The Curzon Film Podcast

Kleber Mendonça Filho, the director of Aquarius, and collaborator Juliano Dornelles have come up with a politically loaded riff on The Most Dangerous Game scenario. It's a thrilling blend of genre thrills and shocks, and smart satire. Bacurau, a settlement in rural Brazil, is shaken by its matriarch's death. But something strange is happening, the water supply has been cut off, and the village has disappeared from satellite maps completely.Under threat from an unknown enemy, Bacurau braces itself for a brutal fight for survival.We hosted writer-director pair Kleber Mendoh-sa Feelyo and Juliano Dornales for a Q&A at Curzon Bloomsbury, where they spoke to Observer and Curzon Magazine contributor Wendy Ide about the films 10 year journey to the screen, its international inspirations and their 11000km search for the perfect small town…. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're in love. It started with a Water Lilies in 2007. Our love grew stronger with Tomboy in 2011. We were devoted by the time Girlhood came around in 2014. And now, well, we scarcely know what to do with ourselves.This month we've dedicated an entire episode of our podcast to Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the film that has set the roof alight with all those fire emojis. Twitter is burning! Sciamma's fourth film as a director took Cannes by storm back in 2019, earning standing ovations and taking home the Queer Palme. Earlier this year it was nominated at the BAFTAs, having already stolen our hearts.Over the course of the show, you'll get expert insights on Céline Sciamma's career up to this point. We'll hear from the director herself all about the inspiration for the film, the title and that stunning choral number. Modern day portrait artist, Nina Mae Fowler, tells us about the reality of portraiture. And we find out from academic Jennie Batchelor just what it was like for women artists in the 18th century.The podcast is hosted by Steph Watts. It is produced by Ryan Hewitt and Jake Cunningham, edited by Mark Towers, and scripted by Jake Cunningham and Steph Watts. With thanks to all of our contributors, and a special thanks to Kelly Powell, Louisa Maycock and Irene Musumeci.WITH THANKS TO OUR SPECIAL GUESTS:Céline SciammaCéline Sciamma is a French filmmaker, a director and writer. To date she has directed four films: Water Lilies, Tomboy, Girlhood and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and she wrote the screenplay for award-winning animation, My Life as a Courgette.Tricia TuttleTricia Tuttle is Director of Festivals for the BFI. Tuttle's appointment as Artistic Director BFI London Film Festival follows her role as interim Artistic Director in 2018 and five successful years as Deputy Head of Festivals at BFI, including BFI Flare and BFI London Film Festival. She is also a huge champion of Céline Sciamma.Nina Mae FowlerNina Mae Fowler is known for her sumptuously detailed, large-scale drawings and installations which interrogate themes of celebrity, beauty, power and sexuality. Also an established portrait artist her sitters have included the biographer Dame Hermione Lee, biologist Richard Dawkins and ballet dancer Carlos Acosta (for which she was shortlisted for the BP Portrait prize in 2008).Most recently, The National Portrait Gallery has unveiled a major new commission by the artist entitled ‘Luminary Drawings'. The series comprises nine portraits of leading British Film Directors which now form part of the museum's permanent collection, including Sam Mendes, Ken Loach, Amma Asante and Sally Potter. Fowler's work has won widespread acclaim. It is featured in numerous collections of international significance and in 2015 a monograph of her work entitled ‘Nina Mae Fowler: Measuring Elvis' was published by Cob Gallery, London. The book features a commentary from an array of cultural luminaries including the curator Sandy Nairne and the playwright Polly Stenham. Lucy DahlsenLucy Dahlsen is a curator based in London and former Associate Curator of 20th century and contemporary portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery. Recent exhibitions she has curated include solo presentations of the artists Elizabeth Peyton and Njideka Akunyili Crosby.Jennie BatchelorJennie Batchelor is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies at Kent University, publishing in the long eighteenth century with a focus primarily on women's writing, authorship and anonymity, periodicals and women's magazines, representations of gender, work, sexuality and the body, book history, material culture studies and the eighteenth-century charity movement.She is the author of two monographs and co-editor of four essay collections. Her most recent book (with Nush Powell), Women's Periodicals and Print Culture in Britain, 1690s-1820s (Edinburgh University Press, 2018), is the ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beware, there's spoilers ahead!Bong Joon Ho's PARASITE is the film that keeps on giving. To complement our deep dive into the #BongHive, we have a very special bonus episode featuring Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver's Edgar Wright in conversation with the Academy Award-winning Director Bong.This Q&A was recorded at Curzon Bloomsbury, before the PARASITE mania hit UK shores. Since recording, the film has made history by winning multiple awards breaking multiple box office records. The PARASITE isn't finished with us yet! Tune in for two friends, peers and fans discussing the most exciting film in cinemas now.PARASITE is playing in cinemas around the country. We strongly recommend watching the film before you listen to this podcast. If you haven't done already, check out our deep dive PARASITE special, featuring more from Bong Joon Ho, his friend and collaborator Tilda Swinton, the founders of the #BongHive and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've dedicated an entire episode to the film that, for many many months, has been infecting audiences more than any other. Created by South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019, Parasite has spread its way to box office success, BAFTA nominations and even a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.Over the course of the show, you'll get expert insights on Bong Joon Ho's career up to this point, we'll hear from the people behind the frenzied #BONGHIVE fangroup on social media, we've got an insider on insiders here to tell us about the art of the Parasite con, and we're luckily enough to bring you a conversation between Director Bong and one of his great friends and collaborators, Tilda Swinton.The podcast is hosted, scripted and produced by regular Curzon Podcaster, Jake Cunningham.It is edited by Mark Towers, and produced by Ryan Hewitt.With thanks to our special guests:Bong Joon HoDirector Bong has quickly become one of favourite people. Parasite is his