It's authoritarian capital city week on Film Chat! Danny checks out The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. the latest blockbuster taking up all the advertising space on the tube. The final chapter of the young-adult juggernaut features a bunch of sexy kids up to their eyeballs in the horrors of conflict, the war-crossed lovers dividing their time between wide-eyed longing for one another and preparations for PTSD. Sam opts for another film whose characters suffer under an oppressive regime, though in this case the setting is non-fictional and the budget is approximately one zillion times smaller: Taxi Tehran, in which a cheery film director moonlights as a cab driver in Iran's capital city. A drama in a documentary style, the film's series of sunny urban vignettes coalesce into a quietly passionate political protest.PLUS! The US Army attempts to drive it's enemies mad using LSD, piquing the interest of Jennifer Lawrence; Kenny Branham capitalises on the success of Cinderella by readapting Murder on the Orient Express, hoping against hope everyone has forgotten the twist; and Danny relives the glory days of Episode 4 by once again mocking a string of people called J something.

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They said we'd never get this far. They said that the podcast wouldn't be as good as Serial. They said Sam would develop a major heroin problem. They said Danny would get to the third round of the X Factor.On reflection most of their predictions were right but we have managed to produce 50 episodes of Film Chat!First off we review the Aaron Sorkin scripted Steve Jobs starring Michael Fassbender as the titular computer genius. In keeping with the style of the film Danny and Sam walked around the room yelling their opinions at each other and reciting factoids they'd read on wikipedia.Danny then reviews the Alan Bennett adaptation The Lady in the Van starring Dame Maggie Smith. It's a film about a cantankerous old hag with appalling levels of personal hygiene who is generally dismissive of everybody else's opinions. Incidentally Katie is back from her travels.Plus all the usual nonsense that began to wear thin around episode 3.

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This week, Danny and Sam eschew theatrical releases in favour of two harrowing explorations of systemic violence that are mainly available on demand - so viewers can despair at the pointless brutality of it all from the comfort of their own homes. Cartel Land is a documentary about two groups of vigilantes either side of the Mexico-US border, which features the most gut-wrenching narrative of power, corruption, and gang warfare this side of The Wire. Watch it on your streaming site of choice: http://www.cartellandmovie.co.uk/watchBeasts of No Nation is a similarly cheery, bubblegum affair about a child caught up ina a horrifying African civil war. Industry insider that he is, Danny read the script for this one back when it was in development. Did Cary Fukunaga and Idris Elba take his thoughtful script notes on board? Did they fuck. You can also watch Beast of No Nation on your streaming site of choice, as long as your choice is Netflix.When not grappling with international misery and chaos, Danny and Sam discuss more important topics such as whether Richard Curtis is a good choice to write The Little Mermaid; what a Face/Off-themed restaurant would be like; and why Hollywood has decided to follow up Exodus: Gods and Kinds with another blockbuster project set in ancient Egypt whose case is predominantly a very un-Egyptian shade of white.At the end, Idris Elba embarks on another ill-advised rapping project related to one of his movies. I'm not sure rapping is really for him. It just sounds wrong when he does it.Audio quality note: Katie's absence is still making itself felt, as the first 20 minutes or so of the podcast has a certain amount of background crackle that you'll probably notice if you're listening on good headphones. Power through as the crackle gremlins bugger off eventually.

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In a post-Halloween slump? Cradling your lifeless costumes and wondering how it all went so fast? Chucking your six carved pumpkins in the bin and feeling concerned they'll be too heavy for the bag when you have to take it out?Sounds like you need to hear:a) A somewhat grumpy review of Spectreb) A theory that Angelina Jolie is remaking all the mainstream films she's starred in as arthouse dramas no-one will watchc) The theme from Tango & Cash with Brad Pitt advertising Chanel No. 5 over the top.d) A discussion about Bond, the birds and the bees.e) Some inarticulate gushing about Emily Blunt's crime thriller Sicariof) A big loud fart.For all of the above, except the last one, check out the latest episode. It's our Mona Lisa, by which I mean it seems like it's following you around the room somehow.

