At the Flicks

Welcome to the latest edition of At The Flicks. Back by popular demand is another of our Carry On Streaming episodes, hosted by the very knowledgeable Declan (and his two bickering assistants Jeff and Graham). So, if you plan to spend Easter in front of the TV catching up on what you've missed since Christmas or looking for something new, then this is the show for you. And what an exciting line up Declan reveals. You can catch up with such recommendations as: Adolescence – As this is the show everyone from the Prime Minister down is talking about, we have to have our say. Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – A handsomely mounted BBC production – but was it underfunded? Toxic Town – Another powerful Netflix series and Jeff and Graham reveal a connection to the real story which is set in Corby While coming soon: The Studio – Love movies – then this Seth Rogan show is for you The Last Of Us Season 2 – Will it be as good as the first season? Murderbot – Graham goes on and on and on about this one – clearly he's a fan, but will you be? Something for everyone there. Also, Declan reveals some of his movie highlights of the year so far. All that remains for us to say is have a very happy Easter. Relax and enjoy and we look forward to seeing you At The Flicks.

Welcome to At The Flicks and another in our cinema memories series. If you haven't caught up with this series yet, check out episodes 260, where Jeff and Graham talk about their favourite picture palaces and episode 264, where Declan reminisces. For this episode we chat to another team member. This time it's Darren. From first films, to his local cinemas and along the way there's a very surprising revelation. Darren also takes the conversation in a fascinating direction with his memories of video stores and the wild west that was video rental in the 1980's. We go from classics to those must-see cult movies that found a life thanks to the wonders of the now long gone video cassette. So, sit back and wallow in the nostalgia of double bill cinema features and trips to the mecca that was the video store. Enjoy. We are currently planning a show where we talk to a cinema manager from that era – coming soon as they say. Until then we look forward to seeing you At The Flicks. Bye for now.

It's one of those shows again! Phil and Jeff meet for a review face off. Regular listeners to the show will know by now that Phil and Jeff have very different tastes in films and constantly clash on these pop up reviews.  In fact we have been told it's why some people listen to the show, to hear these two bicker! This one, true to form, will be brutal.  In fact, it is The Brutalist, that epic about life in America for immigrants just after World War 2.  It's an epic in all senses, from length, to the the themes and a remarkable use of Vistavision.   For once Graham hasn't seen the film in advance.  His plan, so he revealed to us, was to listen to the two very opposing views and then decide if he would watch the film or not.  Who is he kidding?  There is no way that Graham is going to listen to Jeff's view, he will follow whatever Phil says.  After all, we still have Graham denying Thank God It's Friday for the masterpiece it truly is because Jeff likes it. As the two dissect The Brutalist, they cover such topics as: ·        The film's length and themes ·        Comparing to another story of power in America – the James Dean film Giant ·        The performances – who stood out for whom ·        Daniel Blumberg's music score An epic chat for an epic film.   And that's not all!  Recently all three of the team have seen Captain America: Brave New World, so we round out this show with a brief movie review.  Yes, it's the Marvel fan boys against the serious film watcher (as long as it's not subtitled). More pop up reviews – probably pitting Phil against Jeff, are coming soon. Until then, we will see you at the flicks – and if we do, please forgive us for yelling at one another when the movie starts! 

Welcome to a different At The Flicks. In this show Graham, Jeff and Phil give their predictions for the 2025 Academy Awards.  Hang on I hear you say, that event is now in the past.  Quite correct, and we held back on this so that you can laugh at their floundering or be amazed at how mystic they believe they were.   Don't worry, we don't cover every award.  The team talk about the top six awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. After that each of them talked about another award they are especially interested in.  These are:   Graham : Visual Effects Jeff : Music Phil: Cinematography Of course it wouldn't be an At The Flicks podcast without at least one bizarre rant from Jeff.  There were two, but one, around the lack of representation for A Real Pain had to be removed for legal reasons.  The other we will leave you to discover as the show progresses. Awards season is over for 2025 (although we have another show on the subject coming shortly) and we hope you enjoy this one. Until next time see you At The Flicks where you may well catch at least one of the team recapping the Oscar movies. Bye For Now 

