Episoder
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Yoreflix: the NEW streaming service for historical drama. Interview with founder Imogen Cooper
Yoreflix founder Imogen Cooper talks to Ros about the new streaming service for historical dramas and movies and outlines what makes it unique in the field of streaming platforms.
We talk about Imogen’s background as an executive producer and her passion for history, what inspired her to create Yoreflix and talk more broadly about historical movies and dramas.
If the sound of Yoreflix has piqued your interest you can join the waitlist and get involved at www.yoreflix.com
You can also drop us a line at @hmpodcast.bsky.social
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Amadeus (1984) takes centre stage for this episode of the Historical Movies Podcast: starring F. Murray Abraham as Antonia Salieri, Tom Hulce as ‘Wolfie’ Mozart and directed by Miloš Forman.
Amadeus portrays Mozart as an arrogant, infantile, foul mouthed brat?
But how historically accurate is that? And we also take a look at the supposed rivalry between these two 18th century composers.
Plus: Mozart’s love of toilet-humour, implausibly quick musical notation and why is this movie actually called Amadeus?
Joining Ros in this episode is Jack CT Adams, PhD is contemporary classical composition at Portsmouth University.
Know the recipe for Venus’ Nipples or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected] or @hmpodcast.bsky.social
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Manglende episoder?
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The Two Popes - starring Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten - takes centre stage in this episode of the Historical Movies Podcast.
We ask what the film makers got right and wrong in their depiction of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis and analyse the history of the Papacy shown in the movie: did Popes Benedict and Francis really watch the World Cup Final together? Did Benedict like Fanta? And was Kommissar Rex really his favourite television show?
Plus would this movie have benefited from being called 'The Pope' as originally planned, Anthony Hopkins' admirable decision not to go back to bad stroke acting and much more!
Know where we can buy a Benedict XVI Pope Fitness Watch or would just like to get in touch about our take on The Two Popes? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Legends of the Fall – is it the most ‘90s movies of all time? We take a look through this classic from 1994, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond.
We discuss some of the history covered including the true story behind the World War I football in the trenches, why Americans went off to fight for the British Empire and was Colonel Ludlow a suspect in the JFK assassination.
Plus: Really, really, really bad acting, a stroke previously unknown to science, how this movie toned down the original novel and the lifespan of grizzly bears.
Know where we can book tickets for the Anthony Hopkins Accent World Tour, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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After covering 25 movies on the podcast we take some time out to answer some of the comments and questions you've contacted us with - some of which may be of dubious origin but all of which stimulate our discussion. Enjoy!
Contact us at [email protected]
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Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon takes centre stage in this week’s episode of the Historical Movies Podcast.
We talk through the history of the period, what makes this such a great movie and what it gets historically right and wrong.
Plus the difficulty of actually ripping a sink off the wall, the latest hot gossip about Mini Driver and having the T-1000 as your Dad.
Have you seen another movie starring Betsy Purvis, harried-mother specialist Natalie Canerday, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Aubrey and Maturin - best friends forever! We take a look through the brilliant Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The number one movie that deserved a sequel that it never got.
We talk through the life and times of Thomas Cochrane – the real life inspiration behind Jack Aubrey and revel in the historical age of Enlightenment and the Napoleonic naval combat that serve as this film’s backdrop.
Plus why we never got a sequel, the magic brain coin, Little Lord Blakeney’s quiet ghastly amputation and spliiiiice the mainbraaaaaace mister maaaaaate!
Fancy rightfully redistributing some of Return of the King's 11 Oscars to Master and Commander, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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We talk through Mississippi Burning, starring Gene Hack, Willem Dafoe and Frances McDormand and take a look at the real history behind the events shown in the movie. We analyse the controversies surrounding it and ask whether it’s fundamentally racist, of it’s time, misunderstood or a luvvies’ version of a middle class angst-ridden redemption.
Plus the genius of the great Gene Hackman, the world’s most incomprehensible graph, sweaty, sweaty armpits and brow-line glasses, and an analysis of KKK bumper stickers.
Have an opinion on whether the Hackman-nut-grab is the greatest prehension of the testicles in cinema history, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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We take a look at Robert Eggers’ directorial debut The Witch (2015) AKA 'The VVitch' – starring Anya Taylor-Joy in her breakout role, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie and Harvey Scrimshaw.
We talk through the history of witchcraft in early modern Europe and how it inspired this movie – with much of the dialogue being lifted directly from historical sources.
Plus: fans of Black Philip, the best witch’s familiars’ names, the true horror of Mathew Hopkins (Witchfinder General) and Bryce recalls our encounter with a possessed seminary!
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously, or just get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Amongst the Wolves releases in Ireland and the UK on 2nd May 2025!
We're joined by acclaimed director Mark O'Connor - writer and director of Between the Canals and Cardboard Gangsters - shortly before the release of his new film Amongst the Wolves.
We go through Mark's favourite historical movies, his process and experience as a writer director and some of the possible future projects he's working on, including a historical epic about the 1798 Irish uprising and a movie about the Dubliners.
Plus he tells us how he found a young Barry Keoghan and gave him his first acting opportunity.
We also touch on the world of guerilla film-making, the role of realism and morality in Mark's movies and we talk through his upcoming revenge drama Amongst the Wolves.
We’d love to hear from you so drop us a line at [email protected] or leave us a comment on our YouTube Channel if you’d like to get in touch!
00:00 El Vino did Flow
00:27 Intro
01:59 Mark's favourite Historical Movies
05:15 Screen writing and directing
10:39 1798 film project
13:09 Realism in Mark's movies and in historical films
15:37 Do directors make their best movies first?
