Dillon On Film: A New Podcast That Gets Three Thumbs Up -- If That's Possible

  Movie Review Podcasts were the fetal tissue of podcasting in the early 2000s. When podcasting became more accessible via the iPod and the Apple ecosystem, movie review podcasts became a seamless way to enter the industry, since these review shows were inexpensive to create and develop. Of those early shows, Filmspotting remains as a testament to its insistence on insightful film criticism. 

Of the horde of movie review podcasts today, too many approximate radio morning drive shows with multiple co-hosts talking over each other, while they babble about films they may not have even seen. 

This latest movie review podcast, Dillon On Film, is a welcome addition to this crowded yet intellectually sparse podcast genre. The title is an eponymous one, alluding to Simon Dillon, who describes himself as "a novelist, short Story-ist, and a film and book lover. If you cut me, I bleed celluloid and paper pulp."

Simon Dillon has been a prominent writer on Medium for years. If you don't know, Medium is a social publishing platform where users can read and write articles, blog posts, and stories known for its minimalist design and emphasis on quality writing, with a focus on human stories and ideas.

Most of Dillon's writing on Medium concerns film, and he's been one of the best and most prodigious film reviewers on the platform. 

Simon says, (no pun intended here) "I'm a dyed-in-the-wool, old-school cineaste who believes cinema is the true faith and television is the antichrist. None of this newfangled streaming nonsense, either. Films should be seen first and foremost in the cinema, and that is a hill I will die on."

I recommend checking out his Simon Dillon Cinema publication on Medium. The publication contains some of the most incisive and analytically precise film criticism you'll read, and that includes film critics from major newspapers and websites. 

Dillon has apparently allowed the currents of pop culture to convince him to start a film review podcast, and I'm thrilled that he has taken that step. 

I listened to his inaugural episode the other day, and it is superb. Assuming that this episode is the template for the podcast going forward, Dillon On Film should be required listening for all film enthusiasts. 

The host of the podcast is Michael Kenny, who Dillon insists "ensures I don’t waffle too much and keeps me on a leash. A bit like Governor Tarkin to my Darth Vader." Kenny is an excellent host, pacing the show nicely, prompting Dillon, adding smooth transitions, and, at times, being the proper Devil's Advocate.

The first episode, available on Spotify now (click here), features Dillon's spoiler-free thoughts on Weapons, Freakier Friday, the odd tangential rant (spoilerific trailers are in my crosshairs this week), and a classic film slot for Pulp Fiction (1994). 

The film analysis and criticism is where Simon Dillon separates himself from the rest of the sled dogs. Cursory observations about the film and overgeneralizations don't sit well with Simon Dillon. His film reviews are comprehensive, compelling, and complete. There's no film criticism boiled down into a score for Simon Dillon. 

In the first episode, Dillon and Kenny discuss Pulp Fiction, which Dillon describes as Tarantino's best but not his favorite film of the director.  When ruminating on the legacy of Pulp Fiction, Dillon makes the point that a movie can be "simultaneously hilarious and offensive," which is profound and almost quantum physics-like in its core principle.  

About the podcast, Dillon explains: "The intention is to release new episodes every Friday, discussing films released in UK cinemas the previous week (my reviews will have appeared on Medium and Substack before each podcast). I say release rather than drop because drop just sounds careless, as though it might break. Who decided to start dropping things, all of a sudden?" 

You can access Simon Dillon content via his Amazon page here. More about his novels can be read on his website here. Simon Dillon can also be found on Substack here.

Of course, there is the question of whether a writer as skilled as Simon Dillon can make the successful transition to podcaster. It's not a sure thing. 

I'm happy to report that novelist, short-story writer, and film reviewer Simon Dillon has successfully crossed that barrier from the printed page to audio. 

If you are a movie fan, enjoy film criticism, and enjoy the movie theater experience, then I highly recommend  Dillon On Film.