The veteran boom operator for film and television Sean Armstrong returns to the show for a deep dive into Joseph Kosinski’s new big budget sports drama F1®: The Movie starring Brad Pitt as former racing prodigy Sonny Hayes who returns to the Formula One circuit decades later at the behest of his old friend, APXGP team owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) to provide mentorship to his hot-headed young British rookie Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris) and rescue the struggling underdog team’s season.

Made with the full co-operation of F1’s governing body the FIA, F1®: The Movie is propaganda for the sport where the screenplay takes a back seat to extraordinary action sequences as we follow the team through the back half of their circuit season all over the globe. Sean provides his full knowledge and understanding of Formula One to explain how this movie tries to serve two masters: fans of the sport and a general audience.

We also discuss the sport’s appeal to women and how F1®: The Movie sometimes lets this cohort down in terms of some sexist content, how this movie measures up to other racing films, Apple’s investment in the film biz (this being by far their most successful release, despite the gargantuan production cost). Plus how the stars have been using the high-profile publicity tour: Pitt hoping to  whitewash his damaged personal image of the last few years, Bardem taking every opportunity to use this spotlight to bring attention to the genocide in Gaza and remind people of reality.

Over 30% of all Junk Filter episodes are only available to patrons of the podcast. To support this show directly and to receive access to the entire back catalogue, consider becoming a patron for only $5.00 a month (U.S.) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Sean Armstrong on Twitter and Bluesky.

Final trailer for F1®: The Movie (Kosinski, 2025)

Cinerama trailer for Grand Prix (John Frankenheimer, 1966)

Trailer for Le Mans (Lee H. Katzin, 1971)