blanc. It’s Daniel Craig! Our returning guest is the great Gavin Mevius, co-host of both The Mixed Reviews Podcast and The…

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Production Designer Alexandra Schaller on Crafting Train Dreams 36:58

1M ago36:58

36:58

One of the many special things in Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley, is the production design. Nearly every element of each setting feels like it was just sitting there, waiting to be captured. Of course, this is not the case. It was meticulously, carefully planned and built. The Film Stage's Dan Mecca was lucky and honored to speak with Alex…

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Episode 21: Why the Anti-Federalists Hated the Constitution 38:07

1M ago38:07

38:07

Federalists carried the day at the Pennsylvania ratifying convention in October 1787, but Antifederal arguments were spreading rapidly. Newspapers all across the country were publishing works by Antifederalists like Brutus, Centinel, and Federal Farmer. The battle between the two sides was going to be lengthy and closely fought. We all know that th…

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The B-Side Ep. 171 – Richard Linklater (with Ryland Aldrich) 1:35:35

2M ago1:35:35

1:35:35

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss Richard Linklater! He’s an American indie legend who we recently just spoke to! With two new films out here at the end of 2025 (Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague), we discuss his B-…

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Episode 20: Federalists Triumph in Pennsylvania 42:49

2M ago42:49

42:49

In this week's episode of The American Founding, Dr. Jay Cost examines the fight to ratify the Constitution in Pennsylvania. Federalist supporters of the Constitution pushed for an early convention to keep opposition from rising. Their gambit succeeded, as Pennsylvania became just the second state to ratify. But their bare-knuckled tactics provoked…

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Emulsion Ep. 18 - Carlo Chatrian on the Tokyo IFF and Future of Cinema Culture 37:32

2M ago37:32

37:32

A world-cinema fixture who's earned the support of Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan, Olivier Assayas, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Béla Tarr, Claire Denis, Christian Petzold, Tilda Swinton, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi––among many others––Carlo Chatrian reshaped the festival landscape with his work as artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival and Be…

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The B-Side Ep. 170 – David Cronenberg (with Veronica Fitzpatrick) 1:27:52

2M ago1:27:52

1:27:52

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss David Cronenberg, one of the truly great Canadian geniuses and the filmmaker credited with the advent of “body horror” (a distinction he bristles against, for what it’s worth).…

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Episode 19: George Mason, the First Anti-Federalist 52:05

2M ago52:05

52:05

The Constitution received overwhelming support at the Constitutional Convention, but it was not unanimous. The most prominent opponent was George Mason of Virginia. A widely respected Revolutionary leader, Mason played a constructive role at the Convention, but ultimately could not bring himself to sign. Join us as we discover how Mason's oppositio…

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Emulsion Ep. 17 - Stephanie LaCava on Nymph, Chantal Akerman, and Abel Ferrara 1:07:01

2M ago1:07:01

1:07:01

Given her work in and around cinema, it’s no surprise that Stephanie LaCava would write a novel that is, no small feat, cinematic. Said novel is Nymph, a slim and elliptical and fully satisfying character piece about a young woman, Bathory––called “Bat” for short––whose parents’ strange lifestyle, either involving spy craft or assassinations or jus…

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The B-Side Ep. 169 – Bill Paxton (with Billy Ray Brewton) 2:12:47

3M ago2:12:47

2:12:47

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about a performer that we lost far too soon: Bill Paxton.Our B-Sides today include Brain Dead, Indian Summer, Traveller, and Frailty. Our guest is Billy Ray Brewton, and we cover a lo…

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Episode 18: Novus Ordo Seclorum 50:59

3M ago50:59

50:59

On the back of the great seal is the Latin phrase, Novus Ordo Seclorum, or "new order of the ages." How exactly did the Constitution usher in this new order? What precisely was new about it? What was it supposed to look like? In this week's episode of the American Founding, we look at the Constitution in its entirety, trying to understand what kind…

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Episode 17: The Misunderstood John Adams 41:35

3M ago41:35

41:35

By IFF

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The B-Side Ep. 168 – Philip Seymour Hoffman 1:47:08

3M ago1:47:08

1:47:08

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about maybe the greatest actor who ever lived: Philip Seymour Hoffman. But seriously, did Hoffman ever give a bad performance?We talk about it! Conor and I are back and our Philip Sey…