seventh feature film, preceded in reverse order by Okja, Snowpiercer, Mother, The Host, Memories of Murder and Barking Dogs Never Bite.Tilda SwintonNo introduction necessary. Tilda Swinton is one of the finest actors working today. Her collaborations with Bong Joon Ho include Snowpiercer and Okja, and she is a total queen.Helen O'HaraFilm journalist for Empire Magazine.Tony RaynsTony Rayns is a film critic, commentator, festival programmer and screenwriter. He has written extensively for Sight & Sound, and its predecessor the Monthly Film Bulletin, and previously contributed to Time Out and Melody Maker.One of the world's leading experts on Asian cinema, he coordinated the Dragons and Tigers competition for Asian films at the Vancouver International Film Festival 1988-2006 and has provided many DVD commentaries and English subtitle translations for films from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Thailand.He has written books about Seijun Suzuki, Wong Kar-wai and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and has been awarded the Foreign Ministry of Japan's Commendation for services to Japanese cinema.Maria KonnikovaMaria Konnikova is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The Confidence Game, winner of the 2016 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking, and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, an Anthony and Agatha Award finalist. Her new book, The Biggest Bluff, will be out from Penguin Press on June 23, 2020.Maria is a regularly contributing writer for The New Yorker whose writing has won numerous awards, including the 2019 Excellence in Science Journalism Award from the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. While researching The Biggest Bluff, Maria became an international poker champion and the winner of over $300,000 in tournament earnings—and inadvertently turned into a professional poker player.Maria's writing has been featured in Best American Science and Nature Writing and has been translated into over twenty languages. Maria also hosts the podcast The Grift from Panoply Media, a show that explores con artists and the lives they ruin, and is currently a visiting fellow at NYU's School of Journalism. Her podcasting work earned her a National Magazine Award nomination in 2019. She graduated from Harvard University and received her PhD in psychology from Columbia University.Find out more about Maria at her website www.mariakonnikova.comIana MurrayFilm critic and #BONGHIVE founding member. Contributing writer at GQ. other publications include i-D, Little White Lies and The Skinny.Parasite plays in our cinemas from Friday 7 February Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we ask the question 'How long have we been on this rock? Five weeks? Two days? Where are we?' as Willem Dafoe and Robert Eggers join us to spill their beans about their new indescribable not-quite horror film The Lighthouse. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are left alone on a grim deserted island to tend to a lighthouse in 1890's New England. As tensions rise between the two men, the boundaries between fantasy and reality begin to blur... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by the writer-director of Waves, Trey Edward Shults. Waves stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler, and 18 year old under pressure to excel from his domineering father, played by Sterling K. Brown. When an injury threatens Tyler's future career, he goes off the rails, and his family struggle to deal with the consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we go deep into the trenches to take a look at Sam Mendes' one-shot wonder, the war drama 1917, and speak to the films lead actors Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, who star as two soldiers given orders to deliver a message across enemy lines that could save thousands of lives. Having won the Golden Globe award for Best Film last weekend, 1917 has announced itself as a major awards contender and one you have to see on the biggest screen possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we see out 2019 with Greta Gerwig's Little Women, and we welcome in 2020 with Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit.In Little Women, Greta Gerwig couldn't have chosen a more beloved classic to adapt for her second feature as director, matched only by the strength of cast she's corralled. Playing the four leads on the verge of womanhood are Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Sharp Objects' Eliza Scanlen. Telling the tale of four daughters of a preacher in post-Civil War Massachusetts as they learn to love and live their own lives, this adaptation emphasises the novel's feminist message of self-determination.Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit shouldn't work, but the director pulls it off with panache. Never less than extremely funny, Waititi's performance as a cracked Adolf Hitler manages to easily overleap any questions of taste, backed up by a hilarious cadre of supporting Nazis (Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Alfie Allen). This anti-hate satire from the director of Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok will win you over.Plus, Curzon bring you a Christmas Day treat: you can watch Mikhaël Hers' Amanda on Curzon Home Cinema from 25th December, over a week before it arrives in cinemas.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - Kelly@ella_kemp - EllaProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time of year when we make endless lists of the most wonderful things we have seen at the cinema over the past 12 months. Tune in to hear about our favourites!Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ella_kemp - Ella@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we welcome a true legend of cinema on to the podcast, the man, the myth... Werner HerzogAs well as talking to Mr Herzog, we round up the results of the European Film Awards where Herzog was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement. Along with this, we take a look at the Next Level of the Jumanji series.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the pod this week, we welcome Alma Har'el, director of Honey Boy, the Shia LaBeouf biopic written by the man himself. Plus we delve in to Chinese heartbreaker So Long My SonSo Long My Son explores the impact of China's one child policy. It spans from the 1980s to the present day, regularly shifting back and forth in time. The story details the changing fortunes of a family and those around them, and how government policy has consistently affected their lives.Directed by Alma Har'el, in her first foray in to narrative fiction, having previously directed the documentaries Bombay Beach and Love True; Honey Boy is written by Shia LaBeouf, whilst he was in Rehab, and is a retelling of his experience as a child actor, his tumultuous relationship with his father (who LaBeouf plays a proxy of here) and his reconciliation with his experiences.