Time to put the flags out. Lockdown, for the moment at least, is coming to an end. Life slowly is beginning to return to normal (whatever that means).

Now the question can be asked, just how did you spend you time at home during these last few months? Well, we know exactly what our streaming expert Declan was doing – watching TV so that he could inform you what is worth your time on terrestrial and streaming TV platforms. So, when the rains come (and let’s face it, if you are in Britain, that is our Summer) you know what to check out.

There is the latest season of Killing Eve, or if you are Jeff, all three seasons of Killing Eve (and The Sopranos, The Wire etc). Then there is the amazingly violent Gangs Of London, Harley Quinn, Little Fires Everywhere and State Of Happiness. All highly recommended from our TV and boxset expert.

Also if you want to catch up on an old favourite, there is Buffy The Vampire Slayer being shown from the beginning on E4. Neil once threatened to watch the whole thing, but only made it half way through the credits of episode 1 – yes it is that scary, but then, so is Neil!

After we talk TV we have a general discussion on what is to happen in the future – can there be social distancing TV, when will cinemas actually reopen and is Tenet real or just a Christopher Nolan time puzzle? All of these tough questions and more will be answered (well attempted) in this latest edition of Carry On Streaming.

Finally we give a sneak peak into something very exciting coming soon. We are planning a Streaming special on the hit TV show Penny Dreadful : City Of Angels with some special guests. Stay tuned for more details.

Until then enjoy the show and stay safe, wherever you are.

In our latest episode Jeff and Graham are speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter Jo Durrant.

Jo hosts a wonderful science themed show called Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe. It should therefore come as no surprise for the theme of this show to be all things science. We talk both fact and fiction, as Jo reveals some of her favourite films.

For fiction we talk about ET and 2001 (be aware, we speak at length about the enigmatic ending of that latter film as we try to work out exactly what it meant!). Then there are the powerful fact based dramas First Man and Apollo 13.

That leads us neatly onto talking about space travel in general, returning again to documentaries (our big love at the moment – see also show 93). Graham and Jeff bombard Jo with such questions as

What is it like to wear a space suit?

How dangerous are space missions?

How do you respond to people who say the moon landings did not take place?

And many others.

So if you, like us, are missing the Beautiful Universe show, then come along with us and catch up with the wonderful Jo Durrant.

Thanks for listening.

Lockdown may be easing for many people, but home entertainment remains extremely important (just when are those cinemas going to open?). By now you have probably exhausted all the TV box sets and “must watch” films you have been putting off for many years.

This is where At The Flicks once again performs its civic duty for you, our listeners. Why not try documentaries?

We speak to documentary film maker Sam Pope about some of the best documentaries out there. As you would expect from Sam, he has some amazing choices.

From Errol Morris’ The Thin Blue Line to Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War, he discusses some unforgettable films (and series) to watch. A top ten list put together for you. This is something the team discuss at length with Sam, although as usual when Slenderman is mentioned, Graham and Neil are nowhere to be found. Guys, despite all you have heard, it is not real.

Many of our selections are powerful and we urge you not to binge watch. For less disturbing viewing, why not check out Behind The Curve or The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams? That said, whatever you pick from the films we discuss, we are sure you will find it fascinating viewing.

As always we would love to hear from you and your thoughts on our selections. Are there others you would have included? Please let us know.

Enjoy and stay safe.

Howdy partners, and welcome back to the trail. I would move in closer if I were you, as you are standing too close to where Snake Eyes Neil let the horses roam after eating.

Be warned, this trail is a little darker than the last one. OK a lot darker. We talk about Ralph Nelson’s powerful and shocking Western Soldier Blue. For two thirds of its length this is a violent survivalist story. The last third is a recreation of the infamous Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 when the third Colorado Cavalry brutally butchered most of the inhabitants of a Native American village.

Tough stuff indeed and made even tougher by the parallels the film makers drew to the My Lai massacre which had happened in Vietnam a couple of years prior to the release of this movie. We talk at length about the climax of Soldier Blue, its initial impact, the extraordinary preview cut which almost got some of the film makers attacked and the censor cuts which have taken place since the film’s initial release.

