Podcast appearances and mentions of Kenneth Branagh

Today on the show, I share my review of the new animated movie The King of Kings starring Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, and Roman Griffin Davis! This amazing re-telling of The Greatest Story Ever Told will captivate children and adults alike! Listen, and then watch this powerful movie with your family!

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a 1994 science fiction horror film directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as Victor Frankenstein, with Robert De Niro portraying Frankenstein's monster (called The Creation in the film), and co-stars Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Richard Briers and Aidan Quinn. The film follows a medical student who creates new life in the form of a monster composed of various corpses' body parts. If you have anything to add to the discussion, please don't hesitate to do so by reaching out to us on social media @TheFilmFlamers, or call our hotline and leave us a message at 972-666-7733!     Watch Frankenstein: https://amzn.to/4e1d82p     Out this Month: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Hot Take: 28 Years Later Patreon: Poll      Get in Touch:  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheFilmFlamers  Visit our Store: https://the-film-flamers.printify.me/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefilmflamers  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFilmFlamers/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/thefilmflamers/  (NEW!) SCANS Movie Rating Calculator: https://scans.glide.page/  Our Website: https://www.filmflamers.com  Call our Hotline: 972-666-7733     Our Patrons:    Alex M Andrew Bower Anthony Criswell Ashlie Thornbury BattleBurrito Benjamin Gonzalez Bennett Hunter BreakfastChainsawMassacre Brittany Bellgardt Call me Lestat. Canadianmatt3 CenobiteBetty Christopher Nelson Dan Alvarez Dirty Birdy eliza mc Gia Gillian Murtagh GlazedDonut GWilliamNYC Irwan Iskak James Aumann Jessica E Joanne Ellison Josh Young Karl Haikara Kimberly McGuirk Kitty Kelly Kyle Kavanagh Laura O'Malley Lisa Libby Lisa Söderberg Livi Loch Hightower M Hussman Mac Daddy Matt Walsh Matthew McHenry Nicole McDaniel Niko Allred Nimble Wembley Orion Yannotti Pablo the Rhino Penelope Nelson random dude Richard Best Robert Eppers Rosieredleader Ryan King SHADOW OF THE DEAD SWANN Sharon Sinesthero Thomas Jane's gun Walstrich William Skinner   Sweet dreams...      "Welcome to Horrorland" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Includes music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Hyperion to a Satyr - The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - completes Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and even a rock opera. In Act 5, Scene 2, Part 2, the tragedy resolves itself in a number of deaths. Listen to the episode below or subscribe to Hyperion to a Satyr on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Credits: Theme: "Fanfare" from 1996 Hamlet, by Patrick Doyle, with a clip from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi; and the 1996 Hamlet, starring Kenneth Branagh. Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Derek Jacobi, Nicholas Farrel, and Julie Christie; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Patrick Stewart and Derek Jacobi; Hamlet 1990 by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Stephen Dillane; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, starring Liev Schreiber and Robert MacNeil; Hamlet 2007 by Alexander Fodor, starring Katie Reddin-Clancy; "She'll Never Know" by Marillion; Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring Patrick Stewart; In a Bleak Midwinter by Kenneth Branagh, starring Michael Maloney; and "Le duel", "La mort d'Hamlet" and "Le rideau tombe" by Johnny Hallyday. Leave a comment, I love to read!

Miranda Raison is perhaps best known as Jo Portman in BBC's Spooks. Miranda has most recently been seen leading Britbox's hit show Sister Boniface Mysteries which she returns for series 4 in 2025. Next up she is leading David Hare's new play Grace Pervades as Ellen opposite Ralph Fiennes at the Theatre Royal Bath in June 2025. Grace Pervades tells the extraordinary story of Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, the greatest stars of the Victorian stage. Miranda has an extensive theatre CV having played the title role in Anne Boleyn at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to great critical acclaim as well as Hermione in The Winter's Tale opposite Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench at the Garrick Theatre. Further credits include Strangers on a Train at the Gielgund, The River at the Royal Court and The Physicists at The Bush Theatre. Other noteworthy film and television credits include HBO's Warrior as series regular Nellie, Netflix/Studio Canals' Spotless, Sky 1's Safe Space with Clive Davies Fox's, 24: Live Another Day opposite Yvonne Strahovski and Kiefer Sutherland, Netflix' Vexed opposite Lucy Punch and Toby Stephens, BBC's Silk opposite Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones, Murder on the Orient Express with Judi Dench and Johnny Depp, Breathe and My Week with Marilyn opposite Eddie Redmayne and Emma Watson .Miranda Raison is our guest in episode 497 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things she'd like to put in a time capsule; four she'd like to preserve and one she'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy tickets for Grace Pervades with Miranda and Ralph Fiennes at the Theatre Royal Bath - https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/events/grace-pervades .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

En la Filmoteca Regional se podrán ver las siguientes películas: Sábado 31 de mayo a las 11.30 horas, con entrada libre hasta completar aforoLa familia Benetón, de Joaquín Mazón. Sábado 31 de mayo a las 18.45 horas con entrada libre hasta completar aforoMuerte en el Nilo, de Death on the Nile y Kenneth Branagh.Sábado 31 de mayo a las 21.15 horasLa piel que habito, de Pedro Almodóvar. Domingo 1 de junio a las 18 horas Blancanieves, de Pablo Berger. Domingo 1 de junio a las 20 horasLa chica danesa, de Tom Hooper. Estos son los estrenos de esta semana: La trama fenicia, de Wes Anderson; Blindado, de David Yarovesky y Las cuatro fantásticas, de The Fabulous Four.

This week we're discussing the super-mega-ultra flop Wild Wild West! We discuss a producer who was positively ENAMOURED with spiders, an odd couple dynamic that zero percent works, and feel bad for Kenneth Branagh (and also everyone in this movie).    Produced by Andrew Ivimey as part of The From Superheroes Network   Visit www.FromSuperheroes.com for more podcasts, articles, video series, web comics, and more.

On s'intéresse au personnage de Frankenstein, ce savant fou qui est apparu sous la plume de Mary Shelley il y a plus de 200 ans, puisque c'était en 1818, dans le roman Frankenstein ou le Prométhée moderne. On sait que bien souvent les personnages de fiction sont inspirés de personnalités bien réelles; et j'avais donc envie de savoir si c'était le cas avec le médecin Victor Frankenstein. Il semble que Mary Shelley se soit inspirée de la vie de Johann Conrad DIPPEL, un théologien, alchimiste et médecin allemand, né dans le château Frankenstein en 1673. SOURCES : Si vous avez envie d'aller un peu plus loin dans ce podcast n'hésitez pas à relire Le roman de Mary Shelley ou ses variations qui ont été nombreuses: Jean-Claude Carrière a par exemple écrit entre 1957 et 1959 six romans Frankenstein qui sont censés être la suite de celui du premier livre de Mary Shelley. En 1973 Brian Aldiss a aussi fait paraitre son roman de science-fiction Frankenstein délivré, qui mêle les personnages de Frankenstein ou le Prométhée moderne — ainsi que Mary Shelley elle-même — il y a une histoire de voyage dans le temps. Et puis L'écrivain André-François Ruaud avec ses essais Les Nombreuses vies de Frankenstein en 2008 et Sur les traces de Frankenstein en 2017 dans lesquels se mêlent fiction littéraire et histoire. Et sinon bien sûr les adaptations cinématographiques dont la première réalisée en 1910 qui est un film muet. Puis le mythique film sorti en 1931 réalisé par James Whale pour Universal Pictures avec Boris Karloff dans le rôle de la créature/ Quelques années sortent les suites La Fiancée de Frankenstein puis Le Fils de Frankenstein. Et enfin plus proche de nous en 1994, Kenneth Branagh a réalisé Frankenstein avec Robert De Niro dans le role du monstre ! Et à noter aussi qu'il y a eu des adaptations plutôt insolites autour de Frankenstein, avec par exemple Frankenstein vs. Baragon (qui mêle le mythe de Frankenstein avec le genre des monstres géants japonais) et qui a été réalisé en 1965 par Ishirō Honda, on a aussi eu droit à Dracula, prisonnier de Frankenstein ou bien encore Les Expériences érotiques de Frankenstein. Et on n'oublie pas le mythique film humour parodique Frankenstein Junior de Mel Brooks sorti en 1974.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this wrap-up episode, we reflect on our journey through Shakespeare's King Henry V by examining three distinct productions that bring the play to life in unique ways. We begin with Kenneth Branagh's 1989 Oscar-nominated film adaptation, renowned for its realism and cinematic approach. Next, we delve into the 2022 Donmar Warehouse production starring Kit Harington, which frames Henry's leadership through a modern lens. Finally, we discuss the 2012 Shakespeare's Globe production with Jamie Parker, which offers a more traditional yet energetic take on the play. By comparing these interpretations, we explore how different directorial choices and performances can influence our understanding of the play's themes, characters, and historical context. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Branagh, Kenneth, director. Henry V. Performance by Derek Jacobi, et al., Curzon Film Distributors, Ltd., Samuel Goldwyn Company, CBS Fox Video, 1989. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. National Theatre Live, https://www.ntathome.com/henry-v. Accessed 2025. Shakespeare, William. Henry V (2012). Shakespeare's Globe, 2013, https://player.shakespearesglobe.com/productions/henry-v-2012/. Accessed 2025.

Hyperion to a Satyr - The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - continues Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and even a rock opera. In Act 5, Scene 2, Part 1, Hamlet is presented with a friendly contest that's likely a trap, but he's ready for whatever comes next. Listen to the episode below or subscribe to Hyperion to a Satyr on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Credits: Theme: "Fanfare" from 1996 Hamlet, by Patrick Doyle, with a clip from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi; and the 1996 Hamlet, starring Kenneth Branagh. Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh and Robin Williams; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Peter Gale and Derek Jacobi; Hamlet 1990 by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Mel Gibson; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, starring Ethan Hawke; "Coming" by Goldie; Hamlet 2007 by Alexander Fodor, starring Max Davis and William Belchambers; and Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring Ryan Gage and David Tennant. Leave a comment, I love to read!

I was delighted to talk to the historian Helen Castor (who writes The H Files by Helen Castor) about her new book The Eagle and the Hart. I found that book compulsive, and this is one of my favourite interviews so far. We covered so much: Dickens, Melville, Diana Wynne Jones, Hilary Mantel, whether Edward III is to blame for the Wars of the Roses, why Bolingbroke did the right thing, the Paston Letters, whether we should dig up old tombs for research, leaving academia, Elizabeth I, and, of course, lots of Shakespeare. There is a full transcript below.Henry: Is there anything that we fundamentally know about this episode in history that Shakespeare didn't know?Helen: That's an extremely good question, and I'm tempted now to say no.Helen told me what is hardest to imagine about life in the fourteenth century.I think it's relatively easy to imagine a small community or even a city, because we can imagine lots of human beings together, but how relationships between human beings happen at a distance, not just in terms of writing a letter to someone you know, but how a very effective power structure happens across hundreds of miles in the absence of those things is the thing that has always absolutely fascinated me about the late Middle Ages. I think that's because it's hard, for me at least, to imagine.Good news to any publishers reading this. Helen is ready and willing to produce a complete edition of the Paston Letters. They were a bestseller when they were published a hundred years ago, but we are crying out for a complete edition in modern English.Henry: If someone wants to read the Paston Letters, but they don't want to read Middle English, weird spelling, et cetera, is there a good edition that they can use?Helen: Yes, there is an Oxford World's Classic. They're all selected. There isn't a complete edition in modern spelling. If any publishers are listening, I would love to do one. Henry: Yes, let's have it.Helen: Let's have it. I would really, really love to do that.Full TranscriptHenry: Today I am talking to the historian, Helen Castor. Helen is a former fellow of Sydney Sussex College in Cambridge. She has written several books of history. She is now a public historian, and of course, she has a Substack. The H Files by Helen CastorWe are going to talk mostly about her book, The Eagle and the Hart, which is all about Richard II and Henry IV. I found this book compulsive, so I hope you will read it too. Helen, welcome.Helen: Thank you very much for having me, Henry.Henry: You recently read Bleak House.Helen: I did.Henry: What did you think?Helen: I absolutely loved it. It was a long time since I'd read any Dickens. I read quite a lot when I was young. I read quite a lot of everything when I was young and have fallen off that reader's perch, much to my shame. The first page, that description of the London fog, the London courts, and I thought, "Why have I not been doing it for all these years?"Then I remembered, as so often with Dickens, the bits I love and the bits I'm less fond of, the sentimentality, the grotesquerie I'm less fond of, but the humour and the writing. There was one bit that I have not been able to read then or any of the times I've tried since without physically sobbing. It's a long time since a book has done that to me. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but--Henry: I'm sure I know what you mean. That's quite a sentimental passage.Helen: It is, but not sentimental in the way that I find myself objecting to. I think I really respond viscerally to this sentimentalising of some of his young women characters. I find that really off-putting, but I think now I'm a parent, and particularly I'm a parent of a boy [laughter]. I think it's that sense of a child being completely alone with no one to look after them, and then finding some people, but too late for a happy ending.Henry: Too late.Helen: Yes.Henry: You've been reading other classic novels, I think, Moby Dick?Helen: I'm in the middle of Moby Dick as we speak. I'm going very slowly, partly because I'm trying to savour every sentence. I love the sentence so much as a form. Melville is just astonishing, and also very, very funny in a way I hadn't expected to keep laughing out loud, sometimes because there is such humour in a sentence.Sometimes I'm just laughing because the sentence itself seems to have such audacity and that willingness to go places with sentences that sometimes I feel we've lost in the sort of sense of rules-based sentences instead of just sticking a semicolon and keep going. Why not, because it's so gorgeous and full of the joy of language at that point? Anyway, I'm ranting now, but--Henry: No, I think a lot of rules were instituted in the early 20th century that said you can and cannot do all these things, and writers before that point had not often followed those rules. I think what it has led to is that writers now, they can't really control a long sentence, in the sense that Melville and Dickens will do a long sentence, and it is a syntactically coherent thing, even though it's 60, 70 longer words. It's not just lots of stuff, and then, and then. The whole thing has got a beautiful structure that makes sense as a unit. That's just not obvious in a lot of writing now.Helen: I think that's exactly right. Partly, I've been reading some of the Melville out loud, and having just got onto the classification of whales, you can see I'm going very slowly. Those sentences, which are so long, but it's exactly that. If you read them out loud, and you follow the sense, and the punctuation, however irregular it might be in modern terms, gives you the breathing, you just flow on it, and the excitement of that, even or perhaps especially when one is talking about the classification of whales. Just joyful.Henry: Will we be seeing more very long sentences in your next book?Helen: I think I have to get a bit better at it. The habit that I was conscious of anyway, but became acutely so when I had to read my own audiobook for the first time is that I think I write in a very visual way. That is how I read because mostly it's silent.I discovered or rediscovered that often what I do when I want to write a very long sentence is I start the sentence and then I put a diversion or extra information within em dashes in the middle of the sentence. That works on the page because you can see spatially. I love that way of reading, I love seeing words in space.A lot of different kinds of text, both prose and poetry, I read in space like that. If you're reading to be heard, then the difficulty of breaking into a sentence with, whether it's brackets or em dashes or whatever, and then rejoining the sentence further down has its own challenges. Perhaps I ought to try and do less of that and experiment more with a Melvillian Dickensian onward flow. I don't know what my editor will think.Henry: What has brought you back to reading novels like this?Helen: I was wondering that this morning, actually, because I'm very aware having joined Substack, and of course, your Substack is one of the ones that is leading me further in this direction, very inspiringly, is discovering that lots of other people are reading and reading long novels now too. It reminded me of that thing that anyone with children will know that you have a baby and you call it something that you think only you have thought of, and then four years later, you call and you discover half the class is called that name. You wonder what was in the water that led everybody in that direction.I've just seen someone tweet this morning about how inspired they are by the builder next door who, on the scaffolding, is blasting the audiobook Middlemarch to the whole neighborhood.Henry: Oh my god. Amazing.Helen: It's really happening. Insofar as I can work out what led me as opposed to following a group, which clearly I am in some sense, I think the world at the moment is so disquieting, and depressing, and unnerving, that I think for me, there was a wish to escape into another world and another world that would be very immersive, not removed from this world completely. One that is very recognizably human.I think when I was younger, when I was in my teens and 20s, I loved reading science fiction and fantasy before it was such a genre as it is now. I'm a huge fan of Diana Wynne Jones and people like that.Henry: Oh, my god, same. Which one is your favorite?Helen: Oh, that is an impossible question to answer, partly because I want to go back and read a lot of them. Actually, I've got something next to me, just to get some obscurity points. I want to go back to Everard's Ride because there is a story in here that is based on the King's square. I don't know if I'm saying that right, but early 15th century, the story of the imprisoned King of Scotland when he was in prison in England. That one's in my head.The Dalemark Quartet I love because of the sort of medieval, but then I love the ones that are pure, more science fantasy. Which is your favorite? Which should I go back to first?Henry: I haven't read them all because I only started a couple of years ago. I just read Deep Secret, and I thought that was really excellent. I was in Bristol when I read it quite unwittingly. That was wonderful.Helen: Surrounded by Diana Wynne Jones' land. I only discovered many years into an obsession that just meant that I would read every new one while there were still new ones coming out. I sat next to Colin Burrow at a dinner in--Henry: Oh my god.Helen: I did sort of know that he was her son, but monstered him for the whole time, the whole course of sitting together, because I couldn't quite imagine her in a domestic setting, if you like, because she came up with all these extraordinary worlds. I think in days gone by, I went into more obviously imaginary worlds. I think coming back to it now, I wanted something big and something that I really could disappear into. I've been told to read Bleak House for so many decades and felt so ashamed I hadn't. Having done that, I thought, "Well, the whale."Henry: Have you read Diana Wynne Jones' husband's books, John Burrow? Because that's more in your field.Helen: It is, although I'm ashamed to say how badly read I am in medieval literary scholarship. It's weird how these academic silos can operate, shouldn't, probably don't for many, many people. I always feel I'm on horribly thin ground, thin ice when I start talking about medieval literature because I know how much scholarship is out there, and I know how much I haven't read. I must put John Burrow on my list as well.Henry: He's very readable. He's excellent.Helen: I think I can imagine, but I must go into it.Henry: Also, his books are refreshingly short. Your husband is a poet, so there's a lot of literature in your life at the moment.Helen: There is. When we met, which was 10 years ago-- Again, I don't think of myself as knowledgeable about poetry in general, but what was wonderful was discovering how much we had in common in the writing process and how much I could learn from him. To me, one of the things that has always been extremely important in my writing is the sentence, the sound of a sentence, the rhythm of a sentence folded into a paragraph.I find it extremely hard to move on from a paragraph if it's not sitting right yet. The sitting right is as much to do with sound and rhythm as it is to do with content. The content has to be right. It means I'm a nightmare to edit because once I do move on from a paragraph, I think it's finished. Obviously, my editor might beg to differ.I'm very grateful to Thomas Penn, who's also a wonderful historian, who's my editor on this last book, for being so patient with my recalcitrance as an editee. Talking to my husband about words in space on the page, about the rhythm, about the sound, about how he goes about writing has been so valuable and illuminating.I hope that the reading I've been doing, the other thing I should say about going back to big 19th-century novels is that, of course, I had the enormous privilege and learning curve of being part of a Booker jury panel three years ago. That too was an enormous kick in terms of reading and thinking about reading because my co-judges were such phenomenal reading company, and I learned such a lot that year.I feel not only I hope growing as a historian, but I am really, really focusing on writing, reading, being forced out of my bunker where writing is all on the page, starting to think about sound more, think about hearing more, because I think more and more, we are reading that way as a culture, it seems to me, the growth of audiobooks. My mother is adjusting to audiobooks now, and it's so interesting to listen to her as a lifelong, voracious reader, adjusting to what it is to experience a book through sound rather than on the page. I just think it's all fascinating, and I'm trying to learn as I write.Henry: I've been experimenting with audiobooks, because I felt like I had to, and I sort of typically hate audio anything. Jonathan Swift is very good, and so is Diana Wynne Jones.Helen: Interesting. Those two specifically. Is there something that connects the two of them, or are they separately good?Henry: I think they both wrote in a plain, colloquial style. It was very capable of being quite intellectual and had capacity for ideas. Diana Wynne Jones certainly took care about the way it sounded because she read so much to her own children, and that was really when she first read all the children's classics. She had developed for many years an understanding of what would sound good when it was read to a child, I think.Helen: And so that's the voice in her head.Henry: Indeed. As you read her essays, she talks about living with her Welsh grandfather for a year. He was intoning in the chapel, and she sort of comes out of this culture as well.Helen: Then Swift, a much more oral culture.Henry: Swift, of course, is in a very print-heavy culture because he's in London in 1710. We've got coffee houses and all the examiner, and the spectator, and all these people scribbling about each other. I think he was very insistent on what he called proper words in proper places. He became famous for that plain style. It's very carefully done, and you can't go wrong reading that out loud. He's very considerate of the reader that you won't suddenly go, "Oh, I'm in the middle of this huge parenthesis. I don't know how--" As you were saying, Swift-- he would be very deliberate about the placement of everything.Helen: A lot of that has to do with rhythm.Henry: Yes.Helen: Doesn't it? I suppose what I'm wondering, being very ignorant about the 18th century is, in a print-saturated culture, but still one where literacy was less universal than now, are we to assume that that print-saturated culture also incorporated reading out loud —Henry: Yes, exactly so. Exactly so. If you are at home, letters are read out loud. This obviously gives the novelists great opportunities to write letters that have to sort of work both ways. Novels are read out loud. This goes on into the 19th century. Dickens had many illiterate fans who knew his work through it being read to them. Charles Darwin's wife read him novels. When he says, "I love novels," what he means is, "I love it when my wife reads me a novel." [laughs]You're absolutely right. A good part of your audience would come from those listening as well as those reading it.Helen: Maybe we're getting back towards a new version of that with audiobooks expanding in their reach.Henry: I don't know. I saw some interesting stuff. I can't remember who was saying this. Someone was saying, "It's not an oral culture if you're watching short videos. That's a different sort of culture." I think, for us, we can say, "Oh yes, we're like Jonathan Swift," but for the culture at large, I don't know. It is an interesting mixed picture at the moment.Helen: Yes, history never repeats, but we should be wary of writing off any part of culture to do with words.Henry: I think so. If people are reporting builders irritating the neighbourhood with George Eliot, then it's a very mixed picture, right?Helen: It is.Henry: Last literary question. Hilary Mantel has been a big influence on you. What have you taken from her?Helen: That's quite a hard question to answer because I feel I just sit at her feet in awe. If I could point to anything in my writing that could live up to her, I would be very happy. The word that's coming into my head when you phrase the question in that way, I suppose, might be an absolute commitment to precision. Precision in language matters to me so much. Her thought and her writing of whatever kind seems to me to be so precise.Listening to interviews with her is such an outrageous experience because these beautifully, entirely formed sentences come out of her mouth as though that's how thought and language work. They don't for me. [chuckles] I'm talking about her in the present tense because I didn't know her, but I find it hard to imagine that she's not out there somewhere.Henry: She liked ghosts. She might be with us.Helen: She might. I would like to think that. Her writing of whatever genre always seems to me to have that precision, and it's precision of language that mirrors precision of thought, including the ability to imagine herself into somebody else's mind. That's, I suppose, my project as a historian. I'm always trying to experience a lost world through the eyes of a lost person or people, which, of course, when you put it like that, is an impossible task, but she makes it seem possible for her anyway and that's the road I'm attempting to travel one way or another.Henry: What is it about the 14th and 15th centuries that is hardest for us to imagine?Helen: I think this speaks to something else that Hilary Mantel does so extraordinarily well, which is to show us entire human beings who live and breathe and think and feel just as we do in as complex and contradictory and three-dimensional a way as we do, and yet who live in a world that is stripped of so many of the things that we take so much for granted that we find it, I think, hard to imagine how one could function without them.What I've always loved about the late Middle Ages, as a political historian, which is what I think of myself as, is that it has in England such a complex and sophisticated system of government, but one that operates so overwhelmingly through human beings, rather than impersonal, institutionalized, technological structures.You have a king who is the fount of all authority, exercising an extraordinary degree of control over a whole country, but without telephones, without motorized transport, without a professional police service, without a standing army. If we strip away from our understanding of government, all those things, then how on earth does society happen, does rule happen, does government happen?I think it's relatively easy to imagine a small community or even a city, because we can imagine lots of human beings together, but how relationships between human beings happen at a distance, not just in terms of writing a letter to someone you know, but how a very effective power structure happens across hundreds of miles in the absence of those things is the thing that has always absolutely fascinated me about the late Middle Ages. I think that's because it's hard, for me at least, to imagine.Henry: Good. You went to the RSC to watch The Henriad in 2013.Helen: I did.Henry: Is Shakespeare a big influence on this book? How did that affect you?Helen: I suppose this is a long story because Richard II and The Henriad have been-- there is Richard II. Richard II is part of The Henriad, isn't it?Henry: Yes.Helen: Richard II. Henry, see, this is-Henry: The two Henry IVs.Helen: -I'm not Shakespearean. I am. [laughs]Henry: No, it's Richard II, the two Henry IVs, and Henry V. Because, of course, Henry Bolingbroke is in Richard II, and it--Helen: Yes, although I never think of him as really the same person as Henry IV in the Henry IV plays, because he changes so dramatically between the two.Henry: Very often, they have a young actor and an old actor, and of course, in real life, that's insane, right?Helen: It's absolutely insane. I always separate Henry IV, parts I and II, and Henry V off from Richard II because it feels to me as though they operate in rather different worlds, which they do in lots of ways. My story with the Henry ad, now that we've established that I actually know what we're talking about, goes back to when I was in my teens and Kenneth Branagh was playing Henry V in Stratford. I grew up very near Stratford.At 15, 16, watching the young Branagh play Henry V was mind-blowing. I went a whole number of times because, in those days, I don't know how it is now, but you could go and get standing tickets for a fiver on the day. More often than not, if there were spare seats, you would get moved into some extraordinary stall seats at-- I was about to say halftime, I'm a football fan, at the interval.Henry V was the play I knew best for a long time, but at the same time, I'd studied Richard II at school. The Henry IV plays are the ones I know least well. I'm interested now to reflect on the fact that they are the ones that depart most from history. I wonder whether that's why I find them hardest to love, because I'm always coming to the plays from the history. Richard II and Henry V actually have a lot to show us about those kings. They bear very close relationships with a lot of the contemporary chronicles, whereas the Henry IV ones is Shakespeare doing his own thing much more.Particularly, as you've just said, making Henry IV way too old, and/or depending which angle we're looking at it from, making Hotspur way too young, the real Hotspur was three years older than Henry IV. If you want to make Hotspur and how-- your young Turks, you have to make Henry IV old and grey and weary with Northumberland.Back in 2013, the really intense experience I had was being asked to go for a day to join the RSC company on a school trip to Westminster Hall and Westminster Abbey at the beginning of their rehearsal process, so when David Tennant was playing Richard II and Greg Doran was directing. That was absolutely fascinating. I'd been thinking about Richard and Henry for a very long time. Obviously, I was a long way away from writing the book I've just written.Talking to actors is an extraordinary thing for a historian because, of course, to them, these are living characters. They want to know what's in their character's mind. They want to know, quite rightly, the chronological progression of their character's thought. That is something that's become more and more and more and more important to me.The longer I go on writing history, the more intensely attached I am to the need for chronology because if it hasn't happened to your protagonist yet, what are you doing with it? Your protagonist doesn't yet know. We don't know. It's very dramatically clear to us at the moment that we don't know what's happening tomorrow. Any number of outrageous and unpredictable things might happen tomorrow.The same certainly was true in Richard II's reign, goes on being true in Henry IV's reign. That experience, in the wake of which I then went to see Henry IV, parts 1 and 2 in Stratford, was really thought-provoking. The extent to which, even though I'd been working on this period for a long time, and had taught this period, I still was struggling to answer some of those questions.Then I'd just had the similarly amazing experience of having a meeting with the Richard II cast and director at the Bridge Theatre before the Nicholas Heitner production with Jonathan Bailey as Richard went on stage. That was actually towards the end of their rehearsal process. I was so struck that the actor playing Bolingbroke in this production and the actor playing Bolingbroke in the production back in 2013 both asked the same excellent first question, which is so hard for a historian to answer, which is at what point does Bolingbroke decide that he's coming back to claim the crown, not just the Duchy of Lancaster?That is a key question for Bolingbroke in Richard II. Does he already know when he decides he's going to break his exile and come back? Is he challenging for the crown straight away, or is he just coming back for his rightful inheritance with the Duchy of Lancaster? That is the million-dollar question when you're writing about Bolingbroke in 1399.It's not possible to answer with a smoking gun. We don't have a letter or a diary entry from Henry Bolingbroke as he's about to step on board ship in Boulogne saying, "I'm saying I'm coming back for the Duchy of Lancaster." The unfolding logic of his situation is that if he's going to come back at all, he's going to have to claim the crown. When he admits that to himself, and when he admits that to anybody else, are questions we can argue about.It was so interesting to me that that's the question that Shakespeare's Richard II throws up for his Bolingbroke just as much as it does for the historical one.Henry: Is there anything that we fundamentally know about this episode in history that Shakespeare didn't know?Helen: That's an extremely good question, and I'm tempted now to say no.Henry: When I left your book, the one thing I thought was that in Shakespeare, the nobles turn against Richard because of his excesses. Obviously, he really dramatizes that around the death of Gaunt. From your book, you may disagree with this, I came away thinking, well, the nobles wanted more power all the time. They may not have wanted the king's power, but there was this constant thing of the nobles feeling like they were owed more authority.Helen: I think the nobles always want more power because they are ambitious, competitive men within a political structure that rewards ambition and competition. The crucial thing for them is that they can only safely pursue ambition and competition if they know that the structure they're competing within will hold.The thing that keeps that structure rooted and solidly in place is the crown and the things that the crown is there to uphold, namely, particularly, the rule of law because if the rule of law starts to crumble, then the risk is that the whole structure collapses into anarchy. Within anarchy, then a powerful man cannot safely compete for more power because an even more powerful man might be about to roll into his estates and take them over. There have to be rules. There has to be fair competition. The referee is there on a football pitch for a reason.The king, in some senses, whether you want to see him as the keystone in an arch that supports a building or whether he's a referee on a football pitch, there are reasons why powerful men need rules because rules uphold their power. What goes wrong with Richard is that instead of seeing that he and the nobles have a common interest in keeping this structure standing, and that actually he can become more powerful if he works with and through the nobles, he sees them as a threat to him.He's attempting to establish a power structure that will not be beholden to them. In so doing, he becomes a threat to them. This structure that is supposed to stand as one mutually supportive thing is beginning to tear itself apart. That is why Richard's treatment of Bolingbroke becomes such a crucial catalyst, because what Richard does to Bolingbroke is unlawful in a very real and very technical sense. Bolingbroke has not been convicted of any crime. He's not been properly tried. There's been this trial by combat, the duel with Mowbray, but it hasn't stopped arbitrarily, and an arbitrary punishment visited upon both of them. They're both being exiled without having been found guilty, without the judgment of God speaking through this duel.Richard then promises that Bolingbroke can have his inheritance, even though he's in exile. As soon as Gaunt dies, Richard says, "No, I'm having it." Now, all of that is unlawful treatment of Bolingbroke, but because Bolingbroke is the most powerful nobleman in the country, it is also a warning and a threat to every other member of the political classes that if the king takes against you, then his arbitrary will can override the law.That diagnosis is there in Shakespeare. It's the Duke of York, who in reality was just a completely hopeless, wet figure, but he says, and I've got it written down, keep it beside me.Henry: Very nice.Helen: Kind of ridiculous, but here it is. York says to Richard, "Take Herford's rights away and take from time his charters and his customary rights. Let not tomorrow then ensue today. Be not thyself, for how art thou a king, but by fair sequence and succession?" In other words, if you interfere with, and I know you've written about time in these plays, it's absolutely crucial.Part of the process of time in these plays is that the rules play out over time. Any one individual king must not break those rules so that the expected process of succession over time can take place. York's warning comes true, that Richard is unseating himself by seeking to unseat Bolingbroke from his inheritance.Henry: We give Shakespeare good marks as a historian.Helen: In this play, yes, absolutely. The things he tinkers with in Richard II are minor plot points. He compresses time in order to get it all on stage in a plausible sequence of events. He compresses two queens into one, given that Richard was married to, by the time he fell, a nine-year-old who he'd married when he was six. It's harder to have a six-year-old making speeches on stage, so he puts the two queens into one.Henry: You don't want to pay another actor.Helen: Exactly.Henry: It's expensive.Helen: You don't want children and animals on stage. Although there is a wonderful account of a production of Richard II on stage in the West End in 1901, with the Australian actor Oscar Asche in it, playing Bolingbroke. The duel scene, he had full armour and a horse, opening night. It was a different horse from the one he rehearsed with. He gives an account in his autobiography of this horse rearing and him somersaulting heroically off the horse.Henry: Oh my god.Helen: The curtain having to come down and then it going back up again to tumultuous applause. You think, "Oscar, I'm wondering whether you're over-egging this pudding." Anyway, I give Shakespeare very good marks in Richard II, not really in the Henry IV plays, but gets back on track.Henry: The Henry IV plays are so good, we're forgiven. Was Richard II a prototype Henry VIII?Helen: Yes. Although, of course, history doesn't work forwards like that. I always worry about being a historian, talking about prototypes, if you see what I mean, but--Henry: No, this is just some podcast, so we don't have to be too strict. He's over-mighty, his sense of his relationship to God. There are issues in parliament about, "How much can the Pope tell us what to do?" There are certain things that seem to be inherent in the way the British state conceives of itself at this point that become problematic in another way.Helen: Is this pushing it too far to say Richard is a second son who ends up being the lone precious heir to the throne who must be wrapped in cotton wool to ensure that his unique God-given authority is protected? Also describes Henry VIII.Henry: They both like fancy clothes.Helen: Both like fancy clothes. Charles I is also a second son who has to step up.Henry: With wonderful cuffs and collars. He's another big dresser.Helen: And great patrons of art. I think we're developing new historical--Henry: No, I think there's a whole thing here.Helen: I think there is. What Henry does, of course, in rather different, because a lot has changed thanks to the Wars of the Roses, the power of the nobility to stand up independently of the crown is significantly lessened by the political effects of the Wars of the Roses, not at least that a lot of them have had their heads cut off, or died in battle, and the Tudors are busy making sure that they remain in the newly subjected place that they find themselves in.Henry then finds to go back to Hilary Mantel, a very, very able political servant who works out how to use parliament for him in rejecting those extra English powers that might restrain him. I do always wonder what Richard thought he was going to do if he'd succeeded in becoming Holy Roman Emperor, which I take very seriously as a proposition from Richard.Most other historians, because it's so patently ridiculous, if you look at it from a European perspective, have just said, "Oh, he got this idea that he wanted to become Holy Roman Emperor," but, of course, it was never going to happen. In Richard's mind, I think it was extremely real. Whether he really would have tried to give the English crown to Rutland, his favorite by the end of the reign, while he went off in glory to be crowned by the Pope, I don't know what was in his head. The difference with Henry is that the ambitions he eventually conceives are very England-focused, and so he can make them happen.Henry: Is there some sort of argument that, if the king hadn't won the Wars of the Roses, and the nobility had flourished, and their sons hadn't been killed, the reformation would have just been much harder to pull off here?[silence]Helen: I wonder what that would have looked like, because in a sense, the king was always going to win the Wars of the Roses, in the sense that you have to have a king. The minute you had someone left standing after that mess, that protracted mess, if he knew what he was doing, and there are arguments about the extent to which Henry VII knew what he was doing, or was doing something very different, whether or not he knew it was different, but there was always going to be an opportunity for a king to assert himself after that.Particularly, the extent to which the lesser landowners, the gentry had realized they couldn't just rely on the nobility to protect them anymore. They couldn't just follow their lord into battle and abdicate responsibility.Henry: Okay.Helen: That's an interesting--Henry: How much should we blame Edward III for all of this?Helen: For living too long and having too many sons?Henry: My argument against Edward is the Hundred Years' War, it doesn't actually go that well by the end of his reign, and it's cost too much money. Too many dukes with too much power. It's not that he had too many sons, he elevates them all and creates this insane situation. The war itself starts to tip the balance between the king and parliament, and so now you've got it from the dukes, and from the other side, and he just didn't manage the succession at all.Even though his son has died, and it really needs some kind of-- He allowed. He should have known that he was allowing a vacuum to open up where there's competition from the nobles, and from parliament, and the finances are a mess, and this war isn't there. It's just… he just leaves a disaster, doesn't he?Helen: I think I'd want to reframe that a little bit. Perhaps, I'm too much the king's friend. I think the political, and in some senses, existential dilemma for a medieval king is that the best of all possible worlds is what Edward achieves in the 1340s and the 1350s, which is, fight a war for reasons that your subjects recognize as in the common interest, in the national interest. Fight it over there so that the lands that are being devastated and the villages and towns that are being burned are not yours. Bring back lots of plunder. Everybody's getting richer and feeling very victorious.You can harness parliament. When things are going well, a medieval king and a parliament are not rivals for power. An English king working with parliament is more powerful than an English king trying to work without parliament. If things are going well, he gets more money, he can pass laws, he can enforce his will more effectively. It's win-win-win if you're ticking all those boxes.As you're pointing out, the worst of all possible worlds is to be fighting a war that's going badly. To fight a war is a big risk because either you're going to end up winning and everything's great, or if it's going badly, then you'd rather be at peace. Of course, you're not necessarily in a position to negotiate peace, depending on the terms of the war you've established.Similarly, with sons, you want heirs. You want to know the succession is safe. I think Edward's younger sons would argue with you about setting up very powerful dukes because the younger ones really-- York and Gloucester, Edmund of Langley and Thomas of Woodstock, really didn't have much in the way of an estate given to them at all, and always felt very hard done by about that. John of Gaunt is set up very well because he's married off to the heir of the Duke of Lancaster who's handily died, leaving only daughters.Henry: That's the problem, isn't it, creating that sort of impact? John of Gaunt is far too rich and powerful.Helen: You say that, except he's unfeasibly loyal. Without Gaunt, disaster happens much, much, much earlier. Gaunt is putting all those resources into the project of propping up the English state and the English crown for way longer than Richard deserves, given that Richard's trying to murder him half the time in the 1380s.Henry: [laughs] For sure. No, I agree with you there, but from Edward III's point of view, it's a mistake to make one very powerful son another quite powerful son next to-- We still see this playing out in royal family dynamics.Helen: This is the problem. What is the perfect scenario in a hereditary system where you need an heir and a spare, but even there, the spare, if he doesn't get to be the heir, is often very disgruntled. [laughs] If he does get to be the heir, as we've just said, turns out to be overconvinced of his own-Henry: Oh, indeed, yes.Helen: -specialness. Then, if you have too many spares, you run into a different kind of problem. Equally, if you don't have a hereditary system, then you have an almighty battle, as the Anglo-Saxons often did, about who's actually going to get the crown in the next generation. It's a very tricky--Henry: Is England just inherently unstable? We've got the Black Death, France is going to be a problem, whatever happens. Who is really going to come to a good fiscal position in this situation? It's no one's fault. It's just there wasn't another way out.Helen: You could say that England's remarkably-- See, I'm just playing devil's advocate the whole time.Henry: No, good.Helen: You could say England is remarkably stable in the sense that England is very unusually centralized for a medieval state at this point. It's centralized in a way that works because it's small enough to govern. It's, broadly speaking, an island. You've got to deal with the Scotts border, but it's a relatively short border. Yes, you have powerful nobles, but they are powerful nobles who, by this stage, are locked into the state. They're locked into a unified system of law. The common law rules everyone. Everyone looks to Westminster.It's very different from what the King of France has been having to face, which has been having to push his authority outward from the Île-de-France, reconquer bits of France that the English have had for a long time, impose his authority over other princes of the realm in a context where there are different laws, there are different customs, there are different languages. You could say that France is in a much more difficult and unstable situation.Of course, what we see as the tide of the war turns again in the early 15th century is precisely that France collapses into civil war, and the English can make hay again in that situation. If Henry V had not died too young with not enough sons in 1423, and particularly, if he'd left a son who grew up to be any use at all, as opposed to absolutely none-- what am I saying? I'm saying that the structure of government in England could work astonishingly well given the luck of the right man at the helm. The right man at the helm had to understand his responsibilities at home, and he had to be capable of prosecuting a successful war abroad because that is how this state works best.As you've just pointed out, prosecuting a successful war abroad is an inherently unstable scenario because no war is ever going to go in your direction the entire time. That's what Richard, who has no interest in war at all is discovering, because once the tide of war is lapping at your own shores, instead of all happening over there, it's a very, very different prospect in terms of persuading parliament to pay for it, quite understandably.You talk about the Black Death. One of the extraordinary things is looking at England in 1348, 1349, when the Black Death hits. Probably, something approaching half the population dies in 18 months. If you're looking at the progress of the war, you barely notice it happened at all. What does the government do? It snaps into action and implements a maximum wage immediately, in case [chuckles] these uppity laborers start noticing there are fewer of them, and they can ask for more money.The amount of control, at that stage at least, that the government has over a country going through an extraordinary set of challenges is quite remarkable, really.Henry: Did Bolingbroke do the right thing?Helen: I think Bolingbroke did the only possible thing, which, in some senses, equates to the right thing. If he had not come back, he would not only have been abandoning his own family, his dynasty, his inheritance, everything he'd been brought up to believe was his responsibility, but also abandoning England to what was pretty much by that stage, clearly, a situation of tyranny.The big argument is always, well, we can identify a tyrant, we have a definition of tyranny. That is, if a legitimate king rules in the common interest and according to the law, then a tyrant rules not in the common interest, and not according to the law. But then the thing that the political theorists argue about is whether or not you can actively resist a tyrant, or whether you have to wait for God to act.Then, the question is, "Might God be acting through me if I'm Bolingbroke?" That's what Bolingbroke has to hope, because if he doesn't do what he does in 1399, he is abandoning everything his whole life has been devoted to maintaining and taking responsibility for. It's quite hard to see where England would then end up, other than with somebody else trying to challenge Richard in the way that Henry does.Henry: Why was he anointed with Thomas Becket's oil?Helen: Because Richard had found it in the tower, [chuckles] and was making great play of the claims that were made for Thomas. This is one of the interesting things about Richard. He is simultaneously very interested in history, and interested in his place in history, his place in the lineage of English kings, going all the way back, particularly to the confessor to whom he looks as not only a patron saint, but as in some sense, a point of identification.He's also seeking to stop time at himself. He doesn't like to think about the future beyond himself. He doesn't show any interest in fathering an heir. His will is all about how to make permanent the judgments that he's made on his nobles. It's not about realistically what's going to happen after his death.In the course of his interest in history, he has found this vial of oil in the tower somewhere in a locked drawer with a note that says, "The Virgin gave this to Thomas Becket, and whoever is anointed with this oil shall win all his battles and shall lead England to greatness," et cetera. Richard has tried to have himself re-anointed, and even his patsy Archbishop of Canterbury that he's put in place after exiling the original one who'd stood up to him a bit.Even the new Archbishop of Canterbury says, "Sire, anointing doesn't really work like that. I'm afraid we can't do it twice." Richard has been wearing this vial round his neck in an attempt to claim that he is not only the successor to the confessor, but he is now the inheritor of this holy oil. The French king has had a holy oil for a very long time in the Cathedral of Reims, which was supposedly given to Clovis, the first king of France, by an angel, et cetera.Richard, who is always very keen on emulating, or paralleling the crown of France, is very, very keen on this. If you were Henry coming in 1399 saying, "No, God has spoken through me. The country has rallied to me. I am now the rightful king of England. We won't look too closely at my justifications for that," and you are appropriating the ceremonial of the crown, you are having yourself crowned in Westminster Abbey on the 13th of October, which is the feast day of the confessor, you are handed that opportunity to use the symbolism of this oil that Richard has just unearthed, and was trying to claim for himself. You can then say, "No, I am the first king crowned with this oil," and you're showing it to the French ambassadors and so on.If we are to believe the chroniclers, it starts making his hair fall out, which might be a contrary sign from God. It's a situation where you are usurping the throne, and what is questionable is your right to be there. Then, any symbolic prop you can get, you're going to lean on as hard as you can.Henry: A few general questions to close. Should we be more willing to open up old tombs?Helen: Yes. [laughs]Henry: Good. [laughs]Helen: I'm afraid, for me, historical curiosity is-- Our forebears in the 18th and 19th century had very few qualms at all. One of the things I love about the endless series of scholarly antiquarian articles that are-- or not so scholarly, in some cases, that are written about all the various tomb openings that went on in the 18th and 19th century, I do love the moments, where just occasionally, they end up saying, "Do you know what, lads? Maybe we shouldn't do this bit." [chuckles]They get right to the brink with a couple of tombs and say, "Oh, do you know what? This one hasn't been disturbed since 1260, whatever. Maybe we won't. We'll put it back." Mostly, they just crowbar the lid off and see what they can find, which one might regret in terms of what we might now find with greater scientific know-how, and et cetera. Equally, we don't do that kind of thing anymore unless we're digging up a car park. We're not finding things out anyway. I just love the information that comes out, so yes, for me.Henry: Dig up more tombs.Helen: Yes.Henry: What is it that you love about the Paston Letters?Helen: More or less everything. I love the language. I love the way that, even though most of them are dictated to scribes, but you can hear the dictation. You can hear individual voices. Everything we were saying about sentences. You can hear the rhythm. You can hear the speech patterns. I'm no linguistic expert, but I love seeing the different forms of spelling and how that plays out on the page.I love how recognizable they are as a family. I love the fact that we hear women's voices in a way that we very rarely do in the public records. The government which is mainly what we have to work with. I love Margaret Paston, who arrives at 18 as a new bride, and becomes the matriarch of the family. I love her relationship with her two eldest boys, John and John, and their father, John.I do wish they hadn't done that because it doesn't help those of us who are trying to write about them. I love the view you get of late medieval of 15th-century politics from the point of view of a family trying to survive it. The fact that you get tiny drops in letters that are also about shopping, or also about your sisters fall in love with someone unsuitable. Unsuitable only, I hasten to add, because he's the family bailiff, not because he isn't a wonderful and extremely able man. They all know those two things. It's just that he's a family bailiff, and therefore, not socially acceptable.I love that experience of being immersed in the world of a 15th-century gentry family, so politically involved, but not powerful enough to protect themselves, who can protect themselves in the Wars of the Roses in any case.Henry: If someone wants to read the Paston Letters, but they don't want to read Middle English, weird spelling, et cetera, is there a good edition that they can use?Helen: Yes, there is an Oxford World's Classic. They're all selected. There isn't a complete edition in modern spelling. If any publishers are listening, I would love to do one. [chuckles]Henry: Yes, let's have it.Helen: Let's have it. I would really, really love to do that. There are some very good selections. Richard Barber did one many years ago, and, of course, self-advertising. There is also my book, now more than 20 years old, about the Paston family, where I was trying to put in as much of the letters as I could. I wanted to weave the voices through. Yes, please go and read the Paston Letters in selections, in whatever form you can get them, and let's start lobbying for a complete modernized Paston.Henry: That's right. Why did you leave academia? Because you did it before it was cool.Helen: [laughs] That's very kind of you to say. My academic life was, and is very important to me, and I hate saying this now, because the academic world is so difficult now. I ended up in it almost by accident, which is a terrible thing to say now, people having to-- I never intended to be an academic. My parents were academics, and I felt I'd seen enough and wasn't sure I wanted to do that.I couldn't bear to give up history, and put in a PhD application to work with Christine Carpenter, who'd been the most inspiring supervisor when I was an undergraduate, got the place, thought, "Right, I'm just going to do a PhD." Of course, once you're doing a PhD, and everyone you know is starting to apply for early career jobs, which weren't even called early career jobs in those days, because it was a million years ago.I applied for a research fellowship, was lucky enough to get it, and then applied for a teaching job, utterly convinced, and being told by the people around me that I stood no chance of getting it, because I was way too junior, and breezed through the whole process, because I knew I wasn't going to get it, and then turned up looking for someone very junior.I got this wonderful teaching job at Sidney Sussex in Cambridge and spent eight years there, learned so much, loved working with the students. I was working very closely with the students in various ways, but I wasn't-- I'm such a slow writer, and a writer that needs to be immersed in what I was doing, and I just wasn't managing to write, and also not managing to write in the way I wanted to write, because I was becoming clearer and clearer about the fact that I wanted to write narrative history.Certainly, at that point, it felt as though writing narrative history for a general audience and being an early career academic didn't go so easily together. I think lots of people are now showing how possible it is, but I wasn't convinced I could do it. Then, sorry, this is a very long answer to what's [crosstalk] your question.Henry: That's good.Helen: I also had my son, and my then partner was teaching at a very different university, I mean, geographically different, and we were living in a third place, and trying to put a baby into that geographical [chuckles] setup was not going to work. I thought, "Well, now or never, I'll write a proposal for a book, a narrative, a book for a general readership, a narrative book about the Paxton family, because that's what I really want to write, and I'll see if I can find an agent, and I'll see if I," and I did.I found the most wonderful agent, with whose help I wrote a huge proposal, and got a deal for it two weeks before my son was due. At that point, I thought, "Okay, if I don't jump now, now or never, the stars are aligned." I've been a freelance medieval historian ever since then, touching every wood I can find as it continues to be possible. I am very grateful for those years in Cambridge. They were the making of me in terms of training and in terms of teaching.I certainly think without teaching for those years, I wouldn't be anywhere near as good a writer, because you learn such a lot from talking to, and reading what students produce.Henry: How do you choose your subjects now? How do you choose what to write about?Helen: I follow my nose, really. It's not very scientific.Henry: Why should it be?Helen: Thank you. The book, bizarrely, the book that felt most contingent, was the one I wrote after the Paston book, because I knew I'd written about the Pastons in my PhD, and then again more of it in the monograph that was based on my PhD. I knew having written about the Pastons in a very academic, analytical way, contributing to my analysis of 15th-century politics. I knew I wanted to put them at the center and write about them. That was my beginning point.The big question was what to do next, and I was a bit bamboozled for a while. The next book I ended up writing was She-Wolves, which is probably, until now, my best-known book. It was the one that felt most uncertain to me, while I was putting it together, and that really started from having one scene in my head, and it's the scene with which the book opens. It's the scene of the young Edward VI in 1553, Henry VIII's only son, dying at the age of 15.Suddenly, me suddenly realizing that wherever you looked on the Tudor family tree at that point, there were only women left. The whole question of whether a woman could rule was going to have to be answered in some way at that point, and because I'm a medievalist, that made me start thinking backwards, and so I ended up choosing some medieval queens to write about, because they've got their hands on power one way or another.Until very close to finishing it, I was worried that it wouldn't hang together as a book, and the irony is that it's the one that people seem to have taken to most. The next book after that grew out of that one, because I found myself going around talking about She-Wolves, and saying repeatedly, "The problem these queens faced was that they couldn't lead an army on the battlefield."Women couldn't do that. The only medieval woman who did that was Joan of Arc, and look what happened to her. Gradually, I realized that I didn't really know what had happened to her. I mean, I did know what--Henry: Yes, indeed.Helen: I decided that I really wanted to write about her, so I did that. Then, having done that, and having then written a very short book about Elizabeth I, that I was asked to write for Penguin Monarchs, I realized I'd been haunted all this time by Richard and Henry, who I'd been thinking about and working on since the very beginning of my PhD, but I finally felt, perhaps, ready to have a go at them properly.It's all been pretty organic apart from She-Wolves, which was the big, "What am I writing about next?" That took shape slowly and gradually. Now, I'm going to write about Elizabeth I properly in a-Henry: Oh, exciting.Helen: -full-scale book, and I decided that, anyway, before I wrote this last one, but I-- It feels even righter now, because I Am Richard II, Know Ye Not That, feels even more intensely relevant having now written about Richard and Henry, and I'm quite intimidated because Elizabeth is quite intimidating, but I think it's good, related by your subjects.[laughter]Henry: Have you read the Elizabeth Jenkins biography?Helen: Many, many years ago. It's on my shelf here.Henry: Oh, good.Helen: In fact, so it's one of the things I will be going back to. Why do you ask particularly? I need--Henry: I'm a big Elizabeth Jenkins fan, and I like that book particularly.Helen: Wonderful. Well, I will be redoubled in my enthusiasm.Henry: I look forward to seeing what you say about it. What did you learn from Christine Carpenter?Helen: Ooh. Just as precision was the word that came into my head when you asked me about Hilary Mantel, the word that comes into my head when you ask about Christine is rigor. I think she is the most rigorous historical thinker that I have ever had the privilege of working with and talking to. I am never not on my toes when I am writing for, talking to, reading Christine. That was an experience that started from the first day I walked into her room for my first supervision in 1987.It was really that rigor that started opening up the medieval world to me, asking questions that at that stage I couldn't answer at all, but suddenly, made everything go into technicolor. Really, from the perspective that I had been failing to ask the most basic questions. I would sometimes have students say to me, "Oh, I didn't say that, because I thought it was too basic."I have always said, "No, there is no question that is too basic." Because what Christine started opening up for me was how does medieval government work? What are you talking about? There is the king at Westminster. There is that family there in Northumberland. What relates the two of them? How does this work? Think about it structurally. Think about it in human terms, but also in political structural terms, and then convince me that you understand how this all goes together. I try never to lose that.Henry: Helen Castor, thank you very much.Helen: Thank you so much. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.commonreader.co.uk/subscribe

Book Vs. Movie: Death on the NileThe 1937 Agatha Christie Novel Vs the 2022 Kenneth Branagh film. Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile has long been a fan favorite, combining romance, betrayal, and murder aboard a glamorous steamer cruising the Nile River. In 2022, director Kenneth Branagh brought the classic mystery back to the big screen with an all-star cast and a modern flair. But how faithful is this adaptation to the original 1937 novel?Branagh (who returns as Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot) updates the cast of characters from the source material and discusses the racial politics of the time more. The director also adds to Poirot's backstory, including his facial hair and past romances, which are not in the book.  Between the original novel and the film — did we prefer one over the other? Have a listen to find out!In this episode, the Margos discuss:Agatha Christie & her character of Poirot The differences between the book and the movieThe cast includes: Tom Bateman (Bouc,) Annette Bening (Euphemia Bouc,) Kenneth Branagh (Poirot,) Michael Rouse (Private Laurin,) Alaa Safi (Corporal) Letitia Wright (Rosalie Otterbourne,) Sophie Okonedo (Salome Otterbourne,) Gal Gadot (Linnet Ridgeway,) Jennifer Saunders (Marie Van Schuyler,) Dawn French (Bowers,) and Susannah Fielding as Katharine. Clips Featured:“Entrance of Jacqueline”Death on the Nile (2002 trailer)“Champagne Toast”“Hammer, Gadot & Branagh”“The last scene”Music by Patrick DoyleFollow us on the socials!Join our Patreon page “Book Vs. Movie podcast”You can find us on Facebook at Book Vs. Movie Podcast GroupInstagram: Book Versus Movie @bookversusmoviebookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D's Blog: Brooklynfitchick.comMargo D's Instagram “Brooklyn Fit Chick”Margo D's TikTok Margo D's YouTube: @MargoDonohueMargo P's Instagram: @shesnachomama Margo P's Blog: coloniabook.comMargo P's YouTube Channel: @shesnachomamaOur logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine 

Book Vs. Movie: Death on the NileThe 1937 Agatha Christie Novel Vs the 2022 Kenneth Branagh film. Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile has long been a fan favorite, combining romance, betrayal, and murder aboard a glamorous steamer cruising the Nile River. In 2022, director Kenneth Branagh brought the classic mystery back to the big screen with an all-star cast and a modern flair. But how faithful is this adaptation to the original 1937 novel?Branagh (who returns as Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot) updates the cast of characters from the source material and discusses the racial politics of the time more. The director also adds to Poirot's backstory, including his facial hair and past romances, which are not in the book.  Between the original novel and the film — did we prefer one over the other? Have a listen to find out!In this episode, the Margos discuss:Agatha Christie & her character of Poirot The differences between the book and the movieThe cast includes: Tom Bateman (Bouc,) Annette Bening (Euphemia Bouc,) Kenneth Branagh (Poirot,) Michael Rouse (Private Laurin,) Alaa Safi (Corporal) Letitia Wright (Rosalie Otterbourne,) Sophie Okonedo (Salome Otterbourne,) Gal Gadot (Linnet Ridgeway,) Jennifer Saunders (Marie Van Schuyler,) Dawn French (Bowers,) and Susannah Fielding as Katharine. Clips Featured:“Entrance of Jacqueline”Death on the Nile (2002 trailer)“Champagne Toast”“Hammer, Gadot & Branagh”“The last scene”Music by Patrick DoyleFollow us on the socials!Join our Patreon page “Book Vs. Movie podcast”You can find us on Facebook at Book Vs. Movie Podcast GroupInstagram: Book Versus Movie @bookversusmoviebookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D's Blog: Brooklynfitchick.comMargo D's Instagram “Brooklyn Fit Chick”Margo D's TikTok Margo D's YouTube: @MargoDonohueMargo P's Instagram: @shesnachomama Margo P's Blog: coloniabook.comMargo P's YouTube Channel: @shesnachomamaOur logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine 

Hyperion to a Satyr - The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - continues Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and even a rock opera. In Act 5, Scene 1, Part 2, Ophelia's funeral is interrupted by boys leaping into her grave. Listen to the episode below or subscribe to Hyperion to a Satyr on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Credits: Theme: "Fanfare" from 1996 Hamlet, by Patrick Doyle, with a clip from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi; and the 1996 Hamlet, starring Kenneth Branagh. Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Michael Maloney and Kenneth Branagh; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier and Basil Sydney; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Patrick Stewart; Hamlet 1990 by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Nathaniel Parker and Mel Gibson; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, starring Liev Schreiber and Ethan Hawke; Hamlet 2007 by Alexander Fodor, starring Jason Wing and Alexander Fodor; Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring Patrick Stewart and David Tennant; and "Je l'aimais/Il est fou" by Johnny Hallyday. Leave a comment, I love to read!

This episode, Aaron and Leyla hop aboard Agatha Christie's novel and Kenneth Branagh's film, "Murder on the Orient Express!" We discuss a broken contract with the audience, pitch Poirot as Doctor Who, and long for the days when they still put woke in movies. Omni Viewer's analysis --- Our theme song is "Obsolete" by Keshco, from the album "Filmmaker's Reference Kit Volume 2." Our other projects: Aaron's TTRPGs Aaron's TTRPG Reviews aavoigt.com

This... episode... is for YOU! Grab your scissors and your faux American accents as NostalgiaCast continues its "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a hypnotic look back at DEAD AGAIN, starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Robin Williams. Listen as Jonny and Darin recount their history with Branagh as actor, filmmaker, and connoisseur of Shakespeare, and how his attempt at a bombastic Grand Guignol neo-noir murder-mystery with a supernatural bent will either bore you or leave you mute with fear. 

Jonah Hauer-King is a British-American actor who shot to international renown when he starred as Prince Eric in the Disney live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID opposite Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy. He first arrived on the critic's radars with his brilliant West End debut playing Kenneth Branagh's son in THE ENTERTAINER.In 2022, Jonah was featured in THE FLATSHARE, an original series for Paramount+ based on Beth O'Leary's bestselling novel. He will also play 'Giacomo Casanova' in A BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTON, an empowering love story based on the book by Arthur Japin.He starred as Harry Chase in the BBC One WW2 drama series WORLD ON FIRE, opposite Lesley Manville, Sean Bean and Helen Hunt and recently reprised his role for the second series. He currently can be seen in the lead of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ for Sky.In addition to appearing in WILLIAM TELL, he will reunite with co-star Rafe Spall in RICH FLU. He also will be co-starring in this summer's sequel I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Junior. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Jonah Hauer-King is a British-American actor who shot to international renown when he starred as Prince Eric in the Disney live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID opposite Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy. He first arrived on the critic's radars with his brilliant West End debut playing Kenneth Branagh's son in THE ENTERTAINER.In 2022, Jonah was featured in THE FLATSHARE, an original series for Paramount+ based on Beth O'Leary's bestselling novel. He will also play 'Giacomo Casanova' in A BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTON, an empowering love story based on the book by Arthur Japin.He starred as Harry Chase in the BBC One WW2 drama series WORLD ON FIRE, opposite Lesley Manville, Sean Bean and Helen Hunt and recently reprised his role for the second series. He currently can be seen in the lead of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ for Sky.In addition to appearing in WILLIAM TELL, he will reunite with co-star Rafe Spall in RICH FLU. He also will be co-starring in this summer's sequel I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Junior. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Hello, and welcome to an all-new Films for the Void, episode #103! In this episode, Landon has on Meg Loucks–a YouTuber, film critic, and self-employed aficionado of all things cinema, and we both just so happen to live in the same area. You can find her work at her work at InSessionFilm, Cinemania.com, and her very own website WonderWatchlist.com! Meg chose Kenneth Branagh's 1994 film MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN for us to discuss, and we also saddle up to talk about Jared Hess' 2025 film A MINECRAFT MOVIE - all on the latest episode of Films for the Void!TIME STAMPS00:04:18 Interview w/ Meg Loucks00:25:22 A Minecraft Movie00:49:28 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein01:17:12 Next Episode's PickTWITTER: @films_void$3/MONTH PATREON: patreon.com/films_voidLANDON'S TWITTER @igotdefevermanLANDON'S INSTAGRAM @duhfeverLANDON'S LETTERBOXD @landondefeverArtwork by Annie CurleTheme Music by Meghan GoveEdited by Landon Defever

Tonight, we search for the fabled city of El Dorado alongside Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh, who were NOT prepared for the wiggle of Chel. This is for kids, right?

Hyperion to a Satyr - The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - continues Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and even a rock opera. In Act 5, Scene 1, Part 1, Hamlet returns from his exile and encounters clownish gravediggers hard at work. Listen to the episode below or subscribe to Hyperion to a Satyr on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Credits: Theme: "Fanfare" from 1996 Hamlet, by Patrick Doyle, with a clip from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi; and the 1996 Hamlet, starring Kenneth Branagh. Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh and Billy Crystal; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Stanley Holloway; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Tim Wylton, Derek Jacobi and Robert Swann; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, starring Jeffrey Wright; Hamlet 2007 by Alexander Fodor, starring David Thompson, Alexander Fodor and William Bellchambers; Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring David Tennant and Mark Hadfield; and "Le cimetière" by Johnny Hallyday. Leave a comment, I love to read!

One of these stories had a resurrection that actually worked… This week on The Infamous Podcast, Brian and Darryl close the chapter on Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, and it's… a choice. Then they dig into Amazon's new supernatural bounty hunter series The Bondsman, which might just be the weirdest thing Prime Video has greenlit this month (and that's saying something). Darryl delivers a mini-review of The King of Kings—a cinematic sermon or box office blunder? Meanwhile, Brian charges in with a tactical breakdown of Warfare, where the explosions were loud and the film was in-ten-city-in-ten-cities. Episode Index Intro: 0:07 The King of Kings Mini-Review: 6:00 Warfare Mini-Review: 12:08 Daredevil: Born Again Finale: 21:50 The Bondsman Season 1: 36:11 Mini-Review: The King of Kings (2025) – Rating 8/10 Summary Directed by Seong-ho Jang, this animated film features Charles Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) narrating the life of Jesus to his son Walter, who imagines himself witnessing biblical events. The film combines a unique framing device with a faithful retelling of the Gospels, featuring voice talents like Oscar Isaac as Jesus and Mark Hamill as King Herod. It's a heartfelt, family-friendly portrayal that resonates with audiences of all ages.  Mini-Review: Warfare (2025) – Rating 6.75/10 Summary Co-directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, “Warfare” offers a harrowing, real-time depiction of a Navy SEAL mission gone awry in Ramadi, Iraq. Based on Mendoza's own experiences, the film immerses viewers in the chaos of combat, highlighting the psychological toll on soldiers. With a strong ensemble cast and a commitment to authenticity, it's a visceral exploration of modern warfare's realities. Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+) Out of 5 Broken Batons Darryl: 2.75/5 Brian: 3.2/5 Season 1 Out of 10 Conflicted Catholics in Spandex Darryl: 6.25/10 Brian: 6.9/10 Summary In the finale titled “Straight to Hell,” Matt Murdock faces devastating losses: Foggy Nelson is murdered by Bullseye under Vanessa Fisk's orders, and Kingpin seizes control of New York, imposing martial law. Despite the chaos, Matt, with allies like Karen Page and the Punisher, begins to form a resistance, setting the stage for a darker, more intense Season 2.  The Bondsman – Season 1 (Prime) Out of 10 Deals with the Devil Darryl: 7.5/10 Brian: 7.85/10 Summary The Bondsman is a supernatural western-action series from Amazon Prime that blends grit, grief, and a touch of hellfire. It follows Hub Halloran (played by Kevin Bacon), a grizzled and recently deceased bounty hunter who gets a second shot at redemption — but with a catch: he's brought back to life by the Devil himself to track down demons who've escaped Hell. Armed with his cowboy instincts, a sarcastic streak, and a growing sense of purpose, Hub rides across dusty towns and shadowy landscapes hunting hellspawn, questioning whether this is punishment, penance… or something more cosmic. Along the way, he reconnects with estranged family, forms an unlikely bond with a demon-turned-sidekick named Midge, and uncovers a deeper plot that could tear open the gates of Hell permanently. The tone walks a line between Justified and Supernatural, with bursts of dark humor, philosophical musings, and buckets of demon-slaying chaos. Bacon brings swagger and weariness in equal measure, anchoring a surprisingly emotional core in a show that never takes itself too seriously — until it suddenly does. Episode 1: “Hell to Pay” Bounty hunter Hub Halloran is murdered and resurrected by the Devil to hunt escaped demons, marking the start of his supernatural journey. Episode 2: “Dead Man's Debt” Hub captures an arsonist named Tater, uncovering a larger demonic plot. Episode 3: “Family Ties” Hub reconnects with his estranged family, seeking assistance in his mission. Episode 4: “Crossroads” A demon threatens a local community, forcing Hub to make a moral choice. Episode 5: “The Devil's Due” Hub confronts the consequences of his past actions as a bounty hunter. Episode 6: “Revelations” Hub uncovers a deeper conspiracy involving escaped demons and seeks help from Midge. Episode 7: “Pyralis” Hub and Midge attempt to prevent an apocalyptic event orchestrated by a powerful demon. Episode 8: “Lilith” Hub confronts his greatest sin and faces a formidable demonic adversary, seeking redemption. Contact Us The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don't be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings. @infamouspodcast facebook/infamouspodcast instagram/infamouspodcast stitcher Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play iHeart Radio contact@infamouspodcast.com Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com. The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor. Subscribe today!

We leave our Kenneth Branagh interlude behind for some sun, sex, and silly gardening hacks you won't believe! Which we're sure is some kind of TikTok trend that we're absolutely going to ignore. Because there's plenty of affairs to keep track of in this episode, what with the old flames and cheating spouses -- and that's before we factor in some ribald literary humor. That's right, our English degrees are good for something! Join us on the Cluedunnit Patreon (patreon.com/cluedunnitpodcast) and tell us your favorite gardening hacks to find the dead bodies! We watched ROSEMARY & THYME season 3, episode 4, "Agua Cadaver." Want more? Join us on our Patreon at patreon.com/cluedunnitpodcast!  You can find us on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cluedunnit/id1582713330 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PLXRlrkJFBTE6eE97YPwQ Overcast: You'll need to login with your Overcast account, but once you do, we're at https://overcast.fm/itunes1582713330/cluedunnit YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cluedunnitpodcast Follow us on the socials and let us know what you think!  Facebook: @cluedunnitpodcast   Instagram: @cluedunnitpodcast

Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast and a happy belated Record Store Day to you! Since you hang out at the Video Store, you are obviously a fan of physical media, and I hope that includes vinyl records. I've selected four films this week that look at films featuring records and record stores. High Fidelity (2000)First up is High Fidelity featuring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Luiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, and Tim Robbins. Reeling from a big break-up with Laura (Iben Hjejle), Rob Gordon (John Cusack), recounts to the audience his top 5 break-ups of all time, the same way he would his top 5 favorite albums. As he walks the audience through his break-ups, he starts to work through his relational issues. It's a film about working through your own problems, taking responsibility for how you've hurt other people, and trying to be better. And with its setting of Rob's record store, a killer soundtrack, and all the vinyl records everywhere, it's a great pick for this theme. Sing Street (2016)Sing Street is the best film nobody saw in 2016. Set in the early-mid 80s, Conor is forced to change schools due to the economic downturn in Ireland at the time and his parents' looming separation. Struggling to fit in, Conor finds solace in music and music videos with his brother Brendan. Conor decides he wants to start a band that forms an accidental community among his bandmates, an aspiring model, Raphina, and even the school bully. Conor and his friends start to find hope through music, even in a seemingly hopeless and desperate situation. There are loads of things to love about Sing Street, but the original music really makes this film something special. The soundtrack even got a vinyl release, so look for it at your local record shop, though, heads up, it's a bit hard to track down in the US. Pirate Radio (released as The Boat That Rocked in the UK) (2009)Set in 1966, Pirate Radio tells the story of a young teenage boy, Carl, who is sent to live with his godfather on Radio Rock, the pirate radio station ship anchored in the North Sea, broadcasting rock music to the UK. Featuring a killer ensemble cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Emma Thompson, January Jones, Kenneth Branagh, Chris O'Dowd, and so many more, this is a wonderful film about getting into trouble for the right reasons. The film centers on the love of music and finding where you fit in. Plus, look at all that beautiful, vintage radio equipment and the shelves and shelves of records. Absolutely gorgeous. Empire Records (1995)The last film I've selected for today is Empire Records. While set in a record shop, this is a film that's really more about finding out who you are and finding where you fit. For the group of young misfits that work at Empire Records, it's right there at the record store. This is a story about protecting that found family and celebrating the good things in your life. Plus you'll want to have a dance party with your chosen family at the end of the movie. Thanks for joining us this week at the Video Store Podcast. As the great philosopher Corrine Bailey Rae says, “Girl, put your records on. Tell me your favorite song. Just go ahead let your hair down,” while you spin some records and movies about records. Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com

TODAY'S SPONSOR: Lumen is the world’s first handheld metabolic coach. It’s a device that measures your metabolism through your breath. And on the app, it lets you know if you’re burning fat or carbs, and gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. All you have to do is breathe into your Lumen first thing in the morning, and you’ll know what’s going on with your metabolism, whether you’re burning mostly fats or carbs. Then, Lumen gives you a personalized nutrition plan for that day based on your measurements. Take the next step to improving your health: go to https://www.lumen.me/RICK to get 20% off your Lumen. TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" - Now Playing in Theaters - a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK TODAY'S SPONSOR: Lumen is the world’s first handheld metabolic coach. It’s a device that measures your metabolism through your breath. And on the app, it lets you know if you’re burning fat or carbs, and gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. All you have to do is breathe into your Lumen first thing in the morning, and you’ll know what’s going on with your metabolism, whether you’re burning mostly fats or carbs. Then, Lumen gives you a personalized nutrition plan for that day based on your measurements. Take the next step to improving your health: go to https://www.lumen.me/RICK to get 20% off your Lumen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we're joined by the brilliant James Hawes - director of Slow Horses, Black Mirror, and One Life - alongside the wonderfully talented Caitríona Balfe, acclaimed for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Outlander and her standout role in Kenneth Branagh's Belfast. They each sat down with host Dom Lenoir to dive into their latest feature film, The Amateur (2025), an edge-of-your-seat espionage thriller starring Rami Malek, Jon Bernthal, and Rachel Brosnahan. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore: How the project came together The challenges and logistics of shooting a globe-trotting action thriller Finding the right tone: balancing emotional depth with high-stakes genre storytelling Directing and acting insights from two masters of their craft Collaborating under pressure ...and so much more. Enjoy! THE AMATEUR is out NOW | Trailer When his supervisors at the CIA refuse to take action after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a decoder takes matters into his own hands. FOOD FOR THOUGHT is finally out NOW | Watch it HERE A documentary exploring the rapid growth and uptake of the vegan lifestyle around the world.   And if you enjoyed the film, please take a moment to share & rate it on your favourite platforms. Every review & every comment helps us share the film's important message with more people. Your support truly makes a difference! PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, onset water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. https://my-store-11604768.creator-spring.com/   COURSES Want to learn how to finish your film? Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE https://cuttingroom.info/post-production-demystified/   PATREON Big thank you to: Serena Gardner Mark Hammett Lee Hutchings Marli J Monroe Karen Newman Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on film-making? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides, and feedback on your film projects!   SUPPORT THE PODCAST Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com   CREDITS The Filmmakers Podcast is written and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson Edited by @tobiasvees Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative  Theme Music by John J. Harvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" - NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS - a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" - NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS - a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK The Masters: Rick & Greg Try Golf | Daily Best of April 11 | The Rick Burgess Show The Masters is in full swing, so Producer Speedy took Rick and Greg out to a golf course to try their hand at golf. There's chunking, hooking, and shanking, and Rick may have injured his shoulder in the process. A helicopter crashes into the Hudson River, and it's caught on camera. President Trump says he doesn't blame China for the ongoing tariff war. And we congratulate Jelly Roll after he announces his weight is down to just 350 pounds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: PATRIOT MOBILEAs America’s ONLY Christian conservative wireless provider, Patriot Mobile offers a way to vote with your wallet, without compromising on quality or convenience. Patriot Mobile isn’t just about providing exceptional cellphone service—it’s a call to action to defend our rights and freedoms.With Patriot Mobile, you’ll get outstanding nationwide coverage because they operate on ALL THREE major networks. If you have cellphone service today, you can get cellphone service with Patriot Mobile, with a coverage guarantee.Right now, go to https://patriotmobile.com/RICK or call 972-PATRIOT and get a FREE MONTH of service with promo code RICK. Switch to Patriot Mobile today and defend freedom with every call and text you make. Visit https://patriotmobile.com/RICK or call 972-PATRIOT!TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: PATRIOT MOBILEAs America’s ONLY Christian conservative wireless provider, Patriot Mobile offers a way to vote with your wallet, without compromising on quality or convenience. Patriot Mobile isn’t just about providing exceptional cellphone service—it’s a call to action to defend our rights and freedoms. With Patriot Mobile, you’ll get outstanding nationwide coverage because they operate on ALL THREE major networks. If you have cellphone service today, you can get cellphone service with Patriot Mobile, with a coverage guarantee. Right now, go to https://patriotmobile.com/RICK or call 972-PATRIOT and get a FREE MONTH of service with promo code RICK. Switch to Patriot Mobile today and defend freedom with every call and text you make. Visit https://patriotmobile.com/RICK or call 972-PATRIOT!TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi friends! Thanks for listening! I have a very inspirational guest today. Giovanna had what many would call a dream life and career-working on an ABC production, collaborating with acclaimed director Kenneth Branagh on Marvel Studio's "Thor" and producing a $2 million short film. Yet, despite her achievements in Hollywood, she felt unfulfilled. Struggling with depression, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery, leading her to write "Confused Girl, Find Your Peace in the Chaos". In this episode, Giovanna shares how she redefined success, embraced inner healing, and found true happiness beyond the glitz of the entertainment industry. #giovannasilvestre #confusedgirl #findyourpeace #lifecoachmaureen #hollywoodtohealing #truesuccess #mentalhealthmatters #selfdiscovery #authenticliving #innerpeace #healingjourney #ineverknewbutmydogdidpodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-never-knew-ink-but-my-dog-did-by-lifecoach-maureen--5602763/support.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to order online, and your plants are delivered to your door in just a few days. Big yard, small yard, no yard? Fast Growing Trees has over 6,000 plants to fit any space, from indoor plants to fruit trees to full-sized privacy trees and more! Every plant comes with instructions and tips to care of your new plants so they can grow to their fullest potential. This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals, for your yard, up to half off on select plants and other deals. Go to: https://www.Fast-Growing-Trees.com/ And get 15% OFF your first purchase when using the code RICK at checkout.TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to order online, and your plants are delivered to your door in just a few days. Big yard, small yard, no yard? Fast Growing Trees has over 6,000 plants to fit any space, from indoor plants to fruit trees to full-sized privacy trees and more! Every plant comes with instructions and tips to care of your new plants so they can grow to their fullest potential. This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals, for your yard, up to half off on select plants and other deals. Go to: https://www.Fast-Growing-Trees.com/ And get 15% OFF your first purchase when using the code RICK at checkout.TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During a time where a global pandemic was ravaging the world, people were finally able to flock back to the theater for their first big theatrical experience in almost a year. What were they given after an overwhelming time? The film equivalent of your brain short circuiting! Christopher was back with 'Tenet'. Weirdly sandwiched between his historical dramas 'Dunkirk' and 'Oppenheimer', is this a natural progression on his usual twisty formula, or is a regression into old tropes?Starring - John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Michael Caine

TODAY'S SPONSOR: MY PATRIOT SUPPLYSmart Americans trust My Patriot Supply to help them prepare before crisis comes. And right now, they’re making it easier than ever. Order their 4-Week Emergency Food Supply today and get 4 72-Hour Food Kits completely free. That’s almost 2 weeks of bonus meals at no cost! Each of these kits offers over 2,000 calories per day of delicious, easy-to-prepare meals that last up to 25 years. Stock up today before this deal disappears. Because when an emergency hits, food will be the first thing to go. Go to https://www.PrepareWithBurgess.com/ to claim your kit, plus an extra 12 days of food FREE! TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK Find more at http://www.RickBurgessShow.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: MY PATRIOT SUPPLY - Smart Americans trust My Patriot Supply to help them prepare before crisis comes. And right now, they’re making it easier than ever. Order their 4-Week Emergency Food Supply today and get 4 72-Hour Food Kits completely free. That’s almost 2 weeks of bonus meals at no cost! Each of these kits offers over 2,000 calories per day of delicious, easy-to-prepare meals that last up to 25 years. Stock up today before this deal disappears. Because when an emergency hits, food will be the first thing to go. Go to https://www.PrepareWithBurgess.com/ to claim your kit, plus an extra 12 days of food FREE! TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK find more at http://www.RickBurgessShow.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK find more at http://www.RickBurgessShow.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to order online, and your plants are delivered to your door in just a few days. Big yard, small yard, no yard? Fast Growing Trees has over 6,000 plants to fit any space, from indoor plants to fruit trees to full-sized privacy trees and more! Every plant comes with instructions and tips to care of your new plants so they can grow to their fullest potential. This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals, for your yard, up to half off on select plants and other deals. Go to: https://www.Fast-Growing-Trees.com/ And get 15% OFF your first purchase when using the code RICK at checkout. TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TODAY'S SPONSOR: Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to order online, and your plants are delivered to your door in just a few days. Big yard, small yard, no yard? Fast Growing Trees has over 6,000 plants to fit any space, from indoor plants to fruit trees to full-sized privacy trees and more! Every plant comes with instructions and tips to care of your new plants so they can grow to their fullest potential. This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals, for your yard, up to half off on select plants and other deals. Go to: https://www.Fast-Growing-Trees.com/ And get 15% OFF your first purchase when using the code RICK at checkout. TODAY'S SPONSOR: "The King of Kings" a new movie from Angel Studios. King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child. A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. This film has a high-profile cast of voices to include Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker…to name a few. There is also beautiful animation, and it is the perfect film to enjoy with your family this Easter. For tickets and more info: https://Angel.com/RICK find more at http://www.RickBurgessShow.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPISODE 164 – THE ROAD TO EL DORADO “[lute-playing intensifies]” This week, Ashley insults our new sponsor; Brandon drinks the seawater; Chris goes full-tilt “aliens”; and Brian shares his armadillo theory. BTW: Fast and Furious: Star Wars Edition! Starring: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante, Edward James Olmos, Frank Welker, and Tobin Bell Directed by Eric “Bibo” Bergeron & Don Paul FOLLOW US:Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/trashwatch)Instagram (@trashwatchpodcast)TikTok (@trashwatchpodcast)YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5YpPcNIBmqNvvLvxa3WTLA)Email (trashwatchpodcast@gmail.com)Listen to Brian's music at (https://www.brianhorne.com)Support the show

There's bleak, then there's Nordic Noir bleak ... And then there's Nordic Noir Bleak as personified by Kenneth Branagh -- which is technically darker than winter in Sweden. We checked! I'm not saying Wallender's ring tone is the sunniest piece of this show, but I will say it has fan pages! And after watching some episodes we're fans, too! We talk about that ringtone, shine a light on some amazing doggy acting, and get totally confused trying to remember the plot to UNCLE VANYA. Join us on the Cluedunnit Patreon (patreon.com/cluedunnitpodcast) and share the worst thing you ever found at your new house! We watched WALLENDER, series 3, episode 1, "An Event in Autumn." Want more? Join us on our Patreon at patreon.com/cluedunnitpodcast!  You can also find us on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cluedunnit/id1582713330 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PLXRlrkJFBTE6eE97YPwQ Overcast: You'll need to login with your Overcast account, but once you do, we're at https://overcast.fm/itunes1582713330/cluedunnit YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cluedunnitpodcast Follow us on the socials and let us know what you think!  Facebook: @cluedunnitpodcast   Instagram: @cluedunnitpodcast

Irish actor Caitríona Balfe was nominated for a Bafta for her performance in Kenneth Branagh's film Belfast and is also known to many as Claire in time travel drama series Outlander. Caitríona joins Nuala McGovern in the studio to discuss her latest role in new film The Amateur, playing a Russian spy alongside Rami Malek. There has been a "significant increase" in the number of female swimmers having indecent images taken of them in changing rooms whilst competing in the elite level of the sport, according to a leaked report. The Times newspaper has seen a report by the sport's governing body Swim England which states that pictures have been taken using camera phones over or under cubicles. Nuala is joined by BBC Sport correspondent Laura Scott and Mhairi Maclennan, CEO of Kyniska Advocacy, which supports women and victims of abuse in sport. The latest figures on child maintenance show there is currently £690m unpaid, leaving thousands of children without the financial support they are entitled to. Critics argue that the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is failing to use its legal powers, while the Government says enforcement measures are improving. As an inquiry by the cross-party House of Lords Public Services committee calls for evidence, we look at how unpaid child maintenance can be used as a form of economic abuse. Nuala hears from Sam Smethers, Chair of the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, and a survivor whose ex-partner used the system to control her.A new exhibition called Curious Cures at Cambridge University Library explores medicine in the medieval era. Dozens of unique medical manuscripts, recipes, cures and guides to healthy living from the 14th and 15th centuries are on display. To discuss women's role in medieval medicine, Nuala is joined by the exhibition's curator and medieval manuscripts specialist, Dr James Freeman.Grammy award-winning singer Chappell Roan has been causing a stir with some comments she made about motherhood on the podcast Call Her Daddy. The 27-year-old singer said her friends her age who have kids "are in hell", adding "I actually don't know anyone who's happy and has children at this age." So is motherhood worth it - or is Chappell Roan right? Anna Whitehouse, also known as Mother Pukka, is a campaigner and mum of five. She joins us to discuss. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Swole Cinema Episode 49 is saddling up for a wild ride as Ryan and Mark take on the 1999 steampunk Western "Wild Wild West"! Starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Salma Hayek, this action-packed, over-the-top adventure is one of the most unique (and infamous) blockbusters of the '90s.Giant mechanical spiders, high-tech gadgets, and some questionable creative choices—this movie has it all. But does it hold up as a fun popcorn flick, or is it just a big-budget misfire? We're breaking it all down! #SwoleCinema #WildWildWest #WillSmith #KevinKline #SalmaHayek #KennethBranagh #SteampunkWestern #90sMovies #PodcastEpisode #CinematicAdventure #MovieDiscussion

The Marvel Rewatch continues! This episode we tackle the mighty Thor directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film that brings high fantasy into the MCU. Not only do we get Thor but we're introduced to one of the most popular characters in the MCU Loki. Lets look back at this phase 1 film and see if it is still worthy 

Giovanna Silvestre is a true visionary trailblazer. As an assistant to a top Hollywood talent manager, Giovanna's unwavering passion for creativity and innovation quickly set her apart, which led her to working alongside renowned film director Kenneth Branagh on the blockbuster Marvel Studios film, Thor. A natural storyteller, Giovanna's upcoming book, Confused Girl, Find Your Peace in the Chaos, a compelling blend of memoir and guidance, is set to be published in May 2025. To all the women who feel stuck, unworthy, and lost, take heart – your confusion is a virtue. It's the first steppingstone on your path to becoming an empowered warrior. Drawing from her own trials and triumphs, Giovanna offers inspiring wisdom on living life on your own terms, finding joy in the mess, learning self-love, overcoming negativity and anxiety, and discovering the courage to chase your desires without letting fear dictate your fate. She is also the creator of Confused Girl in the City, an international activewear brand inspired by unique healing crystals, blending beauty and spirituality.For more, visit: https://confusedgirlinthecity.comSend us a textSupport the show Contact me at: postcardstotheuniverse@gmail.com Shout out and follow on IG - @postcardstotheuniverse https://linktr.ee/postcardstotheuniverse Thank you and keep listening for more great shows!

Greg Proops is back and he has a new album, Purple Shasta Raccoon, out! We talk about a conversation I overheard, fish tanks, animal consciousness, politics, gelato, sports, physical comedy, Cher's autobiography, Kenneth Branagh, Shakespeare, Amadeus and so much more. Plus we did a round of Just Me Or Everyone and Podcast Pals Product Picks. Get yourself some new ARIYNBF merch here: https://alison-rosen-shop.fourthwall.com/ Subscribe to my Substack: http://alisonrosen.substack.com Podcast Palz Product Picks: https://www.amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen/list/2CS1QRYTRP6ER?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfalisonrosen_0K0AJFYP84PF1Z61QW2H Products I Use/Recommend/Love: http://amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen Check us out on Patreon: http://patreon.com/alisonrosen   Buy Alison's Fifth Anniversary Edition Book (with new material): Tropical Attire Encouraged (and Other Phrases That Scare Me) https://amzn.to/2JuOqcd You probably need to buy the HGFY ringtone! https://www.alisonrosen.com/store/ Try Amazon Prime Free 30 Day Trial

Retro 88 - Carry On Cocaining - Richard is worried that his comments about a royal might lead to his ultimate demise... buy he's more worried about extreme vaginal temperatures. He's got two great gigs to distract his lazy ass, Isma Almas and Tony Slattery. With Isma he discusses how it's possible to tick too many boxes, performing in a burkha, why comedy is the perfect job if you hate working and they hatch a foolproof plan to get back at their critics.. Tony chats about his career and the factors that led to its implosion, how much coke he might have been taking a week, Kenneth Branagh's campness, the harshness of an industry that loves you when you're winning and the lessons he has learned. It's really brilliant, so stop reading this and listen to it. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.