The Prestige

Rob and Sam carry on with the ALIEN franchise, and look at James Cameron’s sequel. We cover the ways in which reproduction is explored in this film, its relationship with the first movie, the ways in which different portrayals of femininity are managed, and its comments on the sexual politics of fairy-tales. This Week’s Watching HUMANS (2015—): Sam Vincent, Emily Berrington, Gemma Chan SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960): Ken Annakin, John Mills, Dorothy McGuire Recommendations INTERSTELLAR (2014): Christopher Nolan, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997): Paul Verhoeven, Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer ROBOCOP (1987): Paul Verhoeven, Peter Weller, Nancy Allen CHERRY FALLS (2000): Geoffrey Wright, Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr Footnotes There’s lots on gender to explore with this week’s episode. There’s the Bechdel-Wallace Test, which we didn’t discuss — but which this film passes with flying colours. (And here’s the website of Alison Bechdel, whose work popularised the concept) For more on gender in fairy-tales, see here and here. On the film itself, there’s more here, including some interesting stuff on a potential earlier version of the film. Finally, this is a really interesting piece about a completely different angle on the movie.

Sam and Rob emerge from a terrifying, tense, body-horror blood-bath into something completely diff—oh. Still, it’s something a whole lot better than last week! We talk about gender politics, camerawork and musical changes, and why this isn’t really a science fiction film. Sort of. This Week’s Watching CRITICAL ROLE (2015—): Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey SUITS (2011—): Doug Liman, Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams Recommendations THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974): Tobe Hooper, Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain EVENT HORIZON (1997): Paul Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill ALONG CAME A SPIDER (2001): Lee Tamahori, Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter FROM HELL (2001): the Hughes brothers, Johnny Depp, Heather Graham Footnotes Read more about Felicia Day — whose 'Geek & Sundry' network is behind Rob’s viewing choice this week — here. Sam mentions the conversation between Harry Dean Stanton and Ridley Scott about Ten Little Indians, which you can find here. The Alien wiki is good, and has quite a lot on the sexual imagery of the film that Rob mentioned towards the end of today’s episode. He talked briefly about Giger, too, whose concept art for the film is frankly terrifying. Finally, as a part of Sam’s mini discourse on the movie’s racial politics, he referred to his own article, which talks about ‘blaxploitation’ and racial stereotypes in the context of pop culture.

We conclude our look at the EVIL DEAD franchise — and emerge, blinking, out the other side of Hallowe’en horror season — with Fede Álvarez’s 2013 remake/redux/re-boot. We discuss all these terms, have a think about the way in which Raimi and Álvarez revisit supernatural memes, and consider why this film is more interesting than good. This Week’s Watching DR STRANGE (2016): Scott Derrickson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor ASH VS EVIL DEAD (2015—): Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago Recommendations THE ASCENT (2010): Steven James Creazzo, Josie Davis, William McNamara SPRING (2014): Justin Benson, Lou Taylor Pucci, Nadia Hilker OLDBOY (2003):* Park Chan-Wook, Choi Min-Sik, Yoo Ji-Tae SAW (2004): James Wan, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover Footnotes First, this site is good on the ASH VS EVIL DEAD TV series. Then, here’s some background on meme theory and redux. This is an interesting discussion of the status of the film in the context of Raimi’s originals. Here are some references to the originals, some of which we mentioned. Finally, here’s the obligatory Chekov’s gun link (though some contributors have a hard time thinking of CG moments).

The ‘Evil Dead’ franchise continues, but not after Rob mourns the passing of a cultural touchstone from our screens. Then things take a lighter turn: the usual disagreements, versions of Sam Raimi’s vision, and nostalgia for the early days of stop motion. This Week’s Watching THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF (2010–): Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, Mary Berry RED (2010): Robert Schwentke, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman Recommendations SHAWN OF THE DEAD (2004): Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003): Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981): Desmond Davis, Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier GALAVANT (2015—16): Dan Fogelman, Joshua Sasse, Timothy Omundson Footnotes Here’s a reminder of that Edgar Wright video. (And, while we’re on the subject of action comedy, RED makes it to a respectable number 7 on this list.) Again, the fan wiki for this film is interesting, and there are a few more good bits of trivia here. Finally, after Rob mentions him in his recommendations, here’s a fun list of some of the creations of the late Ray Harryhausen.

