Movie of the Year

Movie of the Year: 2006 The Finale, Part 1 Inside the 2006 Film Finale Podcast The 2006 film finale podcast begins here, as Movie of the Year starts crowning the best film of 2006. Ryan, Mike, and Greg, better known as the Taste Buds, have spent months inside this bracket. Now the head-to-head battles finally begin. Part I covers four battles. Eight beloved films enter, and only four will move on. Furthermore, the Taste Buds hand out two acting awards along the way: Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. This is the payoff for an entire season of debate. Every guest, game, and argument has led to this point. However, nothing is settled yet. You will have to listen to find out which movies of 2006 survive. About the 2006 Finale Movie of the Year is a bracket-style film podcast on the PopFilter network. Each season, the Taste Buds pick one film year and search for its single best movie. The 2006 season started with a field of 128 films. The 2006 season intro cut that list in half. Then the Sweet 16 reveal locked in the bracket. Since then, each contender has earned its own full episode. Some featured guest critics and fellow podcasters. Others brought special segments, drafts, and games. Meanwhile, the panel took detours for the 2006 Mixtape and the Action Figure Draft. The finale works differently. Instead of studying one film, the Taste Buds weigh films against each other. As a result, every argument becomes a comparison. Can a horror comedy beat a Best Picture winner? Can a satire outlast a war epic? For a refresher on the year itself, Wikipedia's overview of 2006 in film covers the major releases. Four Battles, Eight Films: The 2006 Finale Podcast Field This round features some of the most celebrated movies of 2006. Notably, the field mixes Oscar winners, cult favorites, and box office surprises. Here are the eight films fighting for a spot in the next round. The Heavyweights The Departed brought Martin Scorsese his long-awaited Oscar for Best Director. The Boston crime epic also won Best Picture. Roger Ebert gave it a four-star review. Letters from Iwo Jima offers Clint Eastwood's Japanese-language look at World War II. Additionally, Dreamgirls delivers Bill Condon's lavish Motown-inspired musical. The Crowd Pleasers Little Miss Sunshine packed the Hoover family into a yellow VW bus and became an indie smash. Meanwhile, Borat turned Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary stunts into a cultural earthquake. Stranger Than Fiction showed a quieter, sadder side of Will Ferrell. The Wild Cards Volver brings Pedro Almodóvar's warm ghost story and a towering Penélope Cruz performance. By contrast, Slither marks James Gunn's gooey, gleeful directorial debut. Few brackets would ever put these films side by side. Ultimately, that clash is exactly what makes the finale fun. Best Supporting Actor of 2006 The first award of the finale honors the best supporting actor of 2006. The year offered plenty of scene stealers. In fact, several of them appear in this very round. The Academy had its own opinion, of course. At the 79th Academy Awards, Alan Arkin won for Little Miss Sunshine. He beat Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls and Mark Wahlberg in The Departed. Jackie Earle Haley and Djimon Hounsou rounded out the category. However, the Taste Buds do not answer to the Academy. Their nominees reflect a full season of rewatching and arguing. Will they side with Oscar, or will they reward a performance the voters ignored? The answer arrives in the episode. Best Supporting Actress of 2006 Next, the panel turns to the best supporting actress of 2006. This category brings some of the year's most memorable moments. Jennifer Hudson took home the Oscar for her film debut in Dreamgirls. Her rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" stopped audiences cold. Moreover, the Academy's field included Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine. Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi earned nods for Babel, and Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal. Still, the Movie of the Year ballot looks at the entire year. Consequently, the Taste Buds' choice could look very different. Listen to hear who takes home the award. Why the 2006 Film Finale Podcast Still Matters Twenty years later, 2006 looks stronger than critics first believed. Several of these films launched careers that still shape Hollywood. James Gunn now runs DC Studios. Additionally, Jennifer Hudson became an EGOT winner and a daytime talk show host. Other films aged in more complicated ways. Borat reshaped political comedy, for better or worse. Meanwhile, Letters from Iwo Jima still stands as a rare American war film told from the other side. That is why this 2006 film finale podcast matters. The bracket forces a simple question: which of these movies still holds up today? Therefore, every vote becomes an argument about memory, taste, and time. Above all, the finale shows how a film year changes once two decades pass. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 Movies of 2006: Intro Part 1 2006: The Sweet 16 Revealed Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story Slither Brick 2006 Mixtape, Part I 2006 Mixtape, Part II The Puffy Chair The Devil Wears Prada (feat. Katie Walsh) Little Miss Sunshine The Prestige (feat. Kenny McMillan) Borat Volver The Action Figure Draft, Part I The Action Figure Draft, Part II Stranger Than Fiction Casino Royale Children of Men The Departed (feat. Adam Kempenaar) Letters from Iwo Jima Dreamgirls All Movie of the Year Episodes FAQ: 2006 Film Finale Podcast and the Films What is the 2006 film finale podcast about? Part I opens the Movie of the Year 2006 finale. The Taste Buds settle four bracket battles between eight films. They also award Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Which films compete in Finale Part I? The Departed, Slither, Volver, Dreamgirls, Letters from Iwo Jima, Borat, Little Miss Sunshine, and Stranger Than Fiction all appear in this round. Who directed the films in this round? Martin Scorsese directed The Departed, and Clint Eastwood directed Letters from Iwo Jima. Bill Condon made Dreamgirls, while Pedro Almodóvar made Volver. James Gunn directed Slither, and Larry Charles directed Borat. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris co-directed Little Miss Sunshine. Marc Forster directed Stranger Than Fiction. Does this page reveal which films win? No. The results stay in the audio. Listen to the episode to find out which films advance. More Questions About the Movies of 2006 What won Best Picture for 2006? The Departed won Best Picture at the 79th Academy Awards in February 2007. It also earned Martin Scorsese his first Oscar for Best Director. Who won Best Supporting Actor and Actress at the 2007 Oscars? Alan Arkin won Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine. Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls. Why does 2006 still matter in film history? The year launched major careers and produced lasting classics. Furthermore, its mix of prestige dramas, comedies, and genre films still sparks debate twenty years later. What is Movie of the Year? Movie of the Year is a PopFilter podcast. Hosts Ryan, Mike, and Greg debate and rank films from a single year using a bracket format. Where can I listen to Movie of the Year? The show is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and most podcast apps. Full episodes also live at popfilter.co.

