Let’s forget all about inauguration day (since this comes out on January 20th, 2025) by focusing on someone who truly matters, the legendary comedic mind of Elaine May, pioneer of improv sketch comedy and so much more! We focus on all four of her directorial films and sing the praises of nearly all of them. Yes, that MAY include her last feature from 1987 that does not deserve the reputation or the critical bashing that it received upon its release.

Thank you so much to Sharon for being a delightful returning guest and nerding out with me for two hours, especially about a new all-time favorite film of mine which just happens to be Elaine May’s debut feature.

00:00 - 05:16 - Intro.

05:17 - 45:30 - May’s History / A New Leaf.

45:31 - 01:26:58 - The Heartbreak Kid / Mikey & Nicky.

01:26:59 - 02:03:28 - Ishtar / Outro.

Follow Sharon:https://mentalfilmness.comhttps://letterboxd.com/squissybox

Follow Jim: https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowskihttps://linktr.ee/jimlaczkowski

Nearly five hours of conversation and recommendations all about the year 2024 in cinema! Bill Ackerman (host of Supporting Characters and guest host of this show) and I reveal 25 favorite films, talk about the year in general and have a lot to say as usual. In addition, you’ll get to hear thoughts from previous guest Chloe Waryan as well as a traditional song from yours truly where I sing the titles of Bill’s 40 favorites.

00:00 - 15:40 - Intro / Thoughts

15:41 - 02:50:09 - Numbers 25-11.

02:50:10 - 02:54:04 - Chloe’s Top Ten

02:54:05 - 03:45:57 - Numbers 10-6.

03:45:53 - 03:48:59 - Jim’s Song Of Bill’s List

03:49:00 - 04:55:10 - Top 5 of 2024 / Outro

Follow Bill: https://letterboxd.com/billackermanhttp://auteuristtrap.blogspot.com/2024/12/2024-40-favorites.html

Follow Jim: https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski/list/2024-rankedhttps://directorsclub.substack.com

favorite song of 2024 from MJ Lenderman!

Director's Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Happy holidays! Grateful to my incredibly smart and passionate guests to cover a genre I’m not as well-versed in - Hong Kong cinema particularly martial arts action. I am familiar with Buster Keaton though unlike the first time I saw Rumble In The Bronx back in 1995 at the local multiplex. Nevertheless, I know I was watching a legendary talent of the highest caliber even back then. Joining me for a discussion on the directorial work of a master stunt man, actor, singer, death-defying daredevil Jackie Chan… are newcomer Sam Inglis and returning genre champion Gabe Powers. We talk about Jackie’s debut, history and transition into the mainstream focusing on many of his standout titles. Stay tuned for the favorite films of 2024 episode in a couple weeks and thank you all for the support and for listening this year and beyond! And huge gratitude to Sam and Gabe for bringing their expertise that will likely have you jotting down titles to add to your watch list the way they did for me.

00:00 - 03:57 - Introduction / Changes To The Show In 202503:58 - 10:49 - Guest Introductions / Sam’s Origin Story10:50 - 01:34:51 - Chan’s History / Fearless Hyena / Young Master / Project A01:34:52 - 02:25:19 - Police Story / Miracles / Armour Of God II02:25:20 - 02:56:53 - Drunken Master II / Other Notable Titles / Outro

Be sure to follow Sam!https://bsky.app/profile/24fpsuk.bsky.socialhttps://letterboxd.com/24FPSUKhttps://open.spotify.com/show/17u9DSmsiByQ56LijyERooBe sure to follow Gabe!https://genregrinder.comhttps://letterboxd.com/gabepowershttps://bsky.app/profile/gabepowers.bsky.social

Subscribe to the new Substack / Bluesky / Letterboxd!https://directorsclub.substack.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/jimlaczkowski.bsky.socialhttps://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski

Director's Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hello everyone! I am no longer putting out episodes via Libsyn, they are now hosted right here at my Substack. Formerly known as the 5 Years Substack, this is now the hub for all-things Director’s Club including a new URL. Learn about all this and more during my 8-minute preamble before we get to the subject at hand - indeed a very special one since today’s guest is responsible for my favorite film of 2024 (soon to be released next year so stay tuned).

I was lucky enough to spend a half hour talking with director Joel Potrykus, responsible for films that both Patrick and I have loved in the past particularly Buzzard and Relaxer which contain the same lead actor Joshua Burge. Burge and Potrykus are co-leads in his latest film, Vulcanizadora and we talk all about the experience of putting it all together and much more. We avoid spoilers so I encourage you to listen to this interview and seek out his work ASAP. Thank you to all for listening, the continued support and looking forward to sharing all content here from this point onward.

00:00 - 08:20 - Introduction / Changes To The Show08:21 - 44:48 - Interview with Joel

Director's Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Have you been waiting for the Mann? Well it's been over a decade since we last discussed his work back when Patrick and I mainly covered our love for both Heat & The Insider. Cut to present time, I have recruited two of my favorite returning guests to touch upon nearly every title by Michael Mann focusing on his post-Collateral output since it wasn't covered last time. 

Grateful to both Ryan Verrill (The Disc-Connected) and Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) for joining me for a delightful conversation about Michael Mann, from his humble beginnings to his foray into digital video and more! Next month after awards season voting ends, we'll be back with a brand new episode covering the directorial work of the legendary Jackie Chan! Stay tuned for an upcoming bonus interview episode featuring filmmaker Joel Potrykus (Vulcanizadora, Buzzard, Relaxer). 

00:00 - 04:49 - Introduction
04:50 - 50:30 - Early Michael Mann
50:31 - 01:17:20 - Middle-Period Mann 
01:17:21 - 01:44:10 - Recent Mann / Top 3 Favorites / Outro

Be sure to follow Brian!
https://bsky.app/profile/briantallerico.bsky.social
https://www.rogerebert.com/contributors/brian-tallerico
https://letterboxd.com/briantt

Be sure to follow Ryan!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChV1P_yx88ACwyXKKEOFLcw
https://letterboxd.com/disc_connected
https://bsky.app/profile/disc-connected.bsky.social

Subscribe to my Substack / Bluesky!
https://5years.substack.com
https://bsky.app/profile/jimlaczkowski.bsky.social

The spooky season is here! Why not indulge in the twisted fantasy worlds of one renowned, revered Mexican filmmaker by the name of Guillermo Del Toro! Of course I needed to enlist a super fan of his and I was lucky enough to have returning guest Chloe Waryan back on the show for another truly delightful discussion.

Chloe may very well be my go-to guest every October (well at least for next year so we can finally talk about Mike Flanagan). Not to mention, you're in for a surprise when Chloe and I introduce a bonus segment after the movie reviews that I know you'll enjoy!

We start out the first ten minutes with some recent horror discoveries from Chloe and a quick review of a documentary I got to catch at the Chicago International Film Festival. For more reviews from there, do check out my Substack linked below! Before Thanksgiving, you'll be treated to a brand new Michael Mann redux episode so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much to Chloe for coming back on and to you for listening. 

00:00 - 11:34 - Introduction / Recent Horror Recs
11:35 - 42:05 - Cronos, Mimic, The Devil's Backbone
42:06 - 01:02:47 - Blade II, Hellboys, Pacific Rim
01:02:48 - 01:24:29 - Pan's Labyrinth, Crimson Peak
01:24:30 - 01:49:49 - Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley, Pinocchio
01:49:50 - 02:11:21 - Surprise Segment / Top 3 / Outro

Be sure to follow Chloe!
https://chloesnotscared.com

Chloe's IG
https://www.instagram.com/chloesnotscared

Subscribe to my Substack!
https://5years.substack.com

Beach Too Sandy Water Too Wet podcast!
https://www.beachtoosandy.com

It's been six weeks since a new episode of the show but this will be worth the wait, given not only the director we're covering but the guest is one of the best film critics working today. Letterboxd's very own Mitchell Beaupre returns after their debut a couple years ago for a nail-biting discussion on one of our premiere action-thriller directors working today. Jeremy Saulnier has a terrific new movie out on Netflix called Rebel Ridge which we review at length in addition to the rest of his filmography. 

For the first half hour though after the introduction, we review a little-talked about movie that just came out called Megalopolis by an obscure director named Francis Ford Coppola. Then after our conversation, you get to hear an archival interview I did about a decade ago with Jeremy Saulnier promoting the release of Green Room! All in all, you're in for a treat. Stay tuned next month in mid-late October for a spooky discussion on Guillermo Del Toro next. Another episode long overdue featuring returning guest and librarian Chloe Waryan!

Letterboxd Q&A w/Saulnier:
‎The Jeremy Saulnier Q&A • Journal

Follow Mitchell on Letterboxd:
‎Mitchell Beaupre’s profile • Letterboxd

Subscribe to my Substack:
5 Years | Jim Laczkowski | Substack

The Rest Of My Socials:
Jim Laczkowski Linktree

Couldn't be more thrilled to share the latest conversation I had with one of my favorite returning guests, actor/writer/director Keith Gordon who may remember as Arnie from John Carpenter's Christine. He's been on several times in the past to not only talk about his films and his career but particular movies he thinks you should seek out from a particular decade.

In the tradition of the Pure Cinema Podcast, this is more of a back-and-forth conversation about ten titles from a list that we put together and finalize. There's a little bit of everything - a short film, a wacky comedy, a neo-noir, a Gothic horror film and an acclaimed documentary as we run down favorites from the 2000s that we hope you'll seek out if you haven't yet. Thank you so much for listening and I can't thank Keith enough for taking the time to return to the show and sharing his passion for cinema. 

