On the BiTTE

Oh boy. Looks like we inadvertently put a bunch of sad (but good) films in a row to wrap up 2024. But honestly, it makes sense. In David Attwood's film, based on the true story of the troubled homeless man called Stuart who meets a writer to detail the intricacies of his life, we are treated to another masterclass from Tom Hardy. In the final part of "Tomsgiving" bit of a tearjerker but it's a goo...

Whit ye sayin'?! (We can't actually write what he says without getting reported). Yeah, that's right, SIT DOWN! Charlie Bronson is here and he's looking to cause some trouble. We're doing something quite majestic this November. A veritable TOM'S -GIVING! We're doing a Tom Hardy double-bill! We're starting with Nicholas Winding Refn's BRONSON, the "true-ish" story of Britain's Most Violent Prisoner...

Do you hear that? Do you hear that piercing scream in the darkness of the night? No, it's not Wilhelm. It's Belial! The freakishly deformed twin that is intent on murdering the very people that separated him from his loving brother Duane! My goodness! We're so excited! It's finally here! In closing our Spooky Penis Month 2024, we're covering Henenlotter's BASKET CASE; the down-and-dirty video nast...

It's that time again! Tis the season, many say! And no, it's October fool! Not Christmas! That's in December, duh! I'm talking about "Spooky Penis Month!" What did you think I was talking about? No matter, we start this Halloween doubler with a real bang. A real bang of overly obsessive nuclear family perfection. All THE STEPFATHER wants is a family. A real family. A family that just "needs some o...

Welcome to another edition of "THE MOST LITERAL FILM TITLE EVER"! Yeah, it is really that literal. It happens one night in a bar called "Heaven". Watching this film, you'd think every chain bar/restaurant opens its doors to male strippers every weeknight but in Florida, that seems to be the case. You'd never believe that the guy who made ROCKY 5 made this honestly... Oh, and THE KARATE KID. And TH...

INSERT LATIN PHRASE TO EXPRESS HOW INTELLIGENT WE ARE! This film is a bit of a treat, honestly. There's a lot to like here, the most of which is a Sean Connery really hammering it out of the park with a riveting performance to remind us of how much range he had. Yeah, this also has some rich cinematography, some impressive set design, and some stellar makeup that transforms Ron Perlman into a hunc...

Ah, we're back. We're back in Scotland. I don't remember it being so "blue". Not only that, it's really dark, and moderately attractive men are acting like right twats to very attractive ladies. We're back on the "Ewan Train" with David Mackenzie's YOUNG ADAM. The "erotic" (?) drama about a bunch of folk on a barge and the lives Ewan McGregor's character basically ruins for the sake of creative in...

Like Schwarzenegger after him, he just needed to find the role he was born to play. Following the career track of Nicholas Roeg, we come to one of his seminal films, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH.  It's a head-scratcher and we say that with an understanding of Roeg's work being a little disjointed and a heavy use of visual metaphors and match cutting BUT... It would have been nice to get a better thro...

At OTB HQ we're ALL business! But some times, just some times, we like to do a little bit in the name of PLEASURE.  Depending on who you speak to (particularly Laura) they will let you know that anything we do is for "pleasure" but before this analogy begins to lose its muster, let's look at the Ninja Thyberg's debut, PLEASURE, based on the short of the same name.  It's an in-depth, behind-the-cur...

Who thought putting criminals in space would be a great idea? I mean, if everyone was kind and everything was successful, would it make a great story? Who can tell but that's the basis of the Claire Denis film HIGH LIFE.  Starring Robert Pattison, Mia Goth, Juliette Binoche, André "3000" Benjamin, and Ewan Mitchell, we follow a doomed space mission to a Black Hole and the obvious antics that ensue...

Ryan felt we needed to lighten things up and dive back into some digestible fluff that he could get into his snarling teeth. But kinda what we found was that he's been tamed slightly. No longer has the pretentiousness of cinema's past enveloped his dark soul now that he's found the work of Nick Hurran.  Yes. Nick. Oh, sweet Nick. This man knows what he's doing with this (one of his many "body swap...

That train keeps chugging and by pure accidental bliss, we have another film up here with some stark similarities!  Would I go on to say this film is "controversial"? Probably. We have some issues with it. As you'll gather, we don't talk about the film much but rather the way the film was made. There's some questionable behavior happening here, and we're not a podcast to let that slide. The two le...