This week's Dreamgirls podcast brings Bill Condon's 2006 Motown musical into the Movie of the Year bracket. Ryan, Mike, and Greg, better known as the Taste Buds, welcome two guests for this one. E, host of The Cinematic Soul, joins the panel alongside author and podcaster Nate Ragolia. Together, they dig into one of the biggest musicals of the decade. Dreamgirls arrived with enormous expectations. It had a star-studded cast, a Tony-winning source, and a massive awards campaign. Moreover, it introduced the world to Jennifer Hudson as a screen actor. The panel asks whether the film lives up to all that hype twenty years later. Additionally, they debate where it belongs among the best films of 2006. About the Film Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama written and directed by Bill Condon. It adapts the 1981 Broadway musical by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen. DreamWorks and Paramount released it nationwide on December 25, 2006. The story begins in 1962 Detroit. Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson perform as a girl group called the Dreamettes. Car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) spots them at a talent show and becomes their manager. Soon, he lands them a gig singing backup for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). As the group climbs toward pop stardom, Curtis pushes the slimmer Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) to the front. Consequently, Effie (Jennifer Hudson) loses her spot, her man, and eventually her place in the group. The cast also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, and Keith Robinson. You can find full credits on IMDb and the AFI Catalog. Notably, the film grossed $155.4 million worldwide and earned eight Academy Award nominations. For more from this season, start with our 2006 season intro or browse the full Movie of the Year archive. Guest Panelist: E E hosts The Cinematic Soul, a weekly film history podcast about Black cinema and storytelling. A film lover from the South Side of Chicago, E blends deep analysis with humor and a healthy dose of nostalgia. The show has covered classics like Love & Basketball, Eve's Bayou, Boomerang, and Claudine. Furthermore, E has broken down newer work, including Ryan Coogler's Sinners. Each episode looks at how these films reflect Black life, love, and legacy. That perspective makes E an ideal guide to a film rooted in Motown history. You can follow the show on Instagram and Threads at @cinematicsoulpod. Guest Panelist: Nate Ragolia Nate Ragolia is an author, editor, publisher, and podcaster based in Colorado. He has published three books: There You Feel Free (2015), The Retroactivist (2019), and One Person Can't Make a Difference (2022). In addition, he co-founded the indie press Spaceboy Books. At the literary nonprofit F(r)iction, he serves as a senior editor and leads communications and marketing. Meanwhile, Nate co-hosts Debut Buddies with Kelly Attaway and Chelsea Hollander. The fortnightly show explores firsts: first films, first albums, first video games, and more. Fittingly, Dreamgirls marks one of the most famous film debuts of the 2000s. Nate brings a sharp eye for origin stories to the conversation. Jennifer Hudson and the Making of Effie White Effie White is the emotional center of Dreamgirls. Therefore, the casting process for the role was intense. A total of 783 singers auditioned, including several American Idol alumni and Broadway stars. Ultimately, Condon chose Jennifer Hudson, a former Idol contestant with no film experience. Her big moment comes with "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." The production saved the number for the very end of the shoot. Originally, it was scheduled for one day. In practice, it took four, because Hudson's voice would give out after hours of full-power takes. The payoff was historic. Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her debut performance. However, the panel also wrestles with a thornier question. The studio campaigned Hudson as a supporting player while promoting Beyoncé for Best Actress. As a result, the awards push echoed the film's own story about who gets pushed to the front. Motown, the Supremes, and the Story Behind Dreamgirls Dreamgirls never names the Supremes or Motown. Nevertheless, the parallels are hard to miss. Deena mirrors Diana Ross, while Effie draws on Florence Ballard. Curtis Taylor Jr. stands in for Motown founder Berry Gordy. Likewise, Jimmy Early channels James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and Marvin Gaye. The film leans further into this history than the stage show did. For example, Condon moved the setting from Chicago to Detroit, Motown's hometown. He also gave Curtis his own record label, Rainbow Records, modeled on Motown. Even some album covers in the film borrow designs from real Supremes records. Not everyone appreciated the homage. Smokey Robinson publicly objected to the villainous portrayal of the Gordy figure. Consequently, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy just before the Oscars. By contrast, Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson attended the Los Angeles premiere and said the film moved her to tears. The Dreamgirls podcast panel weighs how much of this real history the film actually earns. From Broadway to the Big Screen Dreamgirls spent decades in development. In the late 1980s, David Geffen explored a version starring Whitney Houston. Later, Warner Bros. planned an adaptation with director Joel Schumacher. Neither project made it to production. The success of Chicago in 2002 finally opened the door. Condon had written that film's screenplay, and Dreamgirls was a longtime dream project. Specifically, he restructured the second act and added four new songs, including "Listen" for Beyoncé. Additionally, DreamWorks gave the film an old-fashioned roadshow release with reserved seats and souvenir programs. Despite all that effort, the Academy left it out of the Best Picture race. Remarkably, it became the first film to lead the year in Oscar nominations without a Best Picture nod. Our 2006 Dreamgirls podcast panel debates whether that snub was fair. Rushmore: Ghostbusters This episode also features a Rushmore segment, where each panelist carves four faces into the mountain. This time, the topic is Ghostbusters. Everyone makes their picks, defends them, and takes some heat from the rest of the table. Listen in to hear who makes the cut and who gets slimed. Dreamgirls Trivia Next, the panel puts its knowledge to the test with a round of Dreamgirls trivia. The questions cover the cast, the music, and the long road from Broadway to Hollywood. Above all, this segment rewards anyone who stayed through the end credits. Play along at home and see how your score compares to the Taste Buds and their guests. Why Dreamgirls Still Matters Dreamgirls still matters because it put Black artistry and Black music history at the center of a major studio musical. With a budget near $80 million, it ranked among the most expensive films ever made with a predominantly Black cast. Furthermore, it launched Jennifer Hudson into a career that now includes an Oscar, Grammys, and her own talk show. The film also asks hard questions about the music business. Who gets to be the face of a hit? What does crossover success cost the artists who make it possible? Those questions feel just as relevant today. Ultimately, Dreamgirls endures because its biggest musical moments still bring audiences to their feet. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 Movie of the Year: 2006 Intro, Part 1 Movies of 2006: The Bracket Reveal The 2006 Mixtape, Part I All Movie of the Year Episodes FAQ: Dreamgirls Podcast and Film What is this Dreamgirls podcast episode about? This Movie of the Year episode covers Dreamgirls (2006) as part of PopFilter's 2006 bracket. Hosts Ryan, Mike, and Greg welcome guests E of The Cinematic Soul and Nate Ragolia of Debut Buddies. The episode also includes a Ghostbusters Rushmore segment and a round of Dreamgirls trivia. What is Dreamgirls (2006) about? Dreamgirls follows a Detroit girl group called the Dreamettes from 1962 into the 1970s. Their manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., turns them into pop stars but replaces lead singer Effie White with Deena Jones. The film tracks the fame, betrayal, and reconciliation that follow. Who directed Dreamgirls? Bill Condon wrote and directed Dreamgirls. He previously wrote the screenplay for Chicago (2002) and directed Gods and Monsters and Kinsey. Is Dreamgirls based on a true story? Dreamgirls is fiction, but it draws heavily on the history of Motown and the Supremes. Deena echoes Diana Ross, Effie echoes Florence Ballard, and Curtis echoes Motown founder Berry Gordy. Did Jennifer Hudson win an Oscar for Dreamgirls? Yes. Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Effie White. It was her first film role. The film also won the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing. Was Dreamgirls nominated for Best Picture? No. Dreamgirls led the 79th Academy Awards with eight nominations but missed the Best Picture race. It was the first film to lead the nominations without a Best Picture nod. Who are the guests on this episode? E hosts The Cinematic Soul, a podcast about Black cinema. Nate Ragolia is an author, Spaceboy Books co-founder, and co-host of the Debut Buddies podcast. Why does Dreamgirls still matter? Dreamgirls remains a landmark big-budget musical centered on Black artists and Black music history. It launched Jennifer Hudson's career and still raises sharp questions about race, image, and power in the music industry. Where can I listen to Movie of the Year? You can stream every Movie of the Year episode at popfilter.co or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie of the Year: 2006 Pan's Labyrinth The Pan's Labyrinth Podcast from Movie of the Year The Pan's Labyrinth podcast episode of Movie of the Year steps into Guillermo del Toro's darkest fairy tale. Ryan, Mike, and Greg take on the 2006 Spanish-language fantasy this week. The film follows a young girl