Shot/Reverse Shot

After a short break caused by a) Ed being on holiday and b) Matt accidentally sleeping through a scheduled recording session, the boys are back with a vengeance in this extra long, extra punchy episode, during which they discuss the films they are most looking forward to between now and the end of the year. They also catch up on some recent news, ponder the falls from grace of Johnny Depp and Mel Gibson, and come up with possibly the best band name of all time.

00:00:00 - 00:25:07 - Intro & SRS

00:25:08 - 01:45:22 - Matt & Ed run through the upcoming slate of films

01:45:23 - 01:51:13 - SRS Recommends & Outro

It's been ten years since the release of Guillermo del Toro's haunting fairytale Pan's Labyrinth, a film which was hailed as a masterpiece almost as soon as it debuted and whose reputation has only grown over time. To mark the occasion, Matt and Ed discuss the film's many good qualities, debate its legacy, and what impact it had on del Toro's career. They also get excited about the films debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ed reminisces about the time he got to meet del Toro and almost cried, and Matt reveals how deceased Irish comedian Frank Carson shattered his chances of becoming a professional footballer.

00:00:00 - 00:18:22 - Intro & News

00:18:23 - 00:55:27 - Matt & Ed discuss Pan's Labyrinth

00:55:28 - 00:59:19 - SRS Recommends & Outro

It's been ten years since the release of Guillermo del Toro's haunting fairytale Pan's Labyrinth, a film which was hailed as a masterpiece almost as soon as it debuted and whose reputation has only grown over time. To mark the occasion, Matt and Ed discuss the film's many good qualities, debate its legacy, and what impact it had on del Toro's career. They also get excited about the films debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ed reminisces about the time he got to meet del Toro and almost cried, and Matt reveals how deceased Irish comedian Frank Carson shattered his chances of becoming a professional footballer.

00:00:00 - 00:18:22 - Intro & News

00:18:23 - 00:55:27 - Matt & Ed discuss Pan's Labyrinth

00:55:28 - 00:59:19 - SRS Recommends & Outro

In a direct sequel to last week's discussion of how bad Suicide Squad is as a film in its own right, but also a spiritual sequel to our episode on the state of the modern blockbuster, this episode finds Matt and Ed using Suicide Squad as a prism through which to explore the worst tendencies of modern blockbuster culture, and how it is emblematic of a moribund summer movie season. They detail how hard it is for a film to turn a profit these days, why foreign box office is so rarely a saving grace, and the increasing toxicity of online discussion around blockbusters. They also pay tribute to Gene Wilder and Jon Polito, two actors they loved who passed away this week, and wax poetic about Jackie Chan and Patrick Ness.

Here is the article by Todd Vanderwerff that Matt references during the main discussion.

00:00:00 - 00:12:31 - Intro & News

00:12:32 - 00:48:56 - Matt & Ed discuss Suicide Squad as it relates to modern blockbuster culture

00:48:57 - 00:54:46 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Matt's back from his holidays and the boys are a little punchy, as evidenced by the way that they turn what was meant to be a brief preamble about Suicide Squad into the focus of the entire episode. In between detailing why Captain Boomerang is the most useless character ever and trying to parse the murk of David Ayer's vision, they find time to discuss the BBC's list of the 100 best films of the 21st century so far, rekindle Ed's fear of rhinoceroses, and forget that Spectre exists. 

00:00:00 - 00:20:01 - Intro & News

00:20:02 - 01:04:48 - Matt & Ed discuss Suicide Squad 

01:04:49 - 01:09:42 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Next week: Matt and Ed place Suicide Squad in a broader context and have the conversation they meant to have this week.

It's been 50 years since Star Trek first entered the public consciousness, and five decades later, Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future is in surprisingly rude health. With the recent cinematic release of Justin Lin's Star Trek Beyond and slow drip of news about the forthcoming TV show Star Trek: Discovery, Ed sits down to discuss the series' various incarnations with writer and playwright John Hunter. In addition to discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the franchises and the reason for its longevity, they reminisce about drunken conversations about The West Wing, John's work with Slung Low Theatre, and Ed's paralysing fear of being challenged to a rap battle.

00:00:00 - 00:01:57 - Intro

00:01:58 - 00:05:14 - Ed & John talk about Slung Low Theatre

00:05:15 - 00:44:55 - Ed & John discuss Star Trek

00:44:56 - 00:49:29 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Following on from last week, in which they talked about the films of 1986, Matt and Ed spend this week digging into two of the biggest hits of that year: Tony Scott's Top Gun and James Cameron's Aliens. In addition to talking about the influence that the two films had on the blockbuster format (whilst also being unlike most contemporary blockbusters), Matt reminisces about an unusual Top Gun-adjacent present, and Ed disparages his 14 year old self's taste in movies.

This episode serves as a double celebration since not only is Shot/Reverse Shot 150 episodes old, but it's Ed's 30th birthday. As is traditional, the birthday boy gets to choose the topic, and Matt and Ed spend this installment of the show discussing the films of 1986, a year that brought us C. Thomas Howell being menaced by Rutger Hauer and pretending to be black (though not in the same film), competing movies about animated mice, and surprisingly few sequels. And, of course, one Edwin Davies.

00:00:00 - 00:01:51 - Intro

00:01:52 - 00:45:38 - Matt & Ed discuss cinema in 1986

00:45:39 - 00:50:09 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by HBO's The Night Of, Matt and Ed spend this episode talking about the many varied ways in which law enforcement officials have been depicted in film and television. From slapstick dunces in silent movies to embodiments of systemic corruption, from dedicated public servants to sociopaths with authority, they run the gamut. They also discuss the ways in which England international games are like season two of True Detective, gawk in wonder at the complete implosion of the Divergent franchise (and its surprising fallout for the Marvel universe), and dig into the furore surrounding Edgar Wright's list of 1000 favourite films.

00:00:00 - 00:24:30 - Intro & News

00:24:31 - 00:52:47 - Matt & Ed discuss Law Enforcement in film and TV

00:52:48 - 00:57:15 - SRS Recommends & Outro

00:57:16 - 00:58:55 - A little extra nonsense

N.B. The YA film which failed and became a TV series that Ed was thinking of was The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

The Ghostbusters reboot opened in theaters this week to decent reviews, solid box office, and the wailing of bitter man-children. Matt & Ed weigh the pros and cons of the Paul Feig-directed version before segueing into a broader discussion about the crisis afflicting Hollywood blockbusters, as big-budget franchise after big-budget franchise has failed this year. In addition to all this, Matt shares an adorable story about making his own Ghostbuster unform as a child, Ed tries to come to terms with not hating Batman v Superman, and they both try and pitch a sequel to Me Before You.

00:00:00 - 00:02:05 - Intro

00:02:06 - 00:20:16 - Matt & Ed review Ghostbusters [Spoilers]

00:20:17 - 00:54:03 - Discuss of 2016's slate of blockbusters [Spoilers for Batman v Superman]

00:54:04 - 00:59:15 - SRS Recommends & Outro