The Film 89 Podcast

It’s the 100th Episode of The Film ‘89 Podcast and to celebrate, we’re devoting an entire episode to answering a selection of questions from our vast cohort of guest hosts, friends and you, our beloved listeners. So join Neil, Skye and Steve as they answer your questions on a number of film, television and pop culture related topics. And thank you all for helping us get to our first century of episodes!

On Episode 99 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye give their spoiler-filled analysis and review of the fifth and possibly final film in the saga of the adventures of Dr. Henry Jones Jr, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

On Episode 98 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye don their Speedos, oil each other up and prepare to flex as they finally devote an episode to one of the Film ‘89 team’s most revered icons of the big screen, a man whose films typify the very decade from which the podcast derives its name. Bodybuilder, turned movie star, turned Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The catalyst for the guys finally tackling Arnie’s career is the new 3-part Netflix documentary, aptly titled ‘Arnold’. Each part, just over an hour long, is devoted to his early bodybuilding career where he came to dominate the sport, his acting career that made him a global household name and his eventual segue into politics. So join the guys as they discuss this fascinating documentary and discuss Schwarzenegger’s extensive filmography.

It’s time to keep your appointment with The Film ‘89 Podcast as Skye is joined by returning guest hosts John Arminio and Steven Saunders to celebrate the 50th anniversary of cult British horror film, The Wicker Man (1973). Director Robin Hardy’s film stars Edward Woodward as Scottish police sergeant Neil Howie who ventures to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Sgt Howie’s investigation turns into a cat and mouse chase that culminates in one of the most bone chilling endings in all of horror cinema. That said, the bulk of the film refuses to follow standard horror conventions and remains one of the most unique British films ever made, truly one of a kind. Featuring Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt, Diane Cilento and a superlative performance from screen legend Christopher Lee, Hardy’s folk horror classic remains a film like no other, and one that gets the usual passionate and in-depth analysis you’ve come to expect from the Film ‘89 team in this definitive exploration and examination of The Wicker Man.

On Episode 96 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye boldly go somewhere they didn’t expect to go, back to the realms of a current year Star Trek television show. Join them as they give their in-depth, spoiler-filled analysis and review of Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. Show-runner, writer and director, Terry Malalas has been brought on to the show for this third season along with a new writing team and the results have had longtime Trek fans alight with joy as the core Next Generation cast are reunited for what might be their last adventure. Is this new show a welcome change of creative direction for modern Trek? Join the Film ‘89 team as they discuss what many sci-fi fans are calling THE television event of 2023.

On Episode 95 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Skye and returning guest host Leighton Winstone discuss a film from a director whose films have already been covered several times on Film ‘89 and one who without doubt would be on the Mt. Rushmore of favourite directors for all three of them, Martin Scorsese. This episode sees the maturity of a 10 year investment, or in other words, it’s coming up on the 10th anniversary of Scorsese’s adaptation of Jordan Belfort’s book, The Wolf of Wall Street. By far one of Scorsese’s most controversial films, the legendary director re-teamed with Leonardo DiCaprio alongside a superlative supporting cast including Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Joanna Lumley and an Oscar nominated Jonah Hill. The guys discuss the career of the film’s lead, DiCaprio and where The Wolf of Wall Street sits in their own personal lists of favourite Martin Scorsese films.

On Episode 94 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by returning guest host and writer for Film ‘89, Leighton Winstone to discuss a double bill of films from legendary director Brian De Palma, both of which happen to star one of their all time favourite actors, Al Pacino. The first is De Palma’s 1983 remake of Howard Hawks’ 1932 crime drama, Scarface. The other is De Palma’s pseudo-follow up, Carlito’s Way. Since it’s release 40 years ago, Scarface has attained a huge following and the guys discuss its considerable influence on the crime dramas and gangster films that followed in its wake. A violent and controversial film on its initial release, Scarface would typify the greed and excesses of the 1980s. De Palma’s 1993 film, Carlito’s Way, whilst telling a quite different story, remains a brilliantly crafted tale of a reformed gangster, recently released from prison, struggling to escape his former life.