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - Kelly@csquinlan - CaitlinProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murder! This week we're joined by writer-director Rian Johnson who tells us about his new whodunnit Knives Out, and we discuss the controversial revenge thriller The Nightingale.Knives Out is an entertaining old-school murder mystery, boasting an incredible cast including Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans and Don Johnson amongst many others. The Nightingale is director Jennifer Kent's follow-up to her acclaimed horror The Babadook, starring Aisling Franciosi as a young Irish prisoner in colonial Australia in pursuit of the British solider (Sam Claflin) who committed a terrible act of violence against her and her family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Tis the season (nearly) so we unwrap our presents early and discuss Paul Feig's festive comedy Last Christmas, as well as take a look at offbeat animation I Lost My Body.Written by Emma Thompson, Last Christmas stars Emilia Clarke (aka Daenerys Targaryen) as Christmas shop worker Kate, a down-on-her-luck Londoner who meets handsome stranger Tom, who seems too good to be true. I Lost My Body tells the bizarre story of a severed hand who, having been removed from it's owner's arm, frantically roams the streets of Paris looking for its former body. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we get the report on The Report from director Scott Z. Burns. Plus, the amazing Amazing Johnathan Documentary...The Report is about Daniel Jones (played by Adam Driver), who is tasked by Senator Dianne Feinstein (that's Annette Bening) with delivering a definitive report on the CIA's use of torture after 9/11. What he uncovers will shake America. But, under constant threat from the US security forces, will their publication of the 6,700 page report bring change?Our second film follows The Amazing Johnathan (John Edward Szeles), who built a career as a magician out of shock and deception in the 1980s. After Johnathan is diagnosed with a terminal heart condition and given one year to live, he's forced to retire his act. Cut to three years later: Johnathan is not dead, much to everyone's amazement, and documentarian Ben Berman films perhaps the illusionist's greatest trick an epic comeback tour that careens off the rails in highly entertaining and unexpected ways... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we soar into new heights, with guest Felicity Jones, and her new film The Aeronauts. Plus, we get in to the story of Noah Baumbach's new one on marriage.Noah Baumbach, director of The Squid and the Whale and The Meyerowitz Stories, returns with a new family drama that ranks among his very best, and is a front runner for acting awards over the coming months. This one's about a stage director (played by Adam Driver) and his wife, an actress played by Scarlett Johansson, as they struggle through a gruelling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extreme.In The Aeronauts, it's 1862 and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) and widow Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) embark on a remarkable mission to go where no human has gone before: 37,000 feet into the sky in a hot air balloon. As they begin their journey into the unknown, we flash back to their reasons for taking this momentous step... Battling weather conditions and their uncertain vessel, can the two return to Earth safely?Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - Kelly@ella_kemp - EllaProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take delivery of Ken Loach's latest, Sorry We Missed You and talk to the director himself. Plus, 37 years later, we return to the Overlook Hotel for The Shining sequel Doctor SleepDirector Ken Loach teams once again with I, Daniel Blake screenwriter Paul Laverty for another indictment of the capitalist forces shaping modern Britain. Ricky is dreaming of better things for his family when he becomes a delivery van driver. But as an ‘independent contractor', he's working in unsparing conditions, just like his wife Abbie, a care nurse, both of them on zero hours contracts. Living like this means that they're pushed to the brink, and their world falls apart when their teenage son starts to go off the rails.Whatever happened to Danny Torrance, the gifted young boy from The Shining? It's a question that must have vexed Stephen King enough to produce a sequel 37 years later. In Doctor Sleep, a grown-up Danny (Ewan McGregor) finds himself in the role of protector to a young girl on the run from a cult that is hell-bent on harvesting her gift.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - Kelly@ella_kemp - EllaProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, for the first time, we welcome a guest for the third time. François Ozon, director of Swimming Pool, In The House and L'amant Double, joins for a hat-trick appearance on the podcast to talk about his new film By The Grace of GodFrancois Ozon's gripping true-life drama tells the story of three men who come together to dismantle the code of silence around historic abuse cases within the Catholic Church. Alexandre (Melville Poupaud) lives in Lyon with his wife and children. One day he learns by chance that the priest who abused him when he was in scouts is still working with children. He decided to take action and is soon joined by two other victims of the priest, François (Denis Ménochet) and Emmanuel (Swann Arlaud). They band together to “lift the burden of silence” surrounding their ordeal. But the repercussions and consequences will leave no one unscathed.Exiled on a mountainside, the Monos are a teenage guerrilla group. Far away from clear orders, they must watch over a cow and a single hostage. But things go quickly awry, shaking the group apart and severing their links with the outside world. A rich allegory that bears many interpretations, Monos pairs breathtaking, hallucinogenic visuals with intense character dynamics. With a score from Mica Levi (Under the Skin, Jackie) propelling the action, this is gripping, original filmmaking at its best.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett and Ella KempFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ella_kemp - EllaProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we pull a new page from Olivier Assayas's filmography, as we discuss Non-Fiction. Plus, we share our final highlights from the 2019 edition of the London Film Festival.Non Fiction begins when an affair between actress Selena (that's Juliette Binoche) and writer Léonard (Vincent Macaigne) is nearly discovered thanks to Léonard's recent thinly veiled autobiographical novel. Fortunately, Alain (Guillaume Canet), who is both Selena's husband and Léonard's publisher, rejects the book, remaining oblivious to the whole ordeal, maybe because he's having his own affair as well.