Movie The Needle

Ho ho ho....ly shit, it's episode of 5 of our Mashflix & Chill series and we've only gone and gotten one of our favourite podcasters to join us...all the way from Watford via Smershpod, it's John Rain!

If you mash Robocop and Planes, Trains and Automobiles together do you really get Jingle All The Way?

Join Carl, Simon and John as they talk home towns, shagging cartoon characters and premature death...and plenty of other cheery stuff! Plus there is of course a game based loosely on Family Fortunes / Family Feud (region dependent).

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

This week, we kick off December with a 2011 Christmas movie, which see's Santa's clumsy son set out on a mission with his grandfather to right a wrong and ensure a young girlgets her present on time - supersonic sleighs and rheumatoid ridden reindeer ensue   - it's Arthur Christmas!

We talk all things Cast, Production and Plot, and for our game this week Carl has to identify the Christmas movies from only half the information.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome and chit chat

(00:09:20) Unveil the Christmas Ale and glasses!

(00:11:18) Introduction to the film and SFPS

(00:16:10) Production - What does an animation director do?

(00:33:55) The Game - Arfa Christmas

(00:46:35) Carl's rant on alternative Christmas movies

(00:50:30) The Plot - Carl likes Christmas...don't you know?

(01:04:30) The Cast - Hit and miss?

(01:11:54) Recasting

(01:18:25) Any changes?

(01:23:25) This is why you're wrong and any new Christmas films?

(01:29:27) Wrap up and goodbye!

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

This week, we look back on the episodes released in the last month (Road to Perdition, The Nice Guys and Back to the Future) and discuss anything we missed, some listener feedback and discuss some data.  Daddy issues, drinking problems and more daddy issues ensure ensue - it's the Movie The Needle NOVEMBER 2025 Retro!

We do a top 3 movie bastards list, induct more movies into the Movie The Needle Classics Collection and open up our Director's Hall of Fame. Let us know your submissions!

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

This week it's back to the 80's, then back to the 50's then back again to the 80's as we join Marty McFly and Doc Brown on their exploration of horny mums and GREAT SCOTTs...It' Back to the Future!

(00:00:00) Welcome and chit chat

(00:13:15) Inter-podcast beef!

(00:18:58) Unveil the ale (part 1)

(00:19:47) Introduce the film on the SFPS

(00:22:20) Production - love for 80's America and more!

(00:49:13) The Game - GREAT SCOTT!

(00:58:00) The plot - simple...too simple?

(01:13:45) The cast - Michael J Fox love in

(01:22:12) Recasting - how to recast iconic characters?

(01:31:00) Unveil the Ale (part 2)

(01:31:40) Any changes?

(01:34:15) Is it a classic?

(01:34:40) Close out / Stupid goodbye

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

Episode of 4 of our Mashflix & Chill series continues with Andrew Corns joining us from The Revisionist's Almanac!

If you mash The Big Lebowski and Lethal Weapon together do you really get The Nice Guys?

Join Carl, Simon and Andrew as they talk nice guys, nice boobs, and...well...c**ts. There's also a game with no logical flaws whatsoever, that Carl definitely didn't take issue with.

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

This week Carl and Simon hit the road...to Perdition!

We finally get to Sir Sam Mendes' 2002 period gangster drama which sees a mob enforcer's son in 1930'sIllinois witness a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge . Rain soaked hats and blood soaked overcoats ensue!

We talk all things Cast, Production and Plot, and for our game this week Carl has to guess the pretentious movie from the pretentious clues!

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome and chit chat(00:07:58) Unveil the ale!(00:09:11) Rating RTP on the SFPS

(00:11:50) The Production - voiceovers!

(00:34:12) The Game - Road to Pretention

(00:43:21) The Plot - Is it deep?

(01:15:28) The Cast - Sausage fest

(01:30:26) Recasting - Thomas J Hanks alternatives and more

(01:39:52) Any Changes? De-heistifying and muting voiceovers

(01:44:20) This is why you're wrong - Closing arguments and verdict

(01:50:05) Wrap-up and rude yawning

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

This week, we look back on the episodes released in the last month (Scream, Joker and Jaws) and discuss anything we missed, some listener feedback and discuss some data.  Scary masks, clowns, sharks and opinions ensue - it's the Movie The Needle OCTOBER 2025 Retro!

We do a top 3 scary movies list, induct more movies into the Movie The Needle Classics Collection and open up our Director's Hall of Fame. Let us know your submissions!

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

Our third Movie the Needle Classics Collection episode and confusingly our 6th Date Night episode, where Carl and Simon haphazardly dissect  one of the movies that we have previously inducted into our MTN Classics Collection which they also happen to have seen together at a local movie theatre.

This week, it's a dip back into Spielberg's sack to explore the 1975's monster horror which sees a massive killer shark unleash chaos on a beach community off Long Island, andit's up to the local police chief, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down. Chumming and dur durring ensues…It's Jaws!

We deep dive into all things production, plot and (voice) cast.

There's also the obligatory game and terrible theme song seamlessly recycled from a previous episode...it's not laziness, it's efficiency!

00:00:00 Welcome

00:12:59 Unveil The Ale

00:14:40 Introduction to Jaws - What we think

00:18:09 Production

00:36:49 The Game - Spielberg Blockbusters part deux

00:42:00 The Plot

00:56:35 The Cast

01:05:55 Any changes?

01:09:52 Wrap-up and your mum

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

Episode of 3 of our Mashflix & Chill series continues with Damon Carter joining us from The Neverending Watchlist!

If you mash The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver together do you really get Joker?

Join Carl and Simon as they discuss the mashup with Damon, explore alternatives and commit a mashup to the Filmily Tree.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Sad News...and Intro to Damon

(00:11:16) The Mashed - Our thoughts on Taxi Driver and TKOC

(00:24:02) The Mash - Our initial thoughts on Joker

(00:32:39) Production - Todd Phillips Gaming the system

(00:55:36) Plot - Common threads

(01:18:25) The Game - The Winner Takes It All

(01:30:46) Cast - Phoenix brilliance and recasting

(01:49:49) Mashflix & Chill - Does the mashup work?

(02:03:47) Wrap-up

You can listen to Damon's podcast The Neverending Watchlist, wherever podcasts are found!

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]

Carl and Simon dip their toe in the water of horror, as we ramp up towards the Halloween time of year as we tackle the 1996 movie Scream. One of them likes it, one of them doesn't - listen to see where they end up!

We talk all things Cast, Production and Plot, and for our game this week Carl has to guess the movie Scream (and Shout) from a clip.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome

(00:00:59) Orca shaving and other chit chat

(00:06:17) Unveil the ale!

(00:07:00) Scream on the Simple 5 point scale

(00:11:43) The Plot - Not scary just silly?

(00:33:38) Production - 90s Americana aesthetic

(00:50:21) The Game - ID the Scream (and Shout)

(00:56:22) The Cast - Old teens, Neve, Arquettes

(01:07:35) Recasting - Teenagers playing teenagers

(01:10:52) Any Changes? - Improving the ending/pacing

(01:13:26) This is why you're wrong - Closing arguments

(01:17:17) Wrap-up and next week episode reveal

Find Movie The Needle:

Letterboxd: CarlMTN / SiMTN

Bluesky: @mtnmoviepod.bsky.social

Facebook: mtnmoviepod

Instagram: @mtnmoviepod

Twitter/X: @mtnmoviepod

YouTube: @movietheneedle

Email: [email protected]