The Take on Flicks.com.au

Faced with the cataclysmic changes in cinemas in Australia landscape, this will be the finale of The Take.

First, host Blake Howard and Melbourne based screen critic Craig Mathieson discuss the very best of streaming as we're faced with self-isolation and social distancing.

Next, Blake talks to The Take: Mandalorian co-pilot Lindsey Romain to thank her for being such a massive part of the show.

Finally, this season's best and unfairest guest Stu Coote pops on to help me say goodbye and to ask for back pay for appearances.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Craig Mathieson (follow Craig on Twitter)

Lindsey Romain (follow Lindsey on Twitter)

Stu Coote (follow Stu on Twitter)

Further reading

How Rey from STAR WARS Can Help Us Stay Calm by Lindsey Romain

Binge-r #181: Giri/Haji + Spenser Confidential by Craig Mathieson

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First up host Blake Howard and Melbourne based screen critic Cameron Williams discuss the re-emergence of Steven Soderbergh's Contagion on the charts as people seek strange comfort from a prescient projection of the lifecycle of a panic that we're only beginning to experience with the Coronavirus.

To celebrate the streaming release of Team America: World Police (available on STAN) we're making the casing for the steamiest sex scene.

This week's DUEL OF TAKES (18:30) is a sexy battle between sex on top of crime scene photos in TAKING LIVES, and sex in a library in ATONEMENT.

•Blake dons the robe as Judge.

• Defending Angelina Joile's side boob and Ethan Hawke's smouldering gaze is a journalist, author, writer and "the talent," Maria Lewis.

•Prosecuting for Kiera Knightly's Green Dress and James McAvoy's embrace is renowned author, journalist, former editor of Buzzfeed, Jenna Guillaume.

Let the thirst begin.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Maria Lewis (follow Maria on Twitter)

Jenna Guillaume (follow Jenna on Twitter)

Cameron Williams (follow Cam on Twitter)

Further reading

The Ending of Steven Soderbergh's Contagion, Revisited By Jason Bailey The 30 Most Important Sex Scenes in Movie History By Bilge Ebiri

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First up host Blake Howard and Australian Film Critic Association Award winner and Flicks.com.au alum Travis Johnson discuss Ben Affleck's career-best, meta-textual performance in The Way Back (out in cinemas now).

To celebrate the release of Dark Waters (out in cinemas now) and Spenser Confidential (out on Netflix on 6 March) we're matchmaking with Marks.

This week's DUEL OF TAKES (20:07) is a battle between Dirk Diggler and the Hulk; Mark Wahlberg and Mark Ruffalo.

•Blake one again relinquishes the judge gavel to a podcaster, great Sydney film mind and friend of the show Stu Coote - today "Judge Stu-dy".

• Defending the Marky Mark, is a journalist, author, writer and "the talent," Maria Lewis.

•Prosecuting for Ruffalo is the host of The Take - Blake Howard.Judge Stu-dy is now in session.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Maria Lewis (follow Maria on Twitter)

Stu Coote (follow Stu on Twitter)

Travis Johnson (follow Travis on Twitter)

Further reading

"The Gambler" (2014) Review by Blake Howard

The Way Back Will Make You Believe Ben Affleck's Best Performances Are Yet to Come By Alison Willmore

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To celebrate the release of Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, it's a Universal monster battle royale for The Take this week.

First up host Blake Howard exhumes the corpse of the monster franchise that almost was, Dark Universe with writer and political commentator JR Hennessy. Blake and JR discuss how a photo caused a stir that bloomed into outrage and eventually led to the cancellation of a star-studded franchise.

This week's DUEL OF TAKES (20:17) is a battle between films and monsters Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and The Mummy (1999).

•Blake one again relinquishes the judge gavel to the editor of Flicks.com.au, Luke Buckmaster.

• Defending the mother of all monsters - the Bride - is movie podcaster extraordinaire behind the incredible Finding Drago, Total Reboot & Mike Check Podcast, Alexei Toliopoulos.

•Prosecuting for Imhotep, and Stephen Sommers highwater mark for monstrous adventure is the host of The Take - Blake Howard.

Now it's time for justice for all, even monsters.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

JR Hennessy (follow JR on Twitter)

Luke Buckmaster (follow Luke on Twitter)

Alexei Toliopoulos (follow Alexei on Twitter)

Further reading

ODE TO THE DARK UNIVERSE by JR Hennessy

Review: "The Invisible Man" by Blake Howard

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First up host Blake Howard commemorates the 35th Anniversary of The Breakfast Club with Melbourne Film and T.V critic Cameron Williams. Blake and Cam discuss the watershed moment for teen movies and the fact that all teen films made since must contend with this monolithic, pop-culture phenomenon.

To coincide with the release of Honey Boy and the first look at Matt Reeves The Batman this week's DUEL OF TAKES (15:17) is a battle between two of the finest actors working today - Shia LaBeouf v Robert Pattinson.

Prosecuting for the star of Honey Boy, American Honey, Fury, The Peanut Butter Falcon and Transformers is non-other than the host of The Take - Blake Howard.

Blake relinquishes the judge gavel to the editor of Flicks.com.au, Luke Buckmaster.

Litigating for the star of The Rover, The Lighthouse, High Life, The King, Twilight and The Batman is Australian Film Critic Association Award-winner and Flicks.com.au alum, Travis Johnson.

