27 – Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi – Second Screening

Mike and José return to a galaxy far, far away, in search of new perspectives and thoughts on The Last Jedi. Mike in particular has been itching to talk more about it since he feels he was unfairly lukewarm the first time. We ruminate on what makes Star Wars feel different to other sci-fi; how films feel tighter and shorter on second viewing; Han’s dice; confusion on the resistance cruiser; why we still disagree about Mark Hamill’s performance; whether a Jedi can survive in space; and the differences between the First Order and the Empire, and Hux’s construction as a figure of fun.

And in a shocking climax, José claims that Mike doesn’t know anything about love.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

26 – Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

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If you don’t want it spoiled, look away now.

It’s beautiful to look at. It’s populated with rich characters. Adam Driver is filmed as a Byronic hero, desperately romantic and at his sexiest. Matt Moore joins us for this discussion and points to how the film focuses on female characters and interestingly alters the focus of the series. We discuss how the film represents a shift from an aristocratic focus on blood and destiny to a more democratic purview on social change everyone, of whatever race or ethnicity, can engage in. Mike came out of the film gleefully playing with a lightsaber only to sit down and slash through what he saw as the film’s weaker points, though he points out how Rian Johnson is the right director for the film and how, in spite of its faults, it truly does feel like a Star Wars film.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

25 – The Red Turtle

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Our patient, deliberate conversation closely mirrors the feeling of The Red Turtle, Studio Ghibli’s wordless, Oscar-nominated fable. We consider aesthetics, allegory, gender representation and subversion of genre amongst other issues this strange, delicate film raises. Also discussed are the experiences of cinema screenings and home viewing, and José finds time to get in another swipe at The Disaster Artist.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

24 – The Disaster Artist

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Cinema’s biggest in-joke is dramatised in James Franco’s fan project about the worst film ever made. We discuss the mean-spirited nature of finding films so bad they’re good, the lack of direction in The Disaster Artist, the quality of Franco’s central performance, and why we find the film so self-indulgent.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

23 – Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

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We begin with an embarrassing admission from Mike and some reminiscences of stars past from José before discussing Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, a biopic of Gloria Grahame’s relationship with a younger man, which features two towering performances and not very much else. For once, Mike doesn’t believe it’s his terrible cruelty that prevents him from crying in a film – but what, then, is it?

Also – thoughts on The Electric in Birmingham, the UK’s oldest working cinema. Why don’t we discuss it more? It’s independent, it’s notable, it should be an art house. We finally get around to it.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

22 – Paddington 2

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Paddington returns to cinemas with a whimsical puff of upper middle class smoke from a lovely old warm cosy steam train. How nice. Mike wasn’t really looking forward to this.

So. Did he make it through Paddington 2? What do we make of the vision of Britain it constructs? How does its action outperform Justice League‘s? Is it fair to think of it as just Wes Anderson but somehow even more revoltingly cutesy? Is there anything wrong with outrageous accents? Isn’t Hugh Grant great, honestly?

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

21 – The Florida Project

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Sean Baker’s The Florida Project incites ruminations on the representation of underclasses in cinema; the emergence of a new American neorealism; clichés of slice-of-life and childhood films; what audiences owe to films that are truly reaching, even beyond their grasp; why a man who can cry at Toy Story can’t open himself up to stories of genuine human pain; and how revolting the colour lilac is.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

20 – Justice League

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Listen to our podcast on Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the director’s cut, here.

Some days you just can’t help but mock a bad movie.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

19 – Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

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We visit Sidney Lumet’s classic version of Murder on the Orient Express to compare and contrast with Kenneth Branagh’s. Which performances do we prefer, what do we make of the differences in style and tone? José, with Poirot-esque precision, interrogates Mike, because it’s his first time seeing the 1974 film, and indeed it turns out that Mike is the real murderer.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

18 – Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

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Innocence meets experience. Mike doesn’t know whodunnit; José remembers the 1974 adaptation fondly. Mike wants to talk plot; José wants to talk cast. Mike’s enthusiastic about the film’s Poirot-centric approach; José is less keen. Although we approach it from different angles and don’t always see eye-to-eye, we find a great deal of food for thought in Kenneth Branagh’s film of Agatha Christie’s classic novel.

The podcast can be listened to in the player above or at this link.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.