The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good.

This week join Scott and Paul as they discuss a tale of a gambler-jeweler navigating chaos to secure a rare opal and escape debts, blending tension, addiction, and greed in a relentless thriller masterpiece.

Uncut Gems (2019)

"Uncut Gems," directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, is a gripping and anxiety-inducing crime thriller set in the bustling Diamond District of New York City. The film centers on Howard Ratner, played with frenetic energy by Adam Sandler, a charismatic but deeply flawed Jewish-American jeweler with a severe gambling addiction.

Howard's life is a chaotic whirlwind of high-stakes bets, mounting debts, and strained relationships. He's constantly juggling multiple precarious situations, trying to stay one step ahead of his creditors. The narrative intensifies when Howard acquires a rare, uncut Ethiopian opal, believing it to be the key to solving all his financial woes.

However, his attempts to capitalize on the gem are repeatedly thwarted by his impulsive decisions and insatiable desire for the next big score. Adding to his troubles, NBA star Kevin Garnett becomes infatuated with the opal, further complicating Howard's already precarious situation.

The film masterfully portrays Howard's descent into a vortex of desperation, as he frantically navigates a web of loan sharks, angry debtors, and strained family ties. The Safdie brothers' signature filmmaking style, characterized by its claustrophobic camerawork, rapid-fire dialogue, and pulsating score, creates a relentless sense of tension that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

"Uncut Gems" is more than just a crime thriller; it's a character study of a man driven by addiction and a relentless pursuit of the American dream. The film's raw and unfiltered portrayal of Howard's self-destructive behavior, combined with Sandler's electrifying performance, makes for a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.

"They say you can see the whole universe in opals, that's how fuckin' old they are."

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Scott and Paul

The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good.

This week join Scott and Paul as they dive into the deep and murky world of jury rigging and a warm hearted tribute to the legendary Gene Hackman

Runaway Jury (2003)

Runaway Jury, the 2003 courtroom thriller that puts a quirky twist on the phrase “justice is blind.” Imagine a high-stakes tug-of-war featuring a scheming jury, a ruthless gun lobby, and two legal eagles circling each other like hawks. The result? A movie that’s less about legal jargon and more about who can outfox whom. When a widow decides to sue a powerful gun manufacturer after her husband’s tragic death, the case becomes the battleground for a manipulative showdown. Enter Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), the principled attorney fighting for the little guy, and Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), a corporate shark who’d sell his soul to rig the jury in his favour. But oh, wait—there’s a wildcard in play. Meet Nick Easter (John Cusack), a smooth-talking juror with a secret agenda, and his equally cunning partner, Marlee (Rachel Weisz). Together, they orchestrate a scheme to auction the jury’s verdict to the highest bidder. What follows is a game of cat and mouse with everyone trying to outsmart each other. Hackman’s Fitch pulls every dirty trick in the book, but Easter and Marlee are always two steps ahead, playing mind games and leaving breadcrumbs for Rohr to follow. It’s corporate greed versus moral righteousness, with a touch of audacious hustle thrown in for good measure.

"You think your average juror is King Solomon? No, he's a roofer with a mortgage. He wants to go home and sit in his Barcalounger and let the cable TV wash over him. And this man doesn't give a single, solitary droplet of shit about truth, justice or your American way."

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Scott and Paul

The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good.

This week join Scott, Paul, and Charlie as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson hunt down the most famous serial killer of all time.

Murder By Decree (1979)

Imagine Victorian London draped in its signature fog—moody, mysterious, and murderous.

Enter Sherlock Holmes, played by the suave Christopher Plummer, whose deerstalker hat is firmly in place as he faces off against the city's ultimate boogeyman, Jack the Ripper. Accompanying him is Dr. Watson, portrayed by James Mason, the ever-patient sidekick who somehow tolerates Holmes’ insufferable genius and dramatic flair.

In Murder by Decree, Holmes is summoned to untangle the bloody mess left by Jack, only to find himself neck-deep in a conspiracy so tangled it might as well be a Victorian-era soap opera. Of course, he can’t resist. This is Sherlock Holmes, after all, the man who treats riddles like others treat dessert. What starts as a ghastly murder investigation soon spirals into a whirlwind of gasps, revelations, and the occasional philosophical musing.

Expect shadowy alleys, upper-class scandals, and Holmes side-eyeing everyone in sight. The film masterfully balances edge-of-your-seat suspense with a sprinkle of the detective's trademark wit. Oh, and Watson? He’s mostly there for comic relief and to remind Holmes to eat occasionally.

This is more than just your average "whodunnit." It’s a finger-pointing, eyebrow-raising caper that will leave you wondering if anyone in London’s elite is trustworthy—or just really good at faking it. If you enjoy mystery, melodrama and even a bit of posh chaos thrown in for good measure, then you will love this.

''When people are frightened, they turn to God, and when they have no help from him, they look to the Devil.''

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Scott Paul and Charlie

The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013

This week join Scott, Paul, and Charlie as we discuss Frederick Forsythe's tale of an assassin out to kill French President de Gaulle, while a detective races to stop him in a tense cat-and-mouse chase.

