Film Chat

This week, we shake up the format by discussing three animated films about insects of different kinds: Antz, A Bug's Life, and Bee Movie. For too long, people have been uncritically absorbing these cute movies about little critters and their adventures without asking, "am I indoctrinating my kids with the good propaganda or the bad propaganda here?"With the unshakeable confidence of guys who haven't read Hobbes, Rousseau or Marx, but have read at least 100,000 posts about the Labour Party over the past four years, Film Chat peels back all the harmless gags about having 1 million siblings and being a bee and whatnot to find some sort of implicit social commentary beneath. Listen in for the definitive take on whether Antz depicts a worker's revolution, whether A Bug's Life is a fable of class struggle, and whether it's possible to discern any sense at all in the Seinfeldian fever dream that is Bee Movie.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode, Danny and Sam catch up with the BAFTAs and look forward to the Oscars, which have now happened (but never mind), and we put Oliva Colman where she belongs: on blast!Plus, we talk about three films! Danny gives his take on the Oscar-nominated Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which is also the question the Academy should be posing to the world after failing to reward this good film and bungling most categories in general. Sam meanwhile, in the grip of the flu at the time of the recording, feverishly mumbles his way through reviews of a pair of Netflix originals: Steven Soderbergh's High Flying Birds, a drama about some aspects of professional basketball Sam absolutely does not understand, and Velvet Buzzsaw, a horror-comedy which fearlessly and scathingly calls out the art world as pretentious. Sam will never buy art again.We also discuss Richard Curtis's Beatles film, which looks like a sort of glorious daydream for People's Vote campaigners, and of course we do a deep dive into THE TRENCH. &nbs

On this belated edition of Film Chat we review what we are positive will be the most talked about film of the year. I am of course referring to the groundbreaking Alita: Battle Angel.Danny also found time to review Green Book which he found to be an overly simplistic, somewhat offensive look at racism in the '60s and also didn't feature any cyborgs or characters with massive eyes.We also reviewed Barry Jenkins follow up to Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk which they basically thought was a stone-cold masterpiece...but would it have killed Jenkins to have CGi-ed everyone's eyes so they were distractingly big. I'm not saying it was a mistake but the eyes are categorically not big.PLUS we balk at a proposed David Bowie film starring professional Zac Goldsmith lookalike Johnny Flynn, look forward to a new rom-com from Billy Eichner and try and get our heads around Liam Neeson's recent troubling confession.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we chat about the Oscar-nominated Vice, which features some of the most Dick-Cheney-like rubber ever glued to a human face. It's angry, it's polemical, it breaks the fourth wall constantly, and the fake liver spots are second to none. But is it good? That's the question we would have addressed in our review had we not spent so much time speculating about how hot it gets under a kilo of uncannily flesh-like silicone.Plus, we talk about the casting of Denis Villeneuve's megabudget, megasexy Dune adaptation; we salivate at the prospect of a non-comedy version of Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa about James O'Brien and Brexit; and we go through some listener tagline suggestions for Vice (the prosthetic Dick skin movie).  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this bumper packed edition of Film Chat we were delighted to be joined by the world's best scientist Georgia Mills for an episode which is packed full of so much science that it makes....err....Brian Cox's podcast sound even worse than it already is.....i assume...i don't listen to it...why would I?First up we review the acclaimed Korean drama Burning which is full of actors so hot right now that they could take a crap, wrap it in tinfoil, put a couple fish hooks on it and sell it to Queen Elizabeth as earrings. The movie is very good.THEN Georgia uses her exceptionally large brain to answer our questions about the veracity of science based movie scenes.AND THEN it's a Netflix release review double bill with Sam and Georgia giving their takes on the Fyre Festival documentary and the high concept horror film Bird Box respectively.PLUS we take a look the recently announced Oscar nominations #OscarsSoMale #OscarsSoShit and wonder whether portraying Ted Bundy's killing spree as a glamorous, fun, edgy

Film Chat is back for 2019, gearing up for another year of doing what we do best - or at least doing what we do persistently - chatting about films.Hey you know what's bad? Brexit. It's an absurdity that should never have been allowed; a massive crime perpetrated by an unaccountable elite, sold with a pack of lies and probably funded by the Russians; a catastrophic charade and an insult to every right-thinking person in this great country. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch's accent is a bit wonky! I am of course referring to Channel 4's film Brexit: The Uncivil War, and not the seismic political event itself, which is, we can all agree, great. For a longer epic rant on what a pointless self-inflicted wound and calamitous act of sheer stupidity James Graham's drama is, listen to this episode's review!We also tackle the drug addiction drama Beautiful Boy, whose schmaltzy title gives only the mildest hint of the dangerous levels of schmaltz the film contains, and the Palme d'Or winning Korean drama Shoplifters, a much