June has rolled 'round and you know what that means?! It's Pride and we get to cover some LGBTQ+ films.  This time, we're dipping into Gay Cinema with one of the best examples of the category. Number 22 in the BFI best LGBT film of all time is Alain Guiraudie's STRANGER BY THE LAKE. A masterful and nuanced take on the mystery genre, this minimalist, intimate, and insular film focuses on the shenan...

You knew this day would come. It was inevitable. We're covering Jane Campion's THE PIANO.  How does Ryan feel about this one? This was the one film of the filmography that he remembered quite fondly but now, decades later and now a co-host of an alternative film review podcast, with an active dislike for the other films we have covered of this particular filmmaker, how will it fare? I guess you're...

We sent out the call at the end of our A BIGGER SPLASH episode with CHALLENGERS releasing day. It may even be fate that willed us, catching an early preview screening the same week in an RPX ("shaky seats") theatre. There's nothing like a tennis movie in a vibrating seat with some phat, thumping base and Zendaya's moody staring. Along with a tonne of sweaty slow motion from the other stars Josh O'...

What could be better? You have the sunshine. You have your lover. You have fresh fruits, food and a beautiful location for relaxation and isolation. But then your veracious and intrusive friend from your past phones up and barges into your life. We've all been there I guess. It starts out like fun then gets painfully annoying when that guy tries to steal away your girlfriend and his daughter just...

We are back and with something weird and beautiful!  Yeah, in our double dipping on the Yorgos-train, we find ourselves at the 2023 release of the multi-award winning POOR THINGS. This comedy/drama/fantasy film is something special. A feast for the eyes and an incredibly darkly comical tale of a woman brought back to life and given a second chance. Think FRANKENSTEIN, FRANKENHOOKER, FREAKY FRIDAY,...

This episode we look at the early filmography of Yorgos Lanthimos featuring DOGTOOTH! Famous for his more Western entries in his filmography, THE LOBSTER, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, THE FAVOURITE and his recent Oscar winner POOR THINGS, we go back to the seminal turning point in his career: DOGTOOTH.  He's been a prominent figure in Greek Cinema prior (part of the aptly put "Weird Wave") but it...

Oh boy... What have we done to ourselves?  In a moment of uncertainty we decided to double dip into the Winterbottom well. We knew we were going to review this film "at some point" BUT we didn't really know what we were letting ourselves in for.  The "arthouse/mainstream/romantic/concert film" is only 69 (lol) minutes long but it feels like it's relatively short runtime. A film that depicts heavil...

That's right! We're getting mad wi' it! We're goin' all the way to Manchester, the birthplace of exciting musical new waves since the dawn of time!  We're uncovering the Tony Wilson musical biopic 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE! Tony would make you believe this is not a film about him and how instrumental he was in nurturing these HUGE musical talents over the years using his clout as a TV personality to cr...

wADdUp B*****S! wE'rE cUvErIn' ZOLA!  But seriously, before these two oldies get sucked into the chasm of "Gen Z", we're here exploring the 2020 Janicza Bravo film. A tale of stripping, murder, Tampa and illicit tweets. Based on the infamous twitter thread, the film is an excellent allegory of "the American Dream" set to some unique and vibrant stylings. Obviously being set in Florida gives it a v...

There's a quote at the beginning of the film that states that this text "should not be read or adapted to film". "Wir brauchen Gott" which translates to "we need God" finalizes the warning. I remember being told by my parents when I was younger "if you fiddle about with it too much, it'll fall off". The same can be said for whatever Helen who at every turn, in acts of defiance, tests the boundarie...

In a quatrain Nostradamus stated: "In the year 2024, two self-proclaimed cinephiles who uncover full-frontal male nudity in cinema, will uncover Mike Leigh's NAKED". It's crazy right? We can hardly believe it ourselves.  But Nostradamus was right, we are covering Mike Leigh's NAKED. In a career best for David Thewlis, co-starring Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge, Gregg Cruttwell, Claire Skinner, Ewe...

We're in the future! The further we progress into the future, the more you feel what a sham all those sci-fi concepts are. ANYWAY what better way to celebrate the future than by going into the past.  Yeah, we're covering the highly requested and regarded Todd Haynes, New Queer Cinema staple, 'Glam Rock' celebration: VELVET GOLDMINE. Starring a slew of big names from Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGr...

We made it to the end of 2023. And OH what a year it has been. Has it been as exciting and riveting as the completely unidentifiable nor unique 2000's? Probably not.  In a sudden twist, as part of our annual "Christmas Key Party" (lol jks, kinda) we wined, dined, and we seduced Tighe and Renée into watching the newly released SALTBURN , written and directed by Emerald Fennell. The real twist is th...