Episode 93 of The Film ‘89 Podcast brings to a close our coverage of George Lucas’ Original Star Wars trilogy as Neil, Skye and Richard celebrate the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi (1983). They discuss the behind the scenes making of the film and how writer/producer George Lucas, director Richard Marquand and co. brought the story to a satisfying conclusion. Also discussed are the film’s astonishing technical achievements in creature design and visual effects as well as the numerous and controversial changes Lucas made with his 1997 Special Edition rerelease of the film and the further changes he made for the DVD and Blu-Ray releases. The guys also discuss where Return of the Jedi sits in their ranking of the Star Wars saga as well as the enduring legacy of Lucas’ groundbreaking original trilogy.

On Episode 92 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, returning guest host John Arminio joins Skye as they go back to the golden age of Hollywood, 85 years in fact, to discuss one of the all time classics, The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone. Whilst not the first big screen adaptation of the Robin Hood legend, it set out a template for the innumerable adaptations that would follow. John and Skye discuss the three strip Technicolor process used to shoot the film, the magnificent score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the film’s many superbly choreographed fight scenes and it’s exemplary cast, all ingredients that come together to create a film that is widely regarded as one of the greatest swashbuckling adventures of all time.

On Episode 91 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by returning guest hosts Jacob Rivera and Kyle Reardon to take a look back at a film from one of the Film ‘89 team’s favourite directors, John Carpenter, his 1983 adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine, the tale of a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury and it’s young new owner’s descent into madness as both car and driver go on an unstoppable killing spree. Coming off the back of the critical and commercial failure of The Thing (1982), a film that would later be widely regarded as a masterpiece of cinema, Carpenter went back to the style of horror he perfected in his 1978 classic, Halloween. Light on gore but full of mood and suspense, Christine is one of the lesser talked about films in Carpenter’s filmography but one that we feel is one of the director’s best films and is discussed in depth by the Film ‘89 team for its 40th anniversary.

As we move into 2023, the founding fathers of Film ‘89 unite to give you their in-depth review of all that was good (and not so good) in the world of film and television in their review of the year that was 2022. From blockbuster fare such as Top Gun: Maverick to indie gems such as The Banshees of Inisherin and The Northman, to Bollywood action epic, RRR, Steve, Richie, Neil and Skye discuss over 40 films, television shows and books, some that they loved and others that they weren’t so keen on. So get your best of 2022 lists ready and join the guys on Episode 90 of The Film ‘89 Podcast.

The wait is over! It’s been a whole year since Richie, Skye, Adam Rackoff and Bill Scurry gave their epic assessment of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for the film’s 20th anniversary and, as promised, the guys are back together one year on to give their in-depth analysis of the second part of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002). This remarkable film is every bit as astonishing as the first, and then some. Not only are a slew of new characters and locations introduced, but there are technologies put to use here that would have a huge impact on the special effects industry for years to come. Aside from the film’s technical merits, the story being told is done with such care and an exacting precision and with such deftly skilled craftsmanship and acting talent as to truly create a film for the ages and one that solidifies Jackson and Co’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books as a true masterpiece of modern filmmaking. So pick up your sword and axe and step once more into Middle Earth with Episode 89 of The Film ‘89 Podcast.

On Episode 88 of The Film ‘89 Podcast Steve and Skye are joined by Steven Saunders. So far this year on Film ‘89 we’ve tackled some of the really big films, films of tremendous importance to us as cinephiles and important to the history of cinema, films such as Star Wars, The Godfather and Blade Runner to name but a few. And they don’t come much bigger than the film that’s the focus of this episode as we finally tackle legendary British director David Lean and his monumental 1962 historical epic cum war film, Lawrence of Arabia, a film that was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and walked away with 7, including Best Picture and Best Director and in the 6 decades that have followed, has gained a hallowed status as one of the greatest films ever made.