This kangaroo court is now in session.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Cam Williams (follow Cam on Twitter)

Luke Buckmaster (follow Luke on Twitter)

Travis Johnson (follow Travis on Twitter)

Further reading

From Robert Pattinson as The Batman to Wes Anderson's next film, here are 10 new trailers

The Breakfast Club (1985) [The Criterion Collection] - Blu-ray Disc by Bill Chambers

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First up host Blake Howard joins Australia movie newsman - editor of DarkHorizons.com Garth Franklin. Blake grills Garth the appeal of Star Trek, what it's like to see Sir Patrick Stewart back in the Jean Luc saddle and his first impressions of Picard.

To coincide with the release of Sonic The Hedgehog, this week's DUEL OF TAKES (12:30) is a battle between Movies Based on Video Games and Video Games Based on Movies. Litigating for movies based on video games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter & The Angry Birds Movie 2; is The Take's Dennis Denuot - co-host of The Sinner Files podcast - Stu Coote. Defending video games based on movies like GoldenEye, Super Star Wars, Ghostbusters is another co-host of The Sinner Files podcast, and host of Countdown to Classic podcast, Josh Corbett. Let the games begin.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Garth Franklin (follow Garth on Twitter)

Stu Coote (follow Stu on Twitter)

Josh Corbett (follow Josh on Twitter)

Further reading

5 things we want to see in Star Trek: Picard by Travis Johnson

In Sonic the Hedgehog, It's like Golden-Era Jim Carrey Never Left Us

By Bilge Ebiri

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First up host Blake Howard joins L.A film critic Katie Walsh for her exit survey of female superhero team-up Birds of Prey (1:37).

Then Blake talks who should win and who will win at the Oscars this Sunday (USA Time) with Brisbane based film critic Sarah Ward (17:02).

Finally, Blake joins writer/director/exec. producer and film critic made good Leigh Whannell about his latest thriller The Invisible Man, out in Australian cinemas on February 27 (35:16).

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Katie Walsh (follow Katie on Twitter)

Sarah Ward (follow Sarah on Twitter)

Leigh Whannell (follow Leigh on Twitter)

Further reading/listening

'Birds of Prey' review: Harley Quinn and her girl gang are lovable psychopaths by Katie Walsh

Oscars 2020: who should win and who will win by Sarah Ward

Episode 118: 'Mad Max: Fury Road' with 'Birds of Prey' Director Cathy Yan - Switchblade Sisters

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First up host Blake Howard joins Bostonian film critic Sean Burns live from Park City, Utah at the Sundance Film Festival. Sean discusses his festival highlights including Josephine Decker's Shirley, Eliza Hittman's Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Kirsten Johnson's Dick Johnson is Dead. Finally, Sean puts the boot into Dee Rees's disappointing Mudbound follow-up, The Last Thing He Wanted.

In this week's DUEL OF TAKES (16:00) Blake hands over the Judge's gavel to the editor of DarkHorizons.com Garth Franklin to adjudicate. This duel pits an Oscar-nominated Joker performance (Joaquin Phoenix in Joker), against an Oscar-winning Joker performance (Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight). Arguing for Ledger is prosecutor Blake Howard. Defending Joaquin is The Take's Laura Dern from Marriage Story, co-host of The Sinner Files podcast, Stu Coote. Each master-debater has five minutes to state their case, and the judgement is final. Who will have the last laugh?

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Sean Burns (follow Sean on Twitter)

Garth Franklin (follow Garth on Twitter)

Stu Coote (follow Stu on Twitter)

Further reading

Joker (2019) Review - CONTAINS SPOILERS by Blake Howard

Review: "The Dark Knight" by Garth Franklin

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The Take is BACK in 2020! First up host Blake Howard joins author, screenwriter and journalist Maria Lewis to discuss Guy Ritchie's return to the geezer gangster genre The Gentlemen. In the second segment (13:30) Blake adjudicates over our all-new DUEL OF TAKES where we pit Sam Mendes Oscar front-runner 1917 against Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. Fighting for the one-take marvel is Flicks.com.au alum and Aussie film critic Travis Johnson. And fighting for harrowing time tryptic is Chicago based film critic Brendan Hodges. Each master-debater has five minutes to state their case, and the judgement is final.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Maria Lewis (follow Maria on Twitter)

Brendan Hodges (follow Brendan on Twitter)

Travis Johnson (follow Travis on Twitter)

Further reading

SURVIVING TIME ON DUNKIRK BEACH by Brendan Hodges

Review: "The Gentlemen" by Blake Howard

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It's the eighth and last episode of The Take: The Mandalorian, our podcast after-show diving into the first live-action Star Wars series. Co-pilots Blake Howard and Lindsey Romain unpack the epic season finale episode "Redemption" before Film Critic on sabbatical Brendan Hodges and Blake go deep on all things "The Last Jedi".

Warning!!! This show contains SPOILERS!!!

Part one: Co-pilots Blake Howard and Lindsey Romain The Mandalorian Chapter 8 - Redemption. They discuss the nightmare-inducing "swoll" R2 droid; IG-11's humanity; seeing under the Mandalorian mask and kindly asking for Mr Pascal to put it back on, and finally the Baby Yoda phenomenon. We also appoint "Cantina alien of the season," "Surprise of the episode and season" and the "season and episode MVP."

Part two (48:39): Blake and Brendan Hodges discuss everything about "The Last Jedi" from the valid criticisms to the quintessential elevated "Star Wars" moments.

Part three (2:01:53): Blake and Lindsey bid The Mandalorian farewell.

This podcast stars

Blake Howard (follow Blake on Twitter)

Lindsey Romain (follow Lindsey on Twitter)

Brendan Hodges (follow Brendan on Twitter)

Further reading

What Was That Mysterious Weapon In THE MANDALORIAN Finale? by Lindsey Romain

Why One RISE OF SKYWALKER Scene Is Missing a Vital Character by Lindsey Romain

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