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On this episode of Film Chat we review The Lobster, a film which sees Colin Farrell give a performance which pushes schubbliness to new unassailable heights.We also spend just the right amount of time championing the film critics we love and probably far too much time shitting on the ones we hate. Newsflash Bradshaw, you're covered in shit!And in what will probably become a weekly segment until mid December we discuss news that isn't Star Wars related and the news that is Star Wars related. It's about a 20/80 split.

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Dank. Ghoulish. Haunting. Suffused with dread. Danny's bedroom is an upsetting place in many ways, but its unique atmosphere makes it the perfect place to review Guillermo Del Toro's ultra-spooky Gothic romance Crimson Peak. We have not been able to locate the source of that loud regular creaking noise.Scared out of our wits throughout, we tremblingly discuss the latest major movie announcements by the big studios, whose slates increasingly seem to be determined by a loads of Hollywood Alan Partridges desperately pitching to each other. "Erm...young John McClane?" And, clutching at each other for comfort, we cheer the news that Jennifer Lawrence is set to work with Darren Aronofsky.At the end, John Hurt turns up and we flee the room screaming.

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Katie's absence continues to take its toll on the general quality of Film Chat as this episode is both underprepared and overlong.This week we focussed all our energy into reviewing the latest Macbeth adaptation directed by Justin Kurzel, starring Michael Fassbender and written by some up and comer called Will.I.Am Shaq Spear? Anyway, despite some ropey dialogue, it's pretty good.We also discuss the latest project by Bong Joon Ho, wonder whether the Thor franchise would benefit from being more like a Flight of the Conchords episode and, following on from the recent news of Brian Blessed's improvised midwifery, we examine the listeners' suggestions for the ideal celebrity birthing partner.SHARE! LIKE! LISTEN! DOWNLOAD! CRY! LAUGH! CORBYN!

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On this week's episode Sam reviews A Syrian Love Story, a moving documentary about how geopolitical forces impact the lives of ordinary people. It's a film that is so relevant, intelligent and moving that I cannot think of a joke to write in this bit.We then tackle Ridley Scott's latest film The Martian, all about Matt Damon struggling to survive after being stranded on Mars. Err newsflash Damon there's water on Mars, you're gonna be fine mate.We also imagine what the world would have looked like if Nic Cage had played Aragorn, investigate cinema's relationship with the pope and stay up to date on Vin Diesel's retirement plan...sorry we mean The Fast and The Furious franchise.All this and the usual giggling and dancing that comes as standard.

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This week, Danny passes judgment on Woody Allen's latest, Irrational Man, which sees the veteran filmmaker leap dramatically out of his comfort zone in a story about a neurotic old white guy having an existential crisis. After that, Sam nervously approaches Brazilian thriller A Wolf at the Door, which makes Rio de Janiero simultaneously look like a sunny urban paradise and a den of iniquity populated by dangerous obsessive maniacs.We also discuss how it be raining planned Men in Black sequels at Sony right now, and speculate what Ridley Scott might do with his favourite black goo in the upcoming sequel to Prometheus. Finally, unsure how to end the the podcast, Sam reads out a bunch of Steven Seagal film titles. It is gripping radio.

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In this installment, Danny reviews stoner action comedy romp American Ultra starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. Does he have a 'high' opinion of the film? No.The duo then ask Tom Hardy why he's acting so cray cray when we review Kray twins biopic Legend.Elsewhere, Sam Samsplains Damonsplaining to Danny and Danny Dannysplains the latest Ice Cube project to Sam. Then, Sam and Danny Samanddannysplain to their listeners why Idris Elba has taken to the recording studio again to a craft a song destined to be considered as one of the songs in the world.All this and the usual banter, giggling and felching that comes as standard.

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