caught between a brutal war and a hidden magical world. Furthermore, it remains one of the most celebrated films of its decade. This week, the Taste Buds explore how del Toro blends fascism and fantasy. Next, they tour his gallery of unforgettable monsters. Meanwhile, they size up Captain Vidal, the very human villain at the center of the story. Additionally, the panel recasts the movie and casts a PopFilter Hall of Fame vote. Notably, this entry in the 2006 bracket shares the year with heavyweights like Children of Men and The Departed. About Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 dark fantasy film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Its original Spanish title is El laberinto del fauno. The story takes place in 1944, five years after the Spanish Civil War ended. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, a bookish girl who loves fairy tales. She travels with her pregnant mother, Carmen, to a remote military outpost. There, her new stepfather, Captain Vidal, hunts rebels hiding in the mountains. Near the old mill, Ofelia discovers an ancient stone labyrinth. Inside, a mysterious faun tells her she is a lost princess. However, she must complete three dangerous tasks to return to her kingdom. Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil, and Álex Angulo round out the cast. Doug Jones plays both the Faun and the Pale Man under heavy prosthetics. The film premiered in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. As a result, it built strong buzz before its US release that December. Moreover, it won three Academy Awards for Cinematography, Art Direction, and Makeup. Critics embraced it as well. Jim Emerson ranked it among the great screen fantasies in his RogerEbert.com review. Roger Ebert later named it the best film of 2006. You can find the full cast and crew on IMDb. Fascistic Fantasy: How the Pan's Labyrinth Podcast Reads Franco's Spain Pan's Labyrinth opens in the shadow of Franco's victory. Small bands of rebels still fight from the hills. Meanwhile, Vidal's outpost controls the food, the medicine, and the roads. Del Toro places a fairy tale inside that machinery of control. As a result, the fantasy never feels like a simple escape. Instead, both worlds test the same question. Will Ofelia obey? The Taste Buds trace how disobedience drives the entire film. Dr. Ferreiro defies Vidal and tells him that blind obedience belongs to men like him. Mercedes secretly smuggles supplies to the rebels. Similarly, Ofelia breaks the Faun's rules more than once. Each act carries a cost, yet each one marks a character as free. In this Pan's Labyrinth podcast segment, the panel weighs how directly del Toro links fairy tales and fascism. Notably, he first explored the Spanish Civil War in The Devil's Backbone (2001). Furthermore, we ask whether the film's fantasy offers hope or only grief. Ultimately, del Toro suggests that imagination itself can resist tyranny. Del Toro's Monsters: A Pan's Labyrinth 2006 Podcast Creature Feature Few filmmakers love monsters like Guillermo del Toro. His career runs from Cronos and Hellboy to The Shape of Water and Frankenstein. However, Pan's Labyrinth may hold his most famous creations. First comes the Faun, a towering guide built from bark, horn, and moss. He helps Ofelia, yet he never feels fully trustworthy. Then comes the giant toad that chokes the roots of an old fig tree. Above all, the Taste Buds dig into the Pale Man. He appears during Ofelia's second task and stays on screen for only a few minutes. Nevertheless, those minutes have fueled nightmares for twenty years. The Pale Man sits motionless before a lavish feast, with his eyes resting on a plate. Once he wakes, he slots those eyes into the palms of his hands. Then he lurches after Ofelia through the hall. Doug Jones reportedly saw through the creature's nostrils during filming. Consequently, every step carries real uncertainty. Moreover, the feast mirrors Vidal's own dinner party in the real world. In both scenes, powerful men gorge while others go hungry. The panel asks what the Pale Man truly represents. Is he fascism, the church, or simple childhood fear? Captain Vidal: The Human Monster of Pan's Labyrinth If the Pale Man embodies fear, Captain Vidal embodies cruelty. Sergi López plays the Francoist officer with chilling precision. He shaves with a straight razor, polishes his boots, and obsesses over his father's pocket watch. Everything in his world must run on time. As a result, his calm surface makes his violence even more shocking. The Taste Buds revisit the scene that defines him. Early on, soldiers drag in a farmer and his son. The men claim they were only hunting rabbits. Without waiting for proof, Vidal beats the son to death with a bottle. Then he shoots the father. Afterward, a search of their bag turns up dead rabbits. By contrast, Vidal shows no remorse at all. The panel also examines his obsession with legacy. According to legend, Vidal's father smashed his watch at the moment he died in battle. That way, his son would know the exact hour a brave man