Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

Another packed show this week with four movie reviews for your listening pleasure. First up, ‘Black Phone 2’ -- the sequel to 2021’s comms-based chiller, starring Ethan Hawke. Like a lot of horror movies, the fact that his character died in the last film isn’t really a big deal. Speaking of reanimation, we’ve got Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein too—a fresh take on the much-adapted classic horror novel, this time starring Jacob Elordi as the monster. ‘Roofman’ sees Channing Tatum hiding in a Toys ‘R’ Us in a crime caper based on a bizarre true story from ‘The Place Beyond The Pines’ director Derek Cianfrance—and finally, a new Luca Guadagnino out this week too. ‘After The Hunt’ stars Julia Roberts as a Yale college professor frustrated by her student’s allegations against a colleague... and it’s ripe to get under Mark’s skin—so buckle up for that one. 

Plus, those of you who enjoyed Mark’s review of ‘Plainclothes’ last week will be pleased to hear that this week we’re welcoming the very lovely Russell Tovey to the show. The charged drama follows an undercover cop assigned to arrest gay men at cruising spots—and Russell plays a target who becomes an unexpected love interest. He and Simon unpack the film and how it speaks to today—plus a bit of art chat and a mysterious arty paperback too... 

Strap in too for what we think is an especially good Laughter Lift, if we do say so ourselves—and more of your top correspondence answered—including a fascinating neuroscientific take on tearjerkers. Link here to the article mentioned in that one: https://medium.com/@itsanavidreader/why-we-cry-at-movies-but-not-real-life-the-psychology-behind-emotional-processing-de18f2dbf624 

And don’t miss our upcoming LIVE Christmas Extravaganza at London’s Prince Edward Theatre. Tickets here: fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo   

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free) 

Black Phone 2 Review: 09:04 

Box Office Top Ten: 15:35 

Russell Tovey Interview: 28:23 

After The Hunt Review: 43:56 

Laughter Lift: 52:30 

Roofman Review: 59:31 

Frankenstein Review: 01:08:14 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

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To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you.

Simon is off galivanting this week, so our supersub Ben Baby Smith is back—and ready to run down another big week of big screen action with Mark. We’ve got reviews of all the most exciting cinema coming up this weekend:

First up, the foul-mouthed and warm-hearted drama ‘I Swear’, which tells the true story of Tourette’s activist John Davidson’s struggle with the condition after a teenage diagnosis. Another indie gem this week, ‘Plainclothes’ starring Russel Tovey and Tom Blyth, depicts the dilemma of an undercover cop discovering his sexuality after being assigned to arrest gay men at cruising spots. Finally, the biggest, shiniest and blockbuster-iest release of the week is TRON: ARES—and we’re not exactly sure how to pronounce that, so we’re going with TRON: HAIRIES. We can’t reveal Mark’s verdict before you listen... but we can say it stars Jared Leto, and that Mark treats it with the respect that it deserves. Strap in for this one—it’s a corker.

Plus, if you heard Mark’s review of ‘A House of Dynamite’ last week, you might be excited to hear that its star Rebecca Ferguson—of ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Dune’ and many more—and its director—none other than the legendary Oscar trailblazer Kathryn Bigelow—are our very special guests in this week’s show. They unpack this super-tense nuclear thriller with Ben, and he gives them a little nugget of British 1980s nuclear panic to take away with them too.

Plus the box office top 10, the Laughter Lift, and all your top correspondence answered!

Don’t miss our upcoming LIVE Christmas Extravaganza at London’s Prince Edward Theatre. Tickets here: fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free):

I Swear Review: 10:43

Box Office Top Ten: 18:46

Kathryn Bigelow & Rebecca Ferguson Interview: 33:09

Plainclothes Review: 50:33 -

Laughter Lift: 55:36

Tron: Ares Review: 1:00:28

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

Our very special guest from the small screen this week is Aimee Lou Wood. The White Lotus star is back on British screens this month in ‘Film Club’—a BBC rom com that celebrates the healing power of love and, of course, movies. Wood has co-written the series too, and she sits down with Simon to unpack it. She shares what her writing debut has taught her, how she’s channeling the spirit of classic rom coms and bringing back “neurotic chatterboxes falling in love”. We might even have a scoop on her next big writing project...  

Plus Mark reviews the week’s most exciting cinema releases. First up, ‘The Smashing Machine’—Benny Safdie’s UFC fighter biopic starring The Rock as you’ve never seen him before. Plus, the much-anticipated directorial debut from Harris Dickison—who you’ll know from ‘Triangle of Sadness’, ‘Scrapper’, ‘Babygirl’ and more. His social realist tale ‘Urchin’ stars Frank Dillane as the homeless Mike—and it looks an indie treat. Last but not least, another nail-biter from Kathryn Bigelow, ‘A House of Dynamite’, which charts the terrifying moments following a nuclear missile launch headed towards the US. Not soothing viewing.  