Welcome to the At The Flicks archive. This one is a real blast from the past!  Recently Graham was rummaging around in the At The Flicks vault and fell over some old recording cans that had been left on the floor.  Luckily Graham had been drinking that day, or he might have swerved passed them by and this show would still be sitting there! After swearing and moaning about his now sore leg, Graham checked the cans and realised it was an unreleased edition of our very popular Rediscovering the classic with Elijah series.  It is our discussion about the classic historical epic El Cid (1961). Apart from Jeff and Graham, the team for this episode comprised, of course Elijah, and a voice we miss on the show.  Neil. For those of you not familiar with the film, it stars Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren and is a bio pic about legendary Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (aka El Cid), a knight who lived in the 11th Century.  Normally it is Elijah who is discovering the film for the first time.  Not here, this time it's Jeff and Graham who are seeing it with fresh eyes for the first time (although both have seen it before – don't worry it's all explained in the show). Other things discussed in this podcast: - Why the main stars didn't like each other - What film director Anthony Mann got fired from just before this (and also Jeff initially getting his facts wrong) - Miklos Rozsa's score and the use of trumpets - Herbert Lom not being politically correct  - Correlation to Dune It's fascinating to hear the old team back together again.  Who knows, there may be more life in rediscovering the classics to come. Until then bye for now and see you At The Flicks.

Welcome to an exciting show for Graham.  Yes, it's the latest from The Mel. Sadly, Mel Gibson is only behind the camera for this one, but that's enough for Graham. For such a special event, Niall Browne from Movies In Focus joins to discuss the action thriller Flight Risk.  Now most reviews have put down this exciting movie.  Not here, here you will find a discussion which includes our thoughts on: - Were there religious reasons behind Mel Gibson selecting this project? - Would this work as a theatre piece?  - Is this one for the fans of Downton Abbey?  - Is there a Trumpian dislike of authority on show here?  All of these, and many other questions you haven't thought of are answered in this show.  Niall also talks about his recent interview with Michael Polish about his film Alarum.  A jammed packed and exciting show – just like Flight Risk itself!  We hope you enjoy and look forward to seeing you At The Flicks  Bye for now. 

Welcome to an At The Flicks pop up review show. Listeners will know that the best way to annoy Jeff is to make him watch a subtitled film. And that's exactly what we do here. While there were legitimate reasons for picking this feature, upsetting Jeff is always an added bonus. The film in question, Declan's suggestion. Is director Hirokazu Koreeda's follow up to Shoplifters called Monster. No, this is not a horror film (at least not in the conventional sense), it's a powerful study of prejudice, abuse and misunderstanding. In our discussion we cover: - The Rashomon film making style employed - How the different perspectives of the characters fit together to a cohesive whole - Ryuichi Sakamoto's wonderful music score (his final one). We use a very brief selection from it for our intro and outro music to the show. - What the ending means (so it is advisable to watch the film before listening to the show) - Why Dec believes this is a film we all should be watching One final comment. The film deals with domestic abuse, so it is important that you are aware of that fact before deciding to watch Monster (in part where the title comes from). If you have seen Monster please let us know what you think. As always, we are look forward to your comments. Until next time, see you At The Flicks.

Well, At The Flicks episode 260 certainly made an impression with you guys. Our reflection on the cinemas that moulded Graham and Jeff generated much comment from listeners, and we hope to bring some of those stories to your attention in the future.  One listener who wanted to talk about his cinematic experiences was At The Flicks team member Declan. As a result we have devoted this whole show to him to tell us about the cinemas of his youth (starting with his sneaking in, underage, to what has now become a Christmas classic), up to his current favourite cinemas. These favourite cinemas are very special.  They are independently run by people who have a love of movies and want to give that extra special something to their patrons.  After all, if you have a bad experience, especially in your youth, are you more likely to go back to a movie palace?  These cinemas (and see the links below for their names – please try to visit if they are local to you) do go that extra mile, from membership deals, to special seating to event movies.  Dec reveals some fascinating insights into these wonderful places. As if that isn't enough, Dec also tells us what films have impressed him so far in 2025.  We are deep in awards season to thankfully superhero films are in short supply as the adults (briefly) take over.  What have been your standout films of the year so far? Please let us know. If you are a regular filmgoer, I am sure we will see you, during this special time of year, At The Flicks. Bye for now.

