Best Mark The Ai Screenwriting Guy Podcasts (2025)

1
Another Paul Feig film? Do me a Favor 1:17:06

1d ago1:17:06

1:17:06

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
David Oyelowo on Government Cheese + Mark’s verdict on The Studio 1:19:38

9d ago1:19:38

1:19:38

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Warfare with Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza 1:13:06

16d ago1:13:06

1:13:06

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Now and Ben: Charlie Brooker & Emma Corrin on Black Mirror 16:58

16d ago16:58

16:58

If you’ve managed to watch any of the excellent seventh series of Black Mirror yet, you might have spotted our super sub Ben Bailey Smith popping up there... and just for you he’s collared his fellow dystopians Charlie Brooker and Emma Corrin for a chat about the mind-bending anthology’s latest iteration. Brooker is the writer and creator of the sh…

1
Laurence Fishburne & James Hawes on The Amateur 1:08:33

22d ago1:08:33

1:08:33

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Death of a Unicorn + Toby Jones 1:23:02

29d ago1:23:02

1:23:02

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Gorgeous George MacKay + Mark vs. The Stath 1:12:11

1M ago1:12:11

1:12:11

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Snow White: Mark’s Verdict 1:21:02

1M ago1:21:02

1:21:02

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Ashley Walters & Erin Doherty on Adolescence 1:18:59

2M ago1:18:59

1:18:59

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Now and Ben: Bong Joon Ho on Mickey 17, British winters & his iPad obsession 16:48

2M ago16:48

16:48

It’s ‘Mickey 17’ release day, and Ben is chatting to Director Bong Joon Ho in today’s episode to celebrate. Starring Robert Pattinson as an expendable worker on a colonized ice planet, the new film from Korean cinema’s modern master sees protagonist Mickey ‘re-printed’ over and over again. Frequently killed in his dangerous daily tasks, ‘human prin…

1
Daisy Ridley’s surprise BAFTA + Mark on Mickey 17 1:07:31

2M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you.…

1
Best birdsong ever from Robert Carlyle 1:08:11

2M ago1:08:11

1:08:11

Begbie himself, and surely a frontrunner for British cinema’s scariest man (on screen only, we might add), is our guest this week—it’s Robert Carlyle. This time he’s playing staunchly moral councilor Sam Hagen in new Netflix drama ‘Toxic Town’. Penned by Jack Thorne (of course), and with a cracking cast of Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Rory Kinn…

1
Now and Ben: Angela Bassett on Zero Day, Strange Days and The Simpsons 16:56

2M ago16:56

16:56

We’ve got a bona fide icon for you in today’s Now & Ben—a movie star of four decades known for tackling tough female characters in films like ‘Boyz n the Hood’, ‘Malcolm X’, ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’ and ‘Black Panther’. She is the one and only Angela Bassett. This time, she plays US president Evelyn Mitchell in ‘Zero Day’, the new Netflix t…

1
A film of the year already – is it The Monkey? 1:08:41

2M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

Welcome to another show jam-packed with top takes from Simon & Mark—which are still eliciting your ‘quiet affirmative noises’... Reviews this week of The Monkey—a splattery and slanted dark comedy horror about a murderous wind-up toy from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins, and I’m Still Here—the Brazilian drama about ‘the disappeared’ under the mili…

1
Did Bridget Jones make Mark cry? + Stephen Graham & Malachi Kirby 1:10:38

3M ago1:10:38

1:10:38

We hope this week’s podcast will earn your ‘quiet affirmative noises’--whatever they might sound like...??? Listeners to last week’s show may remember one correspondent’s story of a film eliciting this mysterious and elusive sound—and you’ve kindly sent in some examples to clear up this crucial matter for us. Mmhmm. Grown-up Aussie animation ‘Memoi…

1
Awards Schmawards 1:21:07

3M ago1:21:07

1:21:07

Awards season spinning your head? The Good Doctors have got you covered... Welcome to our awards special, where we’ll be giving you the lowdown on all the big players in this years awards nominations, all in one super-Take from Simon & Mark. We’ve brought together reviews of the titles everyone’s talking about—like Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist, Nosf…

1
We made Mark watch Dog Man – will it be film of the week? 1:11:00

3M ago1:11:00

1:11:00

Dogman heads up Mark’s review slate this week--an anarchic animation based on Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey’s graphic novel series, where a lifesaving operation sees a police dog and his cop handler become one crime-busting half-canine hero. Plus, The Seed of the Sacred Fig—a courageous political drama about Iran’s authoritarian government …

