Episodes
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On Episode 126 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by returning co-host Becky D’Anna. Becky is a marketing executive for Sony Pictures, a seasoned podcaster and an expert on film and the film industry, making her the ideal guest-host with which to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller, Rear Window, starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr. Shot on just one location, a huge set built on the Paramount Studios backlot, Rear Window is the ultimate tale of voyeurism as Stewart’s wheelchair bound photographer, L.B. Jeffries, ropes in his beautiful socialite girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his insurance company appointed nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) into his personal investigation into what he believes is the murder of one of the residents of his bustling tenement block. A masterclass in visual storytelling, Rear Window is one of the Master of Suspense’s most beloved films and certainly one of several peaks in a staggering filmography, a movie that would influence filmmakers for decades to come.
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Episode 125 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is our 2024 Halloween Horror Special and joining Skye and regular co-host John Arminio, is author, podcast producer, filmmaker and expert in all things horror related, J. Blake Fichera. Last year it was The Exorcist, and the focus of this year’s Halloween episode is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of another equally remarkable, influential and iconic horror classic, Tobe Hooper’s, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Made on a meagre budget with a cast of unknowns, Hooper’s film would quickly achieve iconic status and go on to permeate popular culture like few other horror films before it. It would become hugely influential but would never be equalled in terms of its almost documentary approach to the fictional events it depicts, inspired by the exploits of real life killers such as Ed Gein. The guys discuss the making of the film and explore the many layers of sociopolitical commentary that Hooper intentionally or even subconsciously weaved into this macabre work of art, a stunningly shot, meticulously crafted, grimy and unsettling masterpiece of horror cinema, laid bare by the experts at Film ‘89.
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Missing episodes?
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On Episode 124 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Neil and Skye return to the films of James Cameron and his directorial debut (not counting Piranha 2), starring possibly the most prominent megastar of their childhood, Arnold Schwarzenegger. That film is Cameron’s gritty, action-science-fiction smash hit, The Terminator, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. The product of a fever dream Cameron had whilst in Rome during the Piranha 2 debacle, The Terminator represents one of the most cost effective filmmaking endeavours of the 1980s, whereby a potentially pulpy science fiction yarn was bolstered by some truly defining star turns, none more so than the titular character himself. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of a killer cyborg from the future would define his career like no other role. Coupled with precise filmmaking from a young, driven, perfectionist director, some stunning effects work from artists such as Stan Winston, a stunning, synth-filled, percussive and atmospheric score from composer Brad Fiedel, and some gorgeous cinematography and tight editing, these ingredients would come together to create a film that the Film ‘89 team regard as one of the most important films of their upbringing, one that holds up today as a true masterpiece of genre filmmaking.
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On Episode 123 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Skye and returning co-hosts, Leighton Winstone and filmmaker Kyle Reardon are covering another all-time classic, The Shawshank Redemption, a film that, according to the long-running IMDB Top 250, is the greatest film of all time. A big screen adaptation of the Stephen King Novella and directed by Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption was released 30 years ago and was met with muted critical and commercial success and no wins despite 7 Academy Award nominations. But upon it’s release on home video, it became a huge success and in the years since has become a perennial favourite and a film cited by many as one of the greatest films ever made. The guys chart the making of the The Shawshank Redemption , the changes that Darabont made from King’s book and give their usual in-depth analysis of this remarkable film for its 30th anniversary.
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On Episode 122 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined once again by filmmaker, podcast host and producer, Martin Kessler, as the show continues its in-depth coverage of some of the greatest films ever made. And this episode it’s the turn of director Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror masterpiece, Alien, a film our trio have been eager to discuss since the podcast began. They discuss the film’s inception, it’s production and the incredible creative talents that would craft one of the most visually astounding films ever made with a level of set design and an overall aesthetic like no film before it. At the forefront of this was the incredible work of Swiss surrealist, H.R. Giger, whose creature designs would birth a new type of nightmare fodder that would terrify audiences the world over. They discuss composer Jerry Goldsmith’s majestic score, the incredible practical effects and a cast of just seven actors that surely ranks as one of the greatest ever assembled. So suit up, strap in and enjoy Film ‘89’s celebration of the 45th anniversary of a motion picture that’s widely regarded as one of the most influential, genre defining, and arguably, most perfect films ever made.
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On Episode 121 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by returning guest host, filmmaker Martin Kessler, to give you their in-depth and spoiler-filled review of director Fede Alvarez’s new film, Alien: Romulus, the seventh film in the saga that began 45 years ago with Ridley Scott’s seminal Alien. Following Scott’s two most recent films in the franchise, pseudo-prequel Prometheus (2012) and it’s follow up, Alien: Covenant (2017), Alvarez’s film is set 20 years after Alien but 37 years before James Cameron’s Aliens to tell an isolated story of a crew of young Weyland Yutani mining colony workers who end up going head to head with the deadly creatures on an abandoned space station. Will Alvarez’s film breathe new life into a franchise that some feel was choked by Scott’s previous two films’ over-intellectualisation of the series, or will it just give fans a force-fed meal of Alien related best-of moments?