Welcome to the second of our shows looking at key franchise films from the Summer of 2024.  This episode we go all dark, scaring Graham along the way, as we discuss Alien Romulus. The team of Graham, Jeff and Phil don their spacesuits and boldly go into foreboding places to talk in hushed tones about the latest Alien film. Amongst the aspects of the film they talk about: -         The original plan Disney had to make this for their streaming service  -         Is Fede Alvarez the right director for the job? -         The controversial use of the likeness of an actor from the very first Alien film -         The actor in the cast who impressed everyone in the review team -         How Alien Romulus fits into the overall Alien series Surprisingly, the reviewers (with minor carping from one of the team and I am sure you can guess who that pedantic person is) all enjoyed the film.  Sorry about that Phil's brother!!!  What did you think of Alien Romulus?  Please let us know. Until the next time, see you At The Flicks

Welcome to the start of an At The Flicks double bill. Enough time has passed for us to look back sensibly (well as sensible as we can be) at the franchise films that revitalised their brand in the Summer season that was 2024.  This first one and subject of this show is Deadpool & Wolverine.  Here we will shock you, so be prepared.  It's like listening to something from one of those alternative dimensions.  Jeff actually defends the superhero movie while Phil, with an almost Trumpian rage, wants this movie burned at the stake.  Perhaps Phil has been exposed to the radiation that is Marvel films for too long and has now turned into some sort of intellectual Hulk, while Jeff is responding to Graham's mental torture where he constantly repeats “Marvel is good, Marvel is good”!  Other than taking opposite sides of an argument, here is what else you can expect in this episode: -         Has Marvel over extended with this film? -         Can you watch this without knowledge of other Marvel products?  -         Why does Phil hate Matthew Macfadyen? -         Does Graham, who initially liked the film, always change his mind this often? -         Where now for Marvel? So, take a chill pill, sit back, relax and enjoy the latest from At The Flicks. The second part of this Summer 2024 review is coming very shortly.  Who knows the team might actually agree on that choice. Until then, see you At The Flicks

The last show in our series looking back at 2024. In this show long time contributor and friend of the Pod Phil discusses the state of cinema in 2024 and his three favourite films of the year. Long time listeners will know that Jeff and Phil have very different views on what makes a good film. This show is no different with both of them arguing about: - Civil War - Challengers - All of Us Strangers So grab your popcorn and let battle commence!

Welcome to one of the most personal At The Flicks podcasts. It was 50 years ago, on 10th January 1975 that I, Jeff, went to a vampire double bill in my home town of Pontypridd that changed my life.  Up to that point I had always had a fascination with cinema and TV (TV in the 60's for a child was amazing, but that's another story).  However after that visit I resolved to try to once a week and learn as much about cinema as I could. 50 years later I couldn't always keep to the once a week rule, life and work sometimes got in the way, but overall was fairly successful.  As for my knowledge on cinema, without blowing my own trumpet, I would say it's pretty good.   So in this podcast Graham and I reminisce about the past and that most holy of holies – the cinema buildings themselves.  We talk our favourite cinemas and how things have changed over the decades.  Give us a listen and please let us know your cinema memories, we would love to hear them. However this isn't just a nostalgia kick – it's the start of a year of celebration.  We will be looking back at some of our favourite films from the 1970's and discussing them in detail, hopefully bringing something fresh for you to hear. So settle back and join us in some very personal memories. Enjoy and we will see you to discuss these further at the flicks.

