All About Al: The Pacino podcast

All About Al: The Pacino podcast

All About Al: The Pacino podcast takes a look at the film, TV and stage career of Al Pacino. Presented by film critic and Al Pacino: The Movies Behind The Man author Mark Searby, the podcast will be a deep dive into the work of the iconic actor. Featuring interviews with actors, directors, producers, singers and many more that have worked closely with Pacino through the years. They will discuss what it is like working with the legendary performer. The podcast will also feature film critics and academic scholars from around the world as they discuss the films and themes of Al Pacino's work. All About Al: The Pacino podcast is the ultimate insider's guide to the career of a Hollywood actor who continues to dazzle, inspire and awe audiences the world over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

June 30, 2025 39 mins

Al Pacino and his producing partner Barry Navidi have been trying to make a biopic of the Italian painter & sculptor Amedeo Modigliani for decades. Either Pacino was too busy or they couldn't get the financing or the script wasn't right. To the point where they both almost gave up. That is until Pacino told his friend Johnny Depp that he should direct the film. Depp stepped up and made Modigliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madn...

Mark as Played

Warren Beatty's adaptation of Dick Tracy was a huge success at the box office when it was releases in 1990. It had an all-star cast including Madonna, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Catherine O'Hara, Dick Van Dyke and many more. It also went on to win three Oscars including one for best make-up.


To celebrate the film's 35th anniversary, Doug Drexler recalls his time working on the film as a make-up artist. He talks about working d...

Mark as Played

Based on True Events. The Ritual is the harrowing true story of the exorcism of Emma Schmidt, and the two priests (Al Pacino, Dan Stevens) who went to war with Satan to save her soul.


Director David Midell and Producer Enrico Natale (they also co-wrote the film) join the podcast to discuss making an exorcism film based on the most well documented cases in North American history. They talk about how they spent time with Pacino, a...

Mark as Played

Now recognised as one of the great crime films of all time, Scarface had a struggle getting to the big screen initially. And even upon release it never found an audience and disappeared without a trace pretty quickly. However, over time it has grown into the now legendary film about the immigrant Tony Montana coming to America to seek his fortune.


Scarface producer Peter Saphier discusses what it was like trying to get the film ...

Mark as Played

Al Pacino loves Chinese Coffee. Not coffee imported from China. Instead he loves the play by Ira Lewis. So much so that he performed it many times on stage. Then decided to make a film of it starring himself and Jerry Orbach (Dirty Dancing). That's when Pacino started to struggle. Chinese Coffee is a film with an unusual road to release.


To talk about the film actor Sarah Lynn Dawson (I Lost My Body) joins the podcast to discuss...

Mark as Played
April 21, 2025 67 mins

To celebrate Al Pacino's 85th birthday on 25th April 2025, writer Lawrence Grobel joins All About Al: The Pacino Podcast to discuss his book Al Pacino: In Conversation with Lawrence Grobel. He talks about their first meeting, how their friendship developed over the decades, why he bet Al money about some cookies in a jar and what really happened when Pacino went to meet William Friedkin during the editing of Cruising.



All A...

Mark as Played
April 7, 2025 40 mins

Michael Mann's Heat is, arguably, one of the all-time great crime movies. It's a film that constantly invites new discussions and criticism. Bringing together two of the greatest actors of any generation - Al Pacino and Robert De Niro - for the first time ever on-screen. Heat is a triumph of realism. The film is as well known for its actors and story as it is its location, right in the heart of Los Angeles.


Film Critic, moderat...

Mark as Played

Heathcote Williams' play The Local Stigmatic was made into a feature film by Al Pacino. However, it took over five years for it to be finished and then was only shown in a handful of select screenings including it's first showing at New York's Museum of Modern Art in March 1990.

The play is about two British sociopaths wo spend their days wander the dog tracks of London while also being obsessed with celebrity culture. The film see...

Mark as Played

Danny Collins is a comedy with a real family drama at the heart of it. It see's Pacino's Danny Collins, a one-hit wonder from decades previous, try to rekindle his relationship with his estranged son while also playing to sold-out crowds. You'll laugh and cry at it. But sadly it is an underseen Pacino film.


Now, on it's 10th anniversary (it was released March 2015), the inspiration behind the initial story of Danny Collins joins...

Mark as Played

Upon release in 2011, Jack And Jill was reviled by most film critics. However, it did exceptional business at the box office. Starring Adam Sandler (in both titles), Al Pacino, Katie Holmes and Eugenio Derbez, this comedy has become the stuff of internet memes thanks to one segment of the film - the Dunkaccino advert.


Dancing alongside Pacino in that advert was comedian/writer/actor Andy Goldenberg, who joins the podcast to dis...

Mark as Played
February 10, 2025 43 mins

Cruising was a notorious movie upon release. It stoked up a lot of controversy over its footage and themes of homosexuality and violence. It also bombed at the box office and started Pacino's slump for the next few years. It derailed director William Friedkin's career for a couple of years too. However, over the past decade it has started to be re-assessed by film critic and cinephiles.


Joining the podcast to discuss the film an...

Mark as Played

When Al Pacino became obsessed with Oscar Wilde's Salome, he didn't make it easy on himself when trying to put it on camera. Salome is a filmed version of the stage production that featured Pacino as King Herod and Jessica Chastain (Interstellar, Zero Dark Thirty, IT Chapter Two) as Salome. Wilde Salome is a behind the scenes look at trying to stage the production. While also trying to make a feature film, or at least scenes from t...

Mark as Played

Author! Author! was released in 1982. It is an autobiographical film written by playwright Israel Horovitz (The Indian Wants the Bronx) and directed by Arthur Hiller (The Out-of-Towners). It starred Al Pacino as Ivan Trevalian, a playwright trying to fix his play on Broadway while also looking after his five children after his girlfriend leaves him. It's a comedy of errors mixed with a bit of romance that saw Pacino finally do some...

Mark as Played

Any Given Sunday is a huge, bombastic movie about the world of American Football, and specifically the fortunes of the Miami Sharks. It features an all-star cast including Cameron Diaz, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Modine, John C. McGinley, Ann-Margaret, James Woods and many ex-football stars. It also features Al Pacino, and see's him deliver one of this greatest speeches in film history. It's a drama that even non-sports fans ca...

Mark as Played

The Godfather Part II is unquestionably one of the greatest film sequels ever made. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, it continues to be lauded as one of the greatest crime films ever.


Actor Gianni Russo, who played Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather Part I and II, joins the podcast to discuss what it was like working on the legendary films, how Al made him cry in a scene fifteen times and what Mafia family helped him get the job ...

Mark as Played

In 2004 Al Pacino lead a big screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Directed by Michael Radford (Il Postino, 1984, Flawless), it featured a star-studded mainly British cast and was a respectable hit at the worldwide box office.


Lecturer in English, ex-BBC producer and authoritative voice on Shakespeare's work, Dr. Andrea Smith joins the podcast to discuss this adaptation, Pacino's performance and whet...

Mark as Played
November 18, 2024 27 mins

N.Y.P.D. was an American crime series that ran for two seasons between 1967 - 69. It centered around three New York police detectives – Lieutenant Mike Haines (Jack Warden), Detective Jeff Ward (Robert Hooks), and Detective Johnny Corso (Frank Converse) – who fight a wide range of crimes and criminals. The show featured many real New York City locations, as well as episodes based on actual New York City police cases.


In...

Mark as Played

Is The Insider one of the greatest films about whistleblowing? As it seems to be forgotten about at times when discuss movies in that genre. However, it's an outstanding contemporary thriller with two powerhouse performances from Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.


Actor Lindsay Crouse (Slap Shot, The Arrival, Mr Brooks) joins ALL ABOUT AL: THE PACINO PODCAST to talk appearing in the film as Sharon Tiller, the partner of Pacino's Lowe...

Mark as Played

Sonny Boy is the autobiography from Al Pacino. In this memoir he talks about landing his first lead role in The Panic In Needle Park, then onto The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico and The Godfather Pt II. From the 1970s highs to the 1980s lows of Cruising, Revolution and Scarface. Then back to some of his greatest works including Dick Tracy, Heat, Glengarry Glen Ross, Donnie Brasco, The Merchant of Venice and many more. Pacin...

Mark as Played

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood features a brief yet memorable performance from Al Pacino as acting agent Marvin Schwarz. Which isn't bad considering he is up against Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.


Film critic and author of Quentin Tarantino: The Unofficial Guide Dan Jolin joins the podcast to discuss Pacino's performance and the film itself. He also talks about helping rank Al Pacino movies for an issue of Empir...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.