Pod-a-palooza

Little known facts about podcasting:
1) It’s just another name for audio content in MP3 form.
2) You don’t need an Ipod.
3) You don’t need Itunes (usually).
4) Even if you use Itunes, most content is free. And you still don’t need an Ipod.

I started listening to this stuff before ever buying an audio player, so it’s not that intimidating. Most podcasts are easily downloaded through regular websites, although a few are only offered through the Itunes program.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to…

THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW
http://www.guardian.co.uk/rickygervais
Possibly the funniest podcast ever. Gervais and Steve Merchant (from The Office and Extras) quiz friend Karl Pilkington about life, the universe, and monkeys. Takes a little getting used to, but after episode two I was hooked. Rumored to end after the 12th show.

THE CHUD SHOW
http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=3725
Available through Itunes or by CD purchase. The show features a rotating staff of sarcastic writers from CHUD.com. Very sophmoric, but hysterical. Plus, Nick Nunziata can turn the most pedestrian phrases into unexpected puns.

MONDO MOVIE
http://mondomovie.com
Two blokes from Britain talk about the latest cult movies to hit DVD. They take these weird films very seriously and really know their stuff. I find myself taking notes on which DVDs to track down.

DVD TALK RADIO
http://www.dvdtalkradio.com/archives.html
Interviews with filmmakers, plus reviews of movies coming to DVD. Listen through their pop-up window or by direct download.

SAM AND JIM GO TO HOLLYWOOD
http://samandjimgotohollywood.com/
Tells the story of two restaurant owners who packed up and moved west to write for TV. Really polished — they always seem to be pitching. Great info on how showbiz works.

SCREENWRITER’S PODCAST
http://www.screenwriterspodcast.com
An okay, if infrequent look at writing screenplays. A couple good interviews to be had there.

CREATIVE SCREENWRITING
http://www.creativescreenwriting.com/podcasts/main.html
Creative Screenwriting Magazine hosts screenings of current movies, then follows them up by interviewing the writers onstage. Only available through Itunes.

THE ANIMATION PODCAST
http://www.animationpodcast.com/archive/podcasts
Highlighting the careers of current animators, who actually get to discuss their craft in detail. Hosted by a young Disney animator, we get to hear about Disney productions from the last 20 years, as well as Roger Rabbit. Note: to find the MP3 files, click through the interview title links on the archive page. Or go through Itunes.

FUTURE HI
http://www.futurehi.net/media.html
Not really podcasts, but worth checking out. Future Hi’s growing library of psychedelic and futurist related media. Included interviews with Joseph Campbell, Mark Pesce, Robert Anton Wilson, and Terence McKenna.

APPARAT / SUPERBURST
http://www.warrenellis.com/index.php?cat=27
Warren Ellis is a British comic book writer who got me interested in all this pod stuff. His Superburst and Apparat programs are essentially mixtapes of music he likes.