Gimme Three Podcast - A Series For Cinephiles
Gimme Three is a love letter to one of the most powerful mediums of artistic expression—a love letter to the films that moved us and to the great experiences we've had watching them.
In each episode, hosts Nicholas Ybarra and Bella Efstratis (and frequent special guests) will pick three incredible movies based on a selected theme.
The Gimme Three podcast aims to encourage people to return to the theater and expand their watch lists through fun banter and passionate analysis.
Episodes
125 episodes
118 - Catherine O'Hara x Christopher Guest Films: Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show, & For Your Consideration
On this week’s episode, we honor one of the greatest comedic minds ever to grace the silver screen. Catherine O’Hara. In particular, we explore her wildly impressive improvisational collaborations with Christopher Guest. These films highlight s...
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Episode 118
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1:18:58
117 - Alice Guy-Blaché: Cinema’s First Woman Director (Madame's Cravings, The Consequences of Feminism, & A Fool and His Money)
For Women’s History Month, the Gimme Three Podcast is spotlighting a filmmaker whose name was nearly lost to history: Alice Guy-Blaché.Before Hollywood existed, before the language of cinema had even fully formed, one woman was al...
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Episode 117
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52:53
116 - Oscar Isaac Spotlight: Inside Llewyn Davis, The Card Counter & Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein
Today, we celebrate the birthday of a tremendous actor who elevates every film that he’s in. Of course, we are talking about Mr. Oscar Isaac. In his prolific career, Isaac has helmed many blockbuster franchises. Still, he hasn’t shied away from...
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Episode 116
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1:25:14
115 - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Return of the King (feat. Sonja Mereu)
In the third and final installment of our Lord of the Rings episodes, co-host Nicholas Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu discuss the epic finale to one of the most impactful trilogies in cinematic history. Return of the King concludes...
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Episode 115
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56:05
114 - The Lord of The Rings Trilogy: The Two Towers (feat. Sonja Mereu)
We return with our Lord of the Rings deep dive. This week, we explore the pulse-pounding second installment, The Two Towers. Peter Jackson and team raise the stakes, sharpen their skillset, and deliver a whollop of a sequel.&nbs...
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Episode 114
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46:57
113 - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Fellowship of the Ring (feat. Sonja Mereu)
For the first time, the Gimme Three Podcast is slowing things down and taking it one movie at a time. Co-host Nick Ybarra and producer Sonja Mereu began their in-depth analysis of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In this episode, we t...
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Episode 113
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57:57
112 - Monsters in Love (feat. Jessica McLaughlin): Ganja & Hess, Good Manners, & Bones and All
Love is in the air… and it just might kill you. We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a trio of unconventional love stories from the horror-romance genre.The twisted sisters are back at it again. Special guest Jessica McLaughlin j...
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Episode 112
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1:19:01
111 - Favorites of 2025 pt. 3 (feat. Jessica McLaughlin): Eephus, Queens of Drama, & Bring Her Back
It’s the final installment of Favorites of 2025! We’re closing out the series with a very special guest: writer and filmmaker Jessica McLaughlin. In this episode, the trio brings their individuality, passions, and distinct cinematic...
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Episode 111
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1:26:33
110 - Favorites of 2025 pt. 2 (feat. Stephanie Weber): Sorry, Baby, Train Dreams, & If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
This week, we’ve got more favorite films from 2025. Nick and Bella are honored to be joined by actress, comedian, writer, paranormal investigator, and host of the Directora podcast, Stephanie Weber.
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Episode 110
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1:19:01
109 - Favorites of 2025 pt. 1 (feat. Sonja Mereu): One Battle After Another, Sinners, & No Other Choice
It’s that time of year! Bella, Nick, and Gimme Three Producer Sonja Mereu start our Favorite Films of 2025 Series with three excellent selections. Since these are 2025 releases, we do want to warn our listeners that we get in...
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Episode 109
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1:48:27
108 - Nick & Bella's Letterboxd Year in Review (2025)
Bella Efstratis returns as she and Nick dive deep into their 2025 Letterboxd statistics. Letterboxd is not a sponsor of this podcast; we are just huge fans. And on this episode, Bella and Nick review some of the incredibl...
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Episode 108
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49:26
107 - Rob Reiner, Three Films, One Legacy (feat. Ryan Lacen): A Few Good Men, Misery, & The Princess Bride
This week, Nick is joined by returning guest and friend of the Gimme Three Podcast, Ryan Lacen. The two celebrate the life, career, and some of their all-time favorites in this tribute to the legendary Rob Reiner....