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On Episode 120 of The Film ‘89 Podcast we’re doing something we haven’t done for a long time - reviewing a new comic book movie - Disney/Marvel Studios’ latest cinematic outing, and their first ever R-rated superhero film, Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. As well as giving their in-depth and spoiler-filled review and analysis of the new film, Neil and Skye give their thoughts on the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero genre in general after several years of output that have been far from great in terms of critical and commercial success. They discuss whether Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office success is a sign of a turnaround for the MCU, or just a brief anomaly, brought about by a very unique set of circumstances that allowed Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy an opportunity to make a third Deadpool film that openly mocks a sub-genre of film that’s lost its way.
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On Episode 119 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Skye and Bill Scurry discuss a film that’s been high on the list of films that they’ve most wanted to dedicate an episode to since the podcast began. The one big stumbling block that was preventing them from doing so was it’s lack of availability on any kind of modern HD format, having never even had a release on Blu-Ray. But fortunately it was given a shiny new 4K upgrade earlier this year for its 35th anniversary. That film is of course The Abyss, James Cameron’s 1989 underwater science fiction thriller that got a significantly bulked up rerelease in 1993 in the form of the considerably longer and undeniably better Special Edition. As well as their usual in-depth analysis of the film, they take the deep dive into the making of The Abyss, a film whose production was one of the most ambitious and frankly arduous ever attempted.
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On Episode 118 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye discuss a film that they’ve been eager to cover since the podcast began, a film from the podcast’s namesake year of 1989, Spike Lee’s seminal story of a baking hot day in Brooklyn where the ever increasing heat pushes racial and cultural tensions to breaking point, Do The Right Thing. Joining them is a guest host making his long overdue Film ‘89 debut. He’s the founder and co-host of the brilliant Zebras in America podcast, his vast wealth of writing on film can be found at PinnlandEmpire.com, he’s a frequent contributor at ThePinkSmoke.com and he’s as passionate and knowledgeable a cinephile as you’re likely to find anywhere, Mr Marcus Pinn. Marcus and the guys discuss the brilliant ensemble cast of Lee’s film, in which he stars alongside Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Danny Aiello, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence and many more. They discuss Ernest Dickerson’s astonishing cinematography as well as the film’s complex themes of racial intolerance. Do The Right Thing remains an all time classic of cinema and one of the most important films of the 1980’s.
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On Episode 117 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, we address the fact that only one of director Quentin Tarantino’s films has had a dedicated episode of Film ‘89, way back in 2019. For our long overdue return to the work of one of modern Hollywood’s most revered auteurs, we’ve decided to finally cover one of our listeners’ most requested films, Tarantino’s stunning sophomore effort, Pulp Fiction. A sensation upon its release having taken the 1994 Cannes Film Festival by storm, winning the coveted Palm d’Or, Pulp Fiction would whip up a storm of controversy but also receive widespread critical acclaim, going on to be considered one of the greatest and most influential films of the 1990’s and inspiring a slew of wannabe cool crime dramas in its wake. If Reservoir Dogs was Tarantino’s incendiary debut then Pulp Fiction was a truly explosive phenomenon, a directorial follow-up that gave the independent film movement a boost like few other films in the ‘90s. Join Steve, Skye and returning guest hosts, Leighton Winstone and Kyle Reardon as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the most remarkable and perfectly constructed motion pictures ever made.
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On Episode 116 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by returning co-hosts Adam Rackoff, Bill Scurry and John Arminio to continue Film ‘89’s coverage of the original Star Trek films. Having covered The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan on previous episodes, the guys now celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Following on from the harrowing events of the second film and the loss of Spock, actor Leonard Nimoy would make his directorial debut and craft a film about death and, as the title suggests, rebirth. Employing superb practical and optical effects that more than hold up 40 years on, the guys fight the corner for a Trek film that they feel is somewhat underrated as well as providing their usual passionate and in-depth analysis in this celebration of the film and where for them it ranks amongst the numerous big screen Trek outings.
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On Episode 115 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and returning guest host Stephen Simpson don their fire retardant suits as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Towering Inferno, Producer and co-director Irwin Allen and director John Guillermin’s big screen adaptation of not one but two books and a film that surely ranks as one of, if not THE greatest disaster films of all time. With a star studded ensemble cast including Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, Robert Wagner and many more, The Towering Inferno would go on to be a huge critical and commercial success, garnering 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. A showcase of some astounding practical effects and stunt work, The Towering Inferno isn’t just a rollicking action spectacle but also a superbly made drama and a somber cautionary tale.
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On episode 114 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Leighton Winstone and filmmaker Kyle Reardon join Steve and Skye as they did two years ago when they celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Godfather. Now they’re back to celebrate the 50th anniversary of possibly the greatest sequel ever made, The Godfather Part II. A huge critical success upon it’s release, it would go on to be nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning 6 for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction/Set Decoration, Original Score and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro. It currently sits at No.4 on the long running IMDB Top 250 and is widely regarded as not only one of the greatest sequels ever made, but one of the greatest films period.
