We’re sharing a bonus episode of Ben Mankiewicz’s other podcast, The Plot Thickens. The new season of The Plot Thickens is all about John Ford, the most influential filmmaker of the last hundred years. In this episode, we’re exploring Ford’s early days, when he rose to fame by being one of the most reckless, independent directors in Hollywood. You can find The Plot Thickens wherever you get podcast

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In a special bonus episode of Talking Pictures recorded live at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Hollywood, host Ben Mankiewicz interviews actor, comedian, and classic movie lover, Mario Cantone. They discuss Mario’s life before acting, his role in HBO’s “Sex and the City” and the Max series “And Just Like That…,” and Ben challenges Mario to the Super 8 movie questionnaire. 

Films Mentioned:

• Sex and the City
• And Just Like That…
• Hello Dolly
• Blazing Saddles
• Lady Sings the Blues
• The Lady Gambles
• Slap Shot
• Chinatown
• Network
• Quiz Show
• All About Eve
• Guys and Dolls
• My Cousin Vinny
• The Thorn Birds
• New York, New York
• Looking For Mr. Goodbar
• Pollyanna
• Bambi
• West Side Story (1961)
• Cleopatra
• The Wizard of Oz
• A Star is Born (1954)
• The Godfather

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Director, actor, Saturday Night Live veteran, and cinephile Bill Hader joins host Ben Mankiewicz to talk about his heroes (Stanley Kubrick, Joel and Ethan Coen), about writing and directing his HBO show Barry, and if you’re hoping for a few of his expert impressions, you won’t be disappointed. Hader also ventures into his movie-watching past by answering our Super 8 questionnaire.

Films Mentioned:

• Top Gun (1986)
• Superbad
• Trainwreck*
• Inside Out
• Barry*
• The Shining
• 2001: A Space Odyssey*
• Dr. Strangelove*
• A Clockwork Orange* 
• The Natural
• Oliver! 
• Planet of the Apes (1968)
• Paths of Glory
• Mars Attacks!
• Evil Dead
• Rashomon*
• Seven Samurai*
• Ikiru*
• It’s A Wonderful Life
• Bad News Bears
• Shawshank Redemption
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
• Barton Fink
• A Serious Man*
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Intolerable Cruelty 
• Hail, Caesar!
• Burn After Reading
• Trouble in Paradise
• The Apartment
• Five Graves to Cairo
• Double Indemnity
• One, Two, Three
• Sunset Boulevard 
• Kes
• To Kill A Mockingbird
• From Here to Eternity
• Von Ryan’s Express
• Dreams (1990)
• The Last Detail
• The Great Muppet Caper
• Midnight Run
• The Black Hole (1979)

*Available on Max as of 3/19 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Host Ben Mankiewicz visits with director Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster) and her mother (!!) to talk superheroes, female serial killers, and gets her take on being a female director in Hollywood. Patty surprises Ben with stories about her friendship with singer Steve Perry and she talks about that rumored Star Wars script. Plus, an impressive Super 8 for your movie list.

Films Mentioned:

• Wonder Woman*
• Wonder Woman 1984*
• Monster
• Midnight Cowboy
• The Devil's Advocate
• Superman (1978)*
• Reds
• What Have I Done To Deserve This?
• I Know Where I’m Going
• A Matter of Life and Death
• Moulin Rouge
• The Red Balloon*
• Charade
• Bridge Over the River Kwai
• The Best Years of Our Lives
• Doctor Zhivago

*Available on Max as of 3/12 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Legendary documentarian and filmmaker Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War, The Pigeon Tunnel) and host Ben Mankiewicz have a charged conversation about interviewing, serial killers, grave robbing and, yes, movies. Morris gives the longest, most original (and most surprising!) answer to our Super 8 question about movie props. Plus, he reveals the movie that changed his life.

Films Mentioned:

• The Fog of War 
• The Thin Blue Line
• American Dharma
• The Unknown Known
• Psycho
• The Pigeon Tunnel
• Gates of Heaven
• Vernon, Florida
• Conan the Barbarian
• Creature From The Black Lagoon
• This Island Earth
• Tarnished Angels
• Imitation of Life
• Les Enfants du Paradis
• Au Hasard Balthazar

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Director Damien Chazelle ( La La Land, First Man) describes his childhood as a budding filmmaker inspired by Walt Disney, his path to getting his first film made (Whiplash), and how the pandemic impacted casting for his recent epic Babylon. Chazelle surprises – and delights – host Ben Mankiewicz as they discuss his parents’ favorite films and which movies always make him cry.  

Films Mentioned:

• La La Land 
• Whiplash
• Jurassic Park
• Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
• Annie Hall
• Speed 
• Volcano
• Lethal Weapon
• Taken
• The Last Exorcism Part 2
• 10 Cloverfield Lane
• Ouija 
• Paranormal Activity*
• The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*
• West Side Story
• Singin’ in the Rain*
• The Sound of Music
• An American in Paris
• First Man
• Babylon
• Peter Pan
• Full Metal Jacket*
• Paths of Glory
• City Lights*
• Make Way For Tomorrow
• Black and Tan
• St. Louis Blues
• The Emperor Jones*
• Vertigo
• La Grande Vadrouille
• The Red Circle
• The 400 Blows*
• The 13th Warrior

*Available on Max as of 2/27 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, About Schmidt) talks about the inspiration for his new film The Holdovers, what it’s like working with actors Paul Giamatti and George Clooney, and addresses the rumors of an Election sequel. He also shares the movie forever associated with one of his more awkward teenage dates. Plus, terrific answers to the Super 8!