It’s a ‘month of scare’ special! Hot on the heels of our discussion of the first film in the franchise, we take a look at the 1987 sequel: EVIL DEAD II. Sam and Rob are in definite agreement about the film itself (if not a certain other director), and we talk about innovative cinematography, Sam Raimi’s knowledge of film, and — strangely enough — comic subtlety. This Week’s Watching METROPOLIS (1927): Fritz Lang, Alfred Abel, Gustav Frölich PARKS AND RECREATION (2009—15): Greg Daniels, Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones Recommendations THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012): Drew Goddard, Joss Whedon, Kristen Connolly SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010): Edgar Wright, Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead THE EXORCIST (1973): William Friedkin, Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990): Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder Footnotes Not many references this week, but these are all worth diving into (slash descending into an internet-hole over). The IMDB page for the film has an interestingly long list of filmic connections, pretty much none of which we mention (though we did talk about a fair few others). The fan page also has some interesting filming and post-production references, like the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET/HILLS HAVE EYES/JAWS link at the end. Finally, Rob mentions the various videos about Edgar Wright’s camerawork and visual comedy; this is a great one, by the same bloke Sam mentioned when talking about Jackie Chan the other week.

We kick off this year’s Hallowe’en festivities — a week to go! — with a classic horror franchise, starting with Sam Raimi’s 1981 classic THE EVIL DEAD. Rob and Sam discuss innovative cinematography and narrative, take a rather long diversion on gender politics in film, and talk about hubris and the ‘rules' of horror cinema. STAY TUNED FOR MORE HORROR GOODNESS, LATER TODAY. As you can tell from the apostrophe, Sam wrote this. Except don’t, because this isn’t twentieth-century radio. This Week’s Watching DESIGNATED SURVIVOR (2016—): David Guggenheim, Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone PADDINGTON (2014): Paul King, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins Recommendations THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999): Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez, Heather Donahue NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968): George A. Romero, Judith O’Dea, Duane Jones DELIVERANCE (1972): John Boorman, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978): George A. Romero, David Emge, Ken Foree HELLRAISER (1987): Clive Barker, Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins Footnotes Sam mentions one of our favourite dramatic touchstones, Chekov’s gun. This article provides an interesting overview of gender in cinema in the 1970s and 80s; although Molly Haskell’s book first came out in 1974, the second edition covers the period in question here. This is a good list of horror ‘rules’, and Rob mentions H.P. Lovecraft in the course of his discussion of these.

This week, we conclude our focus on the Matrix franchise with the Wachowskis’ 2003 conclusion to the trilogy. We talk about exile, decisions, sympathy versus empathy, and what the series boils down to. This Week’s Watching LUKE CAGE (2016): Cheo Hodari Coker, Mike Colter, Mahershala Ali THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY — PART 2 (2015): Francis Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING (2016): Tom Tykwer, Tom Hanks, Alexander Black Recommendations CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011): Joe Johnston, Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968): Stanley Kubrick, Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985): George Miller, Mel Gibson, Tina Turner CITY OF EMBER (2008): Gil Kenan, Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway Footnotes (Audio issues abound this week, I'm afraid: there are gremlins on Sam's line, and then there's no audio clip of the film. Never mind. YouTube'll sort you out.) For more on the frankly bizarre reaction to LUKE CAGE as ''''racist'''' (there aren’t enough quotation marks in the world), see here. Covering what Sam mentions at the start of the episode, the website involving changed movie names and funny cartoons is here and the Jackie Chan video is here. The latter is well worth a watch for anyone interested in fight choreography, or even just in acting/directing more generally. Read more on ‘temet nosce’ here. Finally, the reference to the blinding of Neo opening up a whole world of allusion to Greek mythology is best explained by this. (And there’s the sex-changing aspect of this character, which is a whole different kettle of fish…but this episode was long enough without that particular rabbit hole! One last MATRIX reference for you, there.)

