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Producer/Director Bill Banowsky on O Brother, Where Art Thou? • Movies We Like • Episode 705

Producer/Director Bill Banowsky on O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Join us for a delightful conversation about O Brother, Where Art Thou? with Bill Banowsky, whose journey from lawyer to co-founder of Magnolia Pictures and smart house theater operator provides fascinating context for discussing this beloved Coen Brothers comedy. Currently promoting his new documentary A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant, Banowsky’s experience running smart house theaters across America offers unique insight into how films like this resonate with audiences.
“I think we need more films like O Brother, Where Art Thou?. You gotta find story-driven films, not technology-driven films, to save this business.”
From the film’s groundbreaking digital color work to its Grammy-winning soundtrack, Banowsky explores what makes this adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey so special. His perspective as both a filmmaker and exhibition veteran illuminates how the Coens crafted something that works both as popular entertainment and artistic achievement.
“Roger Deakins’ cinematography is spectacular the way the colors go in and out of different shades. It’s just one of the Coen brothers’ best films—it has redemption, it has humor, and it’s the perfect length.”
For more perspectives on distinctive filmmaking, check out our episodes featuring Sound Mixer Michael B. Koff on Snatch., Re-Recording Mixer Andy Nelson on Local Hero, and Filmmaker Nathan Blackwell on Hot Fuzz—each offering unique insights into films that, like O Brother, blend genre elements with—Hold on there! This episode is currently available only for members. It’ll be available to everyone else soon—but if you’d like to listen now, consider becoming a member.We’d love it if you became a member to support the shows in The Next Reel family, and you’ll love it for everything you get: monthly member bonus episodes, access to members-only Discord channels, and early, ad-free releases of every episode. Learn more about supporting The Next Reel film podcast through membership—visit TruStory FM.
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Movies We Like invites you inside the minds of the people who make movies.

In each episode, co-hosts Andy Nelson and Pete Wright sit down with filmmakers—from cinematographers to costume designers—to talk about the films that inspire them most, and how their craft changes the way they watch their favorite movies.