Welcome to the second At The Flicks year end show. For this edition Graham and Jeff are joined by Tessa Williams, a person far more knowledgeable on film than the two of them combined. Tessa is not only a prolific film watcher, she is also contributes to film selections for local festivals. Tessa reveals to us her favourite films of 2024 and talks about some of the upcoming movies for 2025 she is most looking forward to watching. To say any more would spoil some of the surprises in this every entertaining show, especially when Jeff talks about the 1970's (again) and Graham reveals his dislike of horror movies (again). However the star of the show is Tessa who makes some fascinating choices. Check this out and enjoy. Our final year end show is coming very shortly.

A very Happy New Year from At The Flicks. Another year over and we are leaving 2024 in style with a discussion about the films of the year with Niall Browne, the creator of Movies In Focus.  Yes, Graham and Jeff are chatting with the man on the film pulse to find out what was worth seeing in 2024.  The beauty of this conversation is, Niall goes beyond the norm (in both his film watching and his excellent interviews which you can find on [moviesinfocus.com](http://moviesinfocus.com/)).  Sharp eyed listeners will also note that we don't have any links or film titles to go with these show notes.  That's because for this and the next films of the year podcast we are keeping them as a surprise. The next one you say?  Yes, we have some other people who have shared their films of the year with us and that is on a podcast coming very shortly. Check that out and for all At The Flicks listeners, we say have a great 2025 and we are sure to see you At The Flicks.

Today's pick is an animated feature that was produced by an all woman team in the 1980's. Can you guess what it is?

The writer / director wrote this romantic Christmas comedy specially for the four leads in the movie.

Today's pick could only have come from Emma At The Movies!! Can you guess what it is?

The third film featuring the Griswold family. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is acclaimed by many as the ultimate Christmas film. Can you guess what it is?

In times past, the various members of the At The Flicks team would wait with excited breath for the Christmas Radio Times double issue. Not anymore.  Now we have a Declan.  He tells us what we must watch and should avoid.  Yes, Carry On Christmas Streaming is back for 2024, so that Dec can tell you, our listeners, what is worth your time over the festive season. Included in our star-studded line up this episode are the lowdowns on the following - The new Dr Who and his Christmas Day episode - Wallace And Gromit return in a full length feature – on BBC and Netflix in the New Year - The finale of Gavin And Stacey (where Jeff relives his past)  - A classic ghost story from Mark Gattis – this time based on an Edith Nesbit tale - More horror from Stephen King's son Joe Hill - A festive tale from Sky called Bad Tidings  - And many, many more  Also, Dec will reveal his favourite five movies of 2024, including one that gets a very strong reaction from Jeff!  Whatever you pick to watch, have a great Christmas and may all your selections be wonderful. See you At The Flicks.

Today's pick is shown on Italian TV every Christmas Eve. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick includes clips from Angels With Filthy Souls. Can you guess what it is?

Todays Pick is a festive take on a Mary Shelley classic. Can you guess what it is?

Will Ferrell in a Christmas film, but it's not Elf.   Can you guess what it is?

Dudley Moore as an elf – perfect casting! Can you guess what the film is?

Today's pick has a young woman searching for her brother, who is about to become Santa Clause. Can you guess what it is?

“I'm too old for this…” is a line from this festive set film. Can you guess what it is?

Todays pick is an animated film, featuring a dark alternate Santa. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick won the Oscar for Best Make-up. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick went by another name when first shown on American TV. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick could have been inspired by many Christmas shopping trips. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick has a very limited human cast. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is very bad. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is about the creation of a holiday favourite, Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick became a Christmas favourite because of a copyright error. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is the first film to use one of the best selling Christmas songs of all time. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is a Netflix animation feature. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is a family gathering which turns into a comic horror. Can you guess what it is?

Today's pick is a British black & white classic. Can you guess what it is?

