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We had to, it was unavoidable. Francis Ford Coppola's 40-year-long passion project has finally come to fruition and it was important that we discussed it. So here is a bonus episode. Listen as we attempt to decipher how, what and why. Just why?
References
That hotel Coppola owns for filmmakers
Twelve Against The Gods by William Bolitho Ryall
A BTS argument on Bram Stoker’s Dracula between FFC and Gary Oldman
"Making a Mess: A History of Megalopolis" by Be Kind Rewind-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
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This week on our season finale we look at three box office and critical successes which you might not know were directed by women. In the hot seat is Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break, Penelope Spheeris’ Wayne’s World and Mary Harron’s American Psycho. We also almost (but not quite) dodge the Blake Lively controversy and talk about the films we’re looking forward to this autumn. See you for season 5!
References
‘Warner Brothers to put a studio in the dessert’, by Brian Welk, indiewire.com
‘How American Psycho became a feminist statement’ by Trey Taylor, dazeddigital.com
Penelope Spheeris on Wayne’s World, Pat Saperstein, Variety.com
‘Point Break is a feminine perspective on toxic masculinity’, laineygossip.com-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
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Between the weather and the state of the world, it’s been a pretty sad summer, so we’re sticking with that theme as we look at some of the best sad girls on film holiday. We discuss Charlotte Rampling in Francois Ozon’s Swimming Pool, Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (and Bill Murray too) and Pauline Collins as Lewis Gilbert’s Shirley Valentine.
References
Peter Dinklage discussing the live action remake of Snow White on Marc Maron’s podcast in 2022
‘Todd Haynes’ Joaquin Phoenix Gay Romance Pic Not Moving Forward As Actor Exits Set’, by Anthony D’Alessando for deadline.com-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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From Dune 2 to Deadpool and Wolverine, there have been a surprising number of hit sequels this year. So this week we’re asking the question, what makes that cinematic blue moon of a part 2 that is better than part 1?
References
The Strasberg school’s definition of method acting
On Location with The Godfather: A Discussion with Gordon Willis (director of photography), theasc.com
An oral history of The Terminator 2-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
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Why talk about good films when we could talk about spectacularly bad ones? This week we discuss four infamous films that left their directors and studios in financial and/or reputational ruin. On the chopping block is Francis Ford Coppola’s One From The Heart, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate, Elaine May’s Ishtar and, of course, Tom Hooper’s Cats. Enjoy.
References
Hulk Smash’s takedown of Tom Hooper
Steven Soderbergh’s Butcher’s Cut of Heaven’s Gate-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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You honestly wouldn’t believe how many great films came out in 1999. The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, The Talented Mr Ripley, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Sixth Sense, Notting Hill, The Mummy, Cruel Intentions, 10 Things I Hate About You. We could go on…
It’s the 25th anniversary of this auspicious year and cinemas are getting in on the action, with 1999 seasons playing at many theatres. So we’re following suit. We discuss our favourites from this particularly good year, with special attention paid to Trainspotting - not only an excellent film but one that really captured the zeitgeist of the time here in the UK - whilst we try to figure out 1999’s special formula for brilliant cinema.
References
Everything you need to know about the Wilhelm Scream, No Film School on YouTube
Brian Raftery, Best Movie Year Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen (2019)
Danny Boyle being interviewed about Trainspotting in 1999, YouTube
Amy Nicholson’s article on 1999-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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From the famous speeding train of 1896 to the groundbreaking Russian Ark and iconic Berlin night-out-gone-wrong flick Victoria, this week we take you through the illustrious history of one-take movies - or should it be one-shot movies?
References
Hot takes: a short history of the one-shot movie in 11 attempts by Matthew Thrift for BFI
Interview with Medusa Deluxe director Thomas Hardiman
The 10 worst Martin Scorsese movies by Joe Williams for Far Out
In One Breath: Alexander Sokurov's Russian Ark (Making of) on YouTube-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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It’s the 25th anniversary of The Mummy - I know, we can’t believe it either. How time flies. So we’re paying tribute to the first addition to the greatest ancient-history-action-adventure-thriller-franchise of all time and its somewhat uneven sequels and prequels. Topics covered include, of course, sexy mummies, Brendan Frasier at his peak and the incredible discovery of Rachel Weiz.
