Jeremy is joined once again by Chris Arnsby to mull over 2013's surreal blackly comic horror Escape from Tomorrow, a film largely shot in secret in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Anaheim. As they dive down a rabbit hole on the log flume from hell, they consider their own theme park experiences, the Streisand effect, overlaps between the present and what seems to be ancient history and the trope of theme parks going wrong, while also goading Christopher Nolan further.
083 - SORCERER
Jeremy is joined once again by Ed Bloomer to discuss William Friedkin's 1977 suspense drama Sorcerer, a remake of French classic The Wages of Fear, starring Roy Scheider and an international cast. On the journey through the conversational jungle they uncover the uncommercial blockbuster. language barriers, reverse remakes and SeaQuest DSV.
082 - REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2019
Jeremy is joined by recurring guest Chris Arnsby to discuss, slightly later than planned, the best and worst films of 2019, with some wicked metaphors, some Stephen King-related disappointments, a few slim pickings and the occasional welcome surprise.
Below is a playlist of my choices for Best Film of the Year going back to 1970, in case you’re short of viewing.
081 - RYAN'S DAUGHTER
Jeremy is joined by author and dramatist Simon Guerrier for a discussion of David Lean's Oscar-winning epic period romance from 1970, Ryan's Daughter, starring Sarah Miles, Robert Mitchum, Christopher Jones, Leon McKern and John Mills. As they talk, they explore such topics as familiy connections to the production and content, two-fisted priests, the female gaze, storytelling through colour choices and which war is the trendiest.
080 - DEATH LINE
Jeremy is joined again by writer and podcaster Paul Morris to discuss the 1973 British horror film Death Line, released in the US as Raw Meat, starring Donald Pleasance and featuring Christopher Lee. Their discussion covers such topics as fiction's greatest policeman, the last 30 years of pop music, the gulf between 'real' and 'fake' horror and class violence, while Jeremy tries to pitch a new show.
Paul has been working on a new project recently, a podcast discussing the missing episodes of Doctor Who, available both here and here.
079 - CINEMA LOCKDOWN
Jeremy returns after a long rest to be joined by Chris Arnsby to discuss the impact the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown has had on the cinema business, film production and movie-going habits, in doing so touching on subjects including Battlestar Galactica, Josh Trank's comeback and Quibi. Several release dates have changed since this episode was recorded, with Tenet moving from mid-July to late August and Wonder Woman 1984 moving for a second time from August to October. Release dates correct at time of writing.
Below is a taster of one of those sitcoms mentioned that moved out of primetime to give the other shows a chance, as well as a playlist of reviews of films from 2020, from the podcast sibling YouTube channel.
078 - MARS ATTACKS!
Jeremy is joined by Anthony Malone to discuss the weighty issues that surround Tim Burton's 1996 sci-fi disaster movie parody Mars Attacks!, boasting an all-star cast led by Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan and Natalie Portman. Their detailed conflab covers such pressing concerns as Martians on the razz, Edward D Wood Jr, Richard Nixon, military deference, disposable culture, ignorant tourists and getting trolled by the Horror Channel.
Added below for your viewing pleasure are some of the science-fiction films from the 1950s that likely acted as inspiration for Mars Attacks!.
077 - FANTASIA
Chris Arnsby joins Jeremy for a highbrow evening of culture, as they enjoy Walt Disney's 1940 classical music anthology Fantasia, featuring works by Beethoven, Bach, Mussorgsky, Stravinsky and Dukas. Their sophisticated banter touches on topics including the Mind of the Divine, popular musicologists, racial politics in pre-war Hollywood and Cadbury's Fruit and Nut.
076 - BRITANNIA HOSPITAL
Anthony Malone returns for an examination of Lindsay Anderson's 1982 satire Britannia Hospital, starring an ensemble cast including Leonard Rossiter, Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, Joan Plowright and Robin Askwith, while a timely conversation between himself and Jeremy covers such topics as religious propaganda, unnecessary surgery, injured actors, Brexit and Rebel Wilson.
075 - THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Chris Arnsby returns for the second part of the Hulk diptych, as he joins Jeremy to study the 2008 science-fiction adventure The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt. In the course of their investigations, they uncover changing landscapes, respect for a legacy, Tim Roth's agent and Chris's magic act.