We continue our forays into the world of the Matrix, with the Wachowskis’ 2003 sequel. The reviews are unsurprisingly different, and we then get into some interesting discussions of viruses, narrative bloat, how much choice is involved in the narration (and indeed consumption) of the film, and why this movie becomes about love of different kinds (fatherhood has turned Rob into the sentimental type). This Week’s Watching ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN (2013–): Anthony Bourdain TRAVEL MAN (2015–): Richard Ayoade SICARIO (2015): Denis Villeneuve, Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro Recommendations IRRÉVERSIBLE (2002): Gaspar Noé, Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassell JUPITER ASCENDING (2015): Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Channing Tatum V FOR VENDETTA (2006): James McTeigue, the Wachowskis, Natalie Portman JOHNNY MNEMONIC (1995): Robert Longo, Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren Footnotes The Wachowskis (see last week’s footnotes for a discussion of whether or not they were brothers at the time of these early films…) share their thoughts on the choices made by an audience here. Sam was about to go off on one about the dystopian depictions of Zion, Hieronymus Bosch, and Fritz Lang’s 1927 film METROPOLIS, before we had a recording malfunction; you can either offer thanks for the fact everyone was spared this, or read more here and here. There are some contributions to discussions on some of the themes of this week’s episode, of varying quality, here and here. Finally, names: more on 'Merovingian', ‘Persephone’ and ‘Morpheus’.

The band’s back together…After last week’s interlude, franchise season continues with the Wachowskis’ 1999 movie THE MATRIX. Both Rob and Sam have a different take on this film than their teenaged selves; we talk technical experiences, cinematic turning-points, and dystopian worlds. This Week's Viewing ROLLERBALL (1975): Norman Jewison, James Caan, John Houseman MEMENTO (2000): Christopher Nolan, Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–): Joss Whedon, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (2001): Chris Columbus, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint RECOMMENDATIONS AVATAR (2009): James Cameron, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana BOUND (1996): the Wachowskis, Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995): Mamoru Oshii, Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ōtsuka FIGHT CLUB (1999): David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton FOOTNOTES First of all, Sam would like to make it clear that any mention of the Wachowskis as 'brothers' on his part was a reference to the pre-transition state in which they lived while the first film was being shot. For more on their status as Hollywood's first openly transgender directors, see here (number 2) and here. Sam starts the episode by mentioning a stunning comic about film history and technology (it’s a whole lot better than that makes it sound), Edward Ross’s Filmish (2015). The Wachowski Sisters have stated their indebtedness to Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacres et simulation (1981) — this isn’t just Sam drawing unfounded academic conclusions; Neo actually uses a copy of the book as a hiding-place at the beginning of the film, and you can read about the directors insistence that all the actors familiarised themselves with the work, here. If it really tickles your fancy, here’s the original. This article has an explanation of the ‘bullet time’ effect we discuss. And finally, this is a thorough analysis, including references to many interesting aspects of the film.

This week, Rob’s on fathering duties, so Sam is joined by Tiernan Douieb (from the ‘Partly Political Broadcast’ podcast) and Mat Wandless (‘The Longest Pleasure’). We have a chat about a film released twenty-one years ago this week: David Fincher’s SE7EN. What have been its influences in pop culture? From where has it drawn inspiration? Do we miss having someone on the podcast who’s actually seen some films? (Yes, definitely. Come back, Rob!) Footnotes Here’s a list of the films/tv mentioned this week (^deep breath^): THE BIG SLEEP (1946) SAW I—VII (2004–10) LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN (2009) LETHAL WEAPON (1987) SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) CRIMSON TIDE (1995) TERMINATOR 2 (1991) SIN CITY (2005) CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER (2014) CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) FARGO (1996) THE GODFATHER (1972) COMMUNITY (2009–15) STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE (1977) RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) HOUSE OF CARDS (2013—) THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995) GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992) SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (1994) AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999) You can find and download Mat’s podcast here (do, it’s really good — particularly the musical interludes...). He’s on Twitter as @TLPPodcast or @mojopriest. Tiernan’s similarly excellent podcast is here. He’s @ParPolBro or @TiernanDouieb on Twitter. And you can download his latest stand-up show at his website; either fall on your keyboard and hope you hit the right vowels, or go here.

