Pod Fuzz

Ten years ago this weekend, one of the best British comedies of recent years was released. Four Lions, directed by the famous (or infamous) satirist and frequent Pod Fuzz subject Chris Morris, is still one of the all-time funniest comedies out of the UK. That’s why we made it the subject of our first ever Pod Fuzz Picks, a new lockdown series that explores one film at a time, as concisely as we can. 'Four Lions' is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Long before there was Pod Fuzz, there was Azeem lobbying Adam to look more deeply into the work of Riz Ahmed. A few years later, he’s one of the most exciting actors in commercial and independent cinema, as well as making his mark in music as Riz MC and as part of rap duo Swet Shop Boys. Fellow actor and longtime Riz fan Ram Gupta joins the co-hosts for a deep dive into Ahmed’s life and times, the films that made him and where he might go next.

Armando Iannucci has directed three movies since 2009, but his celebrated career in comedy and satire stretches far beyond 'In The Loop', 'The Death of Stalin' and 'The Personal History of David Copperfield'. The Scottish-born writer and director shot to fame with his work with Chris Morris on 'The Day Today' in the mid-90s (which also featured the first appearance of Alan Partridge), and established new heights for British satire with 'The Thick of It', later creating 'Veep' in the US. Adam, Azeem and returning guest Rahul Patel discussed Iannucci's inspiration, what makes him such a memorable director, and just how accurately he depicts the pitfalls of civilisation as we know it.

If it weren’t for a little movie called Parasite, Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse would have emerged as Cannes’s most exciting premiere. But his sophomore film, which stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two increasingly batshit lighthouse keepers, was nonetheless critically acclaimed and ultimately got an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. Adam, Azeem and our first returning special guest Tom Sheriff ventured into The Lighthouse, and also took a good look at The Witch — definitely not the wicked witch of the East — concluding that Eggers is truly one to watch. And this episode one to listen to!

Taika Waititi was one of the most formidable directors in Hollywood even before he won his first Oscar for his work on the screenplay of "Jojo Rabbit" earlier this month. Establishing himself as an original and emotionally intelligent voice in comedy with his 2007 feature debut "Eagle vs Shark", Waititi had already been Oscar-nominated for his 2004 short film "Two Cars, One Night". But it was in 2010 that Waititi truly arrived, with the coming-of-age comedy-drama "Boy" gaining plaudits across the globe and launching the most recent phase of his career, which includes the Marvel smash-hit "Thor: Ragnarok". After the director enjoyed one of the best decades of any filmmaker in the 2010s, Adam and Azeem looked forward to what he'll do next and delved into what makes his existing works so unique.

Greta Gerwig may have been snubbed for a Best Director nomination at the Oscars, but she's now gone one better: an episode of Pod Fuzz devoted to her career as an actor, writer and filmmaker! Alongside special guest and freelance writer Ella Kemp (Sight & Sound, Little White Lies), Adam and Azeem unpack Gerwig's exciting and increasingly illustrious filmography in front and behind the camera. They focus specifically on 'Frances Ha', 'Lady Bird' and 'Little Women' -- but also dive into what makes so great '20th Century Women', what makes 'Greenberg' such a disappointment, and why she's probably the most exciting actor-director Hollywood has seen for some time. Plus, what can we expect from her new take on Barbie?

Scarlett Johannson's career is one that exists on both ends of the spectrum. She's starred in small, independent films such as 'Lost In Translation' and 'Under The Skin', as well as mammoth action movies, including 'Lucy' and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making her the highest-grossing actress of all time. Azeem and Adam break down her career, starting from her breakout roles with Sofia Coppola and Woody Allen, to her success as a movie star, and culminating in a discussion of Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story', for which she is receiving a great deal of awards attention.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend. The Maestro. Martin Scorsese has been at the forefront of the cinematic art form for six decades, both as a filmmaker and a preservationist, so Azeem and Adam take this opportunity to talk about his career in the 2010s in anticipation of 'The Irishman' - his latest 3 1/2 hour gangster epic - where he re-teams with longtime collaborators Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and for the first time, Al Pacino. Azeem also tells the story of how he recently watched 'The Wolf of Wall Street' with his 90-year-old grandfather, while Adam covers the dodgy financial backers behind the film.