1
Episode 13: Aaron Sorkin - A Life in Film, Television, and Theater 24:05

3M ago24:05

24:05

Send us a text Step into the rapid-fire realm of Aaron Sorkin, where razor-sharp dialogue meets moral urgency and the corridors of power become stages for gripping human drama. In this episode, we explore how a playwright turned screenwriter revolutionized modern storytelling, merging intellectual heft and emotional stakes in truly unforgettable wa…

1
Now and Ben: Chris Sanders on The Wild Robot, hand drawn animation vs. CG, and Lilo & Stitch 20:40

3M ago20:40

20:40

In today’s Now & Ben drop, Ben sits down with Chris Sanders—director of the Oscar-nominated animation ‘The Wild Robot’. With a stellar career behind the drawing board that’s taken him from Disney to DreamWorks, he’s the man behind ‘How To Train Your Dragon’, ‘The Croods’ and ‘Lilo and Stich’—so Ben had plenty to quiz him on. ‘The Wild Robot’ takes …

1
Brady Corbet on The Brutalist, Oscars & AI 1:08:40

3M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Brady Corbet, the now-Oscar-nominated director of ‘The Brutalist’, sits down with Simon for an interview this week. His much lauded and lengthy fictional biopic follows the life of László Tóth, a Hungarian architect who arrives in late-1940s America having survived the Holocaust, and finds his life changed once again when he picks up a commission f…

1
Episode 12: David Lynch - Life and Career 34:59

3M ago34:59

34:59

Send us a text Step into the dreamlike realm of David Lynch, where the everyday collides with the uncanny and cinema becomes an enigmatic exploration of the subconscious. In this episode, we explore how a painter-turned-filmmaker carved out one of film’s most original voices, bridging surrealism and haunting beauty in revolutionary ways. From the n…

1
Flight Risk embargo special - they tried to stop us... 15:46

3M ago15:46

15:46

Coming hot off the podcast press, we’ve got Mark’s review of ‘Flight Risk’ - under embargo until now. The Mel Gibson directed thriller sees a US Marshal escort a government witness via plane across the Alaskan wilderness to testify against a mob boss in Manhattan. Mark Wahlberg’s pilot is in charge of their safe passage, but things get turbulent wh…

1
The Brutalist + Mike Leigh & Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Hard Truths 1:11:43

3M ago1:11:43

1:11:43

‘The Brutalist’ is the epic structure on the horizon of this week’s movie releases; Mark reviews this fictional biopic of Hungarian architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Holocaust survivor who arrives in America as an immigrant in 1947. Bauhaus trained and revered in his home country, László finds himself anonymous in a sometimes hostile USA—but …

1
Episode 11: Francis Ford Coppola - A Life in Film 25:39

3M ago25:39

25:39

Send us a text Step into the epic realm of Francis Ford Coppola, where bold innovation meets personal ambition, and storytelling becomes an operatic examination of family, power, and identity. In this episode, we explore how a young film school graduate rose to become one of cinema’s most visionary figures, merging grand narratives with personal pa…

1
A Complete Unknown divides Simon and Mark – with director James Mangold 1:11:44

4M ago1:11:44

1:11:44

The big movie release this week is ‘A Complete Unknown’, but our guest is actually pretty famous... James Mangold, director of the much-anticipated Bob Dylan biopic and Hollywood hits from ‘Walk The Line’ to ‘Le Mans 66’, joins Simon for a chat. They talk about putting Dylan’s iconic and mysterious life onscreen, Timothée Chalamet’s awards-tipped p…

1
Now and Ben: Steven Knight on ‘Maria’, his screenwriting secrets, the Peaky Blinders movie & more 40:25

4M ago40:25

40:25

In this latest bonus nugget of ‘Now and Ben’ goodness, our sometime super sub Ben Bailey Smith chats to legendary film & TV writer Stephen Knight. He’s penned some of the most exciting scripts to hit our screens over the last three decades, from ‘Dirty Pretty Things’ and ‘Locke’ to ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ and, of course, ‘Peaky Blinders’. Most recently …

1
Episode 10: Woody Allen - The Personal Lens 11:03

4M ago11:03

11:03

Send us a text Step into the introspective world of Woody Allen, where neurotic comedy meets philosophical depth and New York City becomes a character itself. In this episode, we explore how a stand-up comedian transformed into one of cinema's most distinctive auteurs, bridging comedy and personal expression in revolutionary ways. From the innovati…

1
Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin on ‘A Real Pain’ 1:09:37

4M ago1:09:37

1:09:37

Our guests this week were ‘A Real Pain’...just joking, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin were actually really nice... They sit down with Simon to discuss the comedy-drama, directed, written, produced by and starring Eisenberg alongside Culkin. They play two mismatched cousins David and Benji on a tour of Poland, the ancestral home of their late-gra…

