‘Tis the season to be jolly, so put on your Santa hats, draw a seat up to the fire and roast some chestnuts as co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie exchange gifts and put them under the microscope. The theme this year is documentaries, and the two films being discussed are as different as they are enthralling. First up is Werner Herzog’s celebrated GRIZZLY MAN, about the life and death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. Up next is EUROCRIME! - THE ITALIAN COP AND GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE ‘70S, Mike Malloy’s ambitious and exhaustively detailed ode to the Italian poliziesco movement. This episode also includes a catch-up on films we’ve watched recently and those that we’re looking forward to catching in the run-up to our upcoming end of year review episode.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

For the fifth annual Movie Matters Halloween special, podcast founders and regular hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie cede control of the ghoulish proceedings to Demented Danman, a.k.a. Daniel Sardella. In keeping with tradition, the three partners-in-crime cast a leering eye over three ghastly horror treats: Robert Wise’s 1963 chiller THE HAUNTING, Sean Byrne’s 2009 EVIL DEAD-inspired horror-comedy THE LOVED ONES, and Richard Bates Jr.’s 2012 Cronenbergian body shocker EXCISION. In addition, they also discuss some of 2014’s horror-themed highlights, both in cinemas and on Blu-ray.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

Michael joins Lee, at last, for this special themed instalment of the Movie Matters [Music] podcast: the spin-off series where soaring, bombastic, introspective and timeless film scores reverberate. If you’ve an interest in animated movies and their soundtracks, settle in and enjoy as we discuss and delight in a variety of work by a range of notable composers for the films of Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Aardman, Studio Ghibli and more -- in this fifth volume of Movie Matters [Music].

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

Join us for the latest instalment of the Movie Matters podcast, as co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie don their tiaras and step into the realms of magic and make-believe to put the two most recent Disney princess animated features -- 2011’s TANGLED and 2013’s FROZEN -- under the microscope. In addition to discussing these two recent CGI blockbusters, Lee and Michael also discuss their own history with the Disney studio’s output as a whole -- hand-drawn and computer generated -- and delve into the mailbag to present feedback from the listeners on their own personal favourite Disney princess movies. The show also includes our now-customary “What We’ve Been Watching” section, in which we trade notes on films of note that we’ve recently seen.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

We bring you the latest instalment of the Movie Matters [Music] podcast -- the spin-off series where soaring, bombastic, introspective and timeless film scores reverberate. If you’ve an avid appreciation of film scores or perhaps more simply a passing interest in the art of film music, hopefully this fourth volume of Movie Matters [Music], consisting of another eclectic mix of composers’ work, will offer something of interest for you. Lee is thrilled to welcome friend of the Movie Matters podcast, and recurring guest host, the musical maestro himself, Mr. Daniel Sardella (Focus On Film, The Fitted Shirt) onto the show for his Movie Matters [Music] debut. We kick off proceedings by hearing more about Dan and his podcasting and musical endeavours. We then reveal more of our tastes in film scores by sharing and discussing a mixture of chosen tracks from a variety of composers.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

Welcome back to another instalment of the Movie Matters [Music] podcast -- the spin-off series where soaring, bombastic, introspective and timeless film scores reverberate. Whether you’re a film score connoisseur or simply a casual fan of film music, this is the show for you. On this third volume, Lee is delighted to introduce guest co-host Jake Del Toro (Q Branch - A James Bond Podcast). In honour of having our first listener appearance on the Movie Matters [Music] format, we begin with some brief background into Jake’s experiences and tastes pertaining to film music. We then discuss a variety of composers work as we share a selection of chosen tracks from some of our best loved film scores.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

In the latest episode of the Movie Matters podcast, returning to the airwaves after a brief hiatus, co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie explore the work of maverick director William Friedkin through two distinctly different films: 2006’s chilling shocker BUG, starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, and the 1985 crime thriller TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe. In addition, we also provide an overview of Friedkin’s career as a director and recount our own relationships with his output.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

In the first Movie Matters recording of 2014 we deliver our annual ‘bumper-size’ retrospective on the past 12 months in film. Join co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie as we count down our personal top ten films of 2013. We also catch up on our Christmas movie viewing and trade notes on our customary exchange of BD-shaped gifts. In addition, we name and shame some of the biggest disappointments and worst films of the year as well as highlighting those movies which succeeded or failed for our loyal listeners. Finally, we round out this extended special episode by looking ahead to the coming months and cherry pick some of our most anticipated films for this year.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

After an unavoidable hiatus, the Movie Matters podcast returns, better late than never, for its fourth annual Halloween special. Joining co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie once again is special guest Daniel Sardella. The trio look at an eclectic line-up of frightful festivities, starting with Michael Stephenson’s 2012 Halloween Documentary THE AMERICAN SCREAM before going on to explore Stuart Gordon’s 1986 cult classic FROM BEYOND and ending with Rob Zombie’s controversial 2012 tale of demonic possession, THE LORDS OF SALEM. Also discussed are Halloween traditions and viewing habits, as well as a rundown of recent horror-themed Blu-ray releases of note.

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com

The Movie Matters podcast returns for an in-depth look at two strikingly similar but remarkably different films: Alain Corneau’s 2010 thriller LOVE CRIME (CRIME D’AMOUR), starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, and its English-language remake, 2012’s PASSION, directed by Brian De Palma and starring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. Co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie also discuss films of note that they have recently watched. (Note: publication of this episode was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, hence the “recent” films discussed being a couple of months old.)

For a full description, including links and additional notes, please see the Movie Matters web site at http://www.moviematterspodcast.com