At the Flicks

Welcome back to At The Flicks

In yesterday’s show (episode 231) we set out the rules for our new review show (a bit like Fight Club, with the main difference being we encourage you to talk about it).

If you followed that layout, then you know that this episode features our three remaining reviews.

They are:

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 – yes a Marvel film, and we all know Jeff’s view on them. Surprisingly, one of the converted (or infected) also turns on Marvel this episode. His excuse? He went to see it with Jeff. Clearly that de-programming works!

Spider-Man Across The Spider Verse – If you thought Jeff’s extreme superhero views were at high volume in the last review, they are off the charts for this one! Trouble starts when someone else calls it one of the films of the year. A good job we deal with our reviews remotely or this could have ended in a hospital visit for one of them!

The Swimmers – A Netflix drama based on a true story. A much more serious discussion about a very powerful film.

And there you have it – the first double header review show.

What do you think? Please let us know.

In the meantime we will hope to see you At The Flicks

Welcome to the At The Flicks early Summer review show.

Early Summer I hear you say, as everyone prepares for Halloween.  Ah, but the At The Flicks team are like fine wine, we age well (other than referring to someone in the present tense who passed away after we completed the show!).  And just to compound that delay, this is only half of the show! The other half will be released tomorrow.

Trust me, there is method behind the madness of that split.  With our extended team of excellent reviewers (and Jeff), we are having more in-depth discussions on our chosen movies these days.  We tried to edit them down, however, to be honest we just didn’t know what to cut out.  Although we all panicked when Graham started brandishing one of Elijah’s excellent swords!  But we argued, we just cannot drop a two hour review show on our listeners.  Not even Jeff’s wife wants to hear him whittering on for that length of time.  So, we had to come up with another solution. 

The answer is to split these shows in two now and in the future.  

In future the format will be

Show one - A topical movie discussion then two film reviews (and from next time a special something just for listeners).

Show two -  three in depth reviews. 

And we promise you that show two will always be released the day after show one.  There’s too much stress in the world as it is, we don’t want to keep you waiting any longer than we have to for you to hear your favourite reviewer.  Now that’s an idea, maybe we can have a poll to decide who that is – no, strike that, Graham will just get his extended family to vote for himself multiple times.

Now that’s sorted, let’s talk about our “topical” discussion from a couple of months ago as featured in this edition.  Since the recording, an aspect of the discussion is now out of date.  Mainly because the director we referenced, William Freidkin, has sadly passed away since we recorded this episode.  A great loss to cinema – and certainly to 1970’s cinema.  The Exorcist, The French Connection and the incredibly under rated Sorcerer – three of the best films of the decade.  A magnificent talent, a sad loss.

Coming back up to date as this recording will allow, there are two extended reviews for you here, and they couldn’t be more different

Air : The story of the Michael Jordan shoe.  Now in the previous review extravaganza, Darren blew everyone’s mind with his alternate take on Tar.  This time he does it again with Air.  Listen to what he says and how everyone reacts to that. We have all had to watch this superior movie again.

Fast X : Jeff, the ultimate Fast and Furious fan leads this review.  Is he mocked by the rest of the reviewers (wouldn’t be the first time) or do they humour him as he calls it one of the best action films of all time? Check out our review to find out.  Don’t judge to harshly, remember he is still receiving treatment

Tomorrow, we release the second half of the show which has reviews of Guardians Of The Galaxy 3, Spiderman Across The Spider Verse and The Swimmers.

Find out what the team think of that motley crew.  See you then.

Bye for now.

Welcome to an At The Flicks interview show. To be more precise, a face-to-face recorded discussion, the first one we have done for years (thanks Covid).

The person who honoured us with his presence is Simon Taylor.  For years Simon worked in that most frightening of environments – Live TV.  Amongst his many accomplishments are his work on The Big Breakfast, Johnny Vaughn Tonight and The Paul O’Grady show.  Don’t worry if you live in locales that have never heard of any of those shows, they are very British institutions, however I am sure you will recognise the stresses and euphoria of such work regardless of wherever you live.

So it was that Graham and Jeff had to try to remember how to set up the mics and recording equipment for the session.  Not forgetting a glass of wine for each of us, including our guest (more on that later).  You can be judge of whether they accomplished a successful transition from Zoom to Room. As for our chat with Simon, we managed to answer the following questions: 

- How did you do guest research before the internet? 

- Who were your favourite guests?

- Which item brought onto The Frank Skinner show surprised Jamie Oliver?

- What was unusual about the Juliette Binoche interview conducted for The Big Breakfast?

- What does go on behind the scenes of The Antiques Roadshow?

These questions and many more about that toughest of all TV challenges will be answered in this fascinating, informative and often very funny interview.