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Emulsion Ep. 16 - Will Sloan on Ed Wood: Made in Hollywood USA 47:46

3M ago47:46

47:46

Ed Wood died the better part of a half-century ago, and to this day his reputation as the world's worst filmmaker persists. Even in this era when seemingly everything can be reclaimed, few have made the effort for Plan 9 from Outer Space, Glen or Glenda, or Night of the Ghouls, making all the more compelling a new book that does so without necessar…

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Emulsion Ep. 15 – Dennis Lim on the 63rd New York Film Festival 36:42

3M ago36:42

36:42

If you live in New York and care about movies, the beginning of the New York Film Festival—this year, specifically, on Friday, September 26—is perhaps the most exciting moment of any year. Though he served on the committee for a number of years, since 2020, Dennis Lim has shepherded the festival, his dispensation as a journalist and critic carrying…

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Episode 16: Jefferson, the American Sphinx 51:57

4M ago51:57

51:57

In this episode of The American Founding, Cost examines the political thought of Thomas Jefferson. A brilliant and complex individual, Jefferson leaves a legacy of inconsistency. The advocate for individual liberty, he owned hundreds of slaves. A politician devoted to government frugality, he died deeply in depth. What can the sphinx-like Jefferson…

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Remembering Robert Redford (with Blake Howard) 2:23:14

4M ago2:23:14

2:23:14

In remembrance of the legendary Robert Redford, we're resharing this conversation from 2024 on his extraordinary career and most overlooked performances.Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.Today we talk about the …

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Episode 15: Why Free Speech Is Essential to the Republic 1:04:28

4M ago1:04:28

1:04:28

The gruesome assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk yesterday is without precedent. Kirk was murdered in broad daylight merely for speaking his mind. Scores of his political opponents took to social media to cheer his untimely death, another sign of a culture that rejects the basic principles of the First Amendment. Free speech is not an incide…

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Emulsion Ep. 14 - Filipe Furtado on Brazilian Cinema 45:16

5M ago45:16

45:16

With exposure to Brazilian cinema being so pitiful, I thought it would be past due to host both an episode and screening that put a bit of spotlight on their rich cinematic history. One of my favorite films I’ve seen in recent years is Carlos Reichenbach’s Movie Dementia, which is both the cinema-induced madness its title suggests and a gritty view…

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The B-Side Ep. 167 – John Frankenheimer (with Blake Howard) 1:45:39

5M ago1:45:39

1:45:39

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss John Frankenheimer, a true expert of the craft and a man who could make any kind of film. Our B-Sides today include Prophecy, 52 Pick-Up, Dead Bang, and the HBO Film Against th…

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The B-Side Bonus Ep. – Jordan Harper on She Rides Shotgun 50:48

5M ago50:48

50:48

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars, movie directors, and sometimes––sometimes––movie writers! Today, we speak with author and screenwriter Jordan Harper, whose novel She Rides Shotgun got made into a movie of the same name, directed by Nick Rowland and starring Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger. The film is in theaters this Frid…

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Emulsion Ep. 13 - Dave Kehr on Restoration, Preservation, and MoMA's Silent Movie Week 38:13

5M ago38:13

38:13

Few people have contributed more to cinema and cinephilia in the last 50 years than Dave Kehr. He’d have some claim to this title solely as a major critical voice, his work remaining currency decades hence––just look at the popular Not Dave Kehr Letterboxd account for a symbol of his enduring prominence. As a film curator at the Museum of Modern Ar…

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The B-Side Bonus Ep. – Christine Vachon & Pamela Koffler of Killer Films 36:28

5M ago36:28

36:28

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars, movie directors, and sometimes - sometimes - the companies that made the movies those stars and directors made! We were lucky to speak with Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler of Killer Films in honor of Metrograph’s 30th Anniversary program, with screenings starting on August 2, 2025.Vachon an…

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Emulsion Ep. 12 - Abel Ferrara on Turn in the Wound 34:45

6M ago34:45

34:45

You'd have to be very bad at interviews, or really just conversations, to not get something from Abel Ferrara, who's the perfect combination of endearing and pugnacious, amenable to ideas while unable to entertain even a hint of bullshit. He's especially verbose discussing Turn in the Wound, his most recent documentary, which premiered at last year…