On Episode 87 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by returning guest host, professional film poster artist Tony Stella, to tackle a subject and a franchise that, surprisingly, hasn’t been discussed in-depth on Film ‘89 yet, that of British super-spy James Bond. Skye and Tony celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first of the official Eon Productions 007 films with Dr. No from 1962. Based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which was his sixth in the series, published in 1958, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, it was directed by Terence Young and starred the late, great Sean Connery as James Bond. The James Bond franchise has become our most requested topic to cover on Film ‘89 and we invite you to join us as we take this long overdue dive into the world of the beloved super-spy for an in-depth and passionate celebration of cinema’s longest running film franchise.

With Halloween looming, Episode 86 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is a suitably spooky affair. Many of our listeners have been requesting that we bring back our Favourite 5 section so we’ll be expanding that to fill an entire episode as Skye and returning guest host Stephen Simpson discuss their favourite horror film scores. Plus we have the picks of our friends and listeners as well as some listener questions. This episode is brought to you in conjunction with Psilowave Records (psilowave.com) where until November 5th, if you use the promo code FILM89 you’ll get 15% off all purchases. Psilowave is an independent U.K. retailer of the finest in hard to get vinyl releases including movie soundtracks and scores.

On Episode 85 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and returning guest host John Arminio give their in-depth analysis and spoiler-filled review of the first season of Amazon’s billion dollar series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which debuted on September 1st and ran for 8 episodes. As well as Tolkien’s written work, the guys make the obvious comparisons to Peter Jackson’s six Middle Earth films and how successful this new show has been in adapting Tolkien’s beloved saga to the format of long-form television.

On Episode 84 of The Film ’89 Podcast we return to the bridge of the USS Enterprise as Martin Kessler and John Arminio give their in-depth and spoiler-filled analysis of Season 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Spinning off from Star Trek: Discovery, Strange New Worlds follows the further adventures of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew on a show that makes a welcome return to the more episodic storytelling format of classic Trek shows. Martin and John are veritable Treksperts and bring their usual expertise and passion to their overview of what has been an extremely well received first season of the latest entry in the vast Star Trek universe.

On Episode 83 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, filmmaker, podcaster and master cinephile, Martin Kessler returns to discuss the latest entry in the long running Predator series, Prey, a prequel set in 1719 America as a young Comanche woman faces off against a more primitive, but still deadly version of the alien hunter seen in previous films. Martin is a huge fan of the original 1987 film and its 1990 sequel having discussed the entire series on a previous episode of Film ‘89. So join Skye and Martin as they give their spoiler filled verdict on Prey, available now on Hulu & Disney+.

On Episode 82 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye have the high ground as they give their spoiler-filled analysis and verdict on the latest Disney+ Star Wars show, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which saw it’s sixth and final episode drop onto the streaming service last week. Will this new show help heal the ever widening rift between opposing factions of the vast and passionate Star Wars fandom, or serve to widen it? Tune in for the usual in-depth analysis from the Film ‘89 Team.

On Episode 81 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Richie and Skye are face to face with a genetically engineered tyrant as former guest host and friend of the Film ‘89 team, Bill Scurry, joins the guys in person to discuss one of their all-time favourite films, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) which celebrates its 40th anniversary the same week this episode was recorded. The guys discuss the making of the second big screen Trek outing following their discussion 3 years ago of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Following production troubles on that film, significant changes were made behind the scenes when the sequel was put into production. The stellar cast including Paul Winfield and Ricardo Montalban, are discussed as is James Horner’s phenomenal score and a near perfect script, elements that come together to make a film held by many as the high point of a franchise that’s been going since 1966.

On Episode 80 of The Film ’89 Podcast, John Arminio and professional film poster artist Tony Stella join Skye to celebrate yet another 40th anniversary. Last episode it was Blade Runner and now it’s another classic from 1982, John Milius’ big screen adaptation of the character made famous in the books of Robert E. Howard, Conan The Barbarian starring titanic screen icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Milius’ film, based on a script by Oliver Stone, is no B-movie sword & sorcery, hack & slash fest. There’s a depth of well executed storytelling at play, coupled with a sparse but perfectly crafted script, all wrapped up with an astonishing, all-time great score from composer Basil Poledouris, and a stellar supporting cast. Join the guys as they throw on their wolf pelts, pick their weapons of choice, and set forth to discover the answer to The Riddle of Steel.