We also briefly chatted about life after Live TV.  Since leaving that pressure cooker life, Simon now works in the world of wine, and we even got to talk to him about wine recommendations – which almost caused Graham to end the interview early so he could go and sample them! 

If you live near Stroud, why not go and say hello to Simon in the Stroud Wine Company Shop – a wonderful fellow and very knowledgeable on the subject of wines, and of course, Live TV.

Before we forget, please see the link to the Stroud Wine Company website below.

If we don’t see you there, then we will catch up At The Flicks.

Bye for now.

It’s been a long time since we chatted to Phil aka Phil the Bear about his famous director retrospectives. We put that right this episode as we talk about his article on Paul Thomas Anderson (not to be confused with British director Paul W S Anderson, although we are sure Phil has written something about him as well).

Like an early ensemble Paul Thomas Anderson movie, we have brought the band back together for this one. There is Neil (the one with the dark hidden past), Graham (the one with the current guilty secret), Phil (the man in charge who has demons of his own), Dec (the sage like one) and Jeff (too many secrets and a not so hidden anger). Phil is our guide through the career of the great man, and who keeps order when there is dissent, and trust me, there is plenty of dissent, although not always from the quarter you would expect.

Now, the sharp eared amongst you will realise that this show has not been recorded recently. In fact, it is part of our huge batch of lockdown recordings we have yet to edit and release for your entertainment. This show was recorded in the first half of 2021. So, when you listen to it and hear the complete nonsense, we say about the film that was eventually released as Licorice Pizza, just remember that was all anyone outside of the production knew at the time. If you want to know what we thought of the film after its release, check out episode 196 for our review of Licorice Pizza.

Similarly, if you want our more detailed thoughts on 'There Will Be Blood', please check out the review teams comments of that movie in episode 96.

As for this episode, we address such tantalising questions as:

Why didn’t Burt Reynolds like Boogie Nights?

What was it about watching the trailer for Magnolia on repeat that made it an unmissable film for Phil?

Which member of the team really hated The Master?

How many of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films has Neil actually taken the time to watch?

Which of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films has a possible connection to the legendary Midnight Run?

The answers to all of these are given in the show, along with the usual team banter you have come to expect from us.

So, sit back, relax, and think back to those lockdown days when we recorded this.

The new format At The Flicks review show returns.

Our more chatty approach seems to be a hit with you – and as always thank you for the feedback. Also, returning for this show is Phil aka Phil The Bear. We are hoping for Neil to return for the next one, currently all of his time is spent filling in his application form for the Conservative Party. I have given him a new set of crayons so maybe this time they will accept him!

You may notice that this selection of films is a couple of months old. It means that if you haven’t seen them as yet, you have the opportunity to catch them on VOD or streaming before listening to our thoughts about them. Which means Graham, you can catch up on the one you have so far missed.

For this show we review:

John Wick Chapter 4 – One reviewer thinks this is the action film of the year. Do the others agree?

The Whale – Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for his performance. Did we think he deserved it?

Pearl – Finally the prequel to X arrives on our shores. Was it worth the wait?

To Leslie – Another controversial Oscar contender. Just how good did we think Andrea Riseborough’s performance was?

65 – B movie or just cheap movie?

From Oscar worthy to horror. I think we have covered all the basis this month.

Do you agree with our opinions? Please let us now.

Until next time, see you At The Flicks.

At The Flicks welcomes you to Darren’s video store.

A new quarterly show that is designed to bring minor gems to your attention while recreating the video store experience of the 1980’s, but without the fuss of having to travel there! Store owner Darren will take you around the various sections of the store, pointing out what’s hot and what’s best avoided. With him are his trainees Graham and Jeff (who are working for below minimum wage, another recreation of the 1980’s).

Of course there are no longer any video or even DVD rental stores (and some of you probably are saying all this was a bit before your time). Luckily, all of Darren’s recommendations can be found on various streaming platforms. While it’s a shame you can’t have the full shop experience, at least you can check out the wares.

But we are a positive show (so Jeff tells me) and we want to concentrate on the highlights:

- From the drama section there is the excellent Catch The Fair One, about a former female boxer’s hunt for her missing sister. Tough, compromising and not to be missed.

- From the Apple Store section, there is the movie Tetris, which the three of us give a seal of approval to.

- From the TV section, check out Daisy Jones and The 6, where you can relive the experience of the 1970’s music scene.

- And many others.

A warning, listening to this show may cause a nostalgic flashback to those of you over a certain age. You will experience again that head spinning moment when there was so much choice you didn’t know what to pick. With so much to choose from, you won’t leaving home for a while.

If you do get a chance to leave home, hopefully we'll see you At The Flicks

Welcome to the first ever At The Flicks appeal.