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The B-Side Ep. 166 – In Conversation with Embeth Davidtz 33:38

6M ago33:38

33:38

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars and movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Sometimes we are lucky enough to even speak with them about their work. And sometimes, they are both a movie star and a movie director. Today that’s Embeth Davidtz, director of …

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Emulsion Ep. 11 - Restoring Hearts of Darkness with Fax Bahr and James Mockoski 32:33

6M ago32:33

32:33

Raise the subject of documentaries about filmmaking and you'll probably first go to Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. Or the film you’re thinking about instead was directed by somebody was thinking about Hearts of Darkness. Or, assuming the film came out earlier, it was perhaps directed by someone who later saw Hearts of Darkness and wi…

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Episode 14: Washington – The First Man of the Republic 42:18

6M ago42:18

42:18

This episode will look at the political theory and social status of George Washington. Remembered by Henry Lee as, "First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of His Countrymen," Washington occupied an ambiguous place in the nation. For here was a country premised on social and political equality, yet with an individual who clearly was its f…

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The B-Side Ep. 165 – Mission Impossible 2:33:51

6M ago2:33:51

2:33:51

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we sometimes talk about movie stars! We sometimes talk about movie directors! Today, we talk about both! Specifically, the B-Sides of the Mission: Impossible franchise.It’s just Conor and I today folks, waxing poetic on Tom Cruise’s legendary franchise and the B-Sides that we were inspired to discuss. We’ve chosen one fo…

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Emulsion Ep. 10 - Alex Ross Perry and Clyde Folley on Videoheaven 36:55

6M ago36:55

36:55

Perhaps no line of dialogue better encapsulates lived experience than this bon mot offered by John Huston’s Noah Cross: “Of course I'm respectable. I'm old! Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.”I thought about this line––granted, a line I think about at least once a week––while watching Alex Ross Perr…

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Emulsion Ep. 9 - U.S. Girls on a Life In Movies 46:08

6M ago46:08

46:08

When people call music cinematic, I think they just mean it sounds like it could be in a movie. About which, fair: being in a movie would do so. But the term is a little frivolous and unevocative. So take me at my word when I say U.S. Girls, the band fronted by American ex-pat Meg Remy, evokes such in its grand, powerful, barreling, vivid sound. I’…

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The B-Side Ep. 164 – Mike Leigh (with Alex Heeney) 1:40:06

7M ago1:40:06

1:40:06

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss Mike Leigh, one of our greatest living filmmakers. Born in England in 1943, Leigh remains an artist for the everyday person more than most. And this descriptor is quite reducti…

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Emulsion Ep. 8 - The Jag and Familiar Touch 49:19

7M ago49:19

49:19

I've spent my offline hours producing The Jag, a new play that runs from June 21 to July 6 at the Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research. Even without some of my fingerprints, this makes a curiously cinema-centered creative team: directed by Paul Felten (Slow Machine) and written by Robin Schavoir (The Plagiarists), it combines the lo-fi grittiness a…

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Emulsion Ep. 7 - Is Tom Cruise Evil? 37:35

7M ago37:35

37:35

The release of a new Tom Cruise film is less about the film than it is about Tom Cruise. Ceaseless junket and red-carpet interviews with supposed journalists who were perhaps invented on the spot to ask him questions, clips of these interviews that quickly go viral, endless rankings of the movies, and between all of it the… acknowledgement, perhaps…

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Episode 13: The Mad Genius of Alexander Hamilton 46:45

7M ago46:45

46:45

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost will take a close look at the political theory of Alexander Hamilton. The author of most of the Federalist essays, Hamilton nevertheless did not participate at the Constitutional Convention nearly as much as James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, or others. Still, he offered a boldly elitist theory of c…

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The B-Side Ep. 163 – Ryan Gosling Part II (with Cory Everett) 2:04:36

7M ago2:04:36

2:04:36

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we return to one of our earlier subjects: Ryan Gosling! Our B-Sides are The Ides of March, Gangster Squad, Only God Forgives, and First Man. Our guest is our dear friend Cory Everett, creator…

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Episode 12: Federalism 41:42

8M ago41:42

41:42

On this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost discusses how the Constitution lays out the concept of federalism, or power sharing between the state and national governments. The states were granted an important but ambiguous role in the early Constitution, and it would be up to later generations to determine exactly where the line between stat…