Azeem and Adam talk about one of the most celebrated - and one of the more controversial - directors currently working. Quentin Tarantino’s films redefined Hollywood cinema in the early 90s and have continued to impress audiences in the years since. Following a critical and commercial lull in the early-to-mid-2000s, his most recent work, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is one of the best of the year. The co-hosts discussed what makes Tarantino such a memorable writer and filmmaker, what he gets out of his actors and why some take issue with his choices. Don’t shut this episode’s butt down.

With special guest Iana Murray (freelance film writer), Pod Fuzz returns to discuss the post-2006 career of Brad Pitt. Pitt is better than ever in his latest roles in Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood' and James Gray's 'Ad Astra'. In this episode, Iana chats with Azeem and Adam about her favourite Brad Pitt performance in 'Burn After Reading', as well as their shared adoration of Arctic Monkeys album 'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino', Iana's first job with A24, and 'The Goldfinch'. For more updates, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, @podfuzz.

Danny Boyle - the man behind 'Trainspotting', 'Slumdog Millonaire', '127 Hours', '28 Days Later' and the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. Now that his new film about a world without The Beatles is finally out, Azeem and Adam take this opportunity to discuss Boyle's Oscar-winning and era-defining filmography, including his newest release, 'Yesterday'. As one of the most interesting British filmmakers of his time, Boyle has proven his talents through an eclectic set of films spanning many genres, but each carrying his undeniable energy. Azeem and Adam also discuss their love of The Beatles, Aaron Sorkin and Richard Ayoade.  For more updates, follow us @podfuzz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Adam and Azeem returned from their exam-induced break to talk about the films of Jordan Peele. 'Get Out' is one of the most provocative films of the past decade, and 'Us' is no different. They also chatted about the 'Joker' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' trailers and offered tributes to Agnès Varda. For more updates, follow us @podfuzz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Anna Kendrick, star of the 'Pitch Perfect' series and Oscar nominated for Jason Reitman’s 'Up In The Air', is the star of this week’s episode. Naturally, Rahul Patel, school friend and our former flatmate, was the guest. Stay till the end for our special a capella rendition of the Pod Fuzz theme. For more updates, follow us @podfuzz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This week, Adam and Azeem are joined by Morgan Fairless (Managing Editor of The Beaver) to discuss the life and career of Yorgos Lanthimos, whose latest film, 'The Favourite', is nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. They also chat about the latest news surrounding this Sunday's Oscars ceremony. For more updates, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, @podfuzz.

Adam and Azeem discuss the young career of Barry Jenkins, who, with only three films released, is already proving to be one of the most important auteurs of his generation. He came onto the scene with the groundbreaking 'Moonlight', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017. Now, he returns with an adaptation of James Baldwin's 'If Beale Street Could Talk', a romantic drama about an African-American couple in 1970s Harlem, which is also receiving critical acclaim. For more updates, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, @podfuzz.

Adam and Azeem plus special guest and filmmaker Tom Sheriff chat about last week's controversial Oscar nominations and the career of Best Director favourite, Alfonso Cuarón. Best known for 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' and 'Gravity', Cuarón could become an Oscar record-breaker with his newest offering, 'Roma', which is available on Netflix. And a BIG thank you to Jamie Holton and Tom Sheriff for the slick original music! For more updates, you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter, @podfuzz

Adam and Azeem discuss the character of Spider-Man in cinema; including the Sam Raimi trilogy with Tobey Maguire, Marc Webb's 'Amazing' films featuring Andrew Garfield, and the character's recent inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They also review the animated feature, 'Into The Spider-Verse'.

Tessa Thompson has had a hugely impressive 2018, starring in Annihilation, Sorry to Bother You, Creed 2 and TV's Westworld. Adam and Azeem discuss how she got there, and where Thompson could go next.

Adam and Azeem discuss Wes Anderson's next project, the Andy Serkis 'Jungle Book' adaptation and the glittering career of Emma Stone. They also chat about Alfonso Cuarón's latest film, Roma.

Michael B. Jordan is one of Hollywood's most exciting young actors, and this year stars in Creed 2 and the indie movie Black Panther. Azeem and Adam go deep into his career, as well as Bradley Cooper's hugely successful directorial debut A Star Is Born.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the latest release from the Coen Brothers, was released on Netflix last week. Adam and Azeem discuss the film's virtues and pitfalls, and argue whether Damien Chazelle's First Man fulfils audience's high expectations.

Adam and Azeem start the podcast with a review of the week's news, a detailed look at the career of Viola Davis and reflections on her latest film, Widows. They conclude with a chat about Shoplifters, and a surreal experience they had interviewing its enigmatic director.