The initial idea of Obscure Chatter played very much off audio commentaries Terri Doty had done over the years. This, along with Terri’s love of film, felt like the perfect way for her to return to podcasting after a five year break.

A long time ago, Terri showed a new boyfriend a movie that she really loved. A film that meant a lot to her that she hoped would give the boyfriend a kind of insight into who Terri was.

He hated it. Worse? He was very vocal with how much he hated the film.

After retelling the story a few times over the years, it occurred to Terri that there are movies everyone shows a new friend or partner to help give insight. To share a little bit of what they love and, even if it isn’t their cup of tea, show others why the films are so special to them.

For the first year of Obscure Chatter in 2019, this was more or less how the show worked. Either Terri did an episode solo or a guest joined with one of their movies being the backdrop to a free-flowing conversation. All mentions of the show were edited out to keep the focus on the talks happening.

As the world drastically changed in 2020, so did Obscure Chatter.

After a few successful episodes with guests, Terri decided that Obscure Chatter would now be a solo show. While Terri still watches something as she chats directly with the audience, she no longer refers to it directly— saving everyone some beep-anxiety.

We do hope that you enjoy our lil’ podcast.