The Bigger Picture, presented by The British Film Institute

Ridley Scott's space slasher, Alien, was released 40 years ago this September. To celebrate Anna and Hen dive into the film, wriggle around its inner-workings and burst out the other side. We're looking at what influenced Alien, what effect it had on screen culture and why it stills scares the bejusus out of viewers to this day. Plus! Inspired by Charles Dixon-Graham's piece for BFI.org, we talk about Alien as workplace drama, Anna unpacks the Netflix series Russian doll and Hen tells an involved story about the time he trod on a sea urchin. True body horror.

The Bigger Picture, presented by the BFI, is...

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

For tickets to the Alien (+ Aliens) screenings at the BFI Southbank, go here: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=alien2019&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=

Dig into this lot:

• Charles Graham-Dixon's piece on Alien as a working class hero story: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/alien-40-ridley-scott-sigourney-weaver
• A 90s documentary on the making of Alien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTr-ptJGp0c
• Ridley Scott's "1984" Apple ad ... (which we meant to talk about, but didn't): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNy-7jv0XSc

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We're back, renamed as The Bigger Picture, but as bumbling, charming and cor-gosh-blimey British as ever!

This episode - at the start of our second season - we're talking about Notting Hill, which has been re-released for Valentine's Day. Richard Curtis's film, about a famous film star who falls for an everyman, sold the world a vision of Britain that was posh, white and amiable. We talk about the film and its place in the rickety genre of British romcoms: what they were, why they happened and why they died. On the way we go gaga for Hugh Grant, because... why wouldn't you?

The Bigger Picture, presented by the BFI, is...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Flowers, chocolates, reading:

• Why we fell out of love with the British romcom (via the Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/02/not-love-actually-british-romcoms-bridget-jones-relationship-go-so-wrong

• Hugh Grant talks about his iconic film roles (via GQ): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YoUbAEFTI

• The best romcoms that pass the Bechdel test (via Broadly): https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/wj4xd4/best-netflix-romantic-comedies-that-pass-the-bechdel-test

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Yippee-ki-yay Christmas lovers! It's our festive special, so we're talking about Die Hard (which is a Christmas film). Join Anna, Hen and Pete as we examine what makes John McTiernan's tower block action romp a classic, covering everything from Run-DMC to Frank Lloyd Wright, the Bolshoi Ballet to American imperialism. Plus! How Bruce Willis's feet changed the action genre for good.

This is the last BFI podcast of this series, but we'll be back in February for series two. Get in touch with us to tell us what you'd like to hear from us in future (details below). In the meantime, happy holidays and thanks for listening.

The BFI podcast is...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Ho ho ho, now we have further reading:

• 11 film-makers explain how Die Hard influenced them (via SlashFilm): https://www.slashfilm.com/die-hard-influence/

• Family is a curse in Hereditary (via AV Club): https://film.avclub.com/family-is-a-curse-in-the-harrowing-deeply-frightening-1826616606

• Hollow Knight review (via Eurogamer): https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-06-28-hollow-knight-a-slick-stylish-and-super-tough-metroidvania

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Anna and Hen talk about The Old Man & The Gun, a heist film from director David Lowery that stars Robert Redford as a twinkly-eyed, charming bank robber. Why does the lovable rogue's popularity endure? Why do certain rogues beguile us so? And why has Hen taken to suggestive homoeroticism quite so passionately? Join us as we talk about the films that invite us to catch a thief... and give him a big hug.

The BFI podcast is...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

More leads:

• The true story of seasoned bank robber Forrest Tucker (via the New Yorker): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/01/27/the-old-man-and-the-gun

• The Old Man & The Gun trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdLQb9zN9OE

• See?! All of the best action films have "powerfully homoerotic undertones", says The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/point-break-all-the-best-action-films-have-powerful-homoerotic-u/

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Join the crew - Anna, Hen and producer Pete - as they walk down a corridor in slow-motion towards this episode's topic: girl gangs. We talk about Mean Girls, Clueless, The Craft, Jawbreakers and Assassination Nation, director Sam Levinson's very 2018 take on the Salem witch trials.

