As I write this, I am sitting in the crowded waiting room of
a Honda dealership, waiting for the front brakes to be replaced on my car.
I am certain the people around me think I am insane. It’s my own fault. I can’t stop laughing because I’m listening
to Doug Benson’s podcast ‘Doug Loves Movies’.
Attempts to muffle my laughter just end up with me snarfing into my
winter jacket, and that’s just super unattractive. So now I’m not only crazy, I’m also the gross
girl with snarf all over her coat sleeve. I really shouldn’t listen to these things in
public places.
If you’re not familiar with DLM, the structure of an episode
is pretty basic. The first half is
essentially a talk show about movies, during which Doug chats with his guests
about the most recent films they’ve seen.
Following the chat portion of the show, the guests are challenged to
play against one another in a variety of movie trivia games, setting the stakes
by selecting an audience member to play for.
I have a 45-minute commute to and from work. Listening to DLM consistently ensures that
the time flies by, making it hands down my favorite podcast of 2013. Here’s why it should be yours too.
One – As I
mentioned above, DLM is frequently laugh-out-loud funny. Doug usually invites 3 – 4 guests to each
episode, and he’s a natural and gregarious host. If it sounds as if you’re listening in on
friends chatting at a dinner party, that’s probably because the guest list is often
populated with Doug’s close pals. It
helps that Doug’s friends include famous funny people such as Adam Scott, Sarah
Silverman, Amy Schumer, Scott Aukerman, and Jon Hamm. (Side
note – Even stripped of his handsome card due to the audio-only format of DLM,
Jon Hamm is consistently one of the funniest, quickest and most engaging guests
on the show. Once, during an impromptu
conversation about the Tom Hanks weepie, Hamm once made a joking, off the cuff reference to
Philadelphia as ‘the place where AIDS was perfected’, making me think he has a
back up career in stand up if this whole gorgeous actor gig doesn’t work out
for him.)
 |
| Practically Perfect in Every Way. He's like the male Mary Poppins. Only hotter. Much, much hotter. And funnier too. |
Two – The podcast
engages your brain. Yes, you read that
right. As a self-proclaimed movie
enthusiast, I consistently delight in the part of the show where the games are
played. Sure, the games aren’t too
taxing on the brain, but they are definitely good fun. The simplest of the bunch is called ‘How Much
Did This Shit Make’, in which Doug asks guests to estimate how much a given
movie made in total domestic box office sales.
(Side note - My favorite part is
that Price is Right regulations are adhered to, so guesses need to be made
without going over the actual amount.)
The mother of all games on DLM is the ‘Leonard Maltin Game’,
which is played using Maltin’s movie review app. Maltin sometimes even gets in on the action
by stopping by and guesting on the show in person. Spoiler alert – he pretty much sucks at the
game, but it’s fun to listen to him play.
I won’t go into full detail about the game here. Like most party games, it’s difficult to
explain, but easy to learn once you listen in on a few rounds. Suffice to say, each category tickles your
brain to come up with long forgotten facts.
Adding to the fun, if you come up with an answer and the guest just isn’t
getting it, you can shout at your radio with undeserved righteous abandon. “How
can you be wrong Ken Jennings?!?!? The answer was SO obvious! OMG AM I SMARTER
THAN YOU?!” By the properties of
logic, since I’ve bested Ken Jennings at random movie trivia from the privacy of
my Honda Civic, I’d kill it on Jeopardy.
Right? Don’t answer that. I’m totally right.
Three – You can
experience the podcast live and in person. Although the show is based out of
the UCB Theater in LA, Doug frequently travels and stops in all sorts of cities
around the country. Thankfully he makes
frequent trips to NYC, because I’ve seen DLM at the Grammercy Theater in NYC
multiple times, and each time is more fun than the last. The Grammercy has a bar at which adult
beverages can be purchased, increasing the fun level all the way to ‘11’. Remember when I said that the guests pick an
audience member to play for? DLM fans
are a fun bunch, toting along homemade nametags of all shapes and sizes to the
show. Perusing the nametags is often a super entertaining part of the
show. Super extra bonus – if one of your
seat neighbors brought something edible that’s not chosen by a guest, guess who
gets to help eat it? That’s right, it’s
all you, you lucky devil.
(Side note - Doug
announced last week that he’s bringing DLM’s annual ’12 Guests of Christmas’
episode to NYC in December of 2014. Who’s
coming with me? I’ll even bring an
edible nametag to up the ante.)
Four – Doug and
his guests often provide helpful reviews of recent (and past) movie releases. Not
too much to elaborate on here, I just appreciate a good and honest conversation
about a film. Even when I disagree with
the opinions presented on the podcast, I enjoy having something to ponder while
I cruise down the decidedly non-scenic strip of highway that is Route 95 in
Southern CT.
(Disclaimer –If you’re
looking for the ‘movie’ part of Doug Loves Movies, you generally won’t find it
on episodes featuring Jeff Garlin, T.J. Miller or Pete Holmes. In fact, you probably won’t find too much of
‘Doug’ or ‘Loves’ either. Although these eps are pretty hilarious, they can be
frustrating without prior warning.)
Five – DLM has
the catchiest podcast theme song I’ve ever heard. And I listen to a LOT of podcasts. I catch myself singing the song at random
intervals throughout my day, and once even started mindlessly humming it while
trying to pick a ripe avocado in the produce section of my grocery store.
Laughing uncontrollably and
singing in public.....it’s a wonder no one’s tried to commit me yet. DLM clearly makes me a little crazy, but in
the best way.
Which brings me to Five
and a Half – It’s FREE on iTunes. So
no excuses. Let DLM bring a little cheer
to your commute in 2014.
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