References
An oral history of the making of The Mummy by Clark Collis for Entertainment Weekly
A video of Nina Wilcox Putnam, the co-author of the 1932 The Mummy screenplay, which was based on a real-life magician called Alessandro Cagliostro.
Everything you need to know about The Mummy franchise on mummy.fandom.com-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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It turns out a bodybuilding rom-com thriller was the movie we’ve been waiting for. Yes, this week we’re talking about Love Lies Bleeding, Rose Glass’ follow-up to the incredible Saint Maud, starring Kristen Stewart in the role she was made the play.
References
Interview with Rose Glass, and stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian
‘Rose Glass talks ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, casting Kristen Stewart and working with a much bigger budget’ by Ellie Calnan for Screen Daily
Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Earns Palme d’Or by Peter Debruge for Variety-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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Game. Set. Match. (Is that right?) Two of tennis’ greatest novices tackle our most romantic sport in a battle of the ages. Which is the better tennis movie? Up-and-comer, Challengers, or seasoned champion, Wimbledon. But let’s be honest, it’s Zendaya v. Kirsten Dunst - who will win the title of most empowered woman on the court?
References
‘Challengers’ Heats Up: How Zendaya’s Star Power and a Sexy Love Triangle Could Give Gen Z Its Next Movie Obsession by Selome Hailu and Ramin Setoodeh for Variety
‘Challengers’ Director Luca Guadagnino Explains Origins Of The ‘Spider-Verse’ Reference by Armando Tinoco for Deadline
Sex and Tennis Make a Good Match in Challengers by Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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This week we discuss the surprising common ground between Jonathan Glazer’s chilling examination of an Auschwitz commandant and his family, The Zone of Interest and Wim Wenders’ meandering meditation on life as a Tokyo Toilet cleaner, Perfect Days.
References
Interview with Jonathan Glazer on The Zone of Interest by David Canfield for Vanity Fair
The Making of The Zone of Interest
Wim Wenders interviewed about Perfect Days for Curzon
The Tokyo Toilet Project
Film Pharmacy
Chinatown (1974) dir. by Roman Polanski
Spoorloos (1990) dir. by George Sluizer
Thoroughbreds (2017) dir. by Cory Finley-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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Last week A24’s Civil War was released and we have mixed feelings about it. Will their biggest-budget movie to date prove itself at the box office? And is a movie about war and an American fascist leader really what we want to see right now?
References
‘The Rise and Rise of A24’, The Economist (not credited)
Director Alex Garland speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about Civil War
‘Box Office: ‘Civil War’ Makes $2.9 Million in Previews, Best Ever for an A24 Movie’ by Jordan Moreau for Variety
Film Pharmacy
Perfect Days (2023) dir. by Wim Wenders
Idiocracy (2006) dir. by Mike Judge-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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It takes skill to capture the effortless spontaneity of a really good party scene. Relatively few nail it but when they do, they really do. This week we compile our top 5 party scenes; from teenage house parties to rave afters, with a surreal French restaurant jamboree sandwiched in the middle.
References
The party scene in 10 Things I Hate About You
The afterparty in Human Traffic (1999)
The party scene in Playtime (1967)
The party scene in The Great Beauty
Watch Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock here on BBC iPlayer
An oral history of 10 Things I Hate About You by David Krumholtz for Vulture
A cute 10 Things I Hate About You behind-the-scenes featurette
Retrospective with the Human Traffic cast in by Phil Hoad for The Guardian
Jacques Tati’s ways of working told by two extras from Playtime
Steve McQueen Q&A about Lovers Rock
Film Pharmacy
The Tree of Life (2011) dir. by Terrence Malick
Tron: Legacy (2010) dir. by Joseph Kosinski
The Color of Pomegrates (1969) dir. by Sergei Parajanov
Modern Times (1936) dir. by Charlie Chaplin-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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We’re going back to the horniest years in Hollywood history for another scandalous pre-coder; Baby Face, the 1933 movie that was so shocking it solidified cinema’s censorship for the next 30 years.
Watch it for free here.
