Lights, Camera... Aggro?

Send us Fan Mail It's another between-series, pop up pod. Yay! This time, Phil and Nicky discuss their favourite Oscar winning films. Are you, like Phil, and think no film from before you were born is worthy of consideration? Or are you like Nicky and only really concerned about the original script and adapted screenplay wins? All views are valid, as long as you don't mind a healthy bit...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about LOCAL HERO (1983). Written and directed by Bill Forsyth, LOCAL HERO is the story of Furness and its people. It’s the story of an Texan oil representative thinking he can buy the town while underestimating the lure of the eccentric community. It’s the story of nature, and the power of that nature over the human desires. It’s the story of gr...

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Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006). Written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, THE LIVES OF OTHERS is set in 1980s East Berlin. When Gerd Wiesel is given the task of bugging Georg Dreyman’s apartment, it’s just another surveillance job for the experienced Stasi officer.  Or IS it?  With themes such as ‘Can a person truly change?’ an...

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Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about BABY BOOM (1987). Written by Nancy Meyers, directed by Charles Shyer, and starring Diane Keaton, BABY BOOM tells the story of JC Wiatt. A power-woman of the 1980s, JC - aka the Tiger Lady - is a ball-bustin’, workaholic, badass. But then she inherits a baby, which could honestly happen to anyone. Can she remain her company’s top dog, whils...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about MAN ON FIRE (2004). Written by A.J Quinnell and Peter Hegeland and directed by Tony Scott, MAN ON FIRE stars Denzel Washington as John Creasy. A world-weary man, with a past that haunts him, struggling to function. The last thing he needs is to become the bodyguard of a little girl in Mexico City… or IS it?  A heartwarming odd-couple dynami...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about ALL OF US STRANGERS (2023). Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, and starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, ALL OF US STRANGERS is the story of Adam. We meet him in his forties, still dealing with the childhood loss of his parents and the trauma of growing up gay in the 1980s. He’s been bottling up a lot. A chance meeting with his dead da...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about ALIENS (1986). Written by James Cameron, David Giler, and Walter Hill, and directed by James Cameron, ALIENS is the story of PTSD-stricken Ripley and the fact that despite a prior film clearly outlining her lived experience, no one will listen to her until it’s too late. Oh, the lot of being a woman! With space-goo a-plenty, this action hor...

Send us Fan Mail his week, Nicky has chosen to talk about AN EVENING WITH GARY LINEKER (1994). Written by Arthur Smith and Chris England, and directed by Andy Wilson, AN EVENING WITH GARY LINEKER tells the story of Bill and Monica Despacos. As they try to fix their marriage during a holiday in Ibiza, the Italia ’90 World Cup tournament adds a heated backdrop onto which all their secrets can spill....

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about BATMAN (1989). Written by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren, and directed by Tim Burton, this comic book adaptation landed with a kapow, and ushered in a whole new UK certificate rating. Is this a nerds-only event or does it also appeal to non-comics fans? Is Jack Nicholson perfectly cast or a dated precursor more modern Joker takes? And can mode...

Send us Fan Mail It’s mini pod time again. Another between-season fix, keeping you going before the start of Series Three. Yes, the format continues to be abandoned as Phil and Nicky complete the trilogies they started in Series Two. Nicky has brought BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013) and Phil has chosen RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) Enjoy! References mentioned, and wider reading… Elijah Gonzalez in Paste Magazi...

Send us Fan Mail It’s mini pod