‘Talking life and death via the movies…’
Christ, I love cinema. When the school holidays kick in, and I forget teaching for a few weeks by watching a film from my neverending watchlist every morning, I am a happy man. A greedy, chubby, happy man. I love talking about films. I love going to the movies. I love reading about them. I just love all of it. Like some kind of South Yorkshire Kevin Smith, I have surrounded myself with friends that also love films. It is one of those odd, bearded friends that introduced me to Films to be Buried With…
Despite my ongoing love affair with all things cinema, I’ve never really explored the world of the film podcast. This is partly because many of them seem to be review based, and I prefer to go into a film without my own opinion having been influenced by Mark Kermode, and partly because football podcasts demand so much of my time. Brett Goldstein’s Films to be Buried With takes a concept familiar to any listeners to The Off Menu Podcast or Desert Island Disks and transposes it to the world of film. And it’s wonderful.
With guests as diverse as Ricky Gervais, Edgar Wright and Gillian Jacobs, Goldstein’s breezy presenting style lends itself to a concept that is simple but terribly enjoyable, and it is the fact that Goldstein’s intimidating knowledge of films gravitates just as much towards popcorn flicks as it does high art that makes his podcast so compelling. This is a film podcast that you really don’t have to be a cinematic expert to enjoy. It is a running joke that E.T. appears almost weekly, and you’re far more likely to hear a guest discussing their love for Jaws than expressing an adoration for French New Wave. That being said, that doesn’t mean that this is a podcast that is too broad. There is something here for everyone to enjoy – films buffs and newcomers alike.
I wasn’t really familiar with Goldstein before listening to this podcast – besides his sterling work on the excellent Apple+ show Ted Lasso – but Films to be Buried With introduced me to his comedy, as well as to a whole load of new movies to add to an ever increasing watchlist. God knows where I’ll find the time.
Truly essential listening for any film fans.