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The B-Side Ep. 162 – Clint Eastwood (with Mitchell Beaupre) 2:36:52

8M ago2:36:52

2:36:52

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss Clint Eastwood, the director and the movie star. Our B-Sides are Breezy, White Hunter Black Heart, Blood Work, Flags of Our Fathers, and The Mule. Our guest is the impeccable Mitch…

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Episode 11: Checks and Balances 38:33

8M ago38:33

38:33

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost explores the system of checks and balances that runs through the Constitution. It was not enough that the branches of government be separate from one another. Each must have the ability to defend itself from encroachments on its power. To develop this idea the Framers borrowed heavily from the anci…

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Emulsion Ep. 6 - Edo Choi and Alexander Fee on Mikio Naruse 44:32

8M ago44:32

44:32

In a city where the rents are too high, the subways are too slow, and morale barely hovers above cope, repertory options might make such troubles worthwhile. So one thinks while looking over Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us, a career-spanning, 35mm-rich, two-cinema retrospective that began last weekend at Japan Society and will continue at Metrog…

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The B-Side Ep. 161 – Maggie Cheung (with Nick Newman) 2:01:43

8M ago2:01:43

2:01:43

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. It’s a day to celebrate! We discuss the legend Maggie Cheung! Our B-Sides include Lost Romance (a.k.a. Story of Rose), Full Moon in New York, Green Snake, and Sausalito. Our esteemed guest for this…

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From the Vault: "Why the Constitution Matters" 39:09

8M ago39:09

39:09

By popular request ... the first episode of the original Constitutionally Speaking! In this inaugural episode, Jay and his co-host Luke Thompson discuss "Why the Constitution Matters." Look for more of these old episodes in coming weeks and months!By IFF

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Episode 10: What's Up with the Electoral College?! 42:40

8M ago42:40

42:40

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost breaks down the Electoral College. A subject of a great deal of contemporary criticism, the Electoral College is perhaps the most misunderstood part of the Constitution. The Framers created it as an institution to place the president above the political fray, but it never really worked and was aban…

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The B-Side Ep. 160 - Debra Winger (with Murtada Elfadl) 1:59:34

8M ago1:59:34

1:59:34

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about the great Debra Winger! Our B-Sides include Legal Eagles, Betrayed, The Sheltering Sky, and Forget Paris. Our guest is the inestimable Murtada Elfadl, Culture Writer, Critic, an…

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Episode 9: The Compromise over Slavery 51:07

8M ago51:07

51:07

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost examines the compromise of slavery forged at the Constitutional Convention. While most delegates understood on an intellectual level that slavery was incompatible with a free republic, all were willing to compromise on the issue. Thus, the Constitution reflected an oligarchy, where political power …

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Emulsion Ep. 5 - Chloë Sevigny & Amalia Ulman on Magic Farm 26:26

9M ago26:26

26:26

Amalia Ulman has followed El Planeta, one of this decade's most auspicious debuts, with the equal-parts caustic and sincere Magic Farm. With its limited release beginning today, Nick Newman had the fortune of speaking with her and Chloë Sevigny in an interview that highlights the particular relationship between a writer-director-actor and her co-st…

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The B-Side Ep. 45 – Ben Affleck (with Marie Bardi) 2:02:53

9M ago2:02:53

2:02:53

Hello everybody and welcome to The B-Side podcast for The Film Stage, here we talk about movie stars; not the films that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between! And today, with The Accountant 2 out in theaters, we thought we’d revisit our episode on the B-Sides of Ben Affleck! Originally recorded in March 2020, at t…

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Episode 8: The Essential Senate 42:30

9M ago42:30

42:30

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost discusses the "Great Compromise" at the Constitutional Convention that led to the United States Senate. The delegates at the Convention decided on a House apportioned by population while each state would have an equal share in the Senate. This compromise was necessary in 1787 and remains essential …

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The B-Side Ep. 159 - The Coen Brothers (with Stephen Sajdak) 1:56:27

9M ago1:56:27

1:56:27

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.Today we talk about two American icons: Joel and Ethan Coen. Our guest is an icon all his own: Stephen Sajdak from the We Hate Movies podcast!We discuss the B-Sides The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man …