On Episode 79 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by regular guest host, filmmaker Bill Scurry, to discuss Ridley Scott’s seminal science fiction classic, Blade Runner (1982) which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Blade Runner is without doubt one of the most influential films not just within the sci-fi genre, but in any genre. Scott’s film had a troubled production and was something of a failure upon its initial release in June of 1982, but over four decades has seen it revived and rejuvenated and gain a huge following. For a time it attained cult classic status but unlike many films that fail on their initial release only to find appreciation later on, Blade Runner’s following has grown way beyond that of a mere cult film. Easily as influential a motion picture as the likes of Citizen Kane or Star Wars, Blade Runner has left an indelible mark on the landscape of cinema, a masterpiece of visual and technical filmmaking like few others, celebrated here by the Film ‘89 Team as they discuss in-depth the fascinating making of and lasting legacy of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece.

On Episode 78 of The Film ‘89 Podcast we make you an offer you can’t refuse as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather. Joining Steve and Skye are returning guest hosts, Leighton Winstone and Kyle Reardon. The guys discuss the making of this remarkable film and give their usual in-depth analysis of what is without doubt one of the greatest movies of all time.

On Episode 77 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye give their in-depth and spoiler-filled review of director Matt Reeves’ new big screen iteration of one of the comic book world’s most famous characters, Batman, or in this case, The Batman. Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Dano and Andy Serkis, The Batman is garnering considerable acclaim and overwhelmingly positive word of mouth. Now that the dust is starting to settle on this latest big screen outing for The Caped Crusader, will the guys hold it in similar regard and will it be a strong enough film to topple the likes of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy as many people’s favourite version of Batman on film?

On Episode 76 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye & Richie give their in-depth and spoiler-filled review of Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars related Disney+ show, spinning off from Season 2 of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett is written by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni and consists of 7 episodes directed by Robert Rodriguez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dave Filoni among others. Does this new Star Wars show live up to both the high standards set by The Mandalorian and the huge fan expectation for a show centred around one of Star Wars’ most popular characters?

For the 75th episode of The Film ’89 Podcast, which also happens to be the podcast’s 4 year anniversary, we give you a suitably special episode which celebrates one of the Film ’89 team’s all-time favourite films, George Lucas’ Star Wars from 1977. Join Richie, Neil and Skye as they celebrate Star Wars’s upcoming 45th anniversary and discuss what this monumental film means to them. Star Wars was a film that not only smashed box office records but one that would redefine the landscape of cinema forever. It ushered in an era of blockbuster movies and came at a time when the world needed a new form of escapist fantasy entertainment on the big screen. It also brought with it a level of technical expertise seldom seen before with its groundbreaking special visual effects, sound design, John Williams’ unforgettable score and so much more. The guys also discuss the film’s influence on popular culture and the hugely lucrative merchandising deal that Lucas secured, plus they also posit the question, “is Star Wars the most important film ever made?” This is the perfect companion piece to our 2020 celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back and an episode of Film '89 that Star Wars fans of all ages won’t want to miss.

On Episode 74 of The Film ’89 Podcast, Richie, Neil & Skye give their in-depth, spoiler-filled analysis and verdict of a film that’s tearing up the global box office and smashing records, Sony Pictures’ & Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rarely has a film been filled with such brave and bold creative narrative choices and shocking twists and turns, so we urge you to see the film before listening as the guys discuss all major plot elements, many that you won’t want spoiled if you haven’t already seen it. Go see the film then tune in for the usual quality discussion from your friendly neighbourhood cinephiles, The Film ’89 team.

Episode 73 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is one of the bigs ones, another film struck off our bucket list of films to cover on Film ‘89 and currently one of the three most requested films by you, our listeners. Those three films are Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and on this Cave Troll sized episode, Richard and Skye are joined by returning guest hosts, filmmakers Bill Scurry and Adam Rackoff, to embark upon an epic journey into Middle Earth as they give their in-depth analysis of the first part of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary fantasy book, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. For the film’s 20th anniversary, this fellowship of four will discuss the making of the film, it’s incredible ensemble cast and the assembly of a creative crew like no other ever seen in the history of filmmaking. The Fellowship of the Ring, along with it’s two sequels, would go on to become the most critically acclaimed film trilogy of all time and a huge commercial success. Join us for the first part of this epic, three part journey exploring one of the true masterpieces of modern filmmaking and the pinnacle of the fantasy genre.

