Film Maker / Film Watcher

Greg takes Richard into classic Agatha Christie territory with a French director’s Hollywood take on a British novel.  After examining the British class system, they finish with a largely forgotten whodunnit film written by Psycho actor Anthony Perkins and West Side Story composer Stephen Sondheim.  And if that doesn’t get you in, nothing will.  What is Richard’s problem with filmic murder?  And is it OK for Death to be funny?

OTHER RESOURCES

Richard and Greg review three Shakespearean films made either side of the year 2000.  Shakespeare is known for raising the Big Questions – and this episode is no exception.  Which of our podcasters is the worse at trying to sound Shakespearean?  Are they better or worse than American actors at this?  Are podcasts like the theatre, where the Scottish Play must not be mentioned by name?  And (most importantly of all) what DID Shakespeare have against Norway?

OTHER RESOURCES

We don’t know about you, but Richard is flabbered and Greg is gasted that this is our Tenth Christmas Episode!  As usual, they review three Christmas films in search of that special seasonal something.  Two films are liked more by one reviewer than the other – whereas the third is universally found wanting, sadly.  This last outcome is likely to be a wee bit controversial.  As is perhaps the source of their disagreement about one of the others.

Richard and Greg grew up admiring one US and three Australian movie reviewers.  Back in 2019, US-based Leonard Maltin was asked by “The Movies That Made me” podcast to pick movies from each decade of the past century that he wished were better known.  Richard and Greg dare to pick up Maltin’s mantle to review three of these “sleeper” films for themselves (with apologies to Mrs Maltin for our presumption in naming this episode…)

Richard and Greg choose a film for three modes of transport (somehow forgetting about the 1987 Steve Martin / John Candy film).  Although the films are scattered across the 20th Century, our reviewers find that all stand up well to the test of time – suggesting that this episode should have been called “Transports of Delight”.  But which film had “the most obnoxious movie kids ever seen”…?

OTHER RESOURCES

Quo Vadis?  To see the new Gladiator film!  They may not have swords or togas, but Richard and Greg make the pilgrimage to a newish Melbourne cinema to see an ancient-ish Roman story.  What did they think?  Is it thumbs-up or thumbs-down?  (And if it’s thumbs-down, does director Ridley Scott get thrown to the lions…?)  You know that there’s only one way to find out: kick your sandals off and hit the Play button.

• Gladiator 2 (2024)  https://tinyurl.com/fmfw-minisode-04

Our reviewers take on three crime films set in Hollywood across the latter half of the 20th Century.  Greg admits to watching his first-ever Tarantino film.  If that’s not crime enough, Richard corners him into summarising the plot of David Lynch’s mystifying “Mulholland Drive”.  But Greg triumphs by bringing a credible explanation to the table that could possibly involve goldfish on a casting couch.  Or does he…?

Richard and Greg jump across the local “pond” from Australia to review three New Zealand films from world-renowned directors Lee Tamahori, Peter Jackson and Taika Waititi.  While they have similar responses to two of these films, our film reviewers are (South?) poles apart for the third.  Not to worry!  For Greg brings a “Kiwi moviegoer’s sensation on a stick” into Richard’s life, revived from a past Roman holiday.

AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS.  Richard and Greg “get the movie habit” by inviting a professional nun (Auntie Marie) to discuss Nun Films.  She shares her joys and deeper reflections for a comedy and then a drama.  But, like the Holy Trinity, we always do things in threes.  For her final choice (a nun-free film), Greg notes that “Not many people would expect a nun to love a film with mob murders and ladies of doubtful moral virtue”.  Which film is it?  Let’s just say that the sting is in the tale…

Following Broadway and TV precedents, DC Comics has just released its first musical feature film.  But it might not be the best idea for DC Fanboy Greg to see the new Joker film with the not-terribly-comical Richard…  Are they inspired to sing along with Lady Gaga?  Will Greg take the opportunity to get Richard doing the “Batusi” dance in the aisles?  And what exactly would the Joker sing – would it be too obvious to have “Send in the Clowns”, “Funny Face” or “These Clown Boots are Made for Walking”?

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)  https://tinyurl.com/fmfw-minisode-03