fell. Vidal denies the story, yet he carries the watch everywhere. Later, Mercedes slashes his face, and he stitches the wound himself. In practice, Vidal wants to control even his own memory. Above all, his final moments deliver one of the most satisfying rebukes in 2006 cinema. Recast: Rebuilding the Pan's Labyrinth Podcast Cast List Next, the Taste Buds play a round of Recast. Each host rebuilds the cast of Pan's Labyrinth from scratch. The challenge sounds simple, but this film makes it tricky. Notably, del Toro cast mostly Spanish actors in a Spanish-language story. Therefore, every pick forces the panel to weigh authenticity against star power. Who could match Sergi López's icy menace as Vidal? Furthermore, who could carry the film the way Ivana Baquero does as Ofelia? Doug Jones presents an even bigger puzzle. His work as the Faun and the Pale Man draws on decades of creature performance. In practice, few actors could step into those prosthetics. Listen to the episode to hear each Taste Bud's dream lineup and the debate that follows. PopFilter Hall of Fame Finally, the PopFilter Hall of Fame doors swing open once again. In this segment, the Taste Buds debate a new nominee and decide whether it earns a permanent spot. Pan's Labyrinth gives the panel plenty to consider. The film earned six Oscar nominations and won three. Moreover, fans still rank it among the best fantasy films ever made. However, the Hall of Fame bar sits high, and the panel takes the vote seriously. Each host makes a case before casting a ballot. Tune in to hear the verdict. Why Pan's Labyrinth Still Matters Pan's Labyrinth still matters because it treats fairy tales as serious tools for resistance. Ofelia's final choice rejects blind obedience in both worlds. Consequently, the film's fantasy and history speak the same language. Additionally, the movie proved that a Spanish-language genre film could win over global audiences. It earned more than $80 million worldwide on a budget of roughly $19 million. Moreover, it paved the way for del Toro's Best Picture win with The Shape of Water. The film also anchors a remarkable year for Mexican filmmakers. Alfonso Cuarón released Children of Men in 2006. Meanwhile, Alejandro González Iñárritu released Babel that same year. Together, the three friends reshaped Hollywood's idea of genre and prestige. Ultimately, the Pan's Labyrinth podcast conversation returns to one idea. Twenty years later, Ofelia's quiet defiance still feels urgent. For more debates like this, browse the full Movie of the Year archive. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 If you enjoyed this episode, catch up on the rest of the 2006 season. Letters From Iwo Jima The Departed (feat. Adam Kempenaar) Children of Men Casino Royale Stranger Than Fiction The Action Figure Draft, Part II The 2006 Mixtape, Part I The Movies of 2006 Bracket Reveal Movie of the Year 2006: Season Intro, Part 1 Browse Every Movie of the Year Episode FAQ: Pan's Labyrinth Podcast and Film What is this Pan's Labyrinth podcast episode about? Ryan, Mike, and Greg break down Guillermo del Toro's 2006 dark fantasy. Topics include the film's fascistic fantasy, del Toro's monsters, and Captain Vidal. The episode also features a Recast segment and a PopFilter Hall of Fame vote. What is Pan's Labyrinth about? Pan's Labyrinth follows Ofelia, a young girl living at a military outpost in 1944 Spain. Her stepfather, Captain Vidal, hunts rebels in the nearby hills. Meanwhile, a faun tells Ofelia she is a lost princess. To return to her kingdom, she must complete three dangerous tasks. Who directed Pan's Labyrinth? Guillermo del Toro wrote and directed Pan's Labyrinth. He later won Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water. Is Pan's Labyrinth a kids' movie? No. Despite its fairy tale story, Pan's Labyrinth carries an R rating for graphic violence. It includes torture, shootings, and several disturbing creature scenes. Who plays the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth? Doug Jones plays the Pale Man. He also plays the Faun. Jones is a veteran creature performer known for Hellboy and The Shape of Water. Is the fantasy world in Pan's Labyrinth real? The film leaves room for debate. However, del Toro has said he sees the fantasy as real. The film also plants clues, such as Ofelia escaping a locked room through a chalk door. What Oscars did Pan's Labyrinth win? Pan's Labyrinth won three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup. It earned six nominations in total, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay. Is Pan's Labyrinth connected to The Devil's Backbone? Yes, in spirit. Del Toro considers the two films companion pieces. Both blend the supernatural with the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath. Why does Pan's Labyrinth still matter? Pan's Labyrinth still matters because it uses fantasy to confront fascism head on. Its monsters remain iconic, and its message about defiance still resonates. Furthermore, critics continue to rank it among the best films of the 21st century.