On Episode 72 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by filmmaker, podcaster and writer on the subject of film and one of Film ‘89’s most revered recurring guest hosts, the venerable Mr Bill Scurry, to discuss one of Bill’s favourite films and it’s newly released remake. They’ll be giving their in-depth and spoiler filled analysis of director Denis Villeneuve’s latest epic cinematic undertaking, his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary science fiction tale, Dune, or to be more precise, the first part of Villeneuve’s adaptation. They’ll also be discussing David Lynch’s cult classic 1984 film adaptation of Dune in an episode that sci-fi fans won’t want to miss.

Episode 71 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is our 2021 Halloween Special. Joining Steve and Skye and hailing all the way from Southern California is film writer, podcaster and quite fittingly for this episode, horror aficionado, Alexandria Daniels. This trio of horror film fans will be giving you their in-depth and spoiler-filled analysis of the second film in director David Gordon Green’s Halloween revival trilogy that began in 2018 with Halloween and continues now with the recently released Halloween Kills. As well as a review of the new film, they’ll be discussing John Carpenter’s classic 1978 original and it’s many sequels. They’ll also be answering some of your horror themed listener questions in this jam-packed spooktacular episode of The Film ‘89 Podcast.

On Episode 70 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by returning co-hosts Steven Saunders, host and producer of The Film Connection podcast, and podcasting veteran, Dave Eaves. The assembled team are tackling one of the most important films ever made and one hailed by many critics as the greatest ever made, Orson Welles’ astonishing directorial debut, Citizen Kane, which this year celebrates its 80th anniversary. The guys discuss the film’s enigmatic director/star who at just 24 years old, managed to alter the landscape of cinema forever. Citizen Kane is a film ripe for endless analysis and that’s exactly what you’ll get in this study of a film that’s as important a film as any that will ever be discussed on Film ‘89.

Episode 69 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is one that we’ve been eagerly waiting to bring you since the podcast began. 45 years ago, director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader brought to the big screen a film that would epitomise that particular decade’s penchant for gritty and often unflinchingly bleak looks at society’s grimy underbelly. The film in question is Taxi Driver, and Robert De Niro’s remarkable performance as Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle is a chilling character study, a statement on the fallout of that most controversial of conflicts and also a study of one man’s failing mental health amidst a city where crime and vice are ubiquitous. Taxi Driver is unquestionably bleak but also remarkably beautiful due in no small part to some stunning cinematography by Michael Chapman and a frankly phenomenal final score from legendary composer Bernard Herrmann that helps elevate this already masterful film to one of mythic status. Taxi Driver isn’t an easy watch and tackles some disturbing and difficult themes but it’s also a film that remains ominously optimistic and is endlessly rewarding. Join Steve, Skye and returning guest host Leighton Winstone as they give their in-depth analysis of one of the crowning achievements of ‘70s cinema and an all-time classic from arguably the world’s greatest living filmmaker.

Episode 68 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is a double sized rundown of not one, but two of Marvel’s latest properties as Neil, Skye & Richie give their in-depth and spoiler-filled reviews of Season 1 of Loki on Disney+ and Marvel Studios’ latest and much delayed theatrical release, Black Widow.

On Episode 67 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye are joined by one of their favourite co-hosts from episodes past, filmmaker, film commentator and co-host of the brilliant I Don’t Get It Podcast, the venerable Mr Bill Scurry who makes his long overdue return to Film ‘89.As they’re still without the cinema as a means of film nourishment, the guys are aiming their sights at Netflix’s latest big offering, Zack Snyder’s zombie action film, Army of the Dead, starring Dave Bautista as Scott Ward, who, following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, leads a group of mercenaries on a heist to recover £200 million from a hotel casino vault before the US government level the walled off city with a tactical nuke. The guys give their spoiler-filled, in-depth analysis of the second of two big Zack Snyder films in 2021. Is Army of the Dead a worthy addition to the already vast horde of zombie films, television shows and video games we’ve been besieged by these last two decades or so, or is it a shuffling corpse that brings nothing new to the zombie sub-genre? As well as Army of the Dead, the guys discuss Snyder’s directorial career, the new type of delivery method of films that’s currently filling in for cinema’s absence and lots more besides.

