The pick of the film podcasts

January is notably a slow month for box office sales. A quiet period of smaller releases, with distribution companies filling time between the guaranteed money making months of summer and the holiday season. There might be a movie or two that piques your interest, but do you really want to brave the snowy streets?

What about those times when the movies on offer haven’t excited you, or you’ve seen them but you still want more? Have no fear, that would be the perfect time to delve into the world of the movie podcast.

A podcast is an episodic audio program downloadable via the Internet. Topics, styles and genre cover the gamut of human existence. Film enthusiasts, industry insiders and creatives have been exploring the world of podcasting to further the conversation around film for several years now and there are a few stand-out series that are worth checking out.

My favorite way to pass a long car journey is Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review which brings together veteran radio presenter Simon Mayo and analytical film guru Mark Kermode for the BBC’s flagship film programming. You can catch their show as a radio broadcast. However, if you listen to the podcast, you not only get the show but also the hilarious ramblings of these two gentlemen that surrounds the live broadcast. A mixture of film review and star-studded interviews, this podcast covers all that is great in the world of mainstream cinema from around the globe. Fans of this show are dedicated to the unique brand of comedy that accompanies intelligent film chat, and it doesn’t take long for a new listener to go from “What the heck are they talking about?” to “This is unmissable.”

Another podcast which is a mash-up of film enthusiasm and comedy is Greg Proops Film Club. In this podcast, he invites you to sit down and watch some of his favorites films with him. He calls it a “cinematic companion piece.” The podcast is recorded prior to film screenings held at the Cinefamily in Los Angeles, unless Proops is touring. A recent episode came from the Film House in Edinburgh, Scotland where he screened "Young Frankenstein."

The Close-Up is a weekly podcast produced by the Film Society of Lincoln Center that covers in-depth conversations with the industry. Recent episodes include an interview with Virginia Madsen and Diane Ladd from David O. Russell's new film, "Joy," and documentarian Michael Moore. It’s a sincere roundup of what’s happening in film that’s not always in the mainstream.

There is a stereotype in the podcasting world that the presenters and creators of these nuggets of information, stories and insight are mainly men - often two men sitting in a room sharing their views from a male world. There’s a reason that stereotype exists. If you are looking for a way to gain a different perspective, I’ve recently come across The Fabricated Female, a podcasting looking at the casting and creation of roles for women.

Podcasts can be downloaded through the Podcast App or Itunes on iPhones and iPads, while on Android devices both Stitcher and Pocket Casts are great for pre-downloading your favorite programs so you never miss an episode.

Catherine Stewart is a freelance writer and director for both film and theater. She is Managing Editor of The Independent, an online film magazine, and writer for the Females in Film series on NewEnglandFilm.com. With her husband she owns Film Unbound, and presents Portsmouth Short Film Night, a quarterly screening for shorts at 3S Artspace. Read more of her On Screen columns online.