The Letters from Iwo Jima Podcast Enters the 2006 Bracket Welcome to the Letters from Iwo Jima podcast episode from Movie of the Year: 2006. This week, Ryan, Mike, and Greg take on Clint Eastwood's Japanese-language war film. The movie tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the side that lost it. Moreover, it arrived just two months after Eastwood's own Flags of Our Fathers, which showed the same fight through American eyes. As a result, the Taste Buds have plenty to unpack. Specifically, they debate the general who planned the defense, the baker who tried to survive it, and the American filmmaker who brought both to the screen. They also explore the real letters that gave the film its title. Notably, the season has already featured heavy hitters like Almodóvar's Volver and Little Miss Sunshine. Therefore, this war epic faces stiff competition. Can a quiet, grief-soaked combat film earn a deep run in the Movie of the Year 2006 bracket? About the Film Letters from Iwo Jima premiered in Japan on December 9, 2006. Warner Bros. then opened it in limited U.S. release on December 20 to qualify for the Oscars. Iris Yamashita wrote the screenplay from a story she developed with Paul Haggis. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg co-produced alongside Eastwood and Robert Lorenz. The story opens in 2005, when Japanese archaeologists explore the island's tunnels and find something buried. From there, the film jumps back to 1944. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi arrives to command a doomed garrison. He orders his men to stop digging beach trenches and to tunnel into the mountains instead. Consequently, the Marines who land on the island face a hidden, underground enemy. The film earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Ultimately, it won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing. It also took the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. For the full production history, visit the film's Wikipedia page or its IMDb listing. Kuribayashi and Saigo on the Letters from Iwo Jima Podcast Ken Watanabe plays Kuribayashi with calm, weary authority. The real general spent time in the United States as a young officer in the late 1920s. As a result, he knew exactly how much industrial power Japan was up against. The film treats that knowledge as quiet tragedy. Kuribayashi fights a battle he expects to lose, and he fights it smartly anyway. Saigo gives the film its ground-level view. Kazunari Ninomiya, a member of the Japanese pop group Arashi, plays the conscripted baker. Saigo misses his wife and his shop. Furthermore, he openly grumbles about the island, which nearly earns him a beating. Unlike Kuribayashi, Saigo is a fictional character. However, he stands in for every ordinary soldier who never chose this war. On the Letters from Iwo Jima podcast, the Taste Buds dig into how these two men mirror each other. Kuribayashi saves Saigo's life more than once. In return, Saigo carries out the general's final request. Additionally, the panel discusses Baron Nishi, played by Tsuyoshi Ihara. Nishi was a real Olympic gold medalist in show jumping. His scenes with a wounded Marine give the film one of its most humane moments. By contrast, officers like Lieutenant Ito cling to the suicidal code Kuribayashi rejects. The film lets these philosophies collide inside the caves. In practice, honor itself becomes the real battleground. An American Director Tells a Japanese Story Clint Eastwood built his legend as the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry. So how did that icon end up directing a film almost entirely in Japanese? The Taste Buds wrestle with that question directly. Eastwood shot the movie back to back with Flags of Our Fathers. Most of the production took place in Barstow and Bakersfield, California. Additionally, Ken Watanabe filmed some scenes on Iwo Jima itself. The crew needed special permission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to work there. The island still holds the remains of more than 10,000 missing Japanese soldiers. In Japan, the film became a major hit and spent five weeks at number one. Notably, Japanese critics praised its use of native Japanese actors. Earlier Hollywood films often cast non-Japanese performers in Japanese roles. Consequently, those films often sounded wrong to Japanese audiences. Eastwood's film avoided that trap. Still, the panel asks harder questions too. Can an American filmmaker fully grasp the Japanese experience of this war? Moreover, does the film soften the realities of imperial Japan? Aaron Gerow's essay on Eastwood's balancing of perspectives offers useful context. Meanwhile, Jim Emerson's review at RogerEbert.com captures the film's stark visual power. Listen to hear where each Taste Bud lands. The Actual Letters Behind the Letters from Iwo Jima 2006 Podcast The title is literal. The film draws on Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief, a collection of Kuribayashi's real correspondence. Tsuyuko Yoshida edited the volume, and Shogakukan published it in Japan in 2002. The production also drew on Kumiko Kakehashi's book So Sad to Fall in Battle, which reached English readers in 2007. Kuribayashi wrote home often. As the collection's title suggests, many of his letters included his own small drawings. Furthermore, his messages from the island dwelt on ordinary family matters rather than glory. That gentle voice shaped Watanabe's performance. The Taste Buds explore how the film turns these documents into its emotional spine. Soldiers read letters aloud in the dark. Others write letters they will never send. Additionally, a letter from an American mother changes how Nishi's men see their enemy. Ultimately, the buried bag from the 2005 prologue pays off in the final scene, and the dead finally speak. For listeners who want more of the season, the 2006 season intro explains how the Taste Buds built this year's field. Genre Blast: The War Movie In Genre Blast, the Taste Buds step back and look at a film's genre as a whole. This week, that means the war movie. Letters from Iwo Jima sits in a long line of World War II combat films. Specifically, it arrived eight years after Saving Private Ryan reset the genre's standard for battlefield violence. However, Eastwood takes a different approach. Cinematographer Tom Stern drains most of the color from the image. Much of the action also stays inside cramped tunnels. As a result, the film often feels closer to a chamber drama than a combat spectacle. Tune in to hear how the panel sizes it up against the genre's greats. Why Letters from Iwo Jima Still Matters Two decades later, Letters from Iwo Jima still stands apart. Few Hollywood war films tell their story entirely from the enemy's side. Moreover, few manage it with this much respect. The National Board of Review named it the best film of 2006. Critics have kept returning to it ever since. The film also remains a high point of Eastwood's late career. Above all, it asks a question that never ages. What does a soldier owe his country, and what does he owe his family? That question makes it ideal bracket material for Movie of the Year: 2006. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 Movie of the Year 2006: Intro Part 1 The Movies of 2006 Bracket Reveal 2006 Mixtape Part I Volver Podcast: Movie of the Year 2006 Little Miss Sunshine Podcast: Movie of the Year 2006 Browse Every Movie of the Year Episode FAQ: Letters from Iwo Jima Podcast and Film What is the Letters from Iwo Jima podcast episode about? In this episode, Ryan, Mike, and Greg debate Clint Eastwood's 2006 war film for the Movie of the Year 2006 bracket. They discuss Kuribayashi and Saigo, Eastwood's approach as an American director, and the real letters behind the story. The episode also includes a Genre Blast segment on war movies. What is Letters from Iwo Jima about? The film depicts the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. General Kuribayashi leads a doomed garrison against an American invasion. Meanwhile, a young baker named Saigo simply tries to survive and return to his family. Who directed Letters from Iwo Jima? Clint Eastwood directed the film. He also co-produced it with Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz. Iris Yamashita wrote the screenplay from a story by Yamashita and Paul Haggis. Is Letters from Iwo Jima based on a true story? Yes, in large part. The battle and several commanders, including Kuribayashi and Baron Nishi, are real. The film also draws on Kuribayashi's actual letters to his family. However, some characters, including Saigo, are fictional. More Letters from Iwo Jima Questions Was Saigo a real person? No. Saigo is a fictional character. Nevertheless, he represents the many ordinary conscripts who fought and died on Iwo Jima. How is Letters from Iwo Jima connected to Flags of Our Fathers? Eastwood made the two films as companion pieces and shot them back to back. Flags of Our Fathers shows the battle from the American side. By contrast, Letters from Iwo Jima tells it from the Japanese side. You can watch them in either order. Why is Letters from Iwo Jima in Japanese? Eastwood wanted the Japanese soldiers to speak in their own language. Therefore, the film plays almost entirely in Japanese with English subtitles. Native Japanese actors fill nearly every major role. Why does Letters from Iwo Jima still matter? It remains one of the few Hollywood war films told entirely from the enemy's point of view. Furthermore, it treats both sides with empathy. That humane approach keeps it relevant two decades later. Where can I listen to Movie of the Year? Movie of the Year streams on all major podcast platforms through the PopFilter network. Additionally, full episodes and archives live at popfilter.co.

Movie of the Year: 2006 The Departed (feat Adam Kempenaar!) Inside The Departed Podcast Episode Welcome to The Departed podcast episode of Movie of the Year: 2006, where the Taste Buds take on Martin Scorsese's Boston crime epic. Ryan, Mike, and Greg welcome Filmspotting co-host Adam Kempenaar to the panel. Together, they dig into a film about cops, crooks, and the men who raise them. Moreover, the conversation covers fatherhood, gender, and the rough racial politics of Scorsese's South Boston. Additionally, the crew delivers a Career Retrospective on Leonardo DiCaprio, the jittery star at the film's center. Ultimately, the episode asks whether this Best Picture winner still earns its reputation twenty years later. New to the season? Start with our Movie of the Year 2006 intro episode, then catch up on the full 2006 bracket reveal. About the Film: The Departed (2006) The Departed opened in theaters on October 6, 2006. Martin Scorsese directed, and William Monahan wrote the screenplay. Specifically, Monahan adapted the 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. The story follows two moles working on opposite sides of the law. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, an undercover cop inside the Irish mob. Meanwhile, Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a mob plant rising through the Massachusetts State Police. Jack Nicholson rules over both men as crime boss Frank Costello. Notably, the supporting cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, and Ray Winstone. The film became a major critical and commercial hit, earning more than $290 million worldwide. In addition, it won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Scorsese finally won Best Director after five earlier nominations. Thelma Schoonmaker also took home Best Film Editing. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars in his original RogerEbert.com review. For full cast and crew credits, visit The Departed on IMDb. Guest Panelist: Adam Kempenaar Adam Kempenaar co-founded Filmspotting, one of the longest-running film podcasts in the medium. He launched the show in March 2005 with Sam Van Hallgren. Since 2012, he has co-hosted alongside Josh Larsen. Filmspotting has now passed 1,000 episodes and has also aired on WBEZ in Chicago. Furthermore, Kempenaar teaches at the University of Iowa, where his courses cover film criticism, sports and cinema, and podcasting. He is also a longtime member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Additionally, he consults on marketing and content for the Chicago International Film Festival. For twenty years, he also led marketing and content for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2025, he and Larsen celebrated two decades of the show with the first Filmspotting Fest in Chicago. Notably, Filmspotting was barely a year old when The Departed opened. That timing gives Adam a rare firsthand view of the 2006 film conversation. Find his reviews, Top 5 lists, and Sacred Cow episodes at filmspotting.net. Father Figures on The Departed Podcast Fathers haunt every corner of The Departed. Costello grooms young Colin Sullivan from