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Sam Howlett and Alasdair BaymanFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@ks_powell - Kelly@alasdairbayman - Alasdair@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we welcome Marchánt Davis, breakout star of The Day Shall Come, Chris Morris' return to film, a decade after Four Lions. Plus we delve in to our highlights from the London Film Festival so far.In The Day Shall Come, an impoverished preacher, played by Marchant Davis, who's attempting to bring hope to the Miami projects is offered cash to save his family from eviction. However, he's got no clue that his sponsor works for the FBI, and in search of promotion, they've got big dreams on turning Moses and his followers him in to the next big terrorist thread to America.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Duncan Carson and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@nowolvesplease - Duncan@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we travel from Gotham City to the Emerald one as we cover Joker and Judy, with special guest Rufus our Sewell in the crown.Judy Garland became one of the undisputed icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood. But behind that success was a darker tale, one of innocence exploited. In Rupert Goold's new biopic, Renée Zellwegger plays Judy in the twilight of her career. Battered but not beaten, financial ruin forces Garland to return to the stage. Setting ‘60s London alight, she reconnects with her love of performance, but old demons resurface.Drawing upon the work of Martin Scorsese – especially The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver – director Todd Philips has delivered a new standalone origin story for the clown with the cracked smile. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a clown-for-hire by day, who spends nights as a struggling stand up comic. But when he is pushed too far, Joker is ready to regurgitate Gotham City's hate.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Ella Kemp and Alasdair Bayman.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@alasdairbayman - AlasdairProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the BFI London Film Festival takes over many of our screens for the next two weeks, we decide to find out why, by asking two of the festival's programmers (Kate Taylor and Michael Blyth) about putting the festival together; along with what films to watch out for during the festival and beyond.As well as talking to Kate and Michael, we also quickly reveal our most anticipated releases of the next few weeks, which will be arriving in cinemas soon after.Discussing the films this week are Kelly Powell and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Jake Cunningham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we talk about the film that has smashed even Avengers Endgame's box office record, Lulu Wang's The Farewell. Plus, we talk to the director all about her film.First up though, is For Sama. When the Arab Spring came to Syria in 2012, Waad al-Kateab picked up her camera and began filming the revolution. For five years, under Assad's brutal assault, she kept filming. For Sama captures that journey, as she marries her partner Hamza al-Kateab, and gives birth to her daughter Sama. The film becomes a justification to their daughter of why they remained in a war zone, capturing not just the daily assaults Hamza faces as a frontline doctor, but also the joys, passions and quiet moments of their friends and family.In The Farewell, Billi (Awkwafina) is called back from New York to her native China because her beloved grandmother is facing her last days. Yet, in accordance with tradition, this news is kept from the matriarch herself. Keeping up the pretence of a family wedding while reconnecting and grieving, we follow Billi on a funny, deeply moving exploration of the meaning of home and family.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Steven Ryder and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@ks_powell - Kelly@irma_pep - Steven@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we get in to the Gray matters of space travel with James Gray, director of galactic sized interstellar therapy session Ad Astra. Plus, we roll out for a royal visit to Downton Abbey.In Ad Astra, astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.It's 1927, the jazz age is in full swing, and Downton Abbey is anticipating a visit from none other than the King and Queen. Inhabitants, relatives and servants swing into action but can the silver be polished in time? This is a lavish and cinematic version of Julian Fellowes's country house drama but can it bring a satisfying conclusion to the much loved saga?Discussing the film this week are Sam Howlett, Jake Cunningham and Steph WattsFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@_stephwatts - Steph@samhowlett_1 - Sam@MarkDTowers - MarkProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we go from small-town Cornwall to small-town Maine, looking at the highly acclaimed British film Bait and the sequel to the biggest horror film of all time It Chapter Two, as well as speaking to the films' director Andy Muschietti.Bait looks at the effects of gentrification in a small fishing town in Cornwall. Shot in dramatic black-and-white on a 16mm camera, this is an impressive debut from director Mark Jenkin. It Chapter Two takes place 27 years after the events of the first film. The Losers Club are now all grown up, but the resurgence of Pennywise AKA It brings them back to Derry to face the monster from their childhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we snag a couple of souvenir guests in the form of director Joanna Hogg and music supervisor Ilona Cheshire, who give us their unique insights in to one of the most acclaimed films of 2019The Souvenir is about Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne), a young film student struggling to find a firm direction in life when she meets the unwavering and decisive Tom Burke's Anthony. The two take to one another and an intense romance blossoms, however, as the relationship develops it becomes clear that Anthony is not being honest about all aspects of himself...Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett and Caitlin Quinlan.Follow the team on Twitter:@ks_powell - Kelly@jakehcunningham - Jake@csaquinlan - CaitlinProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss the devilish double bill that is Penny Lane's satanic temple documentary Hail Satan? and Pedro Almodóvar's sumptuous, melancholic reverie Pain and Glory Penny Lane's film Hail Satan? May not be as demonic as the title suggests. It's a documentary about the satanists steadfastly working to preserve the separation of church and state. In three years their members rose from just three, to over 100,000, including by the end, the film's director.Director Salvador Mallo (played by Antonio Banderas) is called to revisit one of his early career triumphs. But the new restoration of his film also restores his connection with estranged friends, and shakes loose old memories. The film moves back and forth between recollections of his mother (played by Penélope Cruz), his early sexual awakening and his current, heroin lined state of listlessnessDiscussing the film this week are Sam Howlett, Jake Cunningham and Steph WattsFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@_stephwatts - Steph@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quentin Tarantino's joins us on the podcast this week, day tripping back to 1969 with his new film Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood. Plus, we review Christian Petzold's new film Transit.Quentin Tarantino's ninth feature is a kaleidoscopic tale of Hollywood backlots, rising starlets and fading stars, hippies and squares, the great and good of tinsel town, the most definitely bad of the golden state, and the ugliness of them rubbing against one another. Our guides through this culture clash are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his affable stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who stumble upon something far more sinister than a new kind of Hollywood star.When fleeing Paris after the German invasion, Georg (Franz Rogowski) escapes to Marseille, assuming the identity of a dead author whose papers he possesses. With nowhere to turn, he is confined to the corridors of a small hotel, the consulates, cafés and bars that line the harbour. Everything changes when Georg falls in love with the mysterious Marie (Paula Beer) who is desperate to find her missing husband.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Hannah Woodhead and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@ks_powell - Kelly@goodjobliz - Hannah@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the cinema is jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive. We're talking to Gurinder Chadha (director of Bend it Like Beckham) about her Springsteen infused brit-musical Blinded By The Light, plus we ask whether new Willem Dafoe film Opus Zero is an Opus Hero, or whether it lives up to its name...It's 1987, and it's not easy being British Pakistani in a commuter town living through the tatters of Thatcher's Britain. But salvation arrives in the unlikely shape of Bruce Springsteen, whose tales of ragged working class glory ignite a new confidence in Javed. Taking Sarfraz Manzoor's memoir and digging deep into the cross-cultural connections between Bury Park, Luton and Asbury Park, New Jersey, Blinded By The Light is a feel good British story powered by the bulletproof music of The Boss.Paul, a composer, arrives in a remote Mexican village where his father has passed away. As his attention shifts to the fate of a missing woman, Paul must come to terms with the memory of his father and the uncertainty of his future.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Ella Kemp and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@ks_powell - Kelly@efe_kemp - Ella@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we delve in to the intimate pairing setting hearts racing across the globe: Hobbs and Shaw, plus we talk to Ritesh Batra - director of The Lunchbox - about his new film Photograph.The latest from writer-director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox), Photograph is a charming tale of unlikely romance set against the vibrant backdrop of contemporary Mumbai. Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a struggling street photographer who takes tourist portraits at the Gateway of India. When he meets Miloni (Sanya Malhotra), a shy stranger from an affluent family, he convinces her to pose as his fiancée after his overbearing grandmother decides to pay him a visit.Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham take an offramp from the juggernaut Fast & Furious convoy for this stand alone tale featuring two of the series favourite characters. Rogue outsider Shaw (Statham) and US agent Hobbs (Johnson) are forced put their deep loathing for each other aside to fight back against Idris Elba's Brixton, a genetically enhanced super villain.Discussing the films this week are podcast regulars Sam Howlett, Ed Frost, Kelly Powell and Jake CunninghamFollow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam Howlett@jakehcunningham - Jake Cunningham@ks_powell - Kelly PowellProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the middle of the biggest heat wave the UK has seen in a long time, we discuss what we think are the hottest films of 2019. From the roundly praised Burning to the love it or hate it Under the Silver Lake, via a hulk-smashing superhero team-up and the mystical birds of Colombia, here are the best films of 2019 so far...Discussing the films this week are podcast regulars Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Jake Cunningham, with special guest appearances from Curzon staff members Ed Frost, Fern Beattie, Caitlin Smith and Ulysse Kelbert.Follow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam Howlett@jakehcunningham - Jake Cunningham@ks_powell - Kelly PowellProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we tackle the king of the jungle and the queen of the cinema, as Agnès Varda circles her life with Varda by Agnès and Jon Favreau brings a new pride to Disney.Assembling a brilliant voice cast – featuring Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, John Oliver, Chiwetel Ejiofor and James Earl Jones – expect to see the brilliant songs, winning humour and heart-breaking tragedy anew. Following The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau once again shows he can marshal an incredible digital spectacle, while also deftly honouring a beloved childhood favourite. With visuals that rival ‘Planet Earth', this is a superb reimagining of an African legend.Agnès Varda takes a seat on a theatre stage. This professional photographer, installation artist and pioneer of the Nouvelle Vague is an institution of French cinema but a fierce opponent of any kind of institutional thinking. Varda By Agnès follows the filmmaker and artist as she uses excerpts from her work to illustrate – more associatively than chronologically – her artistic vision and ideas. Her lively, anecdote-rich and clever talk charts her shift from analogue to digital.Discussing the film this week are Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell, Beth Webb and Jake CunninghamFollow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam Howlett@jakehcunningham - Jake Cunningham@ks_powell - Kelly Powell@BethKWebb - Beth WebbProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prince