18:04 The Dubliners film project - how the Dubliners nearly died!
20:09 How the movie industry is changing - cinemas close, AI expanding
24:59 Movie budgets and how to make a movie on a shoestring
29:20 How Mark 'discovered' Barry Keoghan
34:02 Bryce praises The New World
34:32 Ros obsesses over Barry Lyndon
35:04 Amongst the Wolves - Mark's new film
40:48 Outro
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We go through Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans (1992) starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Wes Studi and Steve Waddington and look at the history of the French and Indian War (the North American theatre of the the 7 Years War) which gives this film it's intriguing backdrop. We go into the background of James Fenimore Cooper's mid-eighteen century 'Leatherstocking Tales' which inspired this movie and discuss how the times in which that was published effect this story.
Plus; Michael Mann's perfect blend of realism and style, the cinematic genius of the final scene, aesthetically pleasing sliding bodies, duel-wielding flintlock rifles and Bryce's ephemeral encounter with the great Daniel Day-Lewis (who nicked his banana and jam sandwich).
Know where we can buy the rights to 'The Deerslayer' so we can make a prequel, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren star in Anthony Mann's epic knight's tale El Cid.
We take a look through the history behind the real Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), the Reconquista and the Almoravid dynasty and ask whether El Cid was actually a chivalrous knight or ruthless mercenary?
Plus: Heston and Loren's epic spat on set, the reason why Francisco Franco loved this movie and Raf Valone's communist partisan, Serie A-winning back story.
Remember Charlie Croker's threat of ethnic genocide, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Is this still the best Vikings movie ever made? We take a look at 1958's The Vikings starring Kirk Douglas (fufilling his childhood dream of playing a viking on screen), Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Ernest Borgnine.
We take a look at how the production got a lot of the historical stuff right, how they were limited by their knowledge in 1950s and what aspects of this movie are complete Hollywood bulls**t!
Plus the science of Kirk Douglas' bum chin, the potential of a Green Party-style Einar/Eric co-leadership and where are the horned helmets?
Did you do a better job of remembering Snorri Sturluson's name, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Are the Brits simply too evil in this movie? And should we expect anything else from a Roland Emmerich/Mel Gibson movie? We take a look at The Patriot (2000) in this episode, going through the history, discussing the accuracies, inaccuracies and this movie's astonishing portrayal of slavery in 18th Century America.
We take a look at the depiction of the British, particularly Jason Isacc's Tavington and the real life inspiration; Banastre Tarleton. And would Kevin Spacey have played the part better?
Plus: Mel's $25 million pay day, chronically bad child acting, super violent scripts and Steven Gerrard's favourite cheese.
Do you sport an ear horn, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Loved by terrorists and screened by the Pentagon, we talk through Gillo Pontecorvo's masterpiece of cinema; The Battle of Algiers.
We go through the history this movie's based on and discuss its long-lasting influence and legacy; from initially being banned in France to being praised by directors such as Kubrick and Herzog.
Plus; is this the antidote to Hollywood cinema, French male horniness strikes again! And what would a Mel Gibson-Danny Glover remake look like?
Have the script for the long-lost Robert Redford parachutist version of this movie, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Prehistorical or prehisterical? We discuss Roland Emmerich's bizzare box office hit 10,000 BC from 2008.
We rattle through the litany of (pre)historical inaccuracies from anachronistic Pyramids to the sextant (invented in 16th century AD) and ponder how this movie burnt through its eye-watering $105 million budget.
Plus: Graham Hancock, 3 spurious impalings and Roland Emmerich's truly odd art collection.
Remember the 999 episode where someone pinned themselves to the garden with a pitchfork, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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The Greatest war movie of all time? Steven Spielberg's revolutionary reimagining of the war film which influenced action cinema and war movies ever after.
We take a look at some of the real history that inspired this movie and run through the unconventional yet ingenious way it was shot.
Plus Tom Sizemore's career-best performance, Tom Hanks' love of typewriters and whether this is this actually an anti-portsmouth movie.
Also a massive fan of Old Ryan's grandad outfit, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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This film doesn't have fans, just fanatics, although it seems like not man people have heard of it. Terrence Malick's wonderful movie The New World takes center stage for this episode.
We talk through the history that provides the backdrop of this film: Pocahontas, John Smith and the founding of Jamestown. The clash of civilisations, what we've lost by becoming so decoupled from nature and why has no one heard of this movie?
Plus: Colin Farrell's 'hairy badass stage', the brilliance of Q'orianka Kilcher, the importance of the documentary style and what this movie would have looked like if Mel Gibson had directed it.
Do you know what an antiquated armet is, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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The one-take (that's actually at least 35 takes) wonder! We discuss Sam Mendes' 1917 and whether this movie fuctions better as an action movie than a war movie, in the traditional movie canon sense at least... Indiana Jones in the trenches or something deeper?
Plus we go through the hisory that inspired the film, Operation Alberich, discuss why we like this movie (well, Ros at least) and whether it veers into glorifying the First World War.
Know whether Benedict Cumberbatch's "f**k awwf" is too affected to be picked up as a profanity by Apple Podcasts, or would just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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We chat through one of our all time favourite movies, Michael Collins (1996) and whether Hollywood's need for a hero means that Éamon de Valera gets unnecessarily cast as the villain.
We discuss what makes this movie so great, go through the history between 1916 to 1922, discuss whether the recreation of Bloody Sunday (1920) went over the top and discuss what happened after Collins' death.
Plus: Remember the flappable DVD? Why was Julia Roberts cast in this movie? And what's the connection between this movie and Michael Mann's Heat?
Did you design the Peter Pan book prop, or you'd just like to get in touch? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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