074 - ROCKY IV
Jeremy is joined by Ed Bloomer for a festive discussion of Rocky IV, the 1985 sports drama sequel written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone and featuring Carl Weathers, Talia Shire and Dolph Lundgren. Their seasonal chat also embraces such topics as forgotten sequels, surplus robots, nominative indeterminism and how to bomb a restaurant. Happy Christmas!
Included below is the original bizarre Christmas spectacular - The Star Wars Holiday Special!
073 - HULK
Jeremy is joined once again by Chris Arnsby for the first of a two-part episode, in which they tackle the films of the Incredible Hulk. First is Ang Lee's 2003 drama Hulk, with a discussion that touches on such varied subjects as Andy Capp, Anthony Horowitz, safe cycling and The Russ Abbott Show.
072 - TARGETS
Jeremy is joined by audio scriptwriter Paul Morris for a study of 1968 suspense thriller Targets, co-written and directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Boris Karloff in one of his final roles. Their discussion covers such topics as low-budget postmodernism, colour cues, editing as storytelling and PG Wodehouse.
Featured below is the video mentioned in the podcast that breaks down the editing in a single scene of Bohemian Rhapsody.
071 - EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC
Jeremy is joined once again by Chris Arnsby for a belated Halloween rummage through 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic, directed by John Boorman and starring Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher and Linda Blair. Along the way they uncover the riddle of the Dave Clark Five, experience holidays with Ned Beatty, shudder before Ross Geller: Antichrist and fail to be fooled by the old revolving wig ploy.
070 - TERMINATOR GENISYS
Jeremy and Anthony Malone reunite for the first of a new season, beginning with a timely examination of 2015 science-fiction action sequel Terminator Genisys starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke and JK Simmons.
Over the course of a mammoth struggle of intellects, their debate touches on such weighty matters as bad marketing, Ryan Gosling's Giggle Factory, James Cameron's secret merman identity, grey goo, Amistad with Oompa-Loompas and Terminators that ride horses, dance, attend job interviews or are made of mushrooms. We were both quite tired.
Be warned that there are major spoilers early on in the podcast, and that the trailer below was carefully selected to avoid including them.
069 - WATER
Jeremy is joined again by Anthony Malone to mull over the 1985 satirical comedy Water starring Michael Caine, Leonard Rossiter, Brenda Vaccaro, Valerie Perrine and Billy Connelly, as part of a discussion that covers such topics as the BBC Shakespeare, comic actor Salma Hayek, Bernard and the Genie and knockabout prankster George Harrison.
Included below are extracts from the fantastic soundtrack and the segment from the programme mentioned in the podcast, In at the Deep End, in which Paul Heiney gets acting lessons from a mercurial Oliver Reed.
068 - KING KONG (1976)
Jeremy is joined by acclaimed author and scriptwriter Simon Guerrier to discuss 1976's monster movie remake of King Kong, starring Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin. Their analysis takes in such topics as the birth of the blockbuster, The Secret Diary of Marco Polo, Mitchell and Webb and a former Doctor Who showrunner.
067 - ALIEN3
Jeremy is joined by Anthony Malone once again to study 1992 sci-fi horror sequel Alien3, starring Sigourney Weaver and Charles Dance and directed by a debuting David Fincher, with a discussion that takes in Cats, The Corrs, astronaut pranks, Damon Lindelof's acting and the time Jeremy described the plot of Seven to his mother.
Included below for additional viewing enjoyment is the recent stage production of Alien: The Play, adapted and performed by the students of North Bergen High School, North Bergen, New Jersey, with an on-stage introduction by Sigourney Weaver.
066 - BUFFALO SOLDIERS
Jeremy is joined again by Dan Whitehead to discuss the 2003 black comedy drama Buffalo Soldiers, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Anna Paquin, Scott Glenn and Elizabeth McGovern, as part of a conversation that encompasses Bilkospotting, Corporal Bueller, extreme teenage rebellion, some American obsessions and a callback to a previous episode.
065 - SILVER STREAK
Jeremy is joined again by Emmanuelle Harscouet to investigate 1976's comedy thriller Silver Streak, starring Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh and Patrick McGoohan, with the symposium taking in such subjects as Sunday afternoons on ITV, British Rail FM, Canadian accents and The Magic Roundabout.
The city of Cologne was founded in 38 BC by the Romans, who named their new settlement Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, referring to the vestal virgin Claudia, who saved her father from attack by plebians, and Marcus Agrippa, general of the armies of Augustus, first emperor of Rome.