And so our short Halloween season draws to a close.  Before we return to our crypt, we have one more treat for you. Niall Browne from Movies In Focus joins us to discuss what would make his perfect Halloween triple movie bill.  He selects a very diverse and entertaining trilogy of vampire films. We have  - Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Terror – probably the vampire film that started it all. Niall talks about a very special screening he attended last year which featured an orchestra accompaniment  - Dracula Prince Of Darkness – Hammer's Dracula sequel which brought back Christopher Lee.  Why this one out of all the canon of Hammer movies?  Niall relates a very personal story as to why he made this selection. - John Carpenter's Vampires – A film that is like a fine wine.  It gets better each year.  John Carpenter's style, James Woods acting and of course Carpenter's excellent music score.  What's not to like? All that remain for us to say is have a very happy Halloween and we will see you At The Flicks Bye for now.

Recently Graham and Jeff recorded a podcast about the science fiction films of Stephen King.  That podcast will shortly be available as part of Jo Durrant's Beautiful Universe series – thanks Jo for inviting us to participate. One of the comments made during the recording was “you're wrong” (frequently said to us) “Stephen King is horror not science fiction”.  On such statements worlds turn.  We thought it would be an interesting idea to turn the discussion 180 degrees.  Are Stephen King's science fiction stories actually horror ones in disguise? An even better idea was to turn that into a podcast for At The Flicks as part of this year's Halloween series. That's it, a novel way to reuse our ideas but from a different perspective. Now for the sake of clarity we would say we have not duplicated Jo's show, this is just a subset of titles told in a very different way.  We talk about the following - Carrie - The Dead Zone - Firestarter - The Running Man - The Lawnmower Man - The Stand Graham and Jeff discuss each of these in turn to decide should it be classed as horror or science fiction.  The result may surprise you. But what about you, faithful listener, what would you put against each of those titles – a H for Horror or S for Science.  Why not set up your own table in advance and check your results against ours.  Please let us know your scoring. As for us, we are now off preparing the final Halloween show, the icing on a rather dark cake.  Come back soon to find out what that is. See you there or perhaps At The Flicks watching Smile 2

What's better than one Carry On Streaming a month? You guessed it – two!  Velcome to our annual Halloween Carry On Streaming special for 2024.  Dec is back to tell us what's best on the various streaming channels for this spooky channel.  And being the second streaming of October it's only fitting we release this on the second night of our Halloween specials. This year Dec's selection is mainly scary movies (and who doesn't love them).  Netflix comes out on top with a few original movies that are well worth watching – we rate Don't Move and Time Cut very highly indeed.   Of course, it wouldn't be Dec if he didn't recommend at least one subtitled TV series to annoy Jeff, so this year he picks two.  Of the two we think Don't Come Home is truly terrifying.   But we don't stop at streaming – there are also a few radio recommendations for you.  Danny Robins has a special Uncanny for the season and Jeff tells us a real-life ghost story connected to that show.  You'll have your light on all night after listening to that tale. Even Graham gets into the spirit and watches a horror film which he actually enjoyed (at least that what he's telling us).  We hope this helps in your Halloween planning.  Come back tomorrow for another in our short Halloween season.  Bye for now.

Welcome to the start of our annual Halloween season. Halloween is famous for its tricks and treats. So, for regular listeners to the show, we start off with a treat, a Phil and Jeff movie review. It's the box office hit of the season, Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which has just been released on streaming (and is still showing in cinemas if you fancy the big screen experience). Before you check out this comedy horror, why not give our spoiler free review show a listen? A note of caution, it proved to be too scary for Graham who refused to go into the cinema. As you would expect from a Jeff and Phil review, there will be extreme viewpoints, ramped up to 11, for this show. Phil believes Tim Burton is a sell out and this is just another commercial example, while Jeff calls it a 2024 masterpiece and Tim Burton's most personal feature in years. In fact, Jeff acclaims this sequel as better than the original. Those are fighting words in some circles! Apart from talking about the film itself, the fatigued duo also discuss Tim Burton's career. Phil continues with his sell out theme for recent years and Jeff, while praising the director, makes the startling discovery concerning which films of Mr Burton's back catalogue he has missed. After that, all three challenge each other to come up with a triple Tim Burton movie evening for Halloween. To find out what everyone picked you'll have to listen to the show. However, dear listener, what would your pick be – what would make the perfect Tim Burton triple bill, please let us know what your thoughts are. We hope this review starts your Halloween season with a smile. Come back tomorrow for another in our short Halloween season. Bye for now.