00:00 - 04:20 - Introduction
04:21 - 21:20 - Introduction w/Keith
21:22 - 02:04:41 - Underrated Films of the 2000s
02:04:41 - 02:26:53 - Waking The Dead / Outro

Substack:
https://5years.substack.com

New Website:
https://jimlaczkowski.com

Previous Keith Gordon episodes: 
https://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/archives/keithgordonarchives

Plastic Bag (2009):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkbT50O7scc

Get it on, bang a gong, get it on! Patrick Ripoll (of 96 Greers) joins me once again, returning to discuss two horror films that left me a bit perplexed. About six years ago, I asked Patrick to come back on to review David Gordon Green's Halloween along with the Suspiria remake simply because I wanted to hear his thoughts.

Upon walking out of both Longlegs and In a Violent Nature, I had that same feeling of needing Patrick to come over for a couple hours so we could hash out my thoughts (and neurosis) about these two new films, the horror genre in general, hot takes, being inundated with social media and compulsive Letterboxd likes. 

Plus a lot more comes up along the way. In addition, be sure to listen to the intro for your chance to win an Amazon Gift Card as well as a cool new film-related book I was lucky enough to receive that I know you'll enjoy if you're a fan of this show. Thanks for listening and to my intelligent, passionate and very kind friend for coming back on!

00:00 - 17:06 - Introduction
17:07 - 55:49 - Longlegs Review
55:50 - 01:15:33 - In a Violent Nature Review
01:15:34 - 01:39:23 - More Thoughts / Outro

Check out Patrick and Reg's podcast:
https://ninetysixgreers.podbean.com

Halloween (2018) & Suspiria Reviews:
https://podbay.fm/p/directors-club/e/1541656800

Leave A Review:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/directors-club/id414288912

Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://5years.substack.com

For this excursion into something besides movies, in case you didn't know, I once hosted Voices & Visions and I would recruit friend and Austin-based journalist Dan Solomon to go back 20 years to talk about a year in music - an art form that I love every bit much as film.

For this summer tradition, my guests and I curate a new list of ten favorite records from a favorite year, playing snippets of certain songs and discussing our feelings about music in general. As of 2021, I decided to include my friend Jason Simpson, also a writer, to join us in this endeavor, he's back to experience the fun as well.

As listeners know, I've been going back 30 years to talk about the year in film with Collin Souter and Erik Childress, so I asked Jason and Dan to do the same from now on with records. Hopefully everyone enjoys this discussion about our favorite records from 1994. It was such a blast sharing memories with dear friends from high school as well as getting to hear a lot of incredible music from the mid-90s. Next year, we have a makeup homework assignment: the year 1999, which we missed. 

If you want to hear the older episodes of the music retrospective, they are now archived below as well. Thank you so much for listening and much gratitude to Dan & Jay for their insights, opinions and a 30-year plus friendship. Stay tuned for the next official episode when Keith Gordon returns in late July!

Other episodes recorded over the years:
https://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/archives/yearlymusicretrospectives

Check out Dan's Beehiiv:
the gardener (beehiiv.com)

Follow Dan On BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/dansolomon.bsky.social

Buy Dan's Book:
https://northstareditions.com/product/the-fight-for-midnight

Follow Jason on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/for3stpunk

Hear Me Talk All About Exile in Guyville on The Great Albums:
https://thegreatalbums.libsyn.com/liz-phair-exile-in-guyville-w-guest-jim-laczkowski

Once again, the format has changed a little for an experiment. Not quite a magic trick if you will, but Erik and I hope to "incept" you with our collaborative ranking of a director's filmography (not a draft, repeat not a draft). Last time Erik Childress was on to talk Christopher Nolan, it was way back in 2011 - the very first year of this podcast. Now the time has come for a sequel especially since my personal favorite Nolan film came out a few years after that first recording. My love for it transcends time and space. 

You'll hear us talk about each Nolan film, some longer than others, but Erik and I were tasked to come to a consensus and at the very end, you'll hear how we compromised to come up with our own ranking of all 12 titles. Not to mention a cameo towards the end of the original co-host of this show, Patrick Ripoll (of 96 Greers!). Cinephiles are in for a treat. Thank you so much for listening!

00:00 - 11:11 - Introduction
11:12 - 01:09:26 - Ranking #12-7
01:09:27 - 02:24:55 - Ranking #6-1
02:24:56 - 02:37:37 - The final list / Patrick's list / Outro

Erik's podcasts:
https://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/the-friendship-dilemma
https://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/moviemadness

Christopher Nolan Part I (2011):
https://directorsclubpodcast.libsyn.com/website/episode-19-christopher-nolan

Elk Grove Cinema Screenings!
https://www.classiccinemas.com/events/class-of-84/128?location=elk-grove