This one is very personal, and I will hand over to Leslie to explain what the appeal is for and its importance.

Thank you for reading.

“Hi, my name is Leslie. I am and have been a passionate nurse since qualifying in 1981. I want to give back to nursing by promoting the well-being of nurses as well as the projects they are initiating to improve the health and well-being of their patients.

In 2023 I am raising funds for a project in Cape Town named Robin Trust. I founded it 30 years ago as a Non Profit Organisation (Charity) which came out of my own daughter’s illness. Sadly my daughter had a genetic illness, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), resulting in profound disabilities and limiting her life.

I was a single mother so used my nursing knowledge to train a carer to provide Robyn with the help she needed while I was at work as a nurse. It worked well for me and the carer. I had intentionally looked for someone who was loving but due to circumstances did not have a job. The amazing person who filled the role came from Khayelitsha – a poor township near cape Town. To my surprise I started to get calls from carers wanting to work and from people needing a carer.

From a small beginning Robin Trust has grown and 30 years later it is an established charity offering home-based care, dementia and frail care, step-down (sub-acute) care and trains carers.

From the beginning the carers have been the main beneficiaries.

Unemployed and previously disadvantaged people are trained as carers undertaking their theory and practical course at the training school at the Robin Trust. On completion of their 3 month programme some are employed by Robin Trust or other Care Agencies, Frail Cares or in private homes. This provides much needed employment in Cape Town, where the unemployment is 26.9%. Currently the home-based service alone employs approximately 200 carers.

At Robin Trust most income is generated by the services provided with the surplus going back into the service as well as a bursary fund which subsidises students training as carers.

Therefore for new developments it is necessary to raise the required funds.

Currently fundraising is required to develop a facility to provide palliative care. Robin Trust would like provide two beds funded by the Robin Trust for people in financial need near the end of their lives. Care provided will include excellent, compassionate nursing from the trained registered nurses and care team, pain relief and respite for families. I learnt during Robyn’s illness how vital this service is and the support it gives to the individual as well as their family. This will benefit students training at the organisation giving them valuable experience in palliative care while extending the services provided by the Robin Trust. To offer this needed service Robin Trust requires the funding to renovate and kit out two rooms to the standards required by the registering health authority. Once this is done the on-going costs will be met by the Robin Trust. The set-up cost per bed is £3,000.

I will be running in my second event on the 3 September 2023 and extending my distance to 10km. Please support me by donating to the Robin Trust project to equip two beds for individuals requiring end of life care.”

Welcome to the first At The Flicks review show of 2023 – not bad considering the year is about to reach it’s midpoint!

Don’t worry, our review shows are like buses, a few more are coming along very shortly.

So why the delay? The truth is, thanks to you, dear listener, and your comments on our review shows, we have been working on the format. As a result, we have changed just about everything. Gone is the rather stodgy format of one person after another reviewing the same film, instead we have brought more focus to our selection.

Each member of the At The Flicks review board now selects one film they want to review. It can be a cinema release, something currently streaming (both Disney deletes it), or a classic. The only rule is, every other member of the team must be able to find and watch it. This immediately ruled out many of Neil’s mid European stick figure animation features (sorry Neil).

So, the new format is, after a brief synopsis of the film in question, the reviewer tells us what they thought of their choice. At any point in their review, another person can interject with their comments on the movie, leading to, we hope, a more natural discussion.

You of course are the judge as to whether this fundamental change to the format has worked. All feedback welcomed.

As for the review team on this occasion, there are some changes. Neil and Phil are not with us this month, both need more time to figure out the format changes. Don’t worry lads, you’ll get there! Instead, joining Darren, Graham and Jeff is our streaming king Declan. He does such a great job we have immediately promoted him to the review team. He already has one advantage over Neil, he knows how to find a cinema.

So that’s the format, but what’s the content. There are four films being reviewed and, due to the delay of the show, all are now available on streaming, meaning you can watch them and then tell us if you agree with our diverse opinions on them (OK, it’s Jeff that’s diverse, the others are usually in agreement). The four films are:

Plane (Darren’s choice) – Yes, I was also surprised that a film from the Gerard was not automatically selected by Graham. He did try to take the lead on this, but Darren was just too fast for him. One member of the team never got to see this in the cinema, and on the strength of what everyone else said, has now decided he needs to see it (obviously that’s not Graham, who was there opening night).

Tar (Dec’s choice) – One of the most acclaimed films of 2022, with a spellbinding performance from Cate Blanchett. Some interesting views on this film and almost everyone of our team realised they would have to go watch it again to spot all they missed the first time. Even Jeff, when he has calmed down over the Jerry Goldsmith comments made in the movie.

