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‘Pretentious Favorites’ builds community around niche films

Cale Hawkins and Cameron Wilhite run a weekly podcast centered around exploring and analyzing lesser-known movies.
‘Pretentious Favorites’ builds community around niche films
Photo courtesy of Courtesy of Cale Hawkins

Pretentious Favorites” is one of the Torch’s up and coming podcasts, pioneered by freshman cinema and media arts major Cale Hawkins, a lifelong film enthusiast. In partnership with his close friend, freshman cinema and media arts major Cameron Wilhite, the pair explore the deeper aspects of films using their knowledge of the art medium. 

THE BEGINNINGS 

Hawkins wanted to start a podcast in Fall 2021 but was not ready to fully commit until this semester. Even though he had the concept for the podcast fully fleshed out, Hawkins lacked equipment, a co-star and a platform.

The Torch provided a platform and equipment, and a close friend and CMA classmate became his co-star, laying the groundwork for the chemistry displayed on the weekly podcast. 

We were on a short film set at the end of last semester and I was helping [Hawkins] as a cinematographer,” Wilhite said. “He brought up the idea of doing a podcast where we talked about movies that are lesser known, but are still really high quality.” 

The podcast is one of four shows the Torch puts out as part of the resurrection of the radio center that was left destitute during the pandemic. 

The beginning of this podcast goes back to Hawkin’s family culture, where he grew up critiquing films with his family, all of whom enjoy the art form. Hawkin’s mother brought him to a film festival as a child, which changed his life aspirations from becoming a firefighter to becoming a storyteller. 

“Around 12 years old, my mom bought me tickets to go with her and my cousin to a horror film festival in my hometown,” Hawkins said. “We went and I talked with this producer, Marian Madalina, who was the producer of many of Wes Craven’s films such as ‘The Scream’ series … And I was like wow, this is amazing.” 

NICHE APPRECIATION 

The podcast is in its early stages, and the Instagram account dedicated to the podcast has only one hundred followers. However, according to Wilhite, the podcast is fulfilling in light of the surrounding community. As a part of the preparation for the podcast, the co-stars host an open movie night the day before they review it. This builds a sense of community and allows the ideas to be fresh in their minds before recording. 

“You can get raw reactions right afterwards and when we actually record the podcast, not only will you have already seen the movie, but you were there you were part of the experience,” Wilhite said. “It is sort of like you are a part of the team.” 

The goal of the podcast is to help people understand the importance of the lesser-known films, while helping audiences see the depth beneath plotlines. Check out the bi-weekly podcast here

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About the Contributor
Emily Coffey
Emily Coffey, Managing Editor
Emily Coffey is a senior broadcast journalism major who loves John Mayer, Bernese Mountain Dogs and high fives. [email protected] I grew up in the beautiful state of Oregon, which provided a lot of opportunities for adventures like white water rafting, mountain biking, and hiking. During a three-month stint in Nepal with my family (I was homeschooled), I got to document the lives of 13 women who had undergone some form of human trafficking, medical neglect, or family abuse. From here, I found my passion for storytelling.  Though I came to Biola as a music major, I started working at the Chimes my freshman year and quickly made the switch to broadcast journalism. My love of verbal and written communication, especially in storytelling, soon blossomed into a love of visual storytelling.  Now, I work for the Chimes and am heavily involved in many other student media organizations. You can find me covering a story, interviewing students about their artwork, at the beach, or running. 
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