Charles himself, Josh O'Connor (God's Own Country) joins us on the show this week, as well as Victoria's Laia Costa and the director of their new film Only You, Harry Wootliff. Plus, we disassemble Jim Jarmusch's latest, zom-com The Dead Don't Die.Elena (Laia Costa) and Jake (Josh O'Connor) meet by chance one New Years Eve, arguing over the same taxi. Instead of going their separate ways after a shared ride, they begin a passionate relationship. Within weeks they are living together, and not long after they talk about starting a family. As the seasons pass, reality catches up with them. Falling in love was the easy part, but can they remain in love when life doesn't give them everything they hoped for?Jim Jarmusch resurrects the gang for his fresh take on the zombie comedy, The Dead Don't Die. Bill Murray, Chloë Sevigny and Adam Driver are small town cops working their beat when nature turns on itself, the sun refuses to set and the dead rise from the grave. Putting aside chicken theft, they set out to get to the bottom of these strange ghouls, with the help of Tilda Swinton's mortician (who's handy with a samurai sword if needs be).Discussing the film this week are Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell & Jake CunninghamFollow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam Howlett@jakehcunningham - Jake Cunningham@ks_powell - Kelly PowellProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer of Love, Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Notting Hill, Richard Curtis joins us on the podcast this week to talk about his fabulous new rom-com fantasy, Yesterday.But first, we blast off with our review of one of the year's best documentaries (and arguably one of the year's best films) Apollo 11. On the fiftieth anniversary of one of twentieth century's defining moment – the Apollo moon landing – comes this remarkable archive documentary that conjures the shear magnitude of the achievement. Brought to life with intimate detail, this elegantly edited doc gives an unrivalled, fresh view of science and spectacle involved in the team's feat.Next we hear from the writer behind some of the Britain's best loved rom-coms, Richard Curtis, and we give our verdict on Yesterday, the new film from Curtis and director Danny Boyle, which asks the question on everyone's lips: What if you were the only man on Earth able to remember the iconic music of The Beatles? Jack's (Himesh Patel) career as a singer-songwriter is not going well. His friend Ellie (Lily James) thinks he's got talent, but no one else agrees. But after a mysterious blackout, it turns out he's the only one who can recall the Fab Four's back catalogue. With the iconic songs in his arsenal, he becomes world famous, but at what cost?Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Sam Howlett and Caitlin Quinlan.Follow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam@jakehcunningham - Jake@csaquinlan - CaitlinProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Strickland on Strickland: A four-part podcast mini-series from Curzon, about the work of acclaimed British director Peter Strickland ('Katalin Varga', 'Berberian Sound Studio'), made ahead of the release of his new film 'In Fabric', and featuring conversations with the director himself.Discussing the film are Strickland superfans (Berberians?), Catherine Bray - Variety, Film4, 'Beyond Clueless' - and the podcast's very own Steven Ryder, as well as regular host Jake Cunningham.The latest from the unique imagination of Peter Strickland, 'In Fabric' is a typically distinctive and haunting tale that blends Giallo-infused horror with absurdist dark humour, to ghostly effect. Set against the backdrop of a busy winter sales period at a mysterious Thames Valley department store, the film follows the journey of a cursed but strikingly beautiful blood-red dress as it passes from person to person, with devastating consequences. Follow the team on Twitter:@irma_pep - Steven@jakehcunningham - Jake@catherinebray - CatherineProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Strickland on Strickland: A four-part podcast mini-series from Curzon, about the work of acclaimed British director Peter Strickland ('Katalin Varga', 'Berberian Sound Studio'), made ahead of the release of his new film 'In Fabric', and featuring conversations with the director himself.Discussing the film are Strickland superfans (Berberians?), Catherine Bray - Variety, Film4, 'Beyond Clueless' - and the podcast's very own Steven Ryder, as well as regular host Jake Cunningham.From the critically acclaimed writer-director of 'Berberian Sound Studio' comes a tale of passion and sadomasochism that penetrates the deepest depths of what it means to be human, in love and in control. Cynthia is an orthopterist who is seemingly firmly in control of her partner Evelyn through a strict, dictatorial fetish life behind closed doors. But as Evelyn's requests to be dominated become increasingly extreme, the true nature of their relationship begins to surface. 'The Duke of Burgundy' is a story about power and the exploration of discomfort that people will stretch to for the ones they love, told in mesmerisingly coruscating style by one of Britain's finest contemporary auteurs, Peter Strickland.Follow the team on Twitter:@irma_pep - Steven@jakehcunningham - Jake@catherinebray - CatherineProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Strickland on Strickland: A four-part podcast mini-series from Curzon, about the work of acclaimed British director Peter Strickland ('Katalin Varga', 'The Duke of Burgundy'), made ahead of the release of his new film 'In Fabric', and featuring conversations with the director himself.Discussing the film are Strickland superfans (Berberians?) Catherine Bray - Variety, Film4, 'Beyond Clueless' - and the podcast's very own Steven Ryder, as well as regular host Jake Cunningham.In 1976, a timid sound engineer (Toby Jones) arrives in Italy to work on a mysterious horror film, mixing bloodcurdling screams with the grotesque sounds of hacked vegetables. But as the on-screen violence seeps into his consciousness, reality and fantasy become blurred in nightmarish ways. Daringly original and masterfully constructed, this inspired homage to 70s Giallo horror is a devastating assault on the eyes, ears and brain - drawing comparisons with the films of David Lynch and being hailed as a modern cult masterpiece from Peter Strickland, the hugely acclaimed director of 'Katalin Varga'Follow the team on Twitter:@irma_pep - Steven@jakehcunningham - Jake@catherinebray - CatherineProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Strickland on Strickland: A four-part podcast mini-series from Curzon, about the work of acclaimed British director Peter Strickland ('Berberian Sound Studio', 'The Duke of Burgundy'), made ahead of the release of his new film 'In Fabric', and featuring conversations with the