On Episode 66 of The Film ’89 Podcast, Neil, Richie & Skye discuss Marvel Studios’ second series for Disney+, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, starring Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Daniel Bruhl, Emily VanCamp and a host of familiar and new faces as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes deal with life in a world without Captain America. As well as discussing all aspects of this new show, the guys go further back into the MCU to give some long-overdue attention to a film that’s a key influence on this latest Marvel show and a firm favourite amongst the Film ’89 Team, 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

On Episode 65 of The Film ’89 Podcast, Neil, Richie and Skye discuss a film that’s been miraculously resurrected from the realms of mediocrity and given a new lease of life. That film is of course 2017’s Justice League which, through a combination of ancient alien technology, dark magic and unprecedented fan pressure, has been brought back to life, rejuvenated in a new form, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The guys give their usual in-depth take on not just the new cut of the film but also the controversy surrounding the the original theatrical version and the remarkable set of circumstances that led to Zack Snyder being given the opportunity to assemble the film as he originally intended.

On Episode 64 of The Film ’89 Podcast, Richie, Skye & Neil head to Westview, New Jersey to investigate the strange goings on in Marvel Studio’s first series for Disney+, WandaVision, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. The guys go in-depth in their analysis of this hugely successful foray into serialised television for Marvel Studios as the long-running franchise is taken into new territory, paving the way for the much anticipated slate of Marvel shows set to follow in its wake.

On Episode 63 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Haydn and Skye are joined by a very special guest host to discuss a double bill of two of their favourite films which share strong connective elements. Sofia Coppola won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Lost in Translation (2003) which was loosely inspired by her relationship with her then-husband Spike Jonze. Ten years later, Spike Jonze would win the same award for Her (2013), another film about relationships and loneliness, both films starring Scarlett Johansson.Joining Haydn and Skye is a very special guest host hailing all the way from California, the wonderful Becky D’Anna. Becky has worked in the film industry for over two decades and was integral to event marketing campaigns ranging from the X-Men franchise at Twentieth Century Fox to the Spider-Man franchise at Sony Pictures. She most recently worked on the Oscar-winning animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and the global box office hit, Jumanji: The Next Level. When not at Sony Becky loves sharing her film knowledge by writing and podcasting about her favourite movies, TV shows, and filmmakers, from things like The Terminator franchise, to Star Trek, the films of Albert Brooks and the great Ingmar Bergman. In addition, she’s a guest instructor on film history and appreciation and most recently taught a lecture on the films of Ingmar Bergman at UC Riverside. Moreover she’s as knowledgeable and passionate a cinephile as you could ever hope to find and the perfect guest with whom to discuss these two modern masterpieces of cinema.

Episode 62 of The Film ’89 Podcast straddles both 2020 and 2021 like some bronze colossus and the big point of discussion this episode is our spoiler-filled review of director Patty Jenkins’ much delayed sequel to her smash hit 2017 entry into Warner Bros’ DCEU, Wonder Woman, a film that grossed a whopping $822 million worldwide. That film is of course Wonder Woman 1984, so join Neil & Skye as they give you their in-depth review as well as a look ahead to what 2021 might have in store for both Film ’89 and the film industry in general.

On Episode 61 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye are once again joined by their curmudgeonly mutual friend and fellow life-long Star Wars enthusiast, Jim Cottle, to give their spoiler-filled review of the second season of Lucasfilm/Disney’s The Mandalorian. The first season was a hit with the guys earning a collective score of 9/10 back on Episode 41. Show creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have pulled out all the stops in a second season that has had Star Wars fandom ablaze with discussion. Also the guys discuss the plethora of forthcoming content recently unveiled by Disney in their Investor Announcement event.

