The ArtiFact Podcast is a long-form show on books, culture, painting, and music hosted by Alex Sheremet, Joel Parrish, and a revolving door of co-hosts and guests. Each subject is covered in depth and at length, with past shows featuring the Epic of Gilgamesh, Charles Johnson's "Oxherding Tale", Leonard Shlain’s "Art & Physics", John Williams's "Stoner", and more. Opinionated, controversial, and prone to making enemies and friends of friends and enemies, ArtiFact delivers new perspectives on the arts by artists of talent.
Two Actresses Give DIRT On Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" | ArtiFact 77
Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" remains THE classic romantic-comedy, influencing every other film which came after. This is in part because it seems to depict the real-life romance of Diane Keaton and Woody Allen, while inventing many cinematic techniques which are now standard.
But is it Allen's best film? In ArtiFact 77, the world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, is joined by actresses Christina Behkne and Jacklyn Collier to review and analyze what makes "Annie Hall" an enduring work of art.You can also watch this discussion on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX-KIvMIHvwRead Alex Sheremet's in-depth review of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall": https://www.automachination.com/woody-allen-annie-hall-classic-analysis-review/
Become a patron and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4DApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEVAmazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxBPodbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUoiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/
Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 -- why "Annie Hall" is a classic
1:00 -- Woody Allen as a child; "Annie Hall" is more personal than his other films; how Woody Allen sexualizes himself; understanding the child's POV as an adult
5:14 -- how "Annie Hall" interacts with memory; Woody Allen for intense misfits
6:54 -- anti-Semitism fixations; the role of stand-up comedy; Alvy Singer is the most realistic Woody character; Woody as a first introduction to Jewish culture; "Annie Hall" depicts two talented artists, which is rare in his films
12:38 -- Woody Allen has great taste in women; who is the "real" Woody Allen?
17:10 -- male vs. female responses to "Annie Hall"; sex in long-term relationships
21:38 -- disassociation in relationships; is Annie's drug use a problem; how these characters share flaws
28:13 -- your vices and sins vs. someone else's; security blankets; Woody Allen's hypersexuality
32:35 -- the famous subtitles scene; anxiety in "Annie Hall"
39:26 -- dating in the 1970s vs. 2020s; male anxiety is controlling behavior
41:02 -- the great flirting scene; why do Annie and Alvy Singer get together; Annie outgrows Woody Allen's character; Paul Simon's character; the Jack Nicholson connection
53:54 -- Woody Allen's athleticism; people who hate sports can't be trusted sports drama
59:04 -- Annie Hall is Woody Allen's most personal film
1:04:01 -- "Manhattan Murder Mystery" show preview
1:10:48 -- why Annie Hall's ending is so crushing
Tags: #AnnieHall #WoodyAllen #DianeKeaton
20 Aug 2026
Top Woody Allen Critic DIVORCES "Husbands And Wives" | ArtiFact 76
Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" (1992) remains one of his harshest and darkest films. Not only does it examine two failing marriages, but also fresh romances which will end in yet more failed marriages. Its use of black humor, villains who say "correct" things, and unexpected character arcs give it an arresting quality which takes fans by surprise.
The world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet (author of "Woody Allen: Reel to Real"), offers an in-depth analysis of "Husbands and Wives" (1992) alongside actress Christina Behnke.
You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0Cj4pjAPE
Read Alex Sheremet's in-depth review of Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives": https://www.automachination.com/woody-allen-husbands-and-wives-review-analysis/
Become a patron and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4DApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEVAmazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxBPodbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUoiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/
Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 -- what is Woody Allen REALLY up to?
1:08 -- Mia Farrow makes it all about herself; Judy Davis's iconic performance; Easter Eggs in "Husbands and Wives"
7:41 -- mockumentary as conceit; a nature documentary; the more these marriages are examined, the more they break
11:56 -- is Sally the best of the bunch; the first to disengage; Sally as an Enneagram 5w4
14:24 -- Woody Allen and Mia Farrow mirror each other; grading Sydney Pollack
17:03 -- Mia Farrow as the shrewd and prescient villain; why does Woody Allen stay?
20:31 -- age gaps; Woody Allen is frozen in time; Juliette Lewis as a gray character
23:34 -- dating a psychoanalyst; Rain as superficially "mature"; Rain vs. Mariel Hemingway
35:39 -- the film's only happy scene...
36:46 -- Judy Davis's first date; character physicality; who disengaged from whom?
46:35 -- "Husbands and Wives" as Woody Allen's phantom life
Tags: #WoodyAllen #filmcritic #HusbandsAndWives
12 Aug 2026
The REAL Secret Of BACKROOMS | ArtiFact 75: Alex Sheremet, Christina Behnke on Kane Parsons
Analyzing Kane Parsons' (Kane Pixels) "Backrooms" (2026), the film fails AND succeeds -- though not always on its own terms...
Reddit and 4chan have narrowed and defined Kane Parsons' world, while A24 Films hired the wrong scriptwriter for his ambitions. Stylistically rich, it nonetheless has things to say of Internet culture, new concepts such as liminal spaces, and artificial intelligence.You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ghHnm2ZdaJo
Read poet/critic Ezekiel Yu's analysis of BACKROOMS: https://www.automachination.com/review-kane-parsons-backrooms-analysis/
Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/
Become a patron to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4DApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEVAmazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxBPodbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUoiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 -- Kane Parsons needs to lose his scriptwriter...
0:53 -- why the ending sucks; "Backrooms" doesn't follow its own internal logic; dumbest possible action; analyzing a particularly bad line; lack of closure
5:34 -- Reddit Backrooms; art needs to be stripped of too-specific reference points
7:12 -- the Woody Allen connection; acting and technicals save Backrooms; bedroom iterations; sooo deep that we can't talk about it!
9:42 -- liminal spaces; Christina's recurring liminal space; Alex's experience of Russia's White Nights (St. Petersburg)
14:02 -- psychology in "Backrooms"; Kane Parsons and artificial intelligence; Reddit's self-propagation
18:31 -- horror and therapy; the film wastes too much time; the business side of "Backrooms"
24:41 -- Seth Rogan's Pineapple Express as contrast; horror's lack of substance; notes on cinematography
Tags: #Backrooms #KaneParsons #A24
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
354,736
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
2.8 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
10
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
49
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