Assassination Nation paints a picture of an America pulled apart along gender lines, with a gang of young women thrown into violent rebellion against the men of their town after they're hacked and have their private communications leaked to the internet. Join us as we talk about gender, Trump, 90s alt-rock and - finally, FINALLY - Matt Damon's turn as a skate-punk god in the 2004 grossout comedy Euro-trip.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

More:

• Christine #1: Christine McConnell turned her parents house into a Halloween nightmare palace (via Eater): https://www.eater.com/2018/10/29/18037622/christine-mconnell-netflix-show-parents-house-halloween-decorations

• Christine #2: Chris (formerly Christine and the Queens) interviewed by the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/22/christine-and-the-queens-ive-just-discovered-sex-i-cant-stop-yet

• As If: The 10-year retrospective (via Digital Spy): http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/feature/a621341/as-if-10-year-retrospective-of-the-cult-channel-4-teen-drama-part-2/

• Scotty Doesn't Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_AKr1BEajA

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Anna and Hen clock in to talk about 9 to 5 - the 1980 comedy, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton - in which a trio of women take down their tyrannical boss. We look at how film and TV has portrayed women office workers since the film was released and wonder what fictional female bosses, including Working Girl's Katharine Parker and The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly, say about our opinions of powerful women at work. PLUS! Hen raises workplace morale by instigating a sing-song.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Homework:

• Pure poetry in the original 9 to 5 trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2WsyoS2FM&t=2s

• Dolly on Oprah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-M0PlFYZeg&t=658s

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Ayyyyyyyy-oh! And welcome to our music biopic special, performed - with Queen-ish grandiosity - in five movements. Join us as we work out what makes a musician's story sing on screen.

This episode look at the crucial elements you need to compose a truly great film about musicians and their music. We ask whether the truth matters, who decides which music biopics get made, pick our favourites of the form and tell Hollywood which musical acts' stories they should be counting in next.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Rock on:

• Hen on why the truth and music often sound off-key - The Guardian

• The making of the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There - The New York Times

• The actual best Queen song

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Slasher icon Michael Myers is as much part of Halloween as hiding behind the curtains hoping those 16-year-old Trick or Treaters will go away. This episode we look back at Mike's work by examining the venerable Halloween franchise and take a stab at reviewing David Gordon Green's revamp.

Joining us to talk stabbing and screaming is Mike Muncer, creator and host of The Evolution of Horror podcast. Mike and Anna talk us through the Halloween franchise's history, talk about Jamie Lee Curtis's changing role in the story and explain how gender roles in the series have changed across the ages. Hen makes some scarily bad dad jokes.

Plus! Recommends for Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, indie drama Blindspotting and AI point-and-click adventure

2064: Read Only Memories.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Scarily good:

• How to watch the Halloween films and have them make sense (via Digital Spy)

• John Carpenter likes playing Destiny 2

• Queens of the Stone Age's Hangin' Tree is the Halloween theme sped up. Really!

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Hollywood resurrects A Star is Born - the story of a young woman shepherded into stardom by a self-destructive older man - roughly once every other decade. The latest version, the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, stars Lady Gaga as a club singer whose career is shot into the stratesphere after a chance meeting with Cooper's famous and grizzled country music star.

In this episode of The BFI Podcast we look back at the three versions of the story that preceded Cooper's take - from the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s - and explore what they say about men and women, fame and their era.

Plus! We explain why Killing Eve is killer.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Stellar content:

• The New York Times tries to get Bradley Cooper to explain A Star is Born.
• Hadley Freeman of The Guardian charts the story's changing gender politics.
• Anna's new favourite song.

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This much is true: we made a podcast about the film American Animals and the spate of docu-dramas (The Imposter, The Act of Killing, Catfish etc) between 2010-12 that muddled fact and fiction into an entertaining, ethically-iffy new artform.

American Animals, directed by Bart Layton, is the true-ish story of four college kids who decided to rob some rare books from their local university library. Told via interviews with the robbers and dramatisations of their story, the film leaves you with the impression that you're never quite being told the whole truth.

Back in the 2010s there was a whole spate of films that did this. Films like Catfish, The Act of Killing, I'm Still Here and The Imposter (also directed by Bart Layton). We talk about why this moment happened, what it meant and where it's left us now. Plus, we hear from Bart about the importance of truth in documentary, even when you're repeating a lie.

The BFI Podcast is ...

BFI Southbank Programmer Anna Bogutskaya

BFI Digital editor Henry Barnes

Producer Peter Sale

Trust us, these are good:

• The Vanity Fair story on the Transy Book Heist.

• The original, true (?) story of The Imposter's Frederic Bourdain.

• Why Catfish is cooked (Vulture)

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