director himself.Discussing the film are Strickland superfans (Berberians?) Catherine Bray - Variety, Film4, 'Beyond Clueless' - and the podcast's very own Steven Ryder, as well as regular host Jake Cunningham.Banished by her husband and her village, Katalin Varga is left with no other choice than to set out on a quest to find the real father of her son, Orbán. Taking Orbán with her under another pretence, Katalin travels through the Carpathians where she decides to reopen a sinister chapter from her past and take revenge. The hunt leads her to a place, she prayed eleven years prior, she would never set foot in again. Praised for its sound design as well as its ominous atmosphere, the award-winning revenge fable marks British director Peter Strickland's directorial debut.Follow the team on Twitter:@irma_pep - Steven@jakehcunningham - Jake@catherinebray - CatherineProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we ask whether Pixar's long awaited 'Toy Story' sequel is worth the buzz, plus, we ask all our podcast contributors to send in their Top 10 Pixar films to figure out the definitive list ('Cars' fans, look away here)In the latest instalment of Pixar's beloved series, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the playroom must contend with 'Forky', a plastic spork in denial about his status as a toy. Their new child Bonnie embarks on a road trip and when Forky heads out on his own, the other toys must track him down, discovering a whole new world in the process.One of animation's enduring favourites, this fourth entry retains the effortless charm of Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear and Tom Hanks' Woody, but also adds the voice work of comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Ella Kemp and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@samhowlett_1 - SamProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Jake Cunningham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Asif Kapadia, the Oscar-winning director of Amy and Senna, joins us on the podcast this week to talk about his new film Diego Maradona, which arrives in cinemas this week.In this inspired documentary portrait from Kapadia, we follow Maradona as he arrives at Naples in 1984, leading the club to their first ever title. But this success was the eye of the storm: Maradona's time in Naples was seven years of tumultuous chaos and jagged alliances. Using more than 500 hours of unseen footage from Maradona's archive, this is another gripping story of an exceptional and complex person from the Oscar and BAFTA winning documentary team.Discussing the film are Jake Cunningham, Caitlin Quinlan, Steven Ryder and Bertha DocHouse's own Tilly Hudson.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@irma_pep - Steven@csquinlan - Caitlin@BerthaDocHouse - Bertha DocHouseProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In addition to our episode featuring Julianne Moore all about her new film Gloria Bell, we've got a bonus episode for you! We speak to Mindy Kaling, the creator of 'The Mindy Project' and now writer and co-star of 'Late Night' - the story of a late night comedy TV host and her revamped writers room.Late Night is the story of Katherine (Emma Thompson on acidly winning form), a TV host in desperate need to stay relevant. Cynically hiring Molly (Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project, Ocean's 8), she thrusts her into the all-male writers' room. But Molly is looking to make more than surface changes. Along with laughs come deeper questions about sexism and diversity in the entertainment industry. Kaling's script has the sharpness of lived experience, as well as the comic chops to make the stand up segments sing. With a sprinkling of The Devil Wears Prada, Late Night mixes great chemistry with a forward-looking take on complex issues.Discussing the film with Mindy is Steven RyderFollow Steven at @irma_pepProduced and edited by Jake Cunningham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julianne Moore joins us on to the Curzon Film Podcast this week to talk about her latest film 'Gloria Bell', directed by Sebastián Lelio ('Disobedience', 'A Fantastic Woman'), and what an absolute pleasure it is to have one of contemporary cinema's true greats on our show.Gloria (Julianne Moore) is a free-spirited divorcée who spends her days at a strait-laced office job and her nights on the dance floor, joyfully letting loose at clubs around Los Angeles. After meeting Arnold (John Turturro) on a night out, she finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance, filled with both the joys of budding love and the complications of dating, identity and family.Lelio creates a feel-good tale of later love which shows love can strike at any time, relationships are never simple, and nothing can get you down as long as you keep dancing.Discussing the film are Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Susie Bould@SamHowlett_1 Sam Howlett@susieblues - Susie@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk to Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein about their instant classic new teen comedy 'Booksmart', plus we travel to Budapest for 'Sunset', the new film from the director of 'Son of Saul'Study hard, don't slack off, get into a good college: that's the formula for high school success, or so think best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). That's until they discover that their hard-partying classmates are also bound for the Ivy League. So begins the party odyssey that is 'Booksmart'From László Nemes, the Oscar-winning director of 'Son of Saul', comes 'Sunset', a sublimely evocative recreation of 1913 Budapest, a city at the crux of world history. Irisz Leiter (Juli Jakab) arrives in the capital eager to become a milliner at her late parents' legendary hat shop. But she is drawn into the mystery of what happened to her long-missing brother. Her search will lead her into a dazzling panorama of the dying gasps of the Austro-Hungarian empire.