The Day Of The Jackal (1973)

"The Day of the Jackal" (1973) is a tense political thriller centered on an assassination plot against French President Charles de Gaulle. The story follows a mysterious and highly skilled assassin, known only as the Jackal (Edward Fox) , hired by a paramilitary group seeking to eliminate de Gaulle due to his controversial policies towards Algeria. As the Jackal meticulously plans the operation, he adopts various disguises and utilizes advanced tactics to evade detection.

Meanwhile, French authorities, alerted to the potential threat, assign a determined police detective, Claude Lebel, to track down the assassin. The film intricately weaves suspense as Lebel races against time, piecing together clues to prevent the assassination. With its gripping narrative and realistic portrayal of espionage and counter-terrorism efforts, "The Day of the Jackal" explores themes of political intrigue and the relentless pursuit of justice, culminating in a dramatic climax that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

"You must understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime job, whoever does it can never work again..."

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Scott Paul and Charlie

The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

This week, an episode that has been eleven years in the making. 

At last, our dear friend Maurice, host of See Hear and Love That Album joins Scott, Paul and Charlie from Melbourne.

Also joining us, from York, is Steven, Scott's co host on the Reel Britannia podcast.

A word of warning - this episode is a bit sweary!

McVicar (1980)

John McVicar (Roger Daltrey) is an English career criminal locked up with all the other lifers in the dreaded E Wing of Durham Prison. Between riots and constant prison guard brutality, McVicar and fellow inmate Walter Probyn (Adam Faith) gradually dig a tunnel that enables their escape. Once on the outside, McVicar does his best to lie low and re-enter the lives of his wife (Cheryl Campbell) and infant son, despite the fact that police have labeled him "Public Enemy Number One."

"I suppose you think you got the better of us there. But just remember, kidder, you're in for ten years."

"Yeah, that's right, Mr. Pendel. But you're in for life, ain't yer?"

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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

This week, it's Anthony's turn to join Scott and Paul to take a look at an American cop classic from the seventies

Anthony is the host of Film Gold, Life And Life Only and Glass Onion: On John Lennon.

Electra Glide In Blue (1973)

The only thing good-hearted motorcycle cop John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) wants is to become a detective. To wear a big Stetson, smoke fancy cigars and be paid to think. So when he stumbles upon a dead body, he takes the case - and proves he's got the right stuff. But as soon as he's promoted, he finds that the corruption he must tolerate makes his Stetson not fit so well and the cigars not taste so good. Forced to confront his own disillusionment, Wintergreen heads out on his bike, the Electra Glide, and makes another shocking discovery that could cost him his life.

"I hate that motorcycle they make me ride. I'm here to tell you there ain't nothing in the world I hate worse than that elephant under my ass."

This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts

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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

This week, it's Anthony's turn to join Scott and Paul to look back at a movie that we first chatted about in 2013

Anthony is the host of Film Gold, Life And Life Only and Glass Onion: On John Lennon.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.

"He won't listen to anybody. He's been very crazy all summer. Since June he's been trying to kill me."

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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

This week, Scott is joined by Steven, his co-host on the Reel Britannia podcast and by Antony, host of Film Gold, Life and Life Only, and Glass Onion: On John Lennon

An episode full of barbaric butchers, squeaky bedsprings and French clowns

Delicatessen (1991)

In a post-apocalyptic world where there is a paucity of food, Clapet, a butcher and landlord of a building, lures people and butchers them to sell to the apartment's residents at low prices.

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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the Stinking Pause podcast.

To celebrate, we looked back at some of the movies already reviewed over the past 10 years and inviting fellow podcasters and friends to join us.

This week, our dear friend, and Scott's co- host on the Reel Britannia podcast, Steven, joins Scott, Paul and Charlie to discuss a movie that we haven't chatted since the show first started ten years ago

An episode full of pork bellies, amorous gorillas and blackface plus fond memories from a great friend.

Trading Places (1983)

Louis Winthorpe is a businessman who works for commodities brokerage firm of Duke and Duke owned by the brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke. Now they bicker over the most trivial of matters and what they are bickering about is whether it's a person's environment or heredity that determines how well they will do in life. When Winthorpe bumps into Billy Ray Valentine, a street hustler and assumes he is trying to rob him, he has him arrested. Upon seeing how different the two men are, the brothers decide to make a wager as to what would happen if Winthorpe loses his job, his home and is shunned by everyone he knows and if Valentine was given Winthorpe's job. So they proceed to have Winthorpe arrested and to be placed in a compromising position in front of his girlfriend. So all he has to rely on is the hooker who was hired to ruin him.

"Hey, bubbles, man! Say man, when I was growing up, if we wanted a jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub."

This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts

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Thanks for listening!

The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good.

This week, Scott is joined by Steven, his co-host on the Reel Britannia podcast and by Antony, host of Film Gold, Life and Life Only, and Glass Onion: On John Lennon

An episode full of pills, perverted parties and possessed refridgerators.

Requiem For A Dream (2000)

The hopes and dreams of four ambitious people are shattered when their drug addictions begin spiraling out of control. A look into addiction and how it overcomes the mind and body.

This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts

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