1
Episode 09: Stanley Kubrick - The Perfectionist's Vision 28:18

4M ago28:18

28:18

Send us a text Step into the meticulously crafted world of Stanley Kubrick, where geometric precision meets psychological complexity, and every frame is a masterpiece of technical innovation. In this episode, we explore how a young photographer from the Bronx became one of cinema's most influential and visionary directors. From the groundbreaking s…

1
Nosferatu (or Yesferatu?) with Robert Eggers 1:14:00

4M ago1:14:00

1:14:00

Happy New Year from Mark, Simon, The Redactor and the rest of us on the Take Team! We’re kicking off 2025 with a top-drawer guest—’Nosferatu’ director Robert Eggers. He tells Simon about his new remake of the1922 silent classic, originally by German expressionist director F.W. Murnau, in which Bill Skarsgård’s vampire nobleman terrorises a town in …

1
Episode 08: Akira Kurosawa - The Storm and the Sword 15:59

4M ago15:59

15:59

Send us a text Step into the visionary world of Akira Kurosawa, where samurai epics meet universal human truths and Eastern storytelling merges seamlessly with Western influences. In this episode, we explore how a Japanese director revolutionized global cinema and influenced generations of filmmakers worldwide. From the multiple perspectives of Ras…

1
Best and Worst Films of the Year & More 1:04:46

4M ago1:04:46

1:04:46

It’s Boxing Day, but we’ve got more than just leftovers in today’s show—we're just as stuffed full of gourmet goodies as we hope you are right now... A fresh new guest interview this week with RaMell Ross, director of the awards-tipped ‘Nickel Boys’. Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead, it follows the growing friendship be…

1
Episode 07: Alfred Hitchcock - The Master of Suspense 19:50

4M ago19:50

19:50

Send us a text Step into the thrilling world of Alfred Hitchcock, where ordinary moments transform into heart-pounding suspense and visual storytelling reaches new heights. In this episode, we explore how a young filmmaker from London revolutionized cinema and earned the title "Master of Suspense." From the innovative camera work of Vertigo to the …

1
Barry Jenkins on Mufasa 1:10:42

4M ago1:10:42

1:10:42

Wassail Wassail Wassail! Christmas is almost upon us, and we’ve got a gift of a guest for you this week: Barry Jenkins, AKA Mr. Moonlight. He chats to Simon about ‘Mufasa’, the origin story for Simba’s father and the long-awaited prequel to 2016’s live action animation Lion King. When a flood washes the cub-Mufasa away from his homeland and parents…

1
NOW AND BEN 21:15

5M ago21:15

21:15

Presenting a new feature on the Take Channel. ANORA has been one of the most talked-about films of 2024 so we sent supersub BEN BAILEY SMITH to speak to director Sean Baker. In this interview you can hear Ben talk to Sean about how he judges his own work, his love of Chihuahuas, that home invasion scene, little Orphan Annie, and of course Ben asked…

1
Episode 06: Steven Spielberg - The Master of Wonder and Emotion 19:36

5M ago19:36

19:36

Send us a text Step into the magical world of Steven Spielberg, where ordinary people encounter extraordinary circumstances and childhood wonder meets masterful storytelling. In this episode, we explore how a young filmmaker who started shooting movies in his backyard became Hollywood's most successful director and pioneer of the modern blockbuster…

1
Live Christmas Spectacular with Wallce & Gromit, Nick Park, and Merlin Crossingham 1:19:52

5M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

Our Christmas Spectacular, recorded live at London’s Prince Edward Theatre is now available in your ears! On our festive guestlist this week we have Wallce & Gromit creator Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, who co-direct the famous plasticine pair’s latest adventure Vengeance Most Fowl. They talk us through what happened when Aardman went noir for …

1
Episode 05: Jordan Peele - Redefining Horror Through Social Commentary 22:47

5M ago22:47

22:47

Send us a text Step into the groundbreaking world of Jordan Peele, where horror meets social commentary and comedy blends seamlessly with terror. In this episode, we explore how a sketch comedy star transformed into one of cinema's most innovative directors, revolutionizing the horror genre along the way. From the psychological tension of Get Out t…

1
Cate Blanchett & Guy Maddin on RUMOURS, bog monsters & a giant brain 1:10:38

5M ago1:10:38

1:10:38

The ‘Rumours’ are true... screen superstar Cate Blanchett and director Guy Maddin are joining Simon this week to give us the gossip on their surreal new satire—once they’ve finished fangirling over the music of Sparks, that is. Following decades of avant garde work that’s made him one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers, ‘Rumours’ is the biggest…

