81: 2046 with Clay Keller

This week on Podcast Like It’s the 2000s, Phil and Emily continue their Valentine’s miniseries on the films of Wong Kar-wai with a deep dive into his dreamy, decadent, and divisive follow-up to In the Mood for Love: 2046. Joining them is Screen Drafts co-host Clay Keller to unpack memory, desire, sci-fi metaphors, hotel rooms, and the many women orbiting Tony Leung’s endlessly romantic (and endlessly messy) Chow Mo-wan. Early in the episode, Phil provides context for listeners who may not have seen the film, walking through its fractured narrative, a futuristic train that takes passengers to a place where memories can be reclaimed, and a writer blurring fiction and reality as he drifts through the Oriental Hotel and the ghosts of love past. The conversation explores how 2046 expands Wong’s romantic universe into something colder, more reflective, and more haunted. Is it a sequel? A remix? A sci-fi epilogue? A man trying to freeze time so he never has to grow up? The trio discusses the film’s nonlinear structure, its lush visual language, recurring musical motifs, and the way longing becomes both theme and architecture. They also touch on the film’s limited U.S. release, its evolving critical reputation, and how it fits into Wong Kar-wai’s broader body of work. Along the way, the episode offers a brief glimpse behind the scenes of this Valentine’s miniseries and how close to release these conversations sometimes are. 🎙️ Guests & Hosts Clay Keller 📸 Instagram: Phil Iscove 📸 Instagram: Emily St. James 📸 Instagram: 🎧 Follow Podcast Like It’s 🎙 Main Feed (The 2000s / The 90s) Apple Podcasts: Spotify: 💜 Patreon (Bonus Episodes + The 1990s feed + Video): 📸 Instagram: 🐦 X / Twitter: 🧵 Threads: 🔷 Bluesky: 🎥 YouTube: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can listen to 81: 2046 with Clay Keller online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

81: 2046 with Clay Keller is an episode from Podcast Like It's 1999 by Phillip Iscove.

This episode is 1:44:11 long.

This episode was published on Feb 13, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Podcast Like It's 1999 when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.