Cinema in Context

George Miller sequels. Special guest Sophie Ricketts joins Jeremy Downing and William Chen to discuss Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). We begin by discussing our reactions to Babe: Pig in the City, by first considering its predecessor Babe (1995) and then reminiscing the circumstances in which we watched its 1998 sequel. We talk about the darkness in Babe: Pig in the City and whether this film is appropriate for children. We then move on to a discussion about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and immediately discuss it in comparison to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). We finish by discussing why we think Furiosa is bombing at the box office and our final thoughts on Babe 2, with some last-minute comparisons to Poor Things (2023), La cité des enfants perdus | The City of Lost Children (1995) and Batman Returns (1992).

War-torn "road trips". Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Civil War (2024) and Apocalypse Now (1979). We begin by discussing the different versions of Apocalypse Now and our reaction to the different elements in each film. We shift to talk about Civil War and how the film evokes a visceral response and gets the audience thinking. We talk about the connection to Heart of Darkness, the work of Marlon Brando and the ideas present in Apocalypse Now. We commend the work of Kirsten Dunst and Jessie Plemmons in Civil War and their wider careers. We discuss the music in both films, individually and the similarities between the two. We commend the work of Martin Sheen, Robert DuVall and Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now. We finish with a conversation about the politics of both films, what they are trying to achieve and how it has been received by the public.

Space Opera Sequels. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen begin by discussing our reactions to Dune: Part Two, how it compares our perspectives of Part One and how the films connect to the source text. We talk about our opinions and connections to The Empire Strikes Back (aka Star Wars Episode V), and our experiences watching it growing up. We praise the performances in the films, especially Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill in The Empire Strikes Back, and Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson and Florence Pugh. We discuss the prowess of George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Denis Villeneuve, Hans Zimmer and John Williams.

Unpacking the Academy Awards. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the 96th Academy Awards ceremony. We begin by talking about the presentation of the ceremony itself. Our conversation moves to the Best Picture category and we consider Oppenheimer, Zone of Interest, American Fiction and The Holdovers. We discuss the Sound category and the skill of how The Zone of Interest was put together. We move into a conversation about Poor Things, including the performance of Emma Stone, the design elements in the film and the politics of the script. We talk through a range of smaller categories and touch on Maestro, Godzilla Minus One, The Creator, and the performances of Lily Gladstone, Carey Mulligan and Sandra Hüller. We talk about the Screenplay categories, the performances of "I'm Just Ken" and "What Was I Made For", reminisce about previous ceremonies and winners, and finish by discussing the animated and documentary categories.

Scandalous love affairs. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and Doug Dillaman discuss May December (2023) and Notes on a Scandal (2006). We begin by hearing each person's reaction to watching or rewatching Notes on a Scandal. We touch on the real case that both films are based on, focused on the relationship between Matu Kay Letouneau and Vili Fualaau. We talk about the performances of Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Juno Temple, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton and Corey Michael Smith. We discuss our reactions, criticisms and praise for Todd Haynes' May December. We begin to explore the ways both stories deal with a fraught subject and whose perspective we focus on. Sarah and Jeremy present their own perspectives from teaching and how they navigate creating and maintaining safe spaces for teenagers. We finish by considering how this story might be told again in the future and whose perspectives need to be highlighted.

Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss the films they watched over the December-January holiday period. We talk about Bluey (2018-Present), Wonka (2023), Ferrari (2023), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023), The Holdovers (2023), American Fiction (2023), All of Us Strangers (2023) and Poor Things (2023).

Conductor composer biopics. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Maestro (2023) and Amadeus (1984). We begin by discussing the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and its connection to the film. We talk about the film itself and how it tells the story of Mozart, as well as fabricating its own cinematic narrative. We praise Maestro and its feats of cinema, especially the performances of Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper.

The good, the average and the weird. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss their film and television highlights of the year, including each of their best film of the year, their biggest surprise, their biggest disappointment, their wildcard film or television season of the year and their best television show of 2023.

Here are the films and television shows we discussed:

• Films of the year: Anatomy of a Fall (Sarah); Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (William, with runner-ups Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Nimona); Theater Camp (Jeremy, with runner-ups Triangle of Sadness and Barbie)

• Biggest surprise of the year: Napoleon (Jeremy, with a special shout-out to Scream VI); Living (Sarah); Once Upon a Studio (Wiliam)

• Biggest disappointment of the year: Astroid City (Wiliam, including parts of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar); The Creator (Sarah, with a mention of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody); Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Jeremy, with shout outs to The Flash and Beau Is Afraid)

• Wildcard: Scrapper and River (Sarah, with shout-outs to Triangle of Sadness and How to Have Sex); Chang An | Chang'an san wan li and Moon Man | Du xing yue qiu (William); Mrs. Davis (Jeremy, with shout-outs to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Red, White & Royal Blue)

• Best season of television of the year: Jury Duty (Sarah); The Bear, Season 2 (William, with runner-ups Reservation Dogs and Scavengers Reign); Faraway Downs (Jeremy, with shout-outs to reality show Survivor and crime mystery show Poker Face)

Ridley Scott historical epics starring Joaquin Phoenix. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Napoleon (2023) and Gladiator (2000). We begin by discussing Gladiator and our initial and most recent reactions. We talk about the strength of the performances, particularly Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed and Richard Harris. We discuss the connections to Game of Thrones and how Ridley Scott established an aesthetic that HBO has been replicating for decades. Our conversation moves to Napoleon and begin by talking about Vanessa Kirby's performance as Josephine. We discuss Ridley Scott's prowess as a filmmaker and how he films scenes with multiple cameras. We talk about the historical accuracy of Napoleon and how much this affects our engagement with the film.

If you enjoy our podcast then consider joining our Patreon. Listen to extended episodes, access additional minisode content and have an opportunity to join us for one-on-one discussions about your favourite films. You can find us on Patreon at: patreon.com/CinemaInContext

Dystopian prejudiced world, where a male protagonist escorts a young woman across war-torn lands. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss The Creator (2023) and Children of Men (2006). We begin by discussing The Creator and exploring its strengths and faults, especially how great the film looks and how it was achieved with a small budget. We talk at length about the elements of The Creator that left us wanting more. Our conversation then pivots to Children of Men and explores the razor-sharp intention of the film and how it succeeds in what it is trying to achieve. We celebrate multiple moments from the film, especially the cinematography of the film and the impressive long takes.

If you enjoy our podcast then consider joining our Patreon. Listen to an extended version of this episode, access additional minisode content and have an opportunity to join us for one-on-one discussions about your favourite films. You can find us on Patreon at: patreon.com/CinemaInContext