Films Mentioned:

• Election*
• Sideways
• About Schmidt
• Nebraska
• The Holdovers 
• Paper Moon*
• Citizen Ruth
• Seconds
• Something's Gotta Give
• The Descendants
• The Passion of Martin
• Inspector Gadget
• Citizen Kane*
• Downsizing
• Meet The Parents
• Jurassic Park 3
• Pokemon Detective Pikachu
• Modern Times*
• Viridiana
• Seven Samurai*
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Annie Hall
• Manhattan
• Taxi Driver
• A Special Day
• City Lights*
• Bicycle Thieves*
• Ikiru
• Red Beard*
• Dersu Uzala
• The Best Years of Our Lives
• The Unknown Known
• Cinema Paradiso
• Gone With the Wind*
• Doctor Zhivago
• Casablanca*
• The Garden of the Finzi Contini
• The Two of Us
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• Out of the Past
• The Friends of Eddie Coyle

*Available on Max as of 2/20 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Host Ben Mankiewicz hangs out with his friend, 97-year-old legend Mel Brooks (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) in this often hilarious and sometimes poignant episode. Mel reminisces about Gene Wilder, David Lynch, his wife Anne Bancroft, and best friend Carl Reiner. He also recounts a tremendously funny dinner with Alfred Hitchcock. Mel Brooks has spent a lifetime watching and making movies so you don’t want to miss his answers to our Super 8 questionnaire.  

Films Mentioned:

• Blazing Saddles*
• Young Frankenstein
• The Producers
• High Anxiety
• Psycho
• Vertigo
• The Elephant Man 
• Eraserhead*
• Frankenstein (1931) 
• Casablanca*
• Swing Time
• Top Hat
• Broadway Melody of 1940 
• Ninotchka
• The Gods Must Be Crazy 
• It Happened One Night 
• Spaceballs*
• Random Harvest 
• Alexander’s Ragtime Band 

*Available on Max as of 2/13 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Writer director Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) and host Ben Mankiewicz talk life transitions, bravery, and family for this in-depth conversation. Jefferson charts his path from journalist to TV writer to first-time film director of 2023’s celebrated American Fiction. He shares the movies important to him and gives his take on the ending of Shawshank Redemption.

FILMS MENTIONED:

• American Fiction
• Saltburn 
• Promising Young Woman 
• Sex, Lies, and Videotape
• Master of None
• The Good Place
• Succession*
• Watchmen*
• The People vs. Larry Flynt
• Do The Right Thing
• Jacob’s Ladder
• Clueless 
• Cruel Intentions
• Dangerous Liaisons
• Punch-Drunk Love
• Shawshank Redemption
• Paths of Glory
• The Killing
• Eyes Wide Shut
• Full Metal Jacket*
• Pulp Fiction*
• Young Frankenstein
• Blazing Saddles*
• Philadelphia

*Available on Max as of 2/6 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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Writer-director Emerald Fennell has made two of the most talked about movies in recent years: Saltburn and Promising Young Woman. Fennell tells host Ben Mankiewicz why she makes uncomfortable films, why she prefers directing over acting, and shares a formative experience watching Jurassic Park. She also challenges Ben on his knee-jerk aversion to costume dramas. You don’t want to miss that!

FILMS MENTIONED:

• Barbie*
• Promising Young Woman 
• Saltburn
• Casablanca*
The Favourite
• Smokey and the Bandit 
• Star Wars
• The Death of Stalin 
• Dangerous Liaisons 
• Napoleon
• Jurassic Park
• Midnight Run
• Out of Sight
• Bridge of Spies
• Ben-Hur
• A Walk To Remember 
• Cape Fear (1991)
• Cape Fear (1962)
• Natural Born Killers*
• To Die For
Killing of a Sacred Deer 
• Beau is Afraid 
• Melancholia
• The Shining
• Mrs. Miniver
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips
• Random Harvest
• Brief Encounter* 

*Available on Max as of 1/30 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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This episode of Talking Pictures is special for host Ben Mankiewicz, whose favorite film of all time is Out of Sight, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Ben sits down with Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Full Circle, Erin Brockovich) to talk ‘70s films, George Clooney, and how one maintains a 35-year career as a film director. Soderbergh also offers a little relationship advice and answers the Super 8, during which he reveals how many movies he watched in high school. Trust us, it’s a lot.

FILMS MENTIONED: 

• Sex, Lies, and Videotape
• Ocean's Eleven
• Ocean’s Twelve 
• Ocean’s Thirteen
• Magic Mike
• Magic Mike’s Last Dance*
• Out of Sight
• Schizopolis*
• Gray’s Anatomy*
• The Last Detail
• Seconds
• The Parallax View
• Wanda*
• Carnal Knowledge
• The Landlord
• Being There
• Mad Max
• Witches of Eastwick
• Kafka
• King of the Hill
• The Underneath
• Erin Brockovich
• Michael Clayton
• Contagion
• Yankee Doodle Dandy
• Casablanca*
• Mildred Pierce*
• Four Daughters
• Angels with Dirty Faces
• The Knick*
• Jaws
• Planet of the Apes
• Three Days of the Condor
• EO
• Au Hasard Balthazar
• Hiroshima, Mon Amour
• Happy as Lazaro
• The Maltese Falcon
• Stormy Weather
• The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
• Behind the Candelabra*

*Available on Max as of 1/23 (Availability of titles subject to change)

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