As 2018 comes to a close we bring you two takes that are hotter than the sun.We review the latest Ben Wheatley movie Happy New Year Colin Bustead. Having made a film set in a house, a film set in a field, a film set in a high-rise building and a film set in a warehouse, can Ben Wheatley make a film set in a really big house? The answer is a resounding yes.Sam also reviews The Favourite, the latest film from Yorgos Lanthimos where the script mainly consisted of the phrase "awkward pause". PLUS we find time to discuss Kevin Spacey's bizarre mea culpa/kickstarter video and give a run down of the films we are most excited for in 2019.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our long-lost producer Katie returns from the faraway land of Sweden to join us for a festive special, which I don't think it's an exaggeration to claim is by far the most Christmassy 55 minutes it's possible to spend this holiday season. Featuring:Our listeners' best and worst films of the year! (incorrect)Our own best and worst films of the year! (correct)A Sweden-themed film quiz courtesy of Katie, who is Swedish now!A review of the extremely hairy and wet adventure that is Aquaman!A review of the psychedelic, endlessly inventive visual headache that is Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse!The sound of corks popping and us getting eventually a bit tipsy!More stuff no doubt!In the spirit of seasonal overindulgence, watch this space for a follow-up bonus episode coming before the new year, with a couple more reviews and potentially additional chatting!!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode Danny tackles the most controversial film of the year Lars Von Trier's The House That Jack Built. The only thing more controversial will be his Danny's review which is eye wateringly explicit in every sense of the word.We then review Sorry To Bother You a hilarious and scabrous dissection of the ills of capitalism....but we still had to pay to see it, EXPLAIN THAT "Boots Riley"PLUS we examine the deeply underwhelming golden globe nomination and conclusively decide whether Love Actually is shit or whether it's the shit.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode we review Roma, Alfonso Cuaron's beguiling monochrome drama which screams "classy" at such high volumes 99% of the audience is guaranteed to feel under-dressed watching it. Danny meanwhile enters "epic rant" mode to tear strips out of Assassination Nation, in a review so scathing the director has already written Danny a personal letter of apology and promised never to work in the industry again.Plus! Danny gets a valuable compliment on his blackface analysis; that eternal rascal, Steven Spielberg, is up to his old tricks again; a brand new Lion King trailer drops (at the time this episode was recorded); and Netflix splashes some more cash at another random property.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which we give belated hot takes on the controversial Suspiria, the universally acclaimed The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the barely seen Nae Pasaran, and the best-forgotten Outlaw King.PLUS we pay our respects to industry legends Stan Lee and William Goldman, try and get our heads around the incredibly weird title for the Harley Quinn spinoff movies and spend five hours discussing the social and economic repercussions of the Detective Pikachu movie.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, reviews of a trio of films with the kind of emphatic single-word titles that makes for a great concise episode title. The biggest of the bunch is Widows, the heist thriller directed by Steve McQueen all about *NO-SPOILER ALERT* a group of women whose very much alive husbands are in a criminal gang. Following a seismic event, the nature of which I won't even hint at, the women have to work together on a big project that their husbands can't help with for reasons I better not get into.We also review the British indie horror Possum, which just flat out doesn't have a possum in it - unreal - and Danny gives us his thoughts on Wildlife, a 60s-set suburban drama which is the directorial debut of low-key sexy actor Paul Dano. If you've got a thing for Paul Dano, I cannot recommend it. He is behind the camera.PLUS!! We have an incredibly deep conversation about ethics and superhero movies, we explain why we think Bill Hicks is a bad subject for a biopic, we get really f---ing excited for the buttload of St

