The Best Movies About Filmmakers, and ‘Boorman and the Devil’

Sean Fennessey hosts Tracy Letts for a deep dive into 'Boorman and the Devil,' a documentary about director John Boorman's troubled attempt to helm 'The Exorcist II: The Heretic.' The episode opens with a brief announcement about a Halloween double feature in San Francisco before diving into the main topic. The hosts spend the first 40+ minutes examining the documentary itself, analyzing why Boorman's sequel failed critically and commercially, and contextualizing it within Boorman's broader directorial legacy. This section appears to blend plot discussion of the documentary with analysis of the original film and Boorman's career trajectory. The middle section (starting around 43:30) shifts into a broader exploration of what directors actually do on set, using the Boorman case study as a springboard to demythologize the 'auteur myth'—examining how much of a film's success or failure truly rests on directorial vision versus other factors like studio interference, casting, and production circumstances. The hosts then share and discuss their favorite documentaries about filmmakers, presumably exploring how different docs have portrayed the directorial process. The final segment (from 1:28:37 onward) covers scripted films about real directors, allowing the hosts to compare how narrative cinema has dramatized filmmaker stories versus how documentaries have captured them. Throughout, Letts—a playwright and screenwriter with industry experience—brings insider perspective to discussions of craft and creative process. The episode runs 1 hour 45 minutes and includes a State Farm ad read. The structure moves logically from a specific case study (Boorman) to broader thematic questions about directorship, then surveys both documentary and fictional treatments of filmmaker subjects.

Verdict: A well-structured episode with knowledgeable hosts and substantive coverage of its promised topics, offering genuine insight into directorial craft and cinema history, though the show notes suggest solid rather than exceptional entertainment value.

TV & Film rubric

• Critical insight 4/5 20%

  The episode moves beyond plot recap into analysis of directorial myth-making and what actually determines a film's success, using Boorman as a case study to examine larger industry dynamics.

• Behind-the-scenes knowledge 4/5 20%

  Tracy Letts brings credible insider perspective as a working screenwriter and playwright; the discussion of directorial process and studio interference suggests informed industry commentary.

• Entertainment 3/5 15%

  Two knowledgeable hosts discussing film craft and cinema history should be engaging, but the show notes don't indicate particular humor, personality clashes, or memorable moments that would elevate it beyond 'enjoyable.'

• Substance 4/5 15%

  The episode covers three distinct but related topics (the documentary, directorial craft, and films/docs about filmmakers) with substantive discussion; structure suggests dense content rather than padding.

• Delivers on its title 5/5 15%

  Title promises discussion of best movies about filmmakers and the Boorman documentary; the episode delivers exactly that, using Boorman as entry point to broader survey of filmmaker films and docs.

• Value for time 3/5 15%

  At 1h 45m covering three related topics with two knowledgeable hosts, the pacing appears reasonable, though without hearing the episode it's unclear if any section drags or if transitions feel natural.

How we score TV & Film

Worth it if you're interested in film craft, directorial process, or documentaries about cinema—especially if you've seen or are curious about 'Boorman and the Devil' or 'The Exorcist II.'

Content flags

• Ad-heavy State Farm ad read present; typical for podcast but notable relative to content length.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.