If you have 20 minutes to spare why not listen in to hear the shocking tale of Soldier Blue,

Have you seen it? Do you think it should be classed as one of the great Westerns? Let us know and we may let you ride the trail with us for future episodes of Rustlers’ Roundup.

See you next time amigos. Until then stay safe.

Welcome to the latest At The Flicks review show.

Regular listeners will notice a few changes this month, the biggest being that, thanks to lockdown, there aren’t many new movies to review! Which is of course a problem for a review show.

However before we talk about our sneaky approach to that problem, let’s look at our new expanded team. Let’s start with the regulars

“Oracle” Jeff

“I make my film selections to annoy Jeff” Neil

“If I could edit Jeff out of the show I would” Graham

are now joined every month by the following ultra keen film goers (when cinemas are open)

“I will never side with Jeff” Phil

“Just who is this Jeff person anyway” Darren

What a team. It’s like the magnificent seven but with only five!

So just what are our team up to with a scarcity of new releases. Well luckily they found two, one thanks to Netflix. Other than that Graham came up with an excellent idea, although both Jeff and “Tory boy” Neil tried to claim credit for it. Graham’s plan was to pick movies that had been released during the month of April in previous years. Each member of the team could pick one film, and the choices were, shall we say, unique

* Darren picked a good old fashioned World War II adventure film, although with a subject like this, the Brexiteers will never watch it!

* Phil picked a Welsh actor’s finest hour

* Graham picked a true classic and has redesigned his garden following his viewing

* Jeff has picked a film with right wing police credentials. He continues to live the dream

* Neil spent his time listening to the others and picked a film designed to annoy Jeff to his very core. Something so bad that Phil almost, and I stress almost, had to side with Jeff. However decency and taste did eventually stop him from making that bold step.

Check us out and let us know what you think of our choices. Also what criteria should we be applying for film picks in the lockdown months ahead.

All ideas welcome unless they come from Jeff.

Our continuing and popular series on the politics of the Rambo films has the team journeying to Afghanistan to talk about the most expensive film of the series, Rambo III. Note that there is no more mention of First Blood in the title.

This time our own Rambo style native warrior Neil (no knife, all golf club) joins us as the battle lines of discussion are drawn.

During the course of this in depth discussion we answer these questions:

* Why was this such a troubled production?

* Who was the original director?

* What weapon, designed by the Americans during the 1980’s (and prominently shown in Rambo III) was first used in this conflict?

* Did John Rambo actually support the Taliban?

These, and many other questions you didn’t know you wanted, or cared enough to ask.

As with every other men on a mission flick, there are disagreements within the team. Nothing new there are Jeff and Neil disagree on many aspects of the film and each thinks they are right. Meanwhile Elijah and Graham talk around them, making sensible and enlightening points about the movie.

We trust that you will want to join us on our journey and learn more about the film and the politics of the time.

Enjoy and we look forward to catching up with you next month as we talk more Rambo.

Last Year Jeff had a rant (nothing new there) about Disney + and their staggered release pattern. He said it would be a disaster outside of America. Well, COVID proved him wrong as the UK had a record number of subscribers when lockdown hit.

What else was he wrong about? Find out on our Disney + podcast discussion. On this podcast Phil the bear (a subscriber) joins the team to talk about the release and impact of Disney+. Neil and Graham have also signed up. Jeff hasn’t, apparently this is a protest as one of the Disney classics has not been added to the service. Oh, and Jeff, it never will…

Despite that one omission, many of the great Disney and Pixar movies can be found here. Plus (so that’s what the + stands for), you can watch the Star Wars films, the Marvel movies and The Simpsons. Great value for money – or is it, we talk about that as well.

Also under discussion are such topics as what is happening with the Fox library, can Disney show the more adult content from their own and the Fox libraries and what shows & films are coming later this year? A wide ranging conversation with some intriguing facts thrown in along the way.

Despite all that, Jeff still hasn’t signed up for the service – maybe he is waiting for Neil to get him an annual subscription for a birthday present.

