Entertainment of Excellence Podcast

In our 46th episode, we review the Comedy film Tag (2018), starring Ed Helms, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner. The movie follows a group of men who have been playing a game of tag for 30 years as they try to tag their friend who has never been ‘it’. Tune in to hear our thoughts on whether this is good and discuss some very strange themes that arise over the film’s runtime. Also, there’s all that extra...

In our 45th episode, we review the Jordan Peele horror, Us (2019), starring Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke. The film asks the classic horror question, what happens when you are hunted by yourself? We’ll talk about the highs, lows and our first experience with a Jordan Peele horror (I know, we haven’t seen Get Out, what an outrage).Maybe later on in the episode you’ll get some snazzy recommendatio...

In our 44th episode we are reviewing the Russell T. Davies drama It’s A Sin (2021) starring Olly Alexander, Keeley Hawes and Lydia West. The drama follows a group of friends living through the London AIDS crisis in the 80s. Listen to our opinions on how sad and good it was to see if it is objectively good. Yes, our word is final. Also, recommendations? Audio engineered by Ben Music by Thom & B...

In episode 43 of the podcast, we subject ourselves to the 2019 movie Polar, starring the beloved Mads Mikkelson. The film follows an ex-hitman who must fight his way to retirement. Unfortunately, Mikkelson was not able to save some of this movie’s problems which we talk about on the podcast as we normally do. It would be a bit weird if we didn’t talk about the films we watched wouldn’t it? Maybe t...

In today's episode we review the (long awaited?) Sharkboy and Lavagirl sequel, We Can Be Heroes (2020), written, directed and produced by Robert Rodriguez. As well as being the Narcos reunion we all wanted (with stars Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook), the film follows a group of superheroes’ kids as they try to save their parents and the world. Is it good? That’s the wrong question. The real questi...

In our 41st episode, we review a TV series for the first time in 33 episodes! The show in question is the 2018 horror-drama The Haunting of Hill House. Listen to us recall how much the director Mike Flanagan spooked us; experience our appreciation for the acting of stars such as Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Henry Thomas and maybe we will complain about jump scares which is what eve...

In our 40th episode, we discuss the Boots Riley film Sorry to Bother You (2018), starring LaKeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson. Join us as we explore its surreal satire of modern business and working conditions and decide if it was good or a bit too strange. Get ready for a group of white guys talking about race issues and bafflement at the movie's inclusion of a bunch of human-horse hybrids calle...

In our 39th episode, we review the 1998 sci-fi, comedy drama The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The story follows Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who begins to realise his whole life has been controlled by a mysterious organisation and broadcast across the globe in a TV show like no other. We really liked it, did you like it? We don’t care! Also, maybe there will be...

In today’s episode, we watch the Sci-Fi Thriller Snowpiercer (2013), written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, and starring Chris Evans, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton. The film follows a revolt from the passengers at the back of a train holding the last of the human race as they fight for the privilege the people at the front experience. We liked it, but have a few gripes which you’ll have to listen to...

In our 37th episode, we dive into the deeply meta Adaptation. (2002), written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze and starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep. Is it good? Is it too pretentious? Is there a point? You’ll have to listen and find out then won’t you? Ugh, people are too demanding nowadays. We didn't have any submissions this week, but if you're a creator and want to have your wo...

In our 36th episode we lose our minds while discussing the innovative masterpiece Left Behind starring Nicolas Cage with what is possibly is greatest performance ever. The terrible – I mean amazing dialogue and special effects will astound anyone with functioning eyes and ears. On another note, we have a submissions spotlight after quite a long run without one, namely Chrome (2020). Audio engineer...

In a very Christmassy episode, we talk about the Oscar-nominated animated Netflix film Klaus, written and directed by Sergio Pablos and starring Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons and Rashida Jones. The movie gives us a chance to talk about its festive themes of love, giving, and communication while we drool over its gorgeous animation. Will Ben bring us the longed-after Christmas present of a recomm...