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Episode 107
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1:20:51
106 - A Very '90s New Year! (feat. Sonja Mereu): 200 Cigarettes, Four Rooms, & Strange Days
Join Nick and Sonja as they ring in the New Year the best way they know how - by going back to the 1990s. In this episode, we visit '90s New Year's films!We start with the 1999 MTV Films production of 200 Cigarettes....
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Episode 106
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1:23:36
105 - A Rankin/Bass Christmas: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, & The Year Without A Santa Claus
We round out this year’s trilogy of Christmas episodes by exploring the made-for-TV Christmas classics that have awed generations. We’re talking about the Rankin / Bass stop-motion films. We go all the way back to 1964 for <...
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Episode 105
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1:04:59
104 - Christmas Movie or Not? - Volume 2: It's A Wonderful Life, Gremlins, & Trading Places
This week is the return of one of our most popular themes from 2024, Christmas or Not? Bella and Nick debate about some of the historically contested films - are these Christmas movies or ain’t they? You can help us decide!<...
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Episode 104
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1:21:35
103 - A Very Black Christmas (Shane Black Does XMas): Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, & Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
On this week’s episode, Nick and Bella return as your favorite unlikely duo. Which is apt, as we dive into the work of one of the most impactful screenwriters of the last forty years, Shane Black. Over the decades, Shane Black’s act...
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Episode 103
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1:12:38
102 - 50 Years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show & Rock Musicals (feat. Max Sopkin)
Nicholas Ybarra and returning guest Max Sopkin celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the cult classic and the longest-running film in theatrical history. Nick and Max talk about their personal connection a...
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Episode 102
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1:23:09
101 - Noir November: The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, & Strangers on a Train
Before heading into the Holiday season, Noir November could not be ignored. For the first time, Nick & Bella celebrate Noir November with three unforgettable, game-changing classics. We start with the Humphrey Bogart-led ma...
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Episode 101
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1:24:42
100 - Masterpieces in Morality - The Godfather, Vertigo, & 12 Angry Men
In our 100th episode, we invited you, our audience, to select the films we’d discuss. In a mini-tournament which included the top films from three different lists: Sight and Sound Magazine’s Greatest Films of All Ti...
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Episode 100
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1:27:37
99 - Gimme Three's Greatest Hits - Volume 1: Eraserhead, Ghost, & Christmas in the Spotlight
With Gimme Three Podcast’s 100th Episode on the horizon, we are celebrating and revisiting some of our greatest hits. We bring you three of our most memorable, insightful, hilarious, and fun segments we’ve had!We open with our tribu...
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Episode 99
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1:26:24
98 - Bella & Nick's AFI Fest & Austin Film Festival Recaps (The Plague, Fucktoys, The Chronology of Water, Forelock, Little Dinners, & The Wedding Singer)
Last week, Nick and Bella hit the festival circuit - from Los Angeles to Austin - and came back buzzing with discoveries. This week, they're shaking things up on the podcast with a special episode featuring six hand-picked, standout films from ...
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Episode 98
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44:00
97 - Hormonal Vampires: Three Generations of Teen Vampire Movies (feat. Sonja Mereu): Twilight, The Lost Boys, & Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This week, Bella and Sonja are back to talk about another classic movie monster — and this time, they’re hormonal. That’s right, we’re sinking our teeth into TEEN VAMPIRES!We start with Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight
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Episode 97
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1:30:49
96 - Frankenstein Film Adaptations - The Monster, The Parody, & The Creature (Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, & Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)
To celebrate the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (Netflix, 2025), Bella and Nick revisit three unforgettable film adaptations of Mary Shelley’s iconic Gothic novel.From the classic Universal monster movies th...
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Episode 96
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1:28:58
95 - Halloween Family Favorites (feat. Sonja Mereu): Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, & Hocus Pocus
This week, co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by Gimme Three Producer and LADFF Director Sonja Mereu to celebrate the holy trinity of family Halloween classics.They explore what makes these films endlessly rewatchable — from unfo...
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Episode 95
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1:25:21
94 - Robert Redford & The American West: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, & A River Runs Through It
Once again, we are honoring the work of the late, great Robert Redford. This week, we explore Redford’s exploration and appreciation for the gorgeous American West. Not only did he depict this region with beauty in respect and film, he also spe...
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Episode 94
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1:12:43