childhood, handing him groceries and shaping his loyalty. By contrast, Billy Costigan grows up with a dead father and a family split between Southie and the North Shore. Captain Queenan, played by Martin Sheen, becomes the steady parent Billy never had. Consequently, Queenan's death lands as the emotional turning point of the film. Meanwhile, Sullivan chases approval from every authority figure around him, from Costello to Ellerby. The film even closes on an open paternity question surrounding Madolyn's pregnancy. The panel digs into how Monahan's script treats the police and the mob as rival families. In practice, both institutions recruit sons, reward obedience, and punish betrayal. Above all, the Taste Buds and Adam ask which surrogate father does the most damage. Gender and Masculinity in The Departed The Departed is a crowded film about men performing toughness. Cops trade insults about each other's mothers, sexuality, and manhood. Costello, meanwhile, treats women as property and punchlines. Against that backdrop, Vera Farmiga's Madolyn stands nearly alone as a major female character. Interestingly, Monahan built her from two separate women in Infernal Affairs, one for each mole. As a result, she becomes the hinge between Billy and Colin. That choice raises real questions for the panel. Is Madolyn a fully realized character, or a device that links the two leads? Additionally, the crew considers how Sullivan's private failures mirror his fractured identity. The conversation also weighs whether Scorsese critiques this macho culture or simply enjoys it. Boston, Race, and Tribalism: The Departed 2006 Podcast Debate Scorsese sets his story in South Boston, a neighborhood with a fraught racial history. Costello opens the film with a monologue about the Irish, the Italians, and Black Bostonians. Throughout the film, characters toss slurs as casually as they throw punches. Nevertheless, the panel debates what the film actually says about that bigotry. On one hand, the dialogue captures the tribal loyalties behind decades of city tension, including the 1970s busing crisis. On the other hand, some viewers argue the film treats ethnic insults as local color rather than subject. Furthermore, Costello's crew and the state police both run on in-group loyalty and suspicion of outsiders. Therefore, that tribalism powers the entire mole plot. The Taste Buds and Adam ask whether the film interrogates Boston's prejudices or leans on them for authenticity. Career Retrospective: Leonardo DiCaprio This episode also features a Career Retrospective on Leonardo DiCaprio. The Departed marked his third collaboration with Scorsese, following Gangs of New York and The Aviator. Notably, 2006 was a banner year for him, and Blood Diamond earned him a Best Actor nomination that season. His early work stretches from This Boy's Life and What's Eating Gilbert Grape to Titanic. Later highlights include Catch Me If You Can, Inception, Django Unchained, and The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio finally won the Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant. Since then, he has worked again with Quentin Tarantino, Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson. In total, he has made six feature films with Scorsese. The panel walks through the full filmography, from child actor to elder statesman. However, you will have to listen to hear how the Taste Buds and Adam rank his work. Why The Departed Still Matters The Departed endures as the film that finally won Scorsese his Oscar. Moreover, it proved a Hollywood remake of a Hong Kong crime film could stand on its own. Its double-agent structure still echoes through crime thrillers and prestige television. Additionally, its performances remain endlessly quotable, especially Wahlberg's profane Sergeant Dignam. Alongside Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, it helped define the Boston crime cycle of the 2000s. Ultimately, the film still sparks arguments about Scorsese's best work. Those arguments make it perfect bracket material for Movie of the Year: 2006. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 Movie of the Year 2006: Intro Part 1 The Movies of 2006 Bracket Reveal 2006 Mixtape Part I Browse every Movie of the Year episode FAQ: The Departed Podcast and Film What is The Departed podcast episode about? This Movie of the Year: 2006 episode features the Taste Buds and guest Adam Kempenaar discussing Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Topics include father figures, gender, and the film's portrait of race in Boston. The episode also includes a Leonardo DiCaprio Career Retrospective. What is The Departed about? The Departed follows two moles in Boston. Billy Costigan goes undercover inside Frank Costello's Irish mob. Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan secretly works for Costello inside the Massachusetts State Police. Each man races to expose the other first. Who directed The Departed? Martin Scorsese directed The Departed. William Monahan wrote the screenplay, and the film won Scorsese his first Academy Award for Best Director. Is The Departed based on a true story? No, the plot comes from the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. However, Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello draws loose inspiration from real Boston gangster Whitey Bulger. Did The Departed win Best Picture? Yes. The Departed won Best Picture at the 79th Academy Awards. It also won Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Why wasn't Leonardo DiCaprio nominated for an Oscar for The Departed? The Academy nominated DiCaprio for Blood Diamond that year instead. Mark Wahlberg earned the film's only acting nomination, for Best Supporting Actor. What does the rat at the end of The Departed mean? The final shot shows a rat crossing Sullivan's balcony railing. It works as a blunt visual joke. The real rat has been inside the building the whole time. Who is guest panelist Adam Kempenaar? Adam Kempenaar co-founded and co-hosts the film podcast Filmspotting. He also teaches film criticism and podcasting at the University of Iowa. Why does The Departed still matter? The film won Scorsese his long-awaited Oscar and defined the 2000s Boston crime movie. Additionally, it remains one of the most quotable and debated crime films of its era. Where can I listen to Movie of the Year? Movie of the Year streams on the PopFilter network. Browse every season on the Movie of the Year episode archive.