The last in the Bourne franchise (for now, at least) is this week’s topic. A couple of epic rants are followed by some more reasoned discussion about why films get made in the way they do, what makes a movie ‘mainstream’ — and why this isn’t good for the Bourne films. This Week’s Watching HOOK (1991): Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams PRISON BREAK (2005–09): Bobby Roth, Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller Recommendations SALT (2010): Phillip Noyce, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Liev Schreiber THE DANISH GIRL (2015): Tom Hooper, Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander LA HAINE (1995): Mathieu Kassovitz, Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé ELEMENTARY (2012–): Robert Doherty, Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu Footnotes The interview in which Steven Spielberg explains that he is interested in going back to see if there’s anything he actually likes about HOOK is here (the relevant part starts about 19’20”). The review of JASON BOURNE that Sam first mentions, referring to Damon’s character as both a quasi-superhero and a psychological mess, is here. And this is the second review, which describes the plot of the movie as basically an extended HR exercise. Finally, here’s the CGP Grey video that’s the source of Sam’s Las Vegas trivia.

We move onto the fourth in the Bourne franchise, 2012’s LEGACY. It’s one of those fun episodes where we have…differing opinions on the film, but we come together for discussions of Bourne films more generally, more on franchises, and why certain scenes left us wanting more. (This is Sam's first go at editing and uploading [ooh, the power] due to obvious recent Maythorne developments; go easy on him.) This Week’s Watching SUICIDE SQUAD (2016): David Ayer, Will Smith, Jared Leto APEX (1994): Philip J. Roth, Richard Keats, Mitchell Cox Recommendations MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL (2011): Brad Bird, Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner ABOUT A BOY (2002): Chris Weltz, Nick Hornby, Hugh Grant MAGNOLIA (1999): Paul Thomas Anderson, Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise PACIFIC RIM (2013): Guillermo del Toro, Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba Footnotes First of all, the overwhelming maleness of the films we mentioned needs addressing; 0 out of 18 names being female is pretty poor. Our fault, or that of Hollywood? Hmmm. This is a good review, encompassing both our perspectives on LEGACY: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/09/the-bourne-legacy-review. This article has some intriguing information on the relationship between Greengrass and Gilroy (and Damon), dating from the release of the fourth film: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/matt-damon-bourne-identity-tony-gilroy-275137. And finally, here’s some good news on the depiction of women in films, which we mention at the end of the episode: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/movies/fall-arts-preview-representation-of-female-characters-in-movies-is-improving.html?_r=0.

This week, it’s the third in the Bourne franchise, and Paul Greengrass is back in the saddle for the 2007 film. Sam is distracted by a roomful of boxes, but Rob keeps things on track with discussions of shifts in narrative tone, how this is a very different movie from the first one, and why the ending could have been edited better. This Week’s Watching MONEYBALL (2015): Bennett Miller, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill STRANGER THINGS (2016): Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Winona Ryder Recommendations THE WORLD’S END (2013): Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost SUCKER PUNCH (2011): Zack Snyder, Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens DAREDEVIL (2015–): Drew Goddard, Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio FACE/OFF (1997): John Woo, John Travolta, Nicholas Cage Footnotes This book has a great chapter on ULTIMATUM, and connections with Alfred Hitchcock. It makes a great point about Greengrass’s use of CCTV at the start of the film, which we entirely failed to mention. Rob muses on whether it’s time to retire the ‘American officialdom = The Bad Guys’ trope; this site has a list of films where Americans really are the enemy. Finally, this interview has Zack Snyder talking about the ending of BvS.