Our Autumn Carry On Streaming show has finally arrived! Not just a show, more life counselling guidance.  Host Declan is back, giving you something to be entertained by as the nights draw in and the constant rain dampens everyone's mood.  To make this selection, Dec spent his Summer wading through the mire to make sure we only recommend the very best.  Shows you may have missed from earlier in the year such as Ripley, The Gathering and Dark Matter.  Or, if you are up to date, what's hot for the season.  There's BBC's excellent comedy drama Ludwig starring David Mitchell or the latest Slow Horses from Apple TV with Gary Oldman once again on top form.  And that's just a taster of what we discuss.  How about that for a starter?  And if all this isn't enough,  Dec's Halloween streaming selection is coming very shortly. At The Flicks – we only recommend the best.  See you very shortly for our spooky spectacular.

Way back in episode 220, we spoke to American novelist and journalist Jared Feldschreiber about his excellent novella Reckless Abandon. One of the strengths of the story is how it weaves real life and fictional characters together in its tapestry. One of those real-life characters who crosses the pages is legendary actor Dustin Hoffman. It is well known that Dustin Hoffman is something of a perfectionist, always looking to attaining excellence in his work, and driving others to do the same. This has led to some critics calling him difficult to work with, yet his technique has produced incredible performances in such films as Rainman, The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy. It's also true that not everything he has done has been successful; that's what happens when you take risk. Some of those less successful films contain some incredible Dustin Hoffman performances that are sadly not as well known as that found in his more successful work. Recently we have been talking to Jared about this very topic and collectively thought it would be interesting to create a short series of shows to highlight some of those now forgotten films and the work Dustin created for them. Our aim is to bring these movies to your attention and perhaps encourage you to give them a second chance (or even a first chance if you haven't seen any of them before). First up and the subject of this show is Billy Bathgate. This is a 1991 feature based on the acclaimed book by E L Doctorow about the influence 30's gangster Dutch Schultz has over a young impressionable teenage in the Bronx during that tough decade. Sadly, the feature was a box office disappointment for Touchstone pictures on first release and has been overshadowed by other more acclaimed gangster films from the same period, such as Goodfellas and Bugsy. During our discussion about Billy Bathgate we will talk about: · The production problems · Was Dustin Hoffman miscast? · Is this Shakespearean in approach? · Bruce Willis's performance · The real Dutch Schultz · The positive qualities of the movie And more besides….. Have you seen Billy Bathgate? If so what did you think about the film – do you think it is worth revisiting? Please let us know. Until our next visit to Dustin Hoffman lost classics, we'll see you At The Flicks

The At The Flicks team have often been referred to as Brats (ok, just one member in particular), so when Darren suggested we review a movie called Brats, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It is not however our origins story.  Instead, it is a documentary about the mid 80's movie brat generation, told by one of their own.  Actor turned director Andrew McCarthy (who appeared in St Elmo's Fire and Less Than Zero), felt that the term movie brats, as coined by writer David Blum, was something of a put down.  While it's certainly true that the article that coined that term was less than flattering about that unique generation of actors, for many of us at that time, a “movie brats” movie was something to seek out and savour.  For Andrew McCarthy, both the director and essentially on-screen narrator, Brats became a voyage of self-discovery as he revisited both the past and other members of the so called Brat Pack.  He chats to Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore and Ally Sheedy amongst others.  What emerges is a fascinating study of youthful American movies of the period coupled with a satisfying self-reflection story. As for the At The Flicks team, things we learnt in our discussion were: ·         The Breakfast Club and The Cotton Club are not related. ·         Why we believe Anthony Michael Hall wasn't referred to ·         Why Molly Ringwald didn't appear in the documentary ·         Why Graham and Darren hate the music video of John Parr's song Man In Motion (Jeff on the other hand loved it) ·         Which one of the participants gave the most insightful reflection on the past Oh, and the team all realised they dislike the author of the original article, who is interviewed by Andrew McCarthy later in the documentary. So, if you have an interest in 80's cinema then this is a documentary you really don't want to miss.  We all gave it a thumbs up, which means Phil wasn't in the review group! See you for the next gonzo review show or At The Flicks  Bye for now