The Fabelmans (Graham’s Choice) – Steven Spielberg’s semi autobiographical feature and a love letter to the movies. Surprisingly comments were more mixed on this one than on Plane! Also, did you know how played John Ford in the film? None of us did before Jeff stumbled over it on the internet.

All Quiet On The Western Front (Jeff’s Choice) – A streaming selection this month. Amazingly for Jeff he selected a foreign language film – although thankfully Netflix had the option to watch a dubbed version! Again, another highly acclaimed film, but does it cut the mustard for the At The Flicks team?

Here then is the show for your listening pleasure. Our new format – what do you think? Please let us know, after all it was based on some very helpful feedback from you that led to these changes.

Thank you so much, and if we see you At The Flicks we will buy you a popcorn (small, of course).

Bye for now.

Welcome back to the continuing adventures of the At The Flicks team as they talk Star Trek movies and boldly go where no man has gone before.

Since we completed the first part of this series – the films with the original Star Trek crew – we have had some extended shore leave from the series. Well, now we are back as we start the next section, the Next Generation features.

What better place to start than with the cross over episode – where old meets new. It’s a captain face off, as Captain Kirk (William Shatner) meets the new guy in town, follicly challenged Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart).

Guiding us through this space adventure is our captain Darren (after all it was his idea), backed up by his science officer Graham who will be looking at some of the more technical aspects. Jeff is playing the crew member who develops a God complex – well, he certainly talks a lot about religion at various points in the show. But what else do we talk about?

For Star Trek Generations our away team boldly go on to tackle such subjects as:

Did the writing of this script and the final episode of the TV series Next Generation cause confusion with the writers?

Just what is wrong with those uniforms?

Why didn’t the rest of the original cast appear in the prologue?

Was Soran (the great Malcolm McDowall) a villain to match Khan?

Just what is the Nexus?

All joking aside, why does Jeff keep talking religion?

There really are two camps for this film – those that love it and the one who has to be different. Take a wild stab in the dark as to who that is. In keeping with the series, I guess his counter would be to the others that they are Highly Illogical!

So, pick a side, then prepare to boldly go, enjoy, and listen to At The Flicks as it returns to Star Trek.

See you At The Flicks

Welcome to the At The Flicks Awards show.

What, I hear you cry – not another one.  Ah, but this is not just any awards show.  This is the At The Flicks ALTERNATIVE Awards show.  It’s like the Razzies except we don’t pick on children – although Jeff sees everyone else as fair game, especially Neil! 

Be afraid, as we let Jeff write the script again this year.  That’s why the show is late being delivered to you.  You see, we had to run it past our lawyers first.  It took months for them to check over the details, which resulted in some of the awards having to be removed from this recording and put in the At The Flicks vault, never to be heard again (although Graham has said we can be bribed).  During the consultation period, things got so tense with our team of lawyers, one left us to work for Donald Trump instead.  His parting words were “Trump is sane compared to you lot”!

As we said, Jeff wrote most of the script for these awards, with one exception. That exception is the one Graham insisted on writing and presenting.  It is of course, his most look forward to moment on the show – the annual Mel Gibson Movie Of The Year award.  To be fair, this year there were many options.  Although it went a bit far when Graham said he wanted to present The Mel with an award for each of the nominations, as he couldn’t pick just one film.  When we told him that wasn’t possible, Graham initially stormed off the red carpet, almost tripping over his little Gucci creation as he went.  Luckily, we were able to get him back by waving a signed copy of Braveheart near him.  I guess if we had known this show would be coming out around Easter, we could have used The Passion Of The Christ instead.

As for the other awards we are allowed to share with you, they are:

- The Star Wars Award For The Most Pointless Sequel

- The Braveheart Award For The Most Annoying Re-Writing Of History

- The Hobbit Trilogy Award For The Most Gratuitous Cash-In

- The Heaven’s Gate Award For The Most Embarrassing Failure

- The Steven Seagal Award For The Actor You Don’t Want To See Next Year – this year awarded to a previous winner, with the warning of three strikes and you’re out

- The Boris Johnson Award For The Family Film Of The Year 

- The Frank Die Hard 2 Award For The Most Unbelievable Plot Developments

All other awards have been removed to prevent lengthy court cases.

Tune in to find out who was nominated and who won.  Sadly, no one turned up to collect their award in person.  Neil took them away promising to send them on.  We are still waiting for proof of sending.

As an added bonus, we also reveal to you what our review team are most looking forward to seeing at the cinema this year.  There are a couple of surprises in that list.

What about you dear listener, what are you most looking forward to seeing in what is left of 2023? Please drop us a line and tell us. 

Who knows, if your film list corresponds with ours, we might see you At The Flicks.