In our 34th episode, we watch the Drama-Thriller Room (2015), Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, the film follows a woman who has been trapped and abused in a room for 7 years, leaving her with a 5 year old son who has never seen the outside world. We didn't have any submissions this week, but if you're a creator and want to have your work reviewed, message u...

In this episode we discuss Steve Mcqueen’s first feature film Hunger (2008) starring Michael Fassbender. The movie is an unflinching look at the life of IRA prisoners in the infamous Maze Prison, and their plan to stage a hunger strike, no matter the consequences. We didn't have any submissions this week, but if you're a creator and want to have your work reviewed, message us! Audio engineered by...

In this episode we review the 1967 mystery drama In the Heat of the Night, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, the plot follows a black homicide expert who faces discrimination while attempting to solve a murder in a hostile southern town. Thom remembers the Submissions Spotlight section for once! Which… we didn’t have anything for, but there are recommendations...

For our 31st episode we watch and review the Sci-Fi animated film 9 (2009) which follows a rag doll that has awakened in a post-apocalyptic world who seeks the reason behind his existence while fighting off mechanical monsters. Directed by Shane Acker, starring Elijah Wood and produced by Tim Burton, this film has a unique dark tone, that is not often seen in the world of animation. We finally hav...

For our 30th episode, we watch and review the 2016 comedy drama drama Captain Fantastic. Directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortenson and George MacKay, the plot follows a radical Marxist family who live in the woods who have to come to terms with the rest of society after the mother's suicide. We didn't have any submissions this week, but if you're a creator and want to have your work revie...

For our 29th episode, we're doing a Halloween special, but we decided to combine it with a terrible movie since we haven't done it in a while. Nobody asked for a Slender Man Movie in 2018, but we got one regardless, and it is one of the worst movies we've ever seen. Much like the effect Kangaroo Jack had on us, where we ended up questioning what actually made something comedic, this film made us q...

For our 28th episode, we watch and review the 1940 animation Fantasia, produced by Walt Disney. The movie features 7 segments, all featuring colourful animations based on a piece of popular classical music, with a conductor who addresses the audience introducing each one. With appearances from Mickey Mouse, dinosaurs, Greek mythological figures and more, the animation was groundbreaking for its ti...

For our 27th episode, we watch and review the 2019 Netflix Original crime drama The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese. Based on the true story of hitman Frank Sheeran, the three-hour movie follows his journey from a humble truck driver to the right hand man of Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful politician. The film also stars cast of seasoned crime actors including Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci...

For our 26th episode, we watch and review the 2018 sci-fi thriller Upgrade, written and directed by Leigh Whannell. The plot follows Grey Trace, a mechanic in a futuristic cyberpunk world, who gets paralysed after a mugging which leaves his wife dead. An experimental operation fuses his body with an AI called STEM, which allows him to walk and "upgrades" him to be a perfect fighter, but the lines...

For our 25th episode, to celebrate having reached this milestone, we go back through our older episodes, re-rating our 2018 ones because our views have changed since then. We also show off our impressive display of failed intros, and answer fan-submitted questions. Thanks for sticking with us this far, and we hope we'll be doing another one of these for our 50th episode! Audio engineered by Ben Mu...

For our 24th episode, we watch and review the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler, written and directed by Dan Gilroy. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou, a freelance stringer who records accidents and sells them to a TV network. The film explores the corruption and moral issues behind news editing and journalism, and Lou himself is a character study into sociopathy and how unemployment changes a person. We d...

In our 23rd episode, we watch and review the Netflix original The Two Popes, directed by Fernando Meirelles and based on the play of the same name by Anthony McCarten. The plot, based on a true story, follows Pope Benedict XVI (played by Anthony Hopkins) attempting to change the mind of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who wants to resign as an archbishop. Later, Bergoglio in 2013 became elected Po...

For our 22nd episode, we watch and review the Netflix original I'm Thinking of Ending Things, written and directed by Charlie Kaufman and based on the book of the same name by Iain Reid. Starring Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley, the plot follows a young woman on a roadtrip with her boyfriend Jake to meet his parents, but nothing is as it seems and as the story progresses both the woman and the vi...