On Primal Screen we review three films that have just hit cinemas!

THE BRUTALIST is the epic period drama following a visionary architectwho (Adrian Brody) has fled post-war Europe to America for the chance of a new life. Everything changes once he meets a wealthy industrialist (Guy Pierce) who commissions his work.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is the Bob Dylan musical biopic we’ve all been waiting for. Directed by James Mangold (WALK THE LINE) and Timothee Chalamet, the film has been topping the box office in Australia and around the world.

BABYGIRL, the steamy erotic thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, follows the consequences of when a high powered CEO puts everything on the line for a torrid affair with a much younger intern.

Flick Ford is joined by Thomas Caldwell and Cerise Howard to share thoughts and reviews for these three very different, yet equally compelling, new release films.

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For the first show of Primal Screen for 2025, Flick Ford is joined in the studio by Alice McShane and Anthony Carew to review NOSFERATU and ANORA. A remake of the iconic 1922 silent film, NOSFERATU follows the similar vampire tale of obsession, desire, and affliction. The gothic thriller is horror director David Eggers' follow up to such films as THE WITCH, THE LIGHTHOUSE and THE NORTHMAN. ANORA is the high drama high comedy story of a sex worker, named Anora, who finds herself in far too deep after she gets married to the son of a Russian oligarch. From indie director Sean Baker, this cinderella-tale turned crime thriller has generated a lot of hype - find out to see what Flick, Anthony and Alice think!

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We're celebrating the Melbourne Cinémathèque's 40th anniversary this week, with two of the pre-eminent film society's co-curators in the studio. Primal Screen favourite Cerise Howard and Associate Professor Adrian Danks (making his PS debut!) join Flick Ford to reflect on Melbourne Cinémathèque's vital contribution to cinema and to talk about their upcoming program on Australian documentary filmmaker Tom Zubrycki. A hugely important filmmaker in his own right, but also a key mentor and producer for many other Australian filmmakers that have followed. They also review Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland's latest film Green Border, a brutalising drama rooted in deep research that is so urgently of the moment, its potency is manifold. It tells the story of refugees from the Middle East and Africa trying to reach the European Union court in a geopolitical crisis triggered by the Belarusian dictator Lukashenko.

Listen back for more on this discussion of how Zubrycki's and Holland's films remain committed to social justice, human rights and the ethics of filmmaking.

This week on Primal Screen, Flick Ford is joined by Alice McShane and Will Cox to discuss two wildly different films. Wicked offers a polished, mainstream iteration of a beloved musical, while The People’s Joker pushes the boundaries of intellectual property and the superhero genre in its DIY approach. Despite such different production context, the conversation explores how both films engage with themes of queerness whether subvert or overt, as well as girlhood, gender, and the femme. Come for succinct reviews of these two wildly different films, stay for an extended discussion of the musical genre on screen.

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"This week on Primal Screen, Flick Ford discusses with guest reviewers Thomas Caldwell and Stuart Richards this week's upcoming releases. The Roman Empire is on everyon's minds as Gladiator II is released onto the big screen, recieving the blockbuster roll out fit for an emperor. Directed by Ridley Scott in follow up to his 2000 classic and starring the muscled-up Paul Mescal, find out whether this large-scale sequel lives up to its promise of epic entertainment. In contrast to this mighty title, Flick, Thomas and Stuart discuss the quieter film Memory, directed by Michel Franco and starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. The film's unique examination on the nature of memory, as a means to uncover hidden truths as well as cloud true recollections makes for a wonderful discussion.

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This week’s episode dives into the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), taking place 14–24 November 2024. We’re joined by special guest and former co-host Cerise Howard, program director at MQFF and Patrick Kelly, screen academic at RMIT University. Cerise and Patrick share their top picks of the MQFF program, which this year celebrates queer music culture through the theme Formative Sound and Vision.

It's spooky season this week Primal Screen gears up for a very special Halloween Edition of the show.

Former Primal Screen host Paul Anthony Nelson and Co-organiser of Melbourne Horror Film Society Melisa Begg jump into the studio to discuss three iconic films, Henry Selick’s 1993 ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’; Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 ‘The Witches’ based on Roald Dahls children’s book of the same title; and André Øvredal’s 2029 ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’.

In this episode we discuss Adam Elliot's award winning film Memoir of a Snail (2024) which which was the opening night film of MIFF 2024. And we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ishiro Honda's 1954 film Godzilla.

Flick Ford and Thomas Caldwell speak to filmmaker Jaydon Martin about his film Flathead (2024). Together they also review The Apprentice (2024), Ali Abassi's film about Donald Trump's ascent to power, and the team also discuss the documentary about four Tiwi Island girls who dream of AFLW stardom in Like My Brother (2024).

Hosts Flick Ford and Will Cox chat with directors of Ghostlight (2024), Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Then they review new releases Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) and Megalopolis (2024).