Join Sam and Rob for a discussion of the next Bourne instalment: Paul Greengrass’s 2004 movie. We spend a while thinking about film technology (colour, tone, and use of cameras), before we think more about what makes a franchise, and end with some ideas about why this JB is the interestingly human face of black-ops spying. This Week’s Watching THE BFG (2016): Steven Spielberg, Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill EDDIE THE EAGLE (2016): Dexter Fletcher, Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman DOPE (2015): Rick Famuyiwa, Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori Recommendations THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (2011): George Nolfi, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2013): Paul Greengrass, Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi PROOF OF LIFE (2000): Taylor Hackford, Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe PLEASANTVILLE (1998): Gary Ross, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels

This week we embark on a new franchise. Is Doug Liman’s 2002 film a cultural game-changer, a weirdly paced mish-mash, a refreshing dose of reality, or all three? This Week’s Watching MR ROBOT, Season 2 (2016): Sam Esmail, Rami Malek, Carly Chaikin SHERLOCK, Season 1 (2010): Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman THOR (2011): Kenneth Branagh, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman Recommendations MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (1996): Brian De Palma, Tom Cruise, Jon Voigt BEFORE SUNRISE (1995): Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy RUN LOLA RUN (1998): Tom Tykwer, Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu SWINGERS (1996): Doug Liman, Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn Footnotes We talked a lot about the James Bond/Austin Powers link, which is a fairly obvious one; this link, though, has a comprehensive list of just how many pastiches there were in the AP films. Sam mentioned PTSD briefly when talking about SHERLOCK, and it also appears in BOURNE (towards the end, and in the later films); read more here and here. Finally, if you’re interested in soundscapes and film, then this is a good resource.

Brace yourselves: it’s time for the fourth Indy film. We talk about fun heist-themed romps, moody art-house montages, and classic comedy capering; sadly, that’s in the first five — blissfully CRYSTAL SKULL-free — minutes. Oh dear. This Week’s Watching BETTER OFF DEAD (1985): Savage Steve Holland, John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers KOYAANISQUATSI (1982): Godfrey Reggio, Ron Fricke, Philip Glass NOW YOU SEE ME (2013): Louis Leterrier, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo Recommendations HOLES (2003): Andrew Davis, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voigt DEATH BECOMES HER (1992): Robert Zemeckis, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis ALIEN (1979): Ridley Scott, Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver BABEL (2006): Alejandro González Iñárritu, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett Footnotes We mentioned Eisenstein again: check out STRIKE (1925) and BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (1925), among many others. There’s a good article on Steven Spielberg and aliens, here. And there’s more on a concept that Rob mentioned in passing, but that we didn’t have time to go over, here. Finally, an update on IJV (please don’t bring Ford back).

Round 3 of Indiana Jones, and we’re back on well-loved solid ground. One of us talks about myth and narrative structure, and the other talks about cinematic nuts-and-bolts — surprise! It’s not the way round you think… This Week’s Watching: THE WEST WING (1999—2006): Aaron Sorkin, Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly HART OF DIXIE (2011—15): Leila Gerstein, Rachel Bilson, Jaime King ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE (2016): Mandie Fletcher, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley Recommendations: JAWS (1975): Steven Spielberg, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw THE ROCK (1996): Michael Bay, Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015): Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance ROLLERBALL (1975): Norman Jewison, James Caan, John Houseman

This week, it’s the second instalment in our Indiana Jones series. In the style of one of this week’s recommendations, it’s a bit of a tussle: dubious politics versus excellent cinematography; inexcusable racism versus comprehensible pop culture references. Fight! This week’s watching: INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (2016): Roland Emmerich, Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum SPOTLIGHT (2015): Tom McCarthy, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014): James Gunn, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana Recommendations: DUEL (1971): Stephen Speilberg, Richard Matheson, Dennis Weaver STREET FIGHTER (1994): Steven E. de Souza, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raúl Juliá HELP! (1965): Richard Lester, John Lennon, Paul McCartney FAN (2016): Maneesh Sharma, Aditya Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan

Next on our list of franchises is Steven Spielberg’s ‘Indiana Jones’ films. We discuss adventure, racism, postcolonial revisionist history, and why we like action heroes to be competent enough to succeed — but only just. This Week’s Watching: THE HUNTED (2003): William Friedkin, Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio del Toro LA RUE CASES-NÈGRES (1983): Euzhan Palcy, Garry Cadenat, Darling Légitimus Recommendations: THE BODYGUARD (1992): Mick Jackson, Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston SCROOGED (1988): Richard Donner, Bill Murray, Karen Allen ROMANCING THE STONE (1984): Robert Zemeckis, Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner HOT FUZZ (2007): Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost (Incidentally, 5 out 18 directors and principal actors is the highest proportion of women we’ve had, since I’ve been listing recs here. 28%. Gender representation in the film industry is rubbish…)

This week we complete our first (mini-)franchise of the summer, with the sequel to last week’s cult classic. Sam gets very serious, very quickly, and we have some great discussions about cultural change, playing it safe in cinema, and our old friend nostalgia. Recommendations ¡THREE AMIGOS! (1986): John Landis, Steve Martin, Randy Newman MATINEE (1993): Joe Dante, John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty GHOSTBUSTERS (1984): Ivan Reitman, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE (1978): John Landis, John Belushi, Tim Matheson

Episode 50 is here! (No, we didn’t think so, either.) Join us for a discussion of Rob’s favourite film of all time, the undermining of convention, and early-twentieth-century Russian cinema. (Yes, really!) Recommendations WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954): Michael Curtiz, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye AIRPLANE! (1980): Jim Abrahams, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty TRADING PLACES (1983): John Landis, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007): Julie Taymor, Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess

THE WORLD’S END (2013): Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (2006): Liam Lynch, Jack Black, Kyle Gass BUBBA HO-TEP (2002): Don Coscarelli, Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION! (1984): W.D. Richter, Peter Weller, Ellen Barkin

This week we talk about a 2014 animated superhero-comedy from Don Hall and Chris Williams, BIG HERO 6. Hear us discuss what makes a kids’ film, how we portray real human loss on screen, and why superhero adaptation doesn’t always quite work. Recommendations WRECK-IT RALPH (2012): Rich Moore, John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman SERENITY (2005): Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk INSIDE OUT (2015): Pete Docter, Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith DESPICABLE ME (2010): Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Steve Carell

Join Rob and Sam for a discussion of 2015 Cannes winner Hsiao-Hsien Hou’s THE ASSASSIN, as they talk about depth in cinematography, anti-piracy tactics, and Orientalist approaches to cinema.

This week we continue our throwback to the 90s with the 1991 classic from Jonathan Demme (however you pronounce it). Along the way we talk about butterflies, camerawork, and why Sam needs to have a think about some of the comparisons he uses for personal weirdness… Recommendations HANNIBAL (2001): Julianne Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Ridley Scott PANIC ROOM (2002): Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, David Fincher SE7EN (1995): Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, David Fincher EVOLUTION (2001): David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Ivan Reitman

This week, we go back nearly 20 years (ugh), with GOOD WILL HUNTING: teacher-slash-mentor movies, film-making parallels, and what happens when the colour palette of a film really works.

This week, we turn our attention to the Hughes brothers’ 2010 film THE BOOK OF ELI. After a fairly detailed take on the plot, we step back to look at religious pilgrimage, opera, and sunglasses.

This week we take a look at a recent release, offering you our (complimentary? you decide) thoughts on Zack Snyder’s big 2016 blockbuster BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE.

This week, it’s another Mark Ruffalo film…and, indeed, another David Fincher vehicle…wait: are we getting too predictable?? ZODIAC (2007): movie references, digital filming, and Western-culture-related whimsy.

This week, Rob and Sam talk about the Wes Craven 1996 classic SCREAM: postmodernism, horror movie tropes, and occasions when Hollywood really got it wrong.

Sam redeems himself with this week’s choice: Bennett Miller’s 2014 film FOXCATCHER. After contrasting reviews, we delve into American history, choreography, and different kinds of nostalgia.

Rob brings some sanity to our film choices this week with the excellent BRICK — we talk about film noir, post-war Americana, and why writers create new languages.