On this episode, Danny reviews Peterloo the latest film from legendary director Mike Leigh about the Peterloo Massacre. He hasn't seen something that made him so angry at the injustice of British society since he saw THE NEWS...like the current news....#SATIREThen he and Sam give their 6-week old hot take on Oscar front-runner A Star Is Born in which Lady Gaga proves that she can sing AND act, while Bradley Cooper proves he can act AND sing....but did the film make us laugh AND cry??? Listen to find out.Plus we report on the latest project from the increasingly problematic Lena Dunham and check in with the show's favorite scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin and say some means things about him. We really hope he doesn't find out about though because he could probably just buy this podcast and turn it into his personal ping pong room.LISTEN! SUBSCRIBE! DOWNLOAD! SHARE! LIKE!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A few weeks ago, we saw our most anticipated film of 2018, Venom. When the credits rolled, we knew we couldn't review it straight away. This wasn't a movie where you can knock out 10 minutes of off-the-cuff rambling giving an instant reaction - this was an experience that we needed to spend time with, to mull over, to have many vivid, startling dreams about. Having filled whole notebooks with reflections on and tributes to Venom, gotten matching tattoos to commemorate seeing it together, and read the first issue of the tie-in comic, we are finally ready to present our review.Though we spend most of this episode trying to articulate our thoughts on the life-shattering movie Venom, we manage to squeeze in a review of the extremely metal revenge thriller Mandy, starring a losing-his-shit Nicolas Cage. We also talk about Tom Hooper's upcoming film adaptation of the world record holder for "musical featuring the most cats", Cats; we discuss Luca Guadagnino's decision to adapt a classic Bob Dylan album for whatever

On this episode of Film Chat, Danny reviews Crazy Rich Asians, a film about some man from Singapore whose family is very wealthy. In fact, that's what they should have called the movie, Crazy Very Wealthy Asians. Much better title imho.Meanwhile, Sam reviews American Animals, a film about some dumb guys trying to steal a book but unfortunately for them it wasn't written by Abbie Hoffman*!!!!!*Abbie Hoffman wrote a book called Steal This Book in 1971 so that joke was actually brilliant.Plus, we gush about the upcoming movie from Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle and lament the fact that Bryan Singer just can't seem to not get employed.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a screen adaptations of novels week! Sam reviews The Miseducation of Cameron Post, a John Hughes-influenced drama about a teenager sent to a Christian gay conversion camp, and Danny gives his take on The Children's Act, which is based on an Ian McEwan novel and therefore centres on history's greatest category of people, upper middle class English professionals.We also discuss Mark Wahlberg's eccentric daily routine, the tragic death of Henry Cavill's career as Superman, and the latest thing Jordan Peele is cooking up. Plus we spend a good five minutes talking about Chris Pine's dick.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 173 infiltrates the airwaves!!On this episode Danny reviews Pawel Pawlikowski's follow up to Ida Cold War a film that left him a little...luke warm.Then they both review Blackkklansman, Spike Lee's latest film bases on the true story of a black police officer infiltrating the KKK. The films been out for a while but this is the review the world needs- two painfully white, middleclass english guys complaining about the depiction of racism in 70s America.First reformed the second 2018 film to feature a pregnant Amanda Seyfried but unlike Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again this one is fun, uplifting and jam packed with Abba songs.PLUS a discussion of all the drama surrounding the Bond franchise, a look at the line up of the London Film Festival and a look at the increasingly problematic youtube show RedLetterMedia  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we review a pair of quiet, tender dramas about people stoically enduring a tough old time: a troubled veteran and his daughter in the case of Leave No Trace, the latest film from Winter's Bone director Debra Granik; and French women left behind during World War I in Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians. Serious movies receiving serious treatment from this podcast. There's no levity or bantering about for 90% of the episode, but there is constant moody string underscoring. Just letting you know.We also talk about the superlative tweets of Eddie Marsan, Greta Gerwig's Little Women adaptation, and some more film spinoff TV series that absolutely nobody on earth was asking for. Plus, with our listeners' help, we do some 1970s-era Marvel Universe fantasy casting.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode, Danny waxes lyrical about this year's best gangster abduction coming-of-age supernatural love story, A Sicilian Ghost Story.Meanwhile, Sam reviews The Meg in which apparently Jason Statham does not punch a massive shark. Disappointing.PLUS a discussion about alternate taglines for the upcoming comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me, a discussion about the latest film from Chilean wunderkind Pablo Larrain, and a soon to be viral rant about The Oscars desperate attempt to seem relevant.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time for another entry in the most successful long-running franchise of all time: Film Chat reviews of Marvel films! On this occasion it's the comedic superhero sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, in which Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly team up to resize themselves and other objects as the situation demands. If the film was a sandwich, the bread would be banter and the filling would be big things getting small and small things getting big. We liked it.Plus, we discuss that McDonald's Monopoly heist story, which got optioned so fast it's almost like Hollywood producers are on some sort of drug that makes them twitchy and impulsive. We also talk about Hillary Clinton's unexpected and yet somehow inevitable move into executive producing alongside Steven Spielberg, we touch on some updates about the new Batman film, and we complain that the new Venom trailer contains too much Venom.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.