Podcast Picks: Screen Drafts

Hosted by: Clay Keller and Ryan Marker // screendrafts.libsyn.com

Here's the premise: an ever-changing lineup of guest "GMs" (general managers) rank movies within categories, such as baseball and Jane Austen adaptations, or by parameters like a certain year or a director's output. Each GM is armed with a veto, which is often weaponized to get their favorite title higher, and each has their own level of competitiveness they bring to the proceedings.

As a fan of the James Bond franchise, I devoured the over 10-hour "Super Draft" they held to rank each of the 26 movies. Guest Piya Sinha-Roy (The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly) supplied much of the chaos, especially with her disdain of celebrated Sean Connery entries, and each participant brought a different appreciation of the character. The debate around both On Her Majesty's Secret Service and From Russia with Love are particular highlights, with panelists emphatically using vetoes on their behalf.

One additional note. I generally skip the 30-40 minutes of small talk at the beginning, jumping to the actual start of the draft. I wish they supplied timestamps for my type of consumption, but it doesn't take too long to locate this spot (it's right after they finish the trivia section of the show).

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