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Iana Murray and Sam HowlettFollow the team on Twitter:@SamHowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - Kelly@ianamurray - Iana - Iana@jakehcunningham - JakeProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second report from Cannes 2019, we get in to some more highlights form the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. Curzon's own Director of Programme Damian Spandley discusses Bong Joon-Ho's ‘Parasite' along with more festival favourites.Plus past and future guests Iana Murray (The Skinny, Little White Lies) and Hannah Woodhead (Associate Editor - Little White Lies) share some of their highlights.To hear more from Iana, look out for our episode on 'Booksmart', which you'll be able to find in our feed: http://hyperurl.co/vr732oHannah Woodhead can be heard discussing Lucrecia Martel's masterwork 'Zama' on the Curzon Podcast last year: http://www.curzonblog.com/all-posts/2018/5/25/zama-podcastProduced and edited by Jake Cunningham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a musical double bill on this episode as we touchdown with the Elton John biopic Rocketman, and speak to two of the film's stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Jamie Bell. Plus, we explore a whole new world with Guy Ritchie's take on Disney's Aladdin.Speaking on this episode are Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell and Steven Ryder, with interviews from Ryan Hewitt and Ella Kemp. Follow the team on Social Media:@SamHowlett_1 Sam Howlett@irma_pep - Steven@ks_powell - Kelly@efekemp - EllaProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first micro-dispatch from Cannes 2019, our intrepid host meets with Curzon's man on the ground for programming Ben Lyndon about a select few highlights from the first week of the festival.Plus, Catherine Bray (Film 4, The I, 'Beyond Clueless') Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Short Film strand Random Acts highlights which short films have caught her eye.To hear more from Catherine, listen to our episode on Halloween from 2018: https://play.acast.com/s/thecurzonfilmpodcast/halloweenProduced and edited by Jake Cunningham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk about everyone's favourite super assassin who's checking in to cinemas this week, John Wick. Plus, we speak to Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego, the directors of crime epic Birds of Passage.Superassassin John Wick returns, played by Keanu Reeves with his trademark commitment to physical performance. Now with a $14 million price on his head, he is the target of an army of murderous bounty hunters. The third instalment of the story continues the emphasis on unreconstituted action, while also adding turns from the likes of Anjelica Huston, Halle Berry and Laurence Fishburne.From the filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated Embrace of the Serpent comes their latest epic, Birds of Passage, a tale about indigenous traditions and the corrupting forces of wealth and power, set against the backdrop of the Colombian marijuana boom of the 1970s. A film of both gangsters and spirits, corruption and fratricidal war, this is a thrilling depiction of the origins of the drug trade told through the story of an indigenous Wayuu family's downfall when greed, passion and honour collide, putting their lives, culture and ancestral traditions at stake.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Caitlin Quinlan, Alasdair Bayman and Mark TowersFollow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@csquinlan - Caitlin@alasdairbayman - Alasdair@MarkDTowers - MarkProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we go deep with Claire Denis' interstellar introspective inter-everything sci-fi High Life, as well as speaking to the great director of Chocolat, Trouble Every Day and Let The Sunshine In herself. Plus, we get a front seat for one of Aretha Franklin's finest performances in Amazing Grace.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts, Ella Kemp and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@samhowlett_1 - Sam@_Stephwatts - StephProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss Brady Corbet's unique pop star biopic Vox Lux. Plus we've managed to swing some time in the VIP section and talk to two of it stars, Stacy Martin and Raffey Cassidy. The second feature from writer-director Brady Corbet, Vox Lux is a stylish and absorbing modern portrait of a troubled pop star's rise from the ashes of a major national tragedy to pop superstardom, featuring a remarkable performance from Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Ella Kemp and Sam Howlett.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@samhowlett_1 - Sam@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going from online to on-crime this week as we take a look at acclaimed coming-of-age drama Eighth Grade and Jia Zhang-ke's epic Ash Is Purest White. Plus we welcome Bertie Gilbert who brings some insight into the world of YouTubers and filmmaking. Bo Burnham, a former YouTuber himself, has made an incredibly impressive directorial debut with Eighth Grade, a refreshingly sincere look at a teenage girl growing up in the digital age. Ash is Purest White is an epic, decades-spanning crime drama about a woman who, after being released from prison, goes in search of her gangster boyfriend who left her there years ago. Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Ella Kemp, Caitlin Quinlan and Bertie Gilbert.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@csquinlan - Caitlin@bertieglbrt - BertieProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're talking satire and scandal as we take a look at the Silvio Berlusconi biopic Loro and the Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn starring thriller Dragged Across Concrete. Plus we welcome Professor of Modern Italian Politics and writer John Foot on to the show to talk about the rise of Berlusconi, comparisons to Trump and how Berlusconi's life and career are portrayed in Loro.Loro is Paolo Sorrentino's (The Great Beauty) latest film, exploring the unseen private life of one of modern Italy's most controversial figures with longtime collaborator Tony Servillo as Berlusconi. While Loro takes us through the extravagant parties of high society Italy, S. Craig Zahler drags us to the murky criminal underworld in Dragged Across Concrete, starring Gibson and Vaughn as two cops suspended after brutalising a suspect, whose plan to rob a criminal goes violently awry.Discussing the films this week are Sam Howlett, Kelly Powell, Steven Ryder and Lou ThomasFollow the team on Social Media:@SamHowlett_1 Sam Howlett@London_lou - Lou Thomas@irma_pep - Steven@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Put on your white cowboy boots and sequin jacket as we shine a spotlight on country musical Wild Rose and Jonah Hill's directorial debut Mid90s. Plus we welcome WILD ROSE's star and BAFTA Rising Star nominee Jessie Buckley on to the show to talk about her latest in a string of acclaimed performances.Wild Rose is directed by Tom Harper and is a passion project for writer Nicole Taylor, it's the story of a young Glaswegian mother who dreams of lighting up the country music bars of Nashville. Compared to the bright lights and shiny slide guitars of Wild Rose, Mid90s is a street level, free-rolling insight into the routines and relationships of a skate gang in, you guessed it, the mid-90s.Discussing the films this week are Jake Cunningham, Kelly Powell, Ella Kemp and Caitlin Quinlan.Follow the team on Social Media:@jakehcunningham - Jake@efe_kemp - Ella@csquinlan - Caitlin@ks_powell - KellyProduced by Jake CunninghamEdited by Mark Towers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.