Gimme Three Podcast - A Series For Cinephiles

Happy Birthday Leonardo DiCaprio! Bella Efstratis and Sonja Mereu celebrate the icon with a spotlight on three early 1990s book-to-screen dramas with performances that show him leveling up in real time.We start with Tobias Wolff's memoir THIS BOY'S LIFE (1993), which details his experience living with his abusive stepfather in Concrete, Washington. Leo shines as Tobias at just 17 years old, giving Robert De Niro, who plays his stepfather, a run for his money.Then we head to WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE (1993), based on Peter Hedges novel of the same name. Besides the obvious praise for Leo's first Oscar-nominated performance, we also get into Sonja's love for the film and whether it stands the tests of time.Finally, another extraordinary performance in THE BASKETBALL DIARIES (1995), Jim Carroll’s diaristic memoir, adapted into a brutally vivid story about addiction and trauma in 1990s New York City. We talk about how we truly had to hunt this movie down to watch it. In fact, here is a link to the only place to watch it due to some strange distribution rights. Listen to the episode to find out more!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

A movie that flopped in 1975 somehow becomes the longest-running theatrical run ever, and it’s still filling seats at midnight.We're re-releasing this episode as a tribute to the late, great Tim Curry ♡Co-host Nicholas Ybarra and guest Max Sopkin celebrate the 50th anniversary of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW by sharing their Rocky Horror cherry pop, why “weird” ages better than “perfect,” and why Tim Curry’s Frank-N-Furter is a pure cinematic icon. We also swap favorite Rocky Horror songs and talk about how audience participation turns a simple plot into a community ritual.Then we take on SHOCK TREATMENT, Richard O’Brien’s “equal” to Rocky Horror that predicts reality TV, media addiction, and corporate control, even when the script feels like a beautiful mess. To round out the trilogy, we jump to Brian De Palma’s PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, a rock musical mash-up of Faust and Phantom Of The Opera with razor-sharp music industry satire, wild set pieces, and a cult legacy that keeps growing.Subscribe and share this with a fellow midnight-movie obsessive, and leave a review if you want more cult musicals!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

Meta slashers. Medieval chaos. Fine dining dread. Tonight’s special is The Horror Comedy featuring special guest Max Sopkin!First, we head into The Cabin in the Woods. We dig into the horror movie easter eggs, our favorite moments and performances from Marty’s one-liners to the underground facility chaos, as well as the ending’s moral problem.Next, we get into Army of Darkness. We talk about how it can be a standalone film or how Evil Dead 1 and 2 reframe Ash’s nonstop nightmare week. Plus some serious Bruce Campbell love and appreciation!Then we sit down for The Menu. We break down what lands on the rewatch and what feels like missed opportunities. Max delivers some seriously great critiques and suggestions for these that you will not want to miss!Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow cinephile, and leave a review with your favorite horror comedy!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

Three films. One letter. One weirdly consistent theme: boys trying to dodge adulthood. And some are more successful than others...We’re back with our Gimme Three: A to Z series with THE LETTER D, and the lineup swings from a classic hangout movie to a full-on stoner comedy to a cult sci-fi coming-of-age spiral. First up, Barry Levinson’s DINER drops us into 1959 Baltimore for a weekend of late-night diner runs. We talk character vignettes, dialogue, and the star-studded cast of the early 80s.Then we jump to DUDE WHERE'S MY CAR?, a 2000s time capsule that moves like a patchwork of skits. Sonja dives into why this is one of her favorites of all time and, perhaps, manages to change Bella's opinion on the film. To close, we revisit Richard Kelly’s DONNIE DARKO, the Jake Gyllenhaal cult classic that just gets better and better with age. We dig into the time travel theories, fear culture & the socio-political relevance, and one of the best soundtracks in movie history. Subscribe for more movie recommendations, share this with a cinephile friend, and leave a review with your Letter D recommendation!*Spoilers for all films in this episode*❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

This week, co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by writer/filmmaker Will King for a deep dive into found footage horror! From forest dread to a possessed girlfriend to a Craigslist nightmare with a smile... you're in for a very spooky, funny, and exciting episode!We start in the woods with The Blair Witch Project, a film that truly taps into the power of atmospheric horror. Will talks about the scarring experience of watching this movie too young, we get into the classic "showing vs. not-showing" the monster debate, and even dig into the legendary & groundbreaking marketing campaign for the film.Then we move into the next classic with Paranormal Activity. We talk about the film's brilliant sound design, the effect of still framing and timestamps, and the way it taps into the universal fear of being awake at 3 a.m. with creepy sounds throughout the house.Finally, we close with Creep, a cult favorite that flips between laugh-out-loud awkwardness and something genuinely sinister. We get into character breakdowns, the funniest and scariest moments, and whether this kind of horror-comedy discomfort ultimately worked for us.Listen now to find out which of the three was our favorite and scariest!If you’ve got found footage recommendations or other horror movies you want us to cover on the show, let us know! Subscribe, share the show with a fellow horror fan, and leave a review so more cinephiles can find us!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