On Episode 60 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by two guest hosts who are both making their debut on the podcast. The first is fellow Welshman Leighton Winstone, who, as well as having written countless pieces for the site is a frequent co-host on The Undead Wookie Podcast.Our second guest is certainly not Welsh. Hailing all the way from the US of A, we’re very glad to be joined by a longtime friend of Film ‘89, filmmaker and fellow hardcore cinephile, Kyle Reardon. This episode the guys will be discussing not one but two of the all-time great crime dramas from one of the all-time great directors, Martin Scorsese. Those films are Goodfellas (1990) and it’s pseudo-spiritual sequel Casino (1995). They offer their insight into and detailed analysis of two films that are regarded by many as the pinnacle of the crime drama genre and two of the most authentic depictions of mobster life ever committed to the big screen.

The Film ’89 Podcast’s dynamic duo of comic book experts, Haydn Spurrell and John Arminio, return to discuss Watchmen, the beloved comic book creation of legendary writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colourist John Higgins. First published by DC Comics in September 1986, ending in October 1987, the 12 issue maxi-series was later collected as a single volume and would go on to become regarded as one of the all-time great comic book series’. It spawned follow-up series’ in comic form as well as prequels and in 2009 director Zack Snyder brought the story to the big screen, something many had previously thought impossible. In 2019 HBO launched the 9 episode Watchmen TV series, set 34 years after the original story, it was met with critical acclaim winning 11 Emmys. Haydn and John examine the themes of Moore’s original masterwork and give their appraisal of the various iterations of Watchmen that followed in its wake.

In Episode 58 of The Film ’89 Podcast, one of the Film ’89 writing team, Steven Saunders, makes his long-overdue debut on the Podcast. Steven is a lifelong cinephile and host of his own podcast, The Film Connection, and for this very special episode, he was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview actor Joey Cramer, star of the hit 1986 Disney sci-fi film, Flight of the Navigator. Joey is the subject of a new documentary from writer/director Lisa Downs, Life After the Navigator, that’s both a loving retrospective of Flight of the Navigator but also a biography of Joey’s life. A tale of absent fathers, substance addiction leading to criminality, and eventually incarceration, it’s also a tale of hope and redemption. Joey gives a fascinating and frank interview, discussing both his experience working on Flight of the Navigator and his remarkable life afterwards.

Episode 57 of The Film ’89 Podcast is ready to deliver a roundhouse kick to 2020 and propel you back to a better time, 1984 in fact and the cult classic martial arts drama, The Karate Kid. Rocky director John G. Avildsen’s beloved film stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove and features an Oscar nominated turn from Pat Morita as the wise sensei, Mr Miyagi. It’s a firm favourite amongst the Film ’89 Team and Richie and Neil go all in on this deep dive analysis of The Karate Kid. Also discussed are the numerous sequels, the 2010 reboot, and the recent TV show, Cobra Kai, which reunites the stars of the original film to tremendous success. So finish trimming that Bonsai tree, waxing that car and painting that fence before you tie on that headband and meditate with your Film ’89 friends on this most beloved of ‘80s martial arts films.

On the 56th episode of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Haydn & Skye take a ghoulish trip to the haunted coastal town of Antonio Bay as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter’s tale of ghostly revenge, The Fog. Carpenter is a firm favourite director amongst the Film ‘89 team and following on from one of our earliest episodes where Carpenter’s seminal sci-fi/horror classic, The Thing was given the Film ‘89 treatment, this time we look at his 1980 cult classic, The Fog, a ghost story that underwent considerable post-production re-shooting after Carpenter felt that it lacked the requisite scares compared to its contemporaries. Carpenter and his producing/writing partner Debra Hill had a lot of expectation upon them to follow-up their 1978 smash-hit, Halloween, a film that was one of the most profitable films of all time and had firmly cemented Carpenter as a director to watch. The Fog is the perfect film for Halloween season, a classic campfire tale of revenge that features a cast that includes both Hollywood royalty and many recurring faces from Carpenter’s filmography.