ReferencesWill Hays IRL
You Must Remember This’ episode on Will Hays and “Pre-Code” Hollywood
Wes Anderson Talks Early Hollywood Censorship in ‘TCM Picks’ Video for Barbara Stanwyck’s ‘Baby Face’ by Etan Vlessing for The Hollywood Reporter
How the Catholic Church censored Hollywood's Golden Age by Vox on YouTube
Baby Face: The End Of The Pre-Code Era by Paul J. Bradley for Classic Film Journal
Remembering Hollywood's Hays Code, 40 Years On by Bob Mondello for NPR
‘Tracing Hollywood’s Legacy of Self-Censorship through a Comparative Analysis of the Film Baby Face (1933) in its Censored and Uncensored Forms’ by Morgan B. Lockhart
From femme fatale to cattle rancher: how Barbara Stanwyck bucked convention by Pamela Hutchinson for The Guardian
Barbara Stanwyck: 10 essential films by Lynsey Ford for BFI
Barbara Stanwyck’s NY Times obituary
Film Pharmacy
Old Boy (2004) dir. by Park Chan-wook
Killer Joe (2012) dir. by William Friedkin
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-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
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It’s been out for a week but we’re not taking any chances. Here is our painstakingly spoiler-free discussion of Dune: Part Two, plus our thoughts on Madame Web and a sexy addition to the Film Pharmacy.
References
Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two and dialogue v. cinematography for The Times
‘Dune: Part Two’ Star Stellan Skarsgard Laughed Seeing Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha: Butler ‘Really Enjoyed Being Evil’ by Michaela Zee for Variety
Dune: Part Two’s box office success and what it means for the film industry by Anthony D’Alessandro for Deadline
Film Pharmacy
Bound (1996) dir. by the Wachowskis
Black Narcissus (1947) dir. by Powell and Pressburger
Unfaithful (2002) dir. by Adrian Lyne
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) dir. by Gil Junger
Fish Tank (2009) dir. by Andrea Arnold
Love dir. by Gaspar Noe-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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We're back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale.
Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cinema, Short King, and Least Unbearable Cinematic Experience. The Oscars better watch out. There's a new rodeo in town.-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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It’s the end of the year and also our series finale so we're bringing both to a close with a deeply intellectual discussion on the ultimate New Years movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Plus, in anticipation of awards season, we list the films we’re most excited to see over the next couple of months.
References
Bridget Jones’s Diary deleted scenes
That scathing New York Times piece on Bridget Jones
20 behind-the-scenes Bridget Jones’s Diary facts-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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For our penultimate episode of the series we’re going recommendation-heavy and spoiler-free, with our top picks of festive films, hitting every point on the Grinch-to-Elf Christmas spirit scale.
References
The Powell and Pressburger season from Oct-Dec 2023 - catch the last few screenings now.
The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror exhibition
Piece for ASC on Jack Cardiff from 1994, The Red Shoe’s cinematographer
Why The Red Shoes looks so good by The Royal Ocean Film Society on YouTube
The cinematography of The Dark Knight by V Renee for nofilmschool.com
The Philosophy of Groundhog Day by Sebastian Martinez Diaz for film-cred.com
Carol by it’s Cinematographer Ed Lachman for ASC-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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We couldn’t resist the controversy around Ridley Scott’s new movie, so this week we’re discussing Napoleon and wading into the debate about historical accuracy and film. But what do you think? Let us know on instagram - @groovymoviespod.
References
Ridley Scott profile by Michael Schulman for The New Yorker
Ridley Scott’s response to Napoleon’s critics by Caroline Frost for Deadline
Ridley Scott’s response to criticism of the Egyptian invasion scene in Napoleon by Adam Bentz on Screen Rant
‘Napoleon on trial: The battle for historical accuracy of the upcoming film’ by Prateek Dasgupta for Medium
‘Great man or monster - who was the real Napoleon?’ by Dominic Sandbrook for The Times
‘The Ugly Truth about Napoleon and Josephine’ by ElleHistory on YouTube
Facts on Napolean
Oppenheimer BBC documentary
Film Pharmacy
Frances Ha (2012) dir. by Noah Baumbach
Zodiac (2007) dir. by David Fincher-----------
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Original music by James Brailsford
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