Loading...

PODCAST

The Plot Thickens

TCM & Criterion

Our seventh season isStanley, an 11-episode exploration of Stanley Kubrick created in partnership with Criterion. Stanley traces Kubrick’s journey from a curious Bronx teenager, first inspired by a camera gifted to him by his father, to a visionary director who redefined the art of filmmaking. Across his career, Kubrick pushed boundaries, challenged censorship, and pursued an uncompromising level of creative control that shaped landmark films including Lolita, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and

tv & film film history

All Episodes

52:06

Go West, Young Man

The Plot Thickens ·

2024/06/06

John Ford was born in Maine as Sean Aloysius O’Feeney… or so he says. His birth records say differently, and it would not be the last time he changes his name. As a child, he visits Ireland and falls in love with his heritage, and later fights at the University of Maine when confronted with an Irish slur. He rediscovers his long-lost brother Francis on the big screen and follows him to Hollywood, where he works as a stunt double until fibbing his way into directing. As silent movies transition to

en

4:44

Season 5 Trailer: Decoding John Ford

The Plot Thickens ·

2024/04/18

Meet John Ford, the curmudgeon with an eyepatch who just happened to be the greatest filmmaker of the 20th Century. Ford was a bully and a drunk who ruled Hollywood for five decades, making dozens of seminal movies – though he was incredibly hard to pin down. His behavior swung wildly from loyalty to cruelty, without notice. He won more Oscars than any director in history, but never showed up to accept an award. And he rewrote American history, painting the country with images so beautiful that

en

52:54

Talking Pictures Drop

The Plot Thickens ·

2024/02/09

While we're hard at work on the next season of The Plot Thickens, we're excited to share Ben Mankiewicz's new podcast, Talking Pictures. The first guest on Talking Pictures is writer director Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, The Holiday). Recorded at her home, Meyers talks about casting Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, getting script advice from Sunset Boulevard director Billy Wilder, and what it’s like to become famous for her interiors. Spoiler: it’s frustrating! Nancy

en

18:46

From American Masters: Creative Spark: John Waters on...

The Plot Thickens ·

2023/05/01

We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at American Masters: Creative Spark, the PBS podcast that goes in-depth with an iconic artist about the creation of a single work. This episode is about John Waters, a filmmaker who loves to break the rules and make you laugh along the way. The iconoclast has been doing just that over the past six decades with provocative and perverse films like Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, and Female Trouble. Now enshrined as the king of transgressive cinema, Waters

en

30:04

Bonus Episode: Donald Bogle and Racquel Gates

The Plot Thickens ·

2023/02/07

Film scholars Racquel Gates and Donald Bogle detail the rise and fall of Blaxploitation, and how Pam Grier transcended the genre and stayed iconic for decades afterwards.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

18:10

Bonus Episode: Bob Minor & Jadie David

The Plot Thickens ·

2023/01/24

Legendary stunt performers Jadie David and Bob Minor go in-depth about their most dangerous stunts, working with Pam Grier, and breaking through as Black stuntpeople in the early 70s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

33:47

Bonus Episode: Jacqueline Stewart

The Plot Thickens ·

2023/01/10

Ben Mankiewicz speaks to TCM host and Director and President of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Jacqueline Stewart about Pam Grier's star image, the legacy of Blaxploitation, and meeting Pam at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

36:53

Bonus Episode: Quentin Tarantino

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/12/13

More from Ben Mankiewicz’s interview with Quentin Tarantino, who speaks about making Jackie Brown, enjoying Blaxploitation, and first seeing Pam when he was an impressionable 10 year-old boy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

50:54

Ms. Jackie Brown

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/12/06

After receiving a devastating diagnosis, Pam leaves Hollywood and heads home to Colorado. But she’s lured back into the spotlight when the hottest director in Hollywood gives her the role of a lifetime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

52:35

I’m Gonna Die For Paul Newman

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/29

Pam finds love on a movie set when she’s cast opposite superstar comedian Richard Pryor. She sets out to change Richard’s self-destructive ways, and succeeds – for a little while. She then immerses herself in a difficult new role, a role that gives her nightmares but could spark a comeback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

42:18

Looking Good

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/22

As the Blaxploitation craze comes to an end, Pam fights for better roles and hobnobs with the biggest names in showbiz. She meets the love of her life, a hot young comedian named Freddie Prinze -- whose personal demons lead to heartbreak and tragedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

9:46

Bonus: Pam Grier in Italy

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/18

Pam is almost killed when a horse goes wild on the set of a gladiator movie. But instead of losing her life, she meets a new friend, who just happens to be one of the most famous filmmakers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

48:37

The Queen of Blaxploitation

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/15

Pam’s career hits new heights as Black-themed movies take the country by storm. She stars in four low-budget films in the span of one year, including two bonafide hits: Coffy and Foxy Brown. Yet her celebrity is tied to controversy, as Blaxploitation gets criticized by the Black community and snubbed by the Hollywood establishment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

50:20

An Actor Prepares

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/08

Pam heads to the Philippines to star in a pair of “women in prison” movies, where she endures volatile weather, skimpy costumes, and cobra encounters. She studies acting and learns everything she can about filmmaking, and her raw talent is soon recognized on the set. But Pam’s relationship with Kareem is tested when his religious convictions clash with her feminist ideals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

43:54

I'm Not From Here

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/11/01

Newly arrived in Los Angeles, Pam learns underground filmmaking at UCLA and sings backup for some of the biggest musical acts of the 60s. She also has her first serious romance, with a towering basketball phenom named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Then, a chance audition for a low-budget movie leads to Pam’s first opportunity in front of the camera, as an actor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

47:36

The Black West

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/10/25

Growing up in Colorado, young Pam Grier endures racism and trauma, but finds solace in horses and the beautiful countryside. As a teen, she visits Los Angeles for the first time, and gets caught in the middle of the historic Watts Rebellion. But after winning a beauty pageant, she meets a Hollywood agent who encourages her to give L.A. a second chance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

4:50

Season 4 Trailer: Here Comes Pam

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/10/04

This is the story of Pam Grier as only she can tell it. Her sudden stardom, her iconic roles, her fights against the system. It’s a story of bravery, both onscreen and off. It’s a story about race in Hollywood and race in America. And it’s a story about how real life is a lot messier than the movies. Pam Grier joins host Ben Mankiewicz for a new season of The Plot Thickens, starting October 25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

38:41

From Revisionist History: Star Struck

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/07/26

We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm’s obsessed with experiments – natural experiments, scientific experiments, thought experiments. In this episode, Malcolm explores a legendary Hollywood mogul, a famous author, a fatal drunk driving accident, and a brilliant bit of screenwriting left on the cutting room floor. Revisionist History engages in a pop culture what-if experiment

en

24:56

Bonus Episode: J.K. Simmons

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/02/01

Ben Mankiewicz speaks with the Oscar-winning actor about playing William Frawley in Being the Ricardos, and how Frawley's tumultuous relationship with Vivian Vance informed the characters of Fred and Ethel Mertz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

32:50

Bonus Episode: Carol Burnett, Kate Flannery and Kate...

The Plot Thickens ·

2022/01/25

Ben Mankiewicz speaks to three celebrity fans about how they were influenced by Lucille Ball, Lucy’s incredible talent for physical comedy, and why I Love Lucy is still beloved today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

76 results

Similar Podcasts

3 MOVIES THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE

Stuart Wright

Place to Be Nation POP Experience

Place To Be Nation Pop Experience

Film at Lincoln Center Podcast

Film at Lincoln Center

Pilot TV

Empire Magazine

Sons of a Gunn: A DC Podcast

Comic Book Club