We’re keeping the banter coming too though with the Laughter Lift and the Good Doctors’ thoughts on your stellar correspondence—plus news of our upcoming LIVE Christmas Extravaganza! Tickets here—available from 3pm TODAY: fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Urchin Review: 03:39 (clip 05:37-06:32) 

Box Office Top Ten: 12:06 

Aimee Lou Wood Interview: 22:47 

Film Club Review: 38:23 (23:14 – 24:02) 

Laughter Lift: 45:18 

The Smashing Machine Review: 51:19 (clip 53:02-53:57) 

House of Dynamite Review: 1:01:34 (clip 1:02:52-1:03:45) 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

‘One Battle After Another’ hits the big screen this week—and there’s already plenty of buzz, not least from Steven Spielberg, about this much anticipated new flick starring Leonardo DiCaprio and the dazzlingly named newcomer Chase Infiniti. Its director—and one of the most exciting directors working today—Paul Thomas Anderson is our very special guest this week. He and Simon unpack his decades-long writing process on the movie, his first ever car chase, and getting binned off by DiCaprio for ‘Titanic’. Could this be the year PTA finally gets his Oscar? Answers in an envelope now please... 

Mark reviews ‘One Battle After Another’ too--along with two more of the week’s most popcorn-worthy cinema releases. First up, ‘The Dead Of Winter’--where we see Emma Thompson explore new territory in a frozen thriller set in chilly Minnesota. And yes, that means she does the accent. Plus, ‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’... let’s see if this unintentionally silly slasher can improve on its predecessor, which shouldn’t be difficult... one would hope. 

All the usual tasty features too as Mark runs down the full Box Office Top 10 and Simon tries to wring some genuine humour out of the Laughter Lift. Tope correspondence from you as always--and don’t forget you can now watch the full show on YouTube!  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

The Dead of Winter Review: 09:16 (00:11:04 – 11:40:19) 

Box Office Top Ten: 15:44 

Paul Thomas Anderson Interview: 28:17 

One Battle After Another Review: 42:04 (Clip: 00:28:34 – 00:29:16) 

Laughter Lift: 56:11 

The Strangers: Chapter 2 Review: 01:00:06 (Clip 01:01:23 – 01:02:06) 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

Simon and Mark remember true movie legend Robert Redford, who passed away this week. We hear your favourite Redford films, memories of him as a style icon and more. Plus, the Good Doctors talk about meeting the great man himself on stage, and the surprising effect he had on their audience. 

Paul Greengrass—legendary director of the Bourne movies, Captain Philips, United 93 and many more—is our guest this week. His latest movie is The Lost Bus—the gripping true story of a bus driver and schoolteacher’s attempt to evacuate 22 children from a vicious wildfire in Paradise, California, starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera. Greengrass tells Simon how he brought this real-life story to the screen, how he recreated the terror of a wildfire with practical effects, and loads more from the making of this white-knuckle ride. He's always a treat to hear from, so don’t miss it.  

Mark reviews it too, plus two more shiny new releases for your eyeballs. First, ‘Steve’, starring the ever-excellent Cillian Murphy as the burnt out headteacher of a reform school struggling to keep it together. And from gritty to glossy, we’ve got A Big Bold beautiful Journey for you too—a rom com with a sprinkling of magic starring Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie as a could-be-couple taking a time travelling tour of their respective pasts.  

Top correspondence from our top-drawer listeners as always—including for a new feature. We’re inviting you to send us your Shameless Plugs—whatever you’re working on right now in the world of all things film and film-adjacent—let us know what it is and how we can get involved. Emails and voice notes welcome!  

And don’t forget you can now watch the full show on YouTube too!  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Steve Review: 14:03 

Box Office Top Ten: 21:33 

Paul Greengrass Interview: 31:08 

The Lost Bus Review: 47:21 

Laughter Lift: 57:58 

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Review: 01:00:26 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ is finally out this week—but will it rock Mark’s world or break his heart? He’ll deliver his verdict in this week’s Take—plus more reviews of the biggest movies hitting cinema screens this weekend. First up it’s the final film instalment in everyone’s favourite goes-down-nicely-with-a-cuppa-tea-missus period drama saga, Downton Abbey. On a much less civilised note, we’ve got ‘The Long Walk’ too—a brutal death game drama adapted from Stephen King’s novel. Plus we’ll get your top takes on the Box Office Top 10 and whatever else is going on in your lovely listener lives.  