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On Episode 113 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and regular guest host, Bill Scurry, give their spoiler filled analysis and verdict of Part Two of Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel, Dune. Bill and Skye reviewed Part One of Villeneuve’s adaptation back in late 2021, on Episode 72 and Bill being a huge Dune fan, was duty bound to return for Film ‘89’s coverage of Part Two. Bill and Skye discuss the staggering technical achievement the film represents, it’s stellar cast, how faithfully it adapts Herbert’s epic tome, as well as making predictions as to its final box office haul and it’s potential to both sweep up at next year’s Academy Awards and also how it’s success may help pull Hollywood out of its recent slump.
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On Episode 112 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined once again by regular guest host, John Arminio and for once, the crux of their chosen topic isn’t a film, but a book, author Bram Stoker’s 1897 tale of the now famous Transylvanian Count Dracula. As well as discussing this classic of horror literature, the guys discuss some of the big screen adaptations of Stoker’s novel, in particular, Tod Browning’s 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, titled of course, Dracula, a film that kick-started a long running series of Monster features for Universal. They also go in-depth on a more recent adaptation of the book but one that’s now already over three decades old, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film, with the slightly longer title of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They explore the making of these two film adaptations as well as the prominent religious iconography, already present in the source novel, that Coppola weaved into his adaptation of a book that is arguably as important as any in the horror genre.
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On Episode 111 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and regular guest host, Bill Scurry don their colours and venture into the violent New York of 1979 to discuss Walter Hill’s cult classic film, The Warriors. Beloved by film critics such as Pauline Kael, the film was controversially pulled from cinema’s by Paramount three weeks into its theatrical run following reported outbreaks of gang violence at theatres. The film wasn’t the financial success that Hill had wanted but in the years that followed, The Warriors attained an ever growing following and a second life on television and home video, and is now regarded as not only one of Hill’s best films, but as a beloved example of ‘70s American cinema. Oozing style from every pore and armed with a phenomenal synth-rock score by composer Barry De Vorzon, The Warriors is a film as worthy as any of the Film ‘89 treatment.
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“We come to it at last, the great battle of our time”. On Episode 110 of The Film ‘89 Podcast our years-long podcasting journey through Middle Earth draws to a close as Skye and returning co-hosts, Bill Scurry, Adam Rackoff and John Arminio tackle The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for it’s 20th anniversary. The third and final part of Peter Jackson’s colossal undertaking to adapt to film J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic would not only smash box office records but would take an Oscar haul of a record equalling 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Join the guys as they follow their previous mammoth episodes on The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers with a deep dive into this staggering achievement in filmmaking. As before they discuss the making of the film and give an in-depth analysis of the third film in a trilogy that’s vying for the title of greatest film trilogy of all time.
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On Episode 109 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by one of our favourite returning guest hosts, professional film poster artist and master cinephile, Tony Stella. This episode, the guys continue their coverage of the James Bond films that started last year with Dr. No, and continues here with a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the second big screen Bond outing for Sean Connery, From Russia With Love. Skye and Tony discuss the film in-depth as well as Ian Fleming’s 1957 book on which the film is based. So pack your gadget filled suitcases and step aboard The Orient Express for a celebration of one of the most beloved of all the big screen James Bond adventures.
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On Episode 108 of The Film ‘89 Podcast the team are back in the embrace of one of their favourite filmmakers, David Fincher, with an in-depth and spoiler-filled review of his latest thriller based on the graphic novel series by Alexis Nolent, The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender in his first acting role since 2019’s Dark Phoenix. As well as discussing The Killer, Skye and returning guest hosts, Jacob Rivera, Leighton Winstone and Kyle Reardon discuss the current state of theatrical distribution. Given that The Killer is a Netflix film that only had a two week limited theatrical release window before it dropped onto the streaming service on November 10th, the guys discuss the increasing trend of high profile directors making films for streaming services such as Netflix and Apple and how this may affect the future of cinema.
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On Episode 107 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve is joined by Leighton Winstone and filmmaker Kyle Reardon to give you their in-depth review and analysis of legendary director Martin Scorsese’s latest film, his epic adaptation of author David Grann’s 2017 book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Scorsese’s film drops the book’s subtitle and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons and John Lithgow. It tells the story of the discovery of oil in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land and the subsequent series of murders of the Osage people that take place until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery. Scorsese has directed some of the Film ‘89 team’s all time favourite films, several of which have had their own in-depth episodes on the podcast. Will Scorsese’s latest capture the same degree of success of the other big 2023 historical drama, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, or will audiences, put off by it’s considerable runtime, wait for its subsequent release on Apple TV+? Tune in to hear the team’s verdict of the latest film from a true Hollywood legend.
*Apologies for the varying levels of audio quality on this episode. In keeping with the theme of the film, it was recorded on equipment from the 1920s.
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