- 20
- Episodes
- 6
- Transcribed
- 38
- Ratings
- Bi-weekly
- Cadence
- 2025
- First episode
About Why This Film?
🎬 Exploring the Criterion Collection, one spine at a time. In each episode, I sit down with film historians, critics, filmmakers, and scholars for in-depth conversations about a single film from the Criterion Collection. I'm Ron, and I guide these expert-driven discussions examining the artistry, cultural significance, and historical context of classic and contemporary cinema. From French New Wave masterpieces to American westerns, from experimental shorts to beloved classics, we unpack what makes these films essential viewing. Whether you're a longtime Criterion collector, a film student, or simply curious about cinema history, Why This Film? offers thoughtful analysis and engaging conversations about the movies that shaped filmmaking. New episodes release 1-2 times monthly. Subscribe to join me for deep dives into the Criterion Collection.
- Publisher
- Why This Film?
- Category
- tv & film · tv & film · tv & film
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 6 Oct 2025
- Latest episode
- 2 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
6 of 20 episodes have a transcript.
2 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
Bonus: Saute ma ville (1968, Chantal Akerman) with Maggie Hennefeld - Criterion Collection Spine #1203
11 Oct 2026
Daisies (1966, Věra Chytilová) with Maggie Hennefeld - Criterion Collection Spine #1157
30 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Lone Star (1996, John Sayles) with Domino Perez - Criterion Collection Spine #1202
Inside a recent episode
Bonus: Saute ma ville (1968, Chantal Akerman) with Maggie Hennefeld - Criterion Collection Spine #1203
Published 2 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I said, well, the more you read, the more you realize how much there is to actually talk about in something that is a very short film, but has a lot to say. And the history of the director as well. Yes. So Chantal Ackerman, she made this short film when she was 18 years old and she stars in it herself. She sure does. What should people know about where she was? It sounds strange to say where she was as a filmmaker at this point when she was only 18 years old. Yeah. But is it something you can look back on and see any type of through line in films that she made in the future? So much. Themes of housework, even though, you know, it's a little bit messy and anarchic and destructive in this film as, you know, like... […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Why This Film?
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Maggie Hennefeld
- Domino Perez
- Michael B Gillespie
- Jack Ryan
- Sid Gottlieb
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 5.0 / 5
- 25 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 13 ratings
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- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Why This Film? take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
6 of 20 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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