By Woodrow J. Hinton

One day changed everything. On June 29, 2005, Apple introduced iTunes 4.9, thereby giving millions of iPod/iTunes users a simple way to search for and download podcasts.

"A pod what," you might ask? Podcasts are basically audio broadcasts in MP3 format that you can download to your iPod/iTunes. And, unlike Apple's music library, podcasts are free (for now).

Who's generating the content? Virtually anyone with the necessary equipment and computer software (both are fairly inexpensive) can project their voice across the digital landscape within a matter of minutes. And, like the blogging phenomenon before it, everyone from amateur hobbyists to polished professionals is getting in on the frenzy.

A quick search of film-related fare reveals an eclectic batch of choices that vary greatly in quality of content and production value.

I stumbled upon a podcast that consists of a couple of dudes discussing the evolution of Darth Vader's codpiece punctuated by what sounded like lengthy bong hits as a woman in the background pleads for someone to take out the trash.

Another, exactly 10 seconds in length, had this to say: "I just saw Quentin Tarantino eating a pizza. I'll be back soon to give you an update." Unfortunately, said update has yet to surface.

Yet for every masturbatory exercise in esoterica, there are programs worthy of discovery. Spike Lee's Inside Man podcast features the outspoken director discussing the filming of his latest effort, a crime thriller starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. Originally set for four episodes -- which typically run about 25 unedited minutes in length -- Lee liked the intimate, rapid-fire format so much he intends to tape a fifth installment that should appear any day now.

According to iTunes daily rankings, the most popular movie-related offering is Ebert & Roeper on Movies -- basically the reviewing duo's TV show minus commercials.

Other popular choices include Reel Reviews Radio, which has self-styled movie critic Michael Geoghegan discussing the merits of a different film in each installment (the most recent being Glengarry Glen Ross), and TheForce.net, a show dedicated to all things Star Wars.

Traditional radio is getting in on the act, too. KCRW's The Treatment, hosted by former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell, and The Business, an entertaining take on the business side of moviemaking, are fine options.

But perhaps the best of the podcast bunch is Cinecast, a twice-weekly program hosted by Sam Hallgren and Adam Kempenaar, a pair of passionate and well-spoken 30-year-old movie geeks from Chicago.

Each show opens with a review of a current release -- everything from esoteric indies (Saraband) to mainstream multiplex fare (Wedding Crashers) get the duo's thoughtful analysis -- followed by a playfully-rendered Top 5 movie list ("Best Movie Badasses" is the most recent) and various other audience-friendly features, including the reading of sometimes contentious listener e-mails (Hallgren's labeling of Fight Club as one of the most overrated films of all time drew particular scorn).

Their seamless back-and-forth interplay sounds like the result of a lifelong movie-going partnership. Yet that's not the case: They met a few years ago through a mutual friend.

"When we did the first show (Cinecast debuted in March), we didn't know whether it would click or not," Kempenaar says by cell phone. "Literally the first two minutes of the conversation we were like, 'Wow, this feels like we've been doing this forever.'

"We're both in Chicago, but I live in the suburbs; he lives in the city," he says of Hallgren. "He's single; I'm married with two kids. We have very different lifestyles. Before we started the show we would see each other two or three times a year and probably talk on the phone or e-mail each other once or twice every couple of months. Now we talk six times a day. It's literally like I have a second wife."

Cinecast's polished production values and tight format also set it apart. (Kempenaar is a Web producer with the Chicago Blackhawks and Hallgren has interned with Chicago's local NPR station.)

"I'm surprised sometimes when I hear podcasts that don't have very good audio quality because we're not doing anything really amazing with our show," he says. "Cost-wise, if you can afford a couple of mics and a $50 mixer, you can podcast.

The beauty of the iPod, of course, is its convenience -- the way people are able to listen whenever they want wherever they want," he continues via the rapid-fire delivery familiar to listeners of the show. "Part of that convenience should be listening to a show that doesn't waste their time. A lot of our listeners subscribe to multiple podcasts -- it's already hard to fit in two 40-minute shows a week into your schedule.

"I also think it has to be presented in a way that sounds like something they're used to hearing on the radio."

Then there's the fact that they're not "professional" film critics (though Kempenaar did study film at the University of Iowa, and he admits they'd like to attend press screenings at some point), which only adds to the show's intimate, unpretentious charm.

"I think people respond to the show because they can see that Sam and I are passionate about movies, and are halfway intelligent when we talk about them."

See that, indeed. With the launch of iTunes 4.9, Cinecast jumped from 250 to 50,000 subscribers in less than a month, a development Kempenaar is keeping in perspective.

"The fact that that many people are willing to take up space on their hard drive or on their iPod with our show is mind-boggling to me." ©