The hot horror movie ticket this Summer has been Longlegs, a film directed by Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony), which stars Maika Munroe and Nicolas Cage.   For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a serial killer movie (which becomes something much darker as it progresses), set in the early 1990s.  Ah, I hear you say, doesn't that sound like the Oscar winning Silence Of The Lambs? Indeed, there are some similarities. To investigate this connection further and of course review the movie, we sent in our intrepid FBI team.  There's agent Jeff, the cynical one whose seen it all before, then there's agent Phil, certainly our Fox Mulder and finally there's agent “let's hide under the bed as it's too scary”, or as we know him, Graham.  Yes, Graham had decided even though this is a pop-up review show, there is no way he was going to pop up from behind the sofa to watch this!  That left Phil and Jeff, who you will not be surprised to learn had very different opinions on this one (do they ever agree?).  Their mission, apart from discussing the movie, was also to persuade Graham to check it out.  Get out from behind that furniture and press play!  As for what Phil and Jeff thought, Phil, who loves many modern horror films, loved its bold take on storytelling and scares.  Jeff, who mainly can leave modern horror films, hated it.  I believe his words were “all marketing and no content”. Check out our review show for two very different takes on what has proved to be a box office smash, although there was one surprising moment when they both praised an aspect of Longlegs.  There was only that one brief moment of agreement After all that, do you think Phil managed to talk Graham into watching Longlegs?  Check out the show to find out, but don't be too surprised by the answer!  Until the next pop-up review, coming sooner than you think. Bye for now and see you At The Flicks

It's been a long time since we revisited the classics with Elijah (the last one was show 174 where we talked 60's Bond). It's way past time we returned to that fascinating series and our return is SUPER. Yes, we are talking Superman The Movie (1978) starring the late, great Christopher Reeve. A film so big we also had to bring in the talent that is Niall from Movies In Focus. Not only is Niall a fan of this film, he has previously discussed it with the film's legendary director Richard Donner. So, we have three fans in Niall, Graham and Jeff and newbe Elijah who had never seen it before (but, in an interesting contrast, is a fan of Zack Synder's take on the story). The scene is set for a fascinating discussion on a superhero from yesteryear. Just what will you learn listening to this podcast: - Who else was up for the role of Superman - How Brando jokingly described how he was going to play the role to Richard Donner - Who else was in the frame to write the music which has gone on to be one of John Williams most recognisable scores - Which one of the team thinks Margot Kidder is the ultimate Lois Lane (and how all the others then disagreed) - The original endings for Superman The Movie and Superman II. A podcast which like the film is big, full of fascinating points of view and facts. Even Jeff doesn't go off on one this time! Please let us know what you think – if you enjoy it, we will bring our version of the Justice League (and Graham's super villain) back to discuss Superman II. Until then, see you at The flicks, perhaps standing in line with Elijah for the James Gunn take on the caped crusader. Bye for now.