The Witcher, Daredevil, The Punisher and Hannibal are some of the most highly praised and watched TV shows of recent years.

They have all had episodes directed by our guest on this show – Marc Jobst. This special episode is devoted almost exclusively to Marc talking about his career, from his early stage days to the heights of being one of the most sought after directors working today .

Marc talks in depth about the shows he is most famous for and also answers some of our listeners questions put to him about his work. As a sneak peek, he gives us advanced notice about a new show coming to Netflix later this year called Jupiter’s Legacy,

As if that isn’t enough, Marc also talks to us about his movie in development, a UK based project called Home.

I am sure you will agree, this specially extended episode is a fascinating insight into the film maker’s craft.

On top of that we have our latest film news. Neil tells us about Fishermen’s Friends 2 (and we hope to have some exclusive news on that film in an upcoming episode), Graham has found a new “pal” during lockdown and Jeff talks about film music.

Please let us know what you think about an episode we are all very proud of.

Enjoy and stay safe during these difficult times

Ain’t lockdown a bitch?

The At The Flicks team can’t get out to go into a cinema. Can’t go to a bar to get that beer Neil owes us. We are all stuck in our respective properties having to decide what to watch next. Jeff has to make sure he avoids anything Marvel, Graham is stuck in an endless cycle of Mel and Gerard movies while Neil has to work out how to turn the TV on.

Even after you get to your channels or downloads, how do you know what is going to be any good? It is bad enough having to be stuck inside for weeks, without having to waste your time watching rubbish. Luckily we can help.

Our two resident experts Emma and Declan are on hand to tell you what is worth watching and what is best avoided. Emma tells you about films that you may not be aware of that are worth a watch. This is certainly a wide ranging list, from acclaimed foreign language features, creature features (many creature features) and movies with top stars that sneaked past most of us. If you enjoy the films half as much as we enjoyed talking to Emma, then you will have a great time.

Later in the show, Declan returns as we discuss what is worth using your TV catch up options on. Some new shows you may have missed, some recent favourites and also some classic TV that you might have put off to watch on a rainy day. Trust us, it’s raining cats and dogs now! After talking to Dec, our to watch list has been extended to unprecedented levels. Witty and knowledgeable, it is always fun to talk to Dec – and his special recommendation to Graham is priceless.

We hope these recommendations help pass the time for you. Please let us know what you think.

As always, enjoy and stay safe.

Howdy Partners. Don’t stand so far away, come closer to the campfire, grab some beans and coffee while its still hot and settle back as the At The Flicks team talk Westerns.

Welcome to the first in a series of podshorts from the At The Flicks western team. While you help yourself to the food, we’ll introduce ourselves. There’s Jeff the Kid, Itchy Trigger Finger Graham and Snake Eyes Neil (don’t stare – he doesn’t like that). We have selected 20 films between the years 1960 – 2020 to talk about, which we consider great movies of the genre. Why those dates? Two reasons

1) Many say the great Westerns had all been made by 1960 – we beg to differ. Here are 20 which are worth anyone’s time. If you disagree we will see you on Main Street at noon, and you had better have your colt six shooter with you (that’s COLT Neil).

2) All the films come from within the team’s lifetime. We have grown up and become saddle sore with many of the films we are proud to talk about.

So, where do we start? Why not with a fun Western? El Dorado was made in 1966, however it is also a throwback to the films of the 1950s. In many ways the plot resembles the classic Rio Bravo, which was also directed by the man behind El Dorado, Howard Hawks. Is it a remake – listen to our tale, the answer to the question is not as simple as you might think.

This old fashioned and fun Western, starring John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, found itself in competition with the newer tougher West, as portrayed in such movies as Nevada Smith and A Fistful Of Dollars. Both films which had a newer, tougher breed of Western hero as portrayed by Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood respectively. How could this film compete? Again, ol’ timer Graham has the answer.

So if you have 20 minutes to spare, join us for the tale of El Dorado.

Have you seen it? Do you think it should be classed as one of the great Westerns? Let us know and we may let you ride the trail with us for future episodes of Rustlers’ Roundup.

See you next time amigos. Until then stay safe.