'The Fighter,' directed by David O. Russell, has become one of the year's most awarded films, and we had Russell on this week to talk about his own remarkable career rebound

Credit: Paramount Pictures

In the last six to eight weeks, I've listened to a lot of other podcasts.  I've been curious to see what I like, what I don't like, what aesthetic choices other people make.  I've also gotten mail from many of you about what you don't like and what you do, and I'm taking all of this information and trying to incorporate it into a better podcast each time.

I think it's pretty much set in stone at this point that Scott Swan is my co-host on the podcast, but I like treating him like a special guest each and every week because it makes me laugh.  Scott is my oldest friend that I'm in constant contact with, and at this point, after 21 years of working together, there's no one I have a better rapport with.  That's what makes him the perfect sounding board for me as we have these loose and free-wheeling conversations.

And I think "loose" is a good description for this week's show.  We were a little rusty, so the show ended up running long this week.  It's worth it, though, for two segments in particular.

First, there's my interview with Oscar-nominee David O. Russell.  As long as I've admired his work, I've never had the opportunity to chat with him, and I can think of no better time to do so.

Second, there's the chat Scott and I have about "Enter The Void," which is finally out on Blu-ray and DVD and available on services like Netflix Streaming.  The movie was my pick as the best film of 2009, and I've been waiting to show it to Scott for a while.

In addition, we talk about this week's new releases on home video and in the theaters, we discuss that behind-the-scenes "Star Wars" fan-made documentary, we talk about Zack Snyder and the specter of bad buzz, and we answer one question that one of you sent to us.

Here's the full break-down of the show, which you can listen to embedded below, download from this page, or which you can get from iTunes:

00:00 - 4:15:  Introduction, in which Scott and I generally fart around for a few minutes while settling in.

4:15 - 21:10:  We discuss some news stories, including the recent fan-made "Star Wars" documentary and the bad buzz around "Sucker Punch."

21:10 - 42:30:  This week in home video, we feature five films being released, including Wes Craven's "My Soul To Take," the "I Spit On Your Grave" remake, "Unstoppable," and Blu-ray releases of "Last Tango In Paris," "Five Corners," and "Rain Man".

42:30 - 45:00:  This week in theaters, including "I Am Number Four" and "Unknown."

45:00 - 1:07:40:  My conversation with David O. Russell about "The Fighter," "Nailed," and his upcoming adaptation of "Uncharted."

1:07:40 - 1:20:00:  Scott and I discuss "Enter The Void," which he just saw for the first time last weekend.

1:20:00 - 1:32:14:  We answer a letter from a reader, we talk about what's coming up on the podcast, and we say goodbye for this week.

As always, I want to encourage you to send us your questions, and maybe we'll discuss one of them on the air next week.  It can be about anything, and we'll do our best to address it honestly and completely.

We'll have the next podcast early next week, complete with a charming interview with Emily Blunt, and until then, I hope you enjoy this one.