On previous episodes we have spoken to Phil Foster aka Phil The Bear about his fascinating series of director profiles. That's where Phil watches all of the films linked to a major director and writes an in-depth article analysing both their career and their output. Following the article being published, we at At The Flicks then bring a small team together to discuss the work and the director in question with Phil. That approaches changes with this profile. Rather than take that holistic approach, we asked Phil to rate his top five Martin Scorsese features based on his rewatches. We wanted a top five and that's what we got. So over six upcoming episodes we will discuss those five top selections. Wait, I hear you say, why six shows for five films? Well, after talking about the five (in reverse order) we will have our usual show to discuss the director and their career. So, who is the first director for this new format? It is the colossal talent that is Martin Scorsese, and, trust me listener, it was a tough choice to get Phil to get his favourites down to five for this series. Also, they are not obvious selections – take this first one, number five in Phil's list – The Color Of Money. Yes, Phil has selected what many thought at the time (mid 80's) as Scorsese sellout to commercialism movie, starring acting legend Paul Newman and up and coming new kid on the block Tom Cruise. It is also a sequel to a film (The Hustler) that was not made by him. We talk about all of that in our entertaining podcast as well as: - Who offered the project to Martin Scorsese - Female characters in his movies - If The Color Of Money can be classed as a sports film - What other roles members of this cast could have played in future Scorsese features - Was Paul Newman's Best Actor Oscar deserved - And much more Please come with us on our Martin Scorsese journey – and think about this, if The Color Of Money is number five, what could possibly be number four? The answer is coming in a few episodes time – until then, stay safe and we'll see you At The Flicks. Bye for now.

Let's start with a big thank you to you, all our listeners. The previous show, our rather explosive Challengers review, has proven to be a great download success. The confrontation between Jeff and Phil has proven so popular we have made the controversial decision to go back into our archives and expose a review we thought we couldn't release. Asteroid City. Regular listeners know that Phil and Jeff very rarely agree, especially when a Wes Anderson film is involved. This one got so heated we thought we could not inflict it upon you. However, after the feedback we have received from our Challengers show and some extremely clever editing from Graham (resulting in a few nights without sleep), we present to you our latest review show. As you will expect, Phil is once again championing the talent that is Wes Anderson, while Jeff is fully hyped ready to attack what he calls self-indulgence. In fact, he didn't say just use that expression, he also said ****** *** ******, words we cannot print, let alone broadcast without at least three lawsuits coming our way (one of which from team member Neil). But this one is not just the Phil and Jeff show. The whole team are here – Darren, Declan, Graham and Neil. Sometimes they can even get a word in above the shouting. Just who is for and who is against this one? Check it out, you may find it surprising when one member of the team reluctantly agrees Jeff might be right this time. I stress that word “reluctantly”. If you haven't seen Asteroid City yet, and our review encourages you to do so, then it can be rented from most streaming channels. Please let us know your views on this one – are you team Phil or team Jeff? Coming soon is the start of a new At The Flicks series, until then see you At The Flicks

Welcome to our new format At The Flicks review show. The big change is that we now concentrate on one film per show, not five. Don't forget, we are mainly senior citizens and reviewing five at a time was just proving too much for us in our advanced state! Especially when you factor in all the toilet breaks we have to have when watching in the cinema (except Neil who has his own catheter). Also, these shows are going to be far more random (who said, “what's new there”?). So we are calling them pop up review shows – you never know what film we will review next – a new release, a classic or something you have never heard of or when. Some months we could have three reviews, other times none. Apart from the shows being a lot shorter, we want to do something other movie review shows don't. We will sometimes bring in an expert on the subject matter of the movie we are discussing for their take, or we may want to emphasis some aspect that most reviewers are missing, or, and most likely, where we have very different perspectives. That last category applies to this show, our review of Challengers. Challengers. The recent film about tennis starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor (local lad to us). Phil and Graham loved it, Jeff hated it (nothing new there). Welcome to our own take on Challengers – Phil against Jeff (although no kissing is involved here). Please accept our apologies in not being able to pronounce the director's name! After listening to the show, are you team Jeff or team Phil, please let us know. For those interested in Phil's original non interrupted review, please see the link below.. Finally, if anyone wants to join us for one of these pop reviews (and remember it doesn't have to be a new release you may want to talk about), then write to us with your suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you. Until then, see you At The Flicks.