1
Episode 04: Martin Scorsese - Master of American Cinema 15:31

5M ago15:31

15:31

Send us a text Step into the gritty, dynamic world of Martin Scorsese, where the streets of New York come alive and the camera never stops moving. In this episode, we explore how a kid from Little Italy became one of America's most significant and influential filmmakers. From his revolutionary use of dynamic camera movement to his masterful blend o…

1
Does Conclave get Mark’s blessing? With Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci 1:06:50

5M ago1:06:50

1:06:50

Two divine guests this week as Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci join Simon to discuss ‘Conclave’, the papal political thriller from ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger. Set in the Vatican’s pontific conclave, where cardinals are sequestered during the selection of the new Pope, the film follows the taut power struggle as these me…

1
Episode 03: Christopher Nolan - Bending Time, Space, and Minds 31:10

5M ago31:10

31:10

Send us a text Journey into the intricate and mind-bending world of Christopher Nolan, where time is malleable and reality is never quite what it seems. In this episode, we explore how a British filmmaker with a physics degree became Hollywood's master of intelligent blockbusters. From the reverse chronology of Memento to the dream-within-a-dream c…

1
Episode 02: The Coen Brothers - Masters of Dark Comedy and Genre Fusion 19:59

5M ago19:59

19:59

Send us a text Step into the uniquely twisted world of Joel and Ethan Coen, where dark comedy meets crime drama, and nothing is quite what it seems. In our second episode, we explore how two brothers from Minnesota revolutionized independent cinema with their distinctive blend of humor, violence, and profound storytelling. From the neo-noir brillia…

1
Is Wicked Pop-u-lar with Mark? 1:11:09

5M ago1:11:09

1:11:09

Thomasin McKenzie is this week’s guest—star of Edgar Wright’s ‘Last Night in Soho’, Mark’s film of the year 2018 ‘Leave No Trace’—and now ‘Joy’, a new Netflix drama about the development of IVF treatment at Oldham hospital in the 1970s. Written by Jack Thorne, the film’s medical miracle story is focalised through McKenzie’s character Jean Purdy—a t…

1
Episode 01: Quentin Tarantino - Breaking All The Rules 22:22

5M ago22:22

22:22

Send us a text Step into the mind of cinema’s most audacious storyteller. In our premiere episode, we explore how a movie-obsessed video store clerk revolutionized modern filmmaking and rewrote Hollywood’s rulebook. From the electrifying dialogue of Reservoir Dogs to the genre-bending brilliance of Pulp Fiction, discover how Tarantino crafted his u…

1
Sir Ridley Scott on Gladiator II 1:08:39

6M ago1:08:39

1:08:39

‘Gladiator II’ director and legendary one-man blockbuster factory Ridley Scott is our guest this week. He joins Simon to discuss the long-awaited sequel to 2000’s modern classic, in which this time Paul Mescal plays Lucius, the long-exiled son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus. He finds himself back in Rome as a prisoner from his now-conquered adopted hom…

1
Red One makes Mark explode in birdsong 1:09:37

6M ago1:09:37

1:09:37

Simon goes on a leafy adventure with Hugh Bonneville to talk ‘Paddington In Peru’, the latest addition to the most kind and polite of all cinematic universes—and for those of us who need cheering up this week, their conversation is just the tonic. The film sees Britain’s favourite bear journey back to his native land with the Brown family on a ques…

1
When Simon Met Billy (Crystal)... 1:07:43

6M ago1:07:43

1:07:43

This week, Simon is joined by the one and only Billy Crystal to talk all about his starring role in the Apple TV+ psychological thriller series ‘Before’, which sees a child psychiatrist who, having tragically lost his wife to suicide, encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to his past. Their conversation is intellig…

1
Emilia Pérez: Have We Found the Film of the Year? 1:12:23

6M ago1:12:23

1:12:23

This week, Simon and Mark interrupt Ben Wheatley’s breakfast (sadly not Wheaties) to about his new comedy horror miniseries ‘Generation Z’, which sees an army truck crash outside a care home, infecting the residents and leaving four teenage friends to deal with the deadly consequences. Mark also weighs in on the show, as well as giving his take on …

1
Mark Gets to Legitimately Rant About Donald Trump Because He’s Reviewing a Film About Him 1:06:08

7M ago1:06:08

1:06:08

This week, Mark is joined by Ben Bailey Smith to give you the lowdown on the week’s cinematic releases. Ben chats to Naomi Scott about her tour-de-force performance in ‘Smile 2’, the second outing for the smash-hit horror-thriller franchise. It’s a big week for Mark as two of his favourite interests converge – reviewing films and Donald Trump – in …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Mark The Ai Screenwriting Guy Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen