Gavia and Steffan review the Australian dramedy series Upright, starring comedian/songwriter Tim Minchin as a down-on-his luck musician who attempts to drive across Australia with a piano, befriending a teenage runaway (Milly Alcock) along the way.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia review the much-hyped queer thriller Love Lies Bleeding, starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brien. Plus, a multi-genre selection of highlights from this year's Glasgow Film Festival, including indie hits La Chimera and The Beast, and some excellent upcoming horror movies.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia dig into the blockbuster event of the year, discussing Dune: Part Two's astonishing production design and all-star cast, along with thornier topics like Dune's messy political worldbuilding and director Denis Villeneuve's adaptational changes to the original novel.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia discuss Steven Spielberg's acclaimed 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, a musical about two young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs. Among other topics we delve into Spielberg's unique technical expertise, West Side Story's complicated political legacy, the lost art of movie-musical filmmaking... and Claire's passionate love for Mike Faist, who earned widespread praise for playing the charismatic gang leader Riff.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, a bold sci-fi comedy starring Emma Stone as a woman created through a Frankenstein-like experiment. Nominated for eleven Oscars, Poor Things is critically acclaimed but divisive - particularly regarding its depiction of female sexuality.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia reveal their top 10 films of 2023, running the gamut from blockbusters (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning) to A-list awards contenders (Oppenheimer; Killers of the Flower Moon) to indie hits and hidden gems, showcasing a ton of recommendations as awards season heats up.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review the 2023 Doctor Who specials, discussing the return of David Tennant, Catherine Tate and showrunner Russell T. Davies, the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa as the wildly charismatic new Doctor, and various behind-the-scenes details involving the show's quasi-reboot status, creative direction, and new partnership with Disney.
Read MoreClaire and Gav review the beloved 1992 figure skating romcom The Cutting Edge, directed by Paul Michael Glaser (The Running Man) and written by Tony Gilroy (Andor, The Bourne Identity). Harking back to the spiky banter of the 1930s screwball era, sparks fly when a spoiled figure skater and a macho hockey player form an unlikely creative partnership.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review the new Hunger Games prequel movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Among other topics, they delve into its unexpected narrative structure, its political worldbuilding, its relationship to the other Hunger Games movies, and the complicated task of creating a successful prequel.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia review Ira Sachs’ acclaimed new romantic drama Passages, starring Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw and Adele Exarchopoulos. Among other topics, this episode covers the film's refreshing attitude to queer identity, its best-of-the-year costume design, and its thoughtfully choreographed sex scenes.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan delve into the iconic 1973 horror movie The Exorcist, discussing its chaotic creative process with director William Friedkin, its lasting impact on the horror genre, and its fantastic craftsmanship as an example of gritty New Hollywood cinema.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia discuss the Pre-Code classic Shanghai Express (1932), starring Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong. Among other topics, this episode covers Dietrich’s tumultuous creative partnership with director Josef von Sternberg, Anna May Wong’s unique career, and the contrast between Pre-Code cinema and the more heavily censored output of the late 1930s and beyond.
Read MoreClaire and Gavia delve into Oppenheimer, discussing the film's relationship with "great man" biopics, its divisive political narrative, its epic ensemble cast, its technical complexity, and Christopher Nolan's underappreciated levels of corniness.
Read MoreMorgan and Gavia discuss their favorite new books from the past calendar year, ranging from the bestselling Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, to a brilliant hidden gem for fans of queer historical fiction, and new releases in a variety of genres including sci-fi, memoirs and mythic fantasy.
Read MoreGavia and Steffan review the latest (and possibly greatest) Mission Impossible movie, covering the franchise's unique place in Hollywood cinema, Tom Cruise's complicated star power, Hayley Atwell's incredible charisma, and how the stunts draw inspiration from vintage slapstick comedy.
Read MoreGavia is joined by guest-host Claire Biddles to discuss Michael Haneke’s 2001 erotic psychodrama The Piano Teacher, starring Isabelle Huppert as a Viennese piano teacher who embarks on a toxic sadomasochistic affair with one of her students.
We delve into Huppert’s performance, the film’s costuming and music choices, the depiction of poorly-negotiated kink, and Haneke’s unique brand of intense drama.
Read MoreGavia is joined by guest-host Steffan Alun to discuss the critically acclaimed new sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, whose innovative animation puts most live-action superhero films to shame.
Among other topics, we covered the film's visual artistry, its self-aware take on the concept of canon, its flawed political storytelling, and its relationship to other Marvel adaptations.
Read MoreGavia is joined by guest-host Claire Biddles to discuss Luca Guadagnino’s beautiful romantic horror movie Bones and All (2022), about a pair of young cannibal drifters played by Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet.
Among other topics, we covered the film's brilliant casting choices, its well-observed depiction of rural 1980s America, and Guadagnino's use of quasi-vampiric cannibalism as an allegory for outsider identity.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia is joined by guest-host Steffan Alun to discuss Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, an icon of blockbuster cinema.
Among other topics, we covered the film's immaculate casting choices, its masterful special effects, Spielberg's skill for combining horror with heartwarming family drama, and Jurassic Park's place in the history of dinosaur cinema (including its own dubious sequels).
Read MoreThis week, Gavia is joined by guest-host Claire Biddles to discuss Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed erotic psychodrama Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as Bill and Alice Hartford, a married couple in 1990s New York. After Alice reveals that she fantasized about having an affair, Bill embarks on a night of sexual experimentation.
Topics include Tom and Nicole's marriage and divergent acting styles, the film's subversion of erotic thriller expectations, its depiction of gender roles in a straight marriage, and its fascinating legacy within Kubrick's career.
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