098 - THREADS

Jeremy is joined by Chris Arnsby for another in the miniseries exploring films outside the podcast's usual purview. This time, they look at 1984 television drama Threads, notorious for its uncompromising depiction of nuclear war and its after-effects, and their discussion covers such hot-button topics as the final episode of Coronation Street, the hopelessness of civil defence, parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic and their own brushes with Armageddon.

Apologies for the sound quality, this was due to a fault in the main recording, requiring the backup to be used.

Below are a trailer for the recent remastered home video release, the documentary from which Threads derived and Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, which provided the opening music.

097 - A SELECTION OF SHORTS

Jeremy is joined by Paul Morris for another dip outside the regular remit, as they enjoy a selection of short films - surreal Spanish thriller La Cabina, animated fable Peace on Earth, public information horror Apaches and Laurel and Hardy comedy Men O'War.

Along the way they discuss the first ever DVD commentary, Donald Duck in Nazi Germany, public information LARPing and a joke that works on visual, verbal and conceptual levels.

Below are some of the film’s discussed during the programme.

096 - THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER

Jeremy is joined by fellow podcaster Ed Bloomer for the first of a special series of podcasts exploring films outside the normal remit, the first of which being Richard Williams' unfinished animated epic The Thief and the Cobbler. Their discussion takes in such topics as the importance of pre-planning, the dangers of self-indulgence, Britain's tallest man and half an argument about Kylie Minogue.

Ed is the host and creator of And What Do You Do?, a podcast interviewing people in a range of professions.

095 - REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2020

Jeremy is joined by both Anthony Malone and Chris Arnsby to examine the best and worst films of 2020. Studying the cinema of that remote space year leads them to sundry apocalypses, Sherlockiana, the origin of Mary Poppins, historical fidelity, the drug of creative control and the last (and first) word on Tenet.

Since this podcast was recorded Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back project has changed from a feature film released in cinemas to a miniseries exclusive to Disney+. Check local listings for details.

Featured below is a playlist of the podcast's choices for best films of the year in decades past, as well as two pieces of music that come under discussion during the show.

094 - FAMILY PLOT

Jeremy is joined by Mark Aldridge, academic and author of Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, to discuss 1976 comic suspense thriller Family Plot, Alfred Hitchcock's final film and starring Barbara Harris, William Devane, Bruce Dern and Karen Black. Their conversation touches on matters including the Master's unproduced work, televisual cinema, second-generation nostalgia, the hiring and firing of actors and damage to the fourth wall.

093 - SMOKE

Jeremy is joined by author and scriptwriter Simon Guerrier to discuss Smoke, the 1995 ensemble drama by Paul Auster and Wayne Wang and starring Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd and Jared Harris. In their exploration, they touch on the companion film Blue in the Face, the transformation of New York, the screenwriter as auteur, the history of tobacco and Belgian waffles.

092 - THE TAILOR OF PANAMA

After a long interregnum, Anthony Malone returns to the podcast, joining Jeremy for a discussion of 2001 comic spy drama The Tailor of Panama, based on the novel by John Le Carré, directed by John Boorman and starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis. Their discursive discussion covers such a range of topics as Raise the Titanic, authorial distance, pandemic delays, the persistance of a lack of memory and Alan B'Stard.

091 - DETOUR

Jeremy is joined again by author and podcaster Paul Morris to discuss the 1945 suspense drama Detour. Their discussion of this semi-forgotten B-picture covers such topics as double features, celebrity fans, low budget economics, unreliable narrators, murderous actors and Marion Crane's absent father.

In error, Jeremy refers to the “quota quickies” and the Eady Levy as being interchangable. Although they were both part of an effort to safeguard the British film industry, they were separate efforts.

090 - OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR

Chris Arnsby joins Jeremy to examine the 1969 satirical musical Oh! What a Lovely War directed by Richard Attenborough from the Joan Greenwood stage production, with an ensemble cast featuring Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, John Mills, Dirk Bogarde, Susannah York, John Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave. Their discussion covers such bouncy topics as the roots of alternative comedy, satire without jokes, the nature of history, mankind's natural aversion to conflict and the establishment eating itself. Roll up, roll up!

In lieu of a trailer, below is the film’s title sequence, which gives a flavour of the film.

089 - MY LIFE WITHOUT ME

Jeremy is joined for the first time by fellow Podnoser Gary Rodger. one of the brains behind The Sitcom Club and Jaffa Cakes for Proust, to discuss the 2003 Spanish-Canadian drama My Life Without Me, written for the screen and directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman and Debbie Harry. Their discussion covers a range of jovial topics including daytime melodrama, straight-to-Netflix, modern trends towards selfishness, A Tale of Two Cities, On the Buses and how revolting bananas are.

Featured here is the animated film mentioned early in the podcast, “Pies” presented by the National Film Board of Canada.

088 - HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING

Jeremy reunites with author and scriptwriter Simon Guerrier for a New Year's Eve special examining Highlander II: The Quickening, the 1991 action fantasy sequel starring Christophe Lambert, Sean Connery, Virginia Madsen and Michael Ironside. Their conversation covers such wide-ranging topics as the implausible endurance of the franchise, the film's multiple edits and interpretations, its debt to other film sequels, chaos in Argentina, the identity of the "80s sci-fi Jonah" and the true meaning of the Quickening.

087 - JAWS: THE REVENGE

Jeremy once again enjoys the company of Chris Arnsby for A Very Cinema Limbo Christmas. Together, they explore the 1987 suspense sequel Jaws: The Revenge, directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario van Peebles and Michael Caine, and discover voodoo curses, amateur icthyology, Sharkula, Jeremy's favourite Bible joke and what the film would be like without a shark in it.

Featured below is the original - very minimalist - trailer, a modern fan-produced version, and the original test ending.

086 - FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE

Jeremy is joined once again by Ed Bloomer as they investigate Joseph Losey's 1970 existential suspense drama Figures in a Landscape, starring Robert Shaw and Malcolm McDowell and based on the novel by Barry England. On the way they touch on such matters as political turbulence, nightmare landscapes, religious parallels, Harold Pinter, Alan Partridge and A View to a Kill.

Featured below is a (somewhat inaccurate) fan-produced trailer in the absence of any official one, as well as a complete copy of the film in lieu of it being unavailable in the UK.

085 - BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY

Jeremy is joined again by writer and podcaster Paul Morris to discuss the 1992 crime farce Blame It on the Bellboy, starring Dudley Moore, Richard Griffiths, Penelope Wilton, Alison Steadman, Patsy Kensit and Bryan Brown, with a conversation that takes in the logistics of Venice, the evil of Tom Good, the British cinema brain drain and the mathematics of comedy.

Linked to here and mentioned in the podcast is Jason Hazeley’s blog about that neglected titan of television, Ever Decreasing Circles, while fellow Podnosers The Sitcom Club offer their own analysis of the first two series of this masterpiece here.

084 - ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW

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.