Travelling Symphony Movie Club

You're already eating GM plants and genetically modified animal meat could be in our very near future - in fact if you're in Canada, you might already be eating GM fish without knowing it.

That's just a fraction of what we found out this week from author and scientist Dr. Helen Pilcher, who told us about the history, present and future of genetic modification - one of the main themes in Bong Joon-ho's brilliant film Okja.

We discuss how selective breeding thousands of years ago was humanity's first attempts at modifying the gene pools of the world around us, the incredible technologies being used right now that can switch on individual genes with pinpoint precision, and what might be in store in terms of genetically modifying humans.

Helen detailed the awful toll the food industry has had on the animal kingdom and the environment, as well as how our desire for certain characteristics in meat-producing livestock might lead to the endangerment of entire species.

She also told us some of the stories of how projects are attempting to use genetic modification to help the environment, and de-extinct certain species.

LINKS:

If you're interested in finding out more you can read Helen's brilliant book 'Life Changing: How Humans Are Altering Life On Earth' - buy on Amazon here.

If you're keen on finding out about de-extinction, her previous book 'Bring Back The King: The New Science of De-Extinction' is available here

Follow Helen Pilcher on Twitter - @HelenPilcher1

This Friday's live watch-along is Okja - a genre-defying, heart-stopping piece of filmmaking that somehow manages to combine the intimate story of a young girl’s relationship with her only companion, and a savage commentary on consumerism, capitalist culture, the food industry and the facade of PR-driven corporate conscience.

We explain how we felt when we saw Okja for the first time, as well as what to look out for when we all watch together on Friday evening.

There's also time this week to play another round of Movie Chicken and see if Katie can finally get some movie points on the board.

Make sure you head to our Instagram @TSMovieClub at 7:45pm on Friday evening to join us for Okja.

It's a mega double header for Travelling Symphony Movie Club this week!

On Saturday evening, we’ll be watching Bend It Like Beckham - the Gurinder Chadha-directed classic from 2002. Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the film follows Jess as she chases her dream of playing organised football against the backdrop of a disapproving family. The movie has such lasting appeal and is as popular as ever almost 20 years after its release. It’s funny, warm-hearted and uplifting - all the hallmarks of a Gurinder Chadha movie!

But wait, there’s more!⠀

On Friday evening, we’ll be going back to the 70s with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys - a criminally under-rated buddy comedy. Written and directed by Shane Black, the guy behind Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3, it’s surprising, hilarious and downright chaotic. Gosling and Crowe are superb in the lead roles and it’s such a shame this film didn’t do better in the cinema, because we’ll always be dreaming of a sequel.⠀

If you've ever wondered anything about Jurassic Park's dinosaurs, you've come to the right place. We speak to palaeontologist and Dinosaur Researcher at the Natural History Museum Dr. David Button, who explains:

• Why "Everything you know about raptors is wrong"

David also told us about the fascinating methods that modern palaeontologists use to find out more about dinosaurs than was ever thought possible, as well as its importance in understanding the world we live in today.

We also had the pleasure of speaking to Tom Fishenden from The Jurassic Park Podcast, who chatted with us about everything that makes the movie so magic. We discuss the malfunctioning T. Rex animatronic, the reception the fan community gave to the new sequels and whose story Jurassic Park really is.

LINKS:

• Tom Fishenden - @tom_jurassic on Twitter and Instagram

• Follow @TSMovieClub on Twitter

Welcome...to Jurassic Park.

We're looking forward to our live watch-along of Jurassic Park this Friday (8th May) at 7:45pm. In this preview we chat to Tom Fishenden (@tom_jurassic on both Twitter and Instagram) - he's a contributor to The Jurassic Park Podcast, as well as a number of other Jurassic Park fan sites and channels.

It was great to hear Tom's thoughts on why he loves the original film and the wider franchise as a whole - from the story structure and characters, to the incredible blending of visual and practical effects, to the themes that are still relevant today. We'll be sharing the rest of our conversation in this week's companion pod.

We also play our second game of Movie Chicken, where Jon and Katie face-off (but not like Nicholas Cage and John Travolta).

Make sure you head to our Instagram @TSMovieClub at 7:45pm on Friday evening to join us for Jurassic Park.

We had the privilege of speaking to Searching For Sugar Man producer Simon Chinn, one of the key figures in helping take the movie from director Malik Bendjelloul’s kitchen table all the way to Oscars success.

Simon gave us fantastic insights - from how a last-minute conference call decided the movie’s name, to how a special appearance from Rodriguez helped create the buzz around the film at Sundance Film Festival.

He also spoke with great eloquence about Malik Bendjelloul himself, who tragically took his own life the year after his Oscars win. Simon explained how Malik’s infectious personality and amazing creative spirit made Searching For Sugar Man special, as well as his memories from working with such a dedicated and unique mind.

We have another great interview as well this week as we chatted to South African music expert Tecla Ciolfi. Tecla is the editor and curator of TexxAndTheCity.com and has also recently launched the podcast TexxTalks - she told us about Rodriguez’s ongoing cultural influence in South Africa, as well as the difficulties in being a politically-motivated artist today.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s episode, so please send us any feedback to [email protected], or drop us a DM on our Twitter (@TSMovieClub) or Instagram (also @TSMovieClub).

We look forward to this week's live watch-along of Searching For Sugar Man, an extraordinary documentary that uncovers one of the most unbelievable stories in 20th Century music.

We chat about the film with our friend Rob Parrett, a huge fan of Rodriguez's music and of the documentary itself.

Look forward to seeing you all for the watch-along on Friday 1 May!

Links on how to join in are all available on linktr.ee/TSMovieClub

Follow us on Instagram @TSMovieClub

For this week's companion podcast we had the chance to speak to professor, historian, author and broadcaster Peter Caddick-Adams, a man with a wealth of knowledge and fantastic insights into military history.

Peter told us about the events that led to the evacuation of Dunkirk, which bits of Christopher Nolan's film were based on reality and which were artistic license, and how significant Britain's evacuation effort was in the course of the rest of the war.

It was an absolutely fascinating conversation and adds a lot of really important context to the 2017 movie.

LINKS:

• Peter has a wealth of books available - check out his Amazon page for more info

Travelling Symphony Movie Club's sixth live watch-along is Dunkirk - we'll be on Instagram Live with our weekly intro on Friday 24th April at 7:45pm, before we all press play on the film at 8pm sharp (it's available on Netflix in the UK).

On this week's preview pod we talk about our first time watching Dunkirk at the Science Museum, how incredible Christopher Nolan is at building tension and the brilliance of the movie's writing, structure and cinematography.

We also intro our first attempt at the new quiz, that's a bit like Wipeout (if you can remember Bob Monkhouse's vintage 90s TV quiz show).

If you'd like to join us tomorrow, make sure you head to our Instagram Live @TSMovieClub, as well as joining our Discord text chat service by visiting bitly.com/tslivechat

See you then!

We were so lucky this week to have the chance to speak to Gurinder Chadha, director of Blinded By The Light. The acclaimed filmmaker joined us on Friday for our live watch-along, as well as speaking to us on Instagram Live both before and after the movie to chat and answer questions.

Gurinder gave us amazing insights into the way the film came to life, what it was like to watch Bruce Springsteen watching it for the first time, how her messages of hope and humanity resonate so strongly right now and her favourite sections from the movie. 

We also spoke to Meera Ganatra, who played Javed's mother Noor in the film - she told us how she was selected, what it was like to work on a major feature film for the first time and how it felt to see the finished product.

Don't forget to rate and review the podcast, and follow us on Instagram @TSMovieClub for all the latest updates!