A cursed videotape. A cursed button. A cursed house.Spooky Season begins with three iconic horror films built around a deadly curse.Co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by writer, filmmaker, and horror expert Jessica McLaughlin to discuss an iconic triple feature: Gore Verbinski’s The Ring, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Hausu (House).We get into why The Ring still hits even if you’ve never used a VHS, the origin of the adaptation, and the various themes of  its “viral curse." We also talk score, color palette, and the simple, yet satisfying structure that makes every reveal land.Then we pivot into Drag Me to Hell as a moral fable where one bad decision turns into three days of escalating punishment. We debate the film’s tonal swings, what makes Christine such a tough protagonist to sit with, and why Raimi’s loud, gross, crowd-pleasing set pieces play completely differently in a theater versus at home.Finally, Hausu blows the doors off logic entirely. We dig into Obayashi’s DIY magic, his daughter’s nightmares on screen, and the deeper grief underneath the candy-colored chaos, where a place can hold pain long enough to become a living curse.If you love horror movies (especially those with cursed objects) and spooky season watchlist ideas, hit play, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review. Which curse would you least want to face?❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

We're back with our alphabet extravaganza series with THE LETTER C!Three movies start with C, but the real question is: Can Sonja & Bella find another connection between the three? We go from the tranquil beauty of Cmon Cmon to the complex moral maze of Captain Fantastic, and land on the forever-quotable joy of Clueless. Challenge accepted!We break down why Mike Mills’ black and white filmmaking in Cmon Cmon isn’t a “style choice” so much as the emotional language of the story. Plus some good ole Joaquin Phoenix praise for yet another incredible performance, and the other extraordinary cast in the film!Next, Captain Fantastic blows Bella's mind. We discuss Viggo Mortensen’s off-the-grid father character and the pure “shades of gray” of this film that makes it such a unique and impactful watch.Finally, Clueless proves that a truly great teen comedy can stand the tests of time: razor-sharp dialogue, perfect casting, iconic costume design, and a soundtrack that lives in our hearts forever.If you love movie recommendations, film analysis, and conversations that treat laughter and heartbreak with equal respect, press play! Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, share the episode with a cinephile friend, and leave us a review so more cinephiles can find the show!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

Happy Birthday Yorgos!Celebrate Yorgos Lanthimos' birthday today with a re-release of our spotlight on the filmmaker. In this episode, co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by special guest, Michel Eljaiek, to review three films from his extraordinary filmography:The Killing of a Sacred DeerAlpsDogtoothWhat is your favorite Yorgos Lanthimos film?❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

Grief manifests and appears in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes as a question you can’t stop asking, or a dream you can’t shake. We’re joined by award-winning filmmaker Gerardo Maravilla to talk about how a deeply personal loss became a bold short film concept: a grieving woman becomes fascinated with discovering what it feels like to die. The result is a story that’s emotionally honest, culturally specific, and fearless in its visual style and genre.We talk craft from the inside out: breaking into filmmaking without industry connections, surviving the brutal hours of production work, and returning to screenwriting when life forces you to get clear about what matters. Gerardo shares a refreshingly practical writing process built on messy first notes, dream fragments, and relentless revision, plus what grants, rejections, and creative programs can teach you if you keep showing up. If you’ve ever tried turning grief, trauma, or regret into art, you’ll hear real advice on staying open, staying kind to yourself, and letting the project tell you what it wants.Then we get nerdy in the best way, digging into directing choices like grounded magical realism, strip-mall world-building, color-inspired ideas around death and remembrance, and why stop-motion texture can trigger a visceral reaction. We also talk casting and performance, including how Gina Diaz anchors the film’s emotional arc across multiple “worlds,” and we close with three film recommendations that reveal Gerardo’s creative DNA.If you like independent film, short films, screenwriting, directing, and storytelling about grief and healing, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a filmmaker friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

In this episode, Nick sits down with 3 outstanding filmmakers who depict real life through a truly creative and beautiful cinematic lens.We sit down with producer and star Deborah Lee Smith and writer-director Brian Leahy to unpack Glitterbomb, their short film screening at LADFF this week. We get into the meaning behind the glitter, the thematic color choices, and the filmmakers' insight into performing trauma with control, catharsis, and care on set.Next, we pivot to writer-director Kirby Marshall Collins and her directorial debut Ways to Fly, a coming-of-age short film following a hyperactive young Black girl on her first day of ballet, shaped by Kirby’s lived experience with ADHD and sensory processing. We talk about the importance of outlines, what a perfect writing day looks like, and advice on casting a young lead and directing kids with patience and clarity.Across both conversations, we touch on: how multi-hyphenate filmmakers survive, how to communicate your vision, why your DP and first AD can make or break a shoot, and how to build a team you actually trust. If you’re heading to a film festival, making a short film, or writing your next script, you’ll leave with tools you can use right away. Subscribe, share the show with a filmmaker friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Love Horror Movies? Meet Fright Night Flicks 🤘Twin brothers, horror movie deep dives, hilarious debates, and killer trivia. Listen now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.