Great Informal (Mostly) Movie Podcast

Format of the podcast is great. Phil, a dad, introduces a movie either by Del Toro or that has influenced the filmmaker (usually), and then watches it with his college-age daughter Willow. They then discuss the movie, give a shakey plot rundown as well as some commentary and ultimately try to deduce why Del Toro liked it.

They do occasionally give insights about Del Toro and his work, but that is a very small part of the series. Heck, sometimes, they barely touch on the filmmaker. Sometimes they just read random short horror stories and talk about them. So, if you are looking for an in depth analysis of Del Toro, maybe look elsewhere.

The real appeal is the two podcasters. Phil is a movie-nerd in the best possible way and does the heavy lifting of research and producing the show (he hosts multiple podcasts... I'm not sure how he has the time). Willow brings a young perspective to the table. Willow is a budding writer and often applies narrative theories from her college studies to the podcast. There is a definite generational divide, especially in regards to references from older movies and pop culture, but it is handled lovingly. They are family after all.

In fact, one of the joys of listening over time is picking up on Willow's evolving development as a sort of cinema critic. Early on there was a bunch of blunt, "I don't like it." statements that didn't go anywhere, but Willow has slowly stopped doing that, stopped sounding sleepy/uninterested and has developed into a much better co-host. Phil's wonderful handling of his younger co-host as the dad and the more movie-savvy of the two is fantastic. He makes stupid dad jokes sometimes. But he does not condescend. They rarely give each other a hard time. Even when they are goofing around, they seem in it together. The upbeatness is kind of refreshing.

Both are whip smart and massive readers. Phil is the more experienced cultural consumer, but one gets the impression that Willow will become just as much so given time. Nice to listen to while commuting. Very Recommended.

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