Movie talk with a well-worn watchlist.
Film Soceyology treats movie criticism like a standing conversation with a well-stocked film shelf nearby. Recent episodes move from Oscars talk and new releases to home-video releases, IU Cinema listings, public-radio housekeeping, and affectionate salutes to film people.
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Film Soceyology is a WFYI film show with Matthew Soce at the center, speaking to movie lovers in a casual public-radio register. It is brisk, but not tidy. The show has room for first impressions, stray associations, pledge-drive reminders, and the kind of credit-list wandering that comes from actually knowing a lot of films. Recent episodes move between current releases, Oscars talk, home-video releases, screening listings, and older movie history. A week can include The Bride!, the Japanese Godfather trilogy, Radiance releases, and Illustrious Corpses. Another can detour through Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association because the ABA, the Indiana Pacers, and an old Flint connection all matter to the conversation. That range is part of the charm. Film Soceyology does not isolate cinema from the rest of the host's life. Indianapolis events, WFYI membership drives, Earlham College theater work, Richmond Civic Theater, and IU Cinema listings all pass through the same microphone. The show also has a soft spot for the dead people it likes, especially performers whose filmographies reward scrolling. Matt Clark becomes not just a name to salute, but a route through westerns, TV work, Return to Oz, 42, and a final screen credit. The criticism itself is approachable and film-literate. It can compare a grizzled Lino Ventura presence to a Robert Mitchum stone face, mention Peter Falk's raincoat energy, and still land the point plainly. Awards-season coverage is similarly grounded. The Oscars are treated as something worth discussing, not worshiping. Home-video talk matters here, especially restorations, crime films, documentaries, and releases that might otherwise slip past casual viewers. The show suits listeners who like their movie criticism opinionated, conversational, and full of lived-in references. It is not a slick roundtable. It is one informed film person following the thread until the thread becomes the episode.
Made for: For film fans who like reviews with screening memory, home-video awareness, local cinema notes, and a little awards-season skepticism. It especially suits listeners who enjoy one-person criticism that can wander without losing the movie trail.
What sets it apart: Film Soceyology stands apart by treating new releases, film people, home-video releases, public-radio life, and Indianapolis film happenings as one continuous conversation. Its looseness feels earned rather than padded.
Film Soceyology features criticism and commentary on recently released movies, as well as DVD releases and general film chatter.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Matthew Soce connects current movies, restored releases, screen careers, and repertory programming with informed enthusiasm and a dry sense of humor.
Film Soceyology moves easily from current releases and awards talk to restorations, repertory screenings, and older films worth another look. Matthew Soce often carries the conversation alone, working through what he watched with a personal, conversational critical style.
A black-and-white director's cut can send your watchlist all the way to Bundaberg.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A loose post-Oscars check-in pairs Matt Clark, the Japanese Godfather trilogy, and a busy IU Cinema calendar.
Film Sociology works as a loose, locally grounded film check-in, moving from a brief Oscars look-back to a fond Matt Clark remembrance and the Japanese Godfather trilogy as the week's standout recommendation.
Oscars talk, Matt Clark credits, and a Japanese Godfather pick share the mic.
Film Sociology spends the hour in a familiar, easygoing lane: Oscars talk, a salute to Matt Clark, and a likely pick of the week in The Japanese Godfather, with birthdays, rehearsal notes for 26 Pebbles, and local calendar items folded in along the way.
Awards-week chatter, a Bride! defense, and a shelf of detours.
Film Sociology arrives in a distinctly awards-week frame, with Matthew Socey back on The Bride!, saying he liked it and even anticipating the backlash.
Oscar-season talk, home-video detours, and a return to The Bride!
Film Sociology settles into familiar Oscar-season ground, with the Academy Awards on Sunday, the annual If I Had a Ballot bit, and a return to The Bride! after a week of online anger that the host says does not match the film.
A thoughtful film catch-up on a changed response to a director's cut and the unsettled texture of Australian docufiction.
Film Sociology's catch-up episode works best as a conversation about how a movie can change when the viewing conditions change. Matthew Soce returns to a Peter Bogdanovich film through a Criterion director's cut, in black and white and longer than the theatrical version, and…
Sven's character logic and Chicago station history give the pledge-show segment its firmest shape.
This Film Sociology pledge-show segment starts at WFYI before settling into the comic engineering behind Sven's television persona. In conversation with Matthew Sose, Sven frames the character in the orbit of Jack Benny: someone beset by the people around him, rather than a…
Mike Muncer and a different guest dissect two horror films per episode, by subgenre.
Matthew Socey reviews Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues and says he "chuckled a couple times" but never laughed, because the film runs under 90 minutes and still leans on celebrity cameos from Paul McCartney and Elton John.
This episode of Film Sociology features host Matthew Soce discussing recent summer films and his approach to reviewing movies from multiplexes to art houses.
The host introduces the Film Sociology podcast, discussing recent summer films and setting up movie reviews for multiplex, art house, and streaming content.
The host discusses recent film experiences, including unexpected enjoyment of summer reboots and sequels, while reflecting on cinema as an escape.
The host Matthew Soce introduces his film podcast, shares personal birthday reflections, and teases upcoming film discussions.
This episode of Film Soceyology is a holiday-themed introduction where host Matthew Soce shares personal birthday reflections and teases upcoming film discussions.
Matthew Socey hosts a spring pledge drive episode of Film Sociology, urging listeners to support WFYI.
Matthew Soucy reviews two new theatrical releases, Verity with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, and Digger, Alejandro Iñárritu's dark comedy starring Tom Cruise.
This episode of Film Sociology, hosted by Matthew Soce, discusses movie reviews, the WFYI Spring Pledge Drive, and personal theater updates.
The host introduces the Film Sociology podcast during WFYI's Spring Pledge Drive, encouraging listeners to become members while setting up a fun fundraising challenge.
The host introduces the film review podcast Film Sociology, shares local updates about Indianapolis during Easter weekend and basketball events, and promotes upcoming personal activities including a pledge drive and a theater production.
This episode features a discussion about the documentary series 'Soul Power' on Prime, which explores the history of the American Basketball Association, with a special guest who appears in the series.
This episode features a discussion about the documentary series 'Soul Power' on Prime, which explores the history of the American Basketball Association, with a special guest who appears in it.
Matthew Socey skips the Oscars broadcast, then names winners including Michael B.
The show opens with WFYI housekeeping and the Gregory and Appel Insurance spot before the host welcomes listeners back to Film Sociology.
Matthew Socey opens on Oscar weekend, noting that the Academy Awards are Sunday and using the annual If I Had a Ballot routine to set the seasonal frame before turning back to the movies.
An Elmore Leonard clip opens the show.
Matthew Soce gets a night off rehearsal and makes it to the theater.