Our very special and exceptionally well-dressed guest this week is Warren Ellis—musician of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Dirty Three fame, and now the subject of new Justin Kurzel directed documentary ‘Ellis Park’. It follows the story of the animal sanctuary Ellis founded in Indonesia with Femke den Haas, and it’s an intimate insight into the life and music of this very cool man too. He chats IRL in the studio with Mark and Simon—and this week we’re filming the whole show in golorious technicolour, so you’ll get the full effect of his excellent outfit. They talk all about the movie and plenty about music too—and just because Warren loves a lengthy natter we’ve got even more for you in Take 2—so listen up!  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Downton Abbey Review: 06:35 

Box Office Top Ten: 14:41 

Warren Ellis Interview: 25:19 

The Long Walk Review: 46:37 

Spinal Tap: The End Continues Review: 1:00:48 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

Grab the popcorn, because we’ve got a load more sweet and salty reviews for you this week on the Take. We’ll let you find out which are which. First up, ‘Honey, Don’t’, the neo-noir crime comedy from Ethan Coen that follows ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ as the next in a soon to be trilogy. Plus, two new indie flicks: Cork-set drama Christy, following two brothers forging a new life outside the care system, and the odd-couple holiday drama ‘Signs of Life’. There’s ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ too... but is it really really the last one this time?  

Our guest this week is the ever-excellent Sam Riley—a stalwart on British screens since his breakout role as Ian Curtis in the Joy Division singer’s biopic ‘Control’. This time he’s starring in ‘Islands’, a mysterious sun-soaked thriller out next week. He plays tennis coach Tom—who seems to have the perfect life hitting rallies all day and chasing holiday flings all night—but things get complicated when he gets wrapped up in a dodgy family drama. Sam sits down with Simon to unpack his role in the movie, plus they talk middle-aged angst, holidays in the German Skegness, and that time he almost got arrested in Aberdeen... Keep an ear out for Mark’s review of the film next week too.  

There’s top correspondence from you Wittertainees as always too, as we dive ever deeper into the cinema seating debate and beyond. Don’t miss another top Take!  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Honey, Don’t: 08:15 

Box Office Top Ten: 14:00 

Sam Riley Interview: 26:15 

The Conjuring: Last Rites: 38:49 

Signs of Life Review: 52:33 

Christy Review: 58:13 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

It’s a lovely highlights show for your summer holiday this week, where mark and Simon will be bringing back all the highlights of the year in film so far. You’ll hear all the greatest hits from our guest interviews with Justin Kurzel, Craig Mazin and Domhnall Gleeson. 

And reviews of Sinners, Bring Her Back, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Adolescence, Death of a Unicorn (oy!), Jurassic World: Rebirth (yeesh!) and Another Simple Favour. 

Reminisce and relive it all with us—and it’s back to school with a brand new pencil case, more new reviews and shiny starry guests next week.  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Bring Her Back: 03:43 

Sinners: 07:45 

The Ballad of Wallis Island: 13:17  

Justin Kurzel: 18:20 

Death of a Unicorn: 25:44 

Another Simple Favour: 31:09 

Jurassic World: Rebirth: 36:41  

Domhnall Gleeson: 41:32 

Adolescence: 46:57 

Craig Mazin: 58:02 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

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Surprise! It’s another tasty nugget of Now & Ben in the Take feed. This time, Ben sits down with Olivia Colman and Jay Roach, star and director of ‘The Roses’--which hits the big screen this Friday. 

This grown-up comedy with bite is all about marriage and what happens when it gets rocky. Colman plays one half of a battling couple alongside Bendict Cumberbatch—and although things might look perfect on the surface, tensions rise and resentment simmers as the pair’s respective careers start to move in opposite directions. It’s a reimagining of the 1989 classic ‘The War of the Roses’, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner—and Roach has shaken things up to reflect the pitfalls of modern romance.  

Ben chats to both of them about the secrets of comedy, casting, and marriage—and how this long-imagined project came to the screen. Spoilers—Olivia Colman is her delightful self on full beam—don't miss it!  

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Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you. 

Supersub Ben Bailey Smith joins Mark this week for reviews of the freshest cinema releases. We’ve got the Good Doctor’s verdicts on ‘Eddington’, Ari Aster’s much-discussed western starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone. Plus, indie black comedy ‘Sorry, Baby’, and ‘The Life of Chuck’, whose stars Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor are our very special guests this week.  

We recorded this one with them a while back with Simon, so it’s him you’ll be hearing sit down with the two of them to unpack it. It’s a Stephen King adaptation following one man’s ordinary life and the multitudes it contains, and we can’t say too much more than that without giving it away. Best leave it to Tom and Chiwetel...  

All the usual silliness and profundity to be found too as usual in another top Take. Don’t miss it!  

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free): 

Eddington Review: 07:58 

BO10ish: 15:28  

Tom Hiddleston & Chiwetel Ejiofor: 28:53 

Life of Chuck Review: 42:20 

Sorry, Baby Review: 52:22 

You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo 

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey  

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A Sony Music Entertainment production.     

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts   

To advertise on this show contact: [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices