The Shadowcast

David and Fiona explore the Titanic's onscreen voyages, concentrating on two Hollywood versions, one British, and one from Nazi Germany. Jean Negulsco, James Cameron, Roy Baker and Herbert Selpin get their due.

David and Fiona watch and provide a commentary track to Richard Williams' sublime 1971 animated version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. You can watch along on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTzyC9CZuOA

Celluloid visions of Jack the Ripper (three versions of The Lodger, the crazy Klaus Kinski one, two televisual conspiracy theories, and the awful From Hell movie, among others) are examined in the light of Hallie Rubenfold's book The Five: The Untold Stories of the women Killed by Jack the Ripper.

David and Fiona attend the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival in Bo'ness, Scotland, and David speaks to fellow guests: Nicky Smith Richard Layne Ian Chodikoff (all the way from Canada) Lawrence Napper who delivered a marvelous special lecture on working women in silent cinema Dr. Melanie Selfe, another film professor David and Alistair Young, first cousins twice removed of the great James Finlayson (D'oh!) Pamela Hutchinson of Silent London, author and journalist Alison Strauss, festival director Bryony Dixon, the BFI's head of silent film  and film editor Stephen C. Horne, who navigated our drive back to Edinburgh with us.

Fiona and David look at Jordan Peele's Us, its themes, meaning, plot twists. Spoilers galore. Warning warning!

Fiona discovered a hilarious letter written by the nine-year-old Stan Laurel to a disgruntled friend, and we got young actor Evan Low to perform it.

Fiona discovered a hilarious letter written by the nine-year-old Stan Laurel to a disgruntled friend, and we got young actor Joe Campbell-Hillsley to perform it.

David and Fiona are joined by Stephen C. Horne to discuss the genius of Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. With music, audio clips and a wide-ranging analysis of the boys' work, lives, collaborators, from soup to nuts.

Fiona and David look at cinematic manifestations of Al Capone, from Howard Hawks' Scarface, through Roger Corman's The St Valentine's Day Massacre, to Brian DePalma's The Untouchables, taking in Rod Steiger, Ben Gazzara, Boardwalk Empire and others, including outlier Tony Montana and his Bollywood cousin.

We look at the TIMELY and IMPORTANT subject of HUMAN MINIATURISATION in the movies, with special emphasis on THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, FANTASTIC VOYAGE and INNERSPACE, but touching lightly on DOWNSIZING, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN, BODY TROOPERS and FIRST PAVILION and with audio references to DOCTOR CYCLOPS, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE, ANTMAN,  etc... Can human beings be greatly reduced in size (and injected into Martin Short) or are we just asking for the moon? What of the tremendous costs involved? How small is too small? And do the molecules in our fingernails contain their own tiny little universes?

David, Fiona and Momo the spacecat watch sophisticated Czech space epic Ikarie XB-1, no-budget British space/soap opera Spaceflight IC-1, and Dark Star, John Carpenter & Dan O'Bannon's expanded student film. What we learn: interplanetary travel will MAKE YOU CRAZY. Sidetrip: George Pal's Technicolor Conquest of Space.

A lively discussion of three shows/movies about polar exploration and it's lethal hazards, embedded in a wintry soundscape of music, dialogue and atmospheres, perfect for listening to by a roaring fire as the gales howl outside.

David and Fiona look at the Edison company's A Winter Straw Ride, a snowy, festive and fun-filled romp with a cast of anonymous, frollicking long-dead women.

David Cairns and Fiona Watson from the blog Shadowplay discuss the last three horror films from Hammer (To the Devil a Daughter), Tigon (Frightmare) and Amicus (The Monster Club), mostly with respect and affection. Mostly.

Movie-lovers David Cairns and Fiona Watson examine political satires from the late nineties: Costa-Gavras' MAD CITY, Barry Levinson's WAG THE DOG, Mike Nichols' PRIMARY COLORS and, best of all, Warren Beatty's audacious and unique BULWORTH.

David Cairns and Fiona Watson of the popular blog-thing Shadowplay discuss three films about race relations from the late fifties/early sixties: Pool of London, Sapphire and Flame in the Streets.