On Episode 55 of The Film ’89 Podcast we’ve handed the reigns to one of our favourite guest-hosts from past episodes, Mr Jacob Rivera. As well as being a valued writer for film89.co.uk, Jacob’s a seasoned podcaster and having previously joined us for our Fight Club episode amongst others, Jacob returns to the work of director David Fincher as he and his guest-host celebrate the tenth anniversary of Fincher’s brilliant 2010 film, The Social Network. This hugely acclaimed film charts the genesis of social media giant Facebook and the legal wranglings that surrounded its early years and the possibly questionable business tactics of one of its founders, Mark Zuckerberg. Jacob is joined by another seasoned podcaster and writer on the subject of film, someone who’s been a valued friend of Film ’89 since we began, the wonderful Leanne Kubicz. Leanne brings her extensive knowledge of the work of Fincher to an episode that we’re sure our listeners will love as she and Jacob give their in-depth analysis of a film that’s earned an ever growing following and remains one of Fincher’s best works.

Episode 54 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is unique in that it’s presented in reverse in honour of our main review, Christopher Nolan’s latest mind-bending, time-inverted action/science- fiction film, Tenet. So starting off will be a raft of listener questions as Neil and Skye dig deep into the Film ‘89 mailbag to answer your film and television related queries. Then for our spoiler-filled review, the guys will be going in-depth to give their detailed breakdown of the film that’s marked their long awaited return to the cinema after months of lockdown. So check your watches and sit back for yet another time themed discussion with the Film ‘89 team. Index:Listener Questions - 0:02:50Main Review - Tenet - 0:40:54

Synchronise your watches Film ‘89ers because in Episode 53, Richie and Skye (and their very special guest co-host) will be going in-depth as they discuss one of the all-time great movie trilogies, Back to the Future from 1985 and it’s two sequels filmed back to back and released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. They’ll be discussing the behind the scenes production of these amazing films as they always do when they cover the classics but also want to give our listeners their very personal analysis of what makes these films so special. But they’re not alone in this celebration of Back to the Future because they’re joined from New York by a very special guest. He’s a filmmaker, an artist, and is the producing partner of none other than actor Matthew Modine. He’s a rampant cinephile and has been a very good friend of ours since before Film ‘89 began, Mr Adam Rackoff. So sit back, rest your feet on your Hoverboard and enjoy this three hour celebration of the 35th anniversary of Back to the Future.

Episode 52 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is one the big ones for us, one of those special films that’s been on our dream list of films to cover since the podcast was just a pipe dream. That film is of course Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film, Jaws, and to coincide with the film’s 45th anniversary, we’re giving you, our loyal listeners, something which as far as we’re aware has never been done before, a Jaws audio commentary. It’s certainly not something that’s been done on Laserdisc, DVD or Blu-Ray. Now this is a special episode not just because Jaws is one of our all-time favourite films, but this is also the single most requested episode by you, our good listeners, and when we ran a poll in May 2018 for nominations for films to receive a Film ‘89 audio commentary, Jaws was the most requested film and has remained the film our listeners most want us to cover. So, you can either listen to us talk for 124 minutes about Jaws as you would a regular podcast episode or, for added enjoyment, you can pop in your Jaws DVD, Blu-Ray or put on your digital copy to watch along with us as Neil and Skye give their in-depth analysis of all aspects of this seminal film.

In Episode 51 of the Film ’89 Podcast, Haydn is joined by returning co-host John Arminio of Comix Connection to discuss the impact of two of the most revered animated superhero films ever made. Separated by 25 years, 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse have considerable stylistic differences but what they have in common is that both are brilliant adaptations of their respective characters. One film portrays the dark and brooding Gotham City, the other a bright and colourful New York City but both films give proper dues to the heart of their respective characters and are both brilliantly written films with stellar vocal performances. Haydn and John go in-depth in this loving retrospective analysis of these two landmark animated comic book adaptations.*Editor’s Note:There was an unforeseen technical issue during the recording of this episode that rendered a significant portion of John’s audio unusable. Every effort was made to restore it to an acceptable level but we apologise for the general dip in sound quality on this episode and can assure you that any Gremlins have since been suitably expunged from John’s recording equipment.