This week, Sam did a bad thing. We watched THE LONE RANGER (so you don’t have to) — listen to us talk about racism, history on film, and misplaced slapstick.

This week, Sam and Rob get whimsical. Musings on the human need to preserve nature, to thoughts on what makes a space film ‘iconic’, to considerations of 9/11 film-making: we’ve got it all.

Join Rob and Sam for a discussion of the critically lauded WHIPLASH: abusive relationships, the creation of genius, the adaptation of music history, and film-editing facts galore (yes, that is two lots of trivia: we’re spoiling you, this week).

New year, new episode… Rob and Sam discuss the film event of last year, STAR WARS (EPISODE VII): various types of science fiction, the merits of JJ Abrams, and where the series goes from here.

What could be more appropriate for that post-Christmas, pre-New Year slump? No, it’s not turkey sandwiches AGAIN; it’s our lists of Top 5 Films of 2015. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

We end our festive season with a look at a movie that Rob and Sam see a little differently (mainly just because it confuses one of us): Franz Capra’s 1946 classic IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Hee haw and Merry Christmas!

Rob and Sam get all nostalgic for the late 90s for a change, with the 1999 film GO: sex, drugs, and mistletoe.

The Prestige Christmas season starts with a film that needs no introduction: Rob and Sam discuss the 1990 classic HOME ALONE, family, the spirit of Christmas, and why Wile E. Coyote is an idiot.

Sam and Rob talk about David Robert Mitchell’s 2010 film THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER and what it means to be a teenager, in a rambling discussion that moves from THE SOUND OF MUSIC to LOST IN SPACE and beyond... Ahhh, teenaged years. :)

This week’s light-hearted knockabout comedy (ha) is the 2015 film BEASTS OF NO NATION: Rob and Sam talk about African politics, war, youth, and why HOOK is an underappreciated gem/genuinely terrible*. Delete as applicable.

This week’s episode focuses on the 1979 Lucio Fulci film ZOMBI 2, the zombie/schlock-horror genre, and the Western fear of ‘otherness’ in pop culture.

In today’s (not-so-)small-batch episode, we talk* about the new Bond film, SPECTRE. Rob talks; Sam rants

To kick off our Hallowe’en-themed fright fest, this week’s episode looks at THE BABADOOK (2014) and conveying traumatic experiences — and Sam gets lessons in horror cinema! Films recommended this week: THE OTHERS (2001) CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) LA MAISON ENSORCELEE ’THE WITCH HOUSE’, or ’THE HAUNTED HOTEL'(1907) LE LOCATAIRE DIABOLIQUE example of Georges Méliès short (1909)

This week, in a rather more spoiler-heavy episode than normal, Sam and Rob talk about Ridley Scott’s latest film, THE MARTIAN: with talk of survival against the odds, cross-racial casting, and some typically argumentative recommendations, they basically science the sh*t out of this podcast.

This week, Rob and Sam keep the focus on the representation of truth, but also embrace the topic of mental health — it’s the 1999 adaptation of Susanna Kaysen’s memoir, GIRL, INTERRUPTED.’ ‘Disclaimer: though the two of us have some small experience of a few of the aspects of mental health/illness presented in this film, we’re certainly not medically qualified to talk about it. So a) if this is the sort of thing that you find discussion of troubling then it’s probably an idea to give this one a miss, and b) anything that we say in this episode is going to be focused on the cultural portrayal of mental illness, rather than the mechanics, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness itself.’

Whose truth is valid? Probably not ours. This week’s focus is the 2010 movie THE SOCIAL NETWORK — listen as Sam and Rob delve into friendship, fact, and the intricacies of film editing.

Intrigue, violence, dramatic pauses, and a whole heap of swearing: it’s the next Prestige episode! (No, really: Rob and Sam talk about the 2000 British crime drama SEXY BEAST.)

This week Rob and Sam look at the 2000 Nick Hornby/Stephen Frears classic HIGH FIDELITY, music and pop culture in films, and what makes a good soundtrack.