Talking Pictures

This is the other TCM podcast in this category, and it takes a completely different approach from The Plot Thickens. On Talking Pictures, host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with contemporary actors, directors, and filmmakers — Paul Feig, Charles Barkley, Pamela Adlon, Eli Roth, Paul Scheer — and asks them about the classic films that shaped their creative lives and artistic sensibilities. The "Super 8" segment, where guests reveal deeply personal film memories and the movies that first made them fall in love with cinema, regularly produces genuinely surprising and touching moments you will not forget. With 25 episodes, a 4.8-star rating from 788 reviews, and a conversational long-form interview format, this works beautifully as both a classic film recommendation engine and a fascinating peek into how modern filmmakers relate to cinema history and carry its influence into their own work. Episodes tend to be substantial, running 45-60 minutes each, and Mankiewicz is a skilled enough interviewer to draw out stories that feel completely unrehearsed and spontaneous. The show has had occasional gaps between episodes, which some listeners find frustrating, but the quality of each individual installment is consistently high and worth the wait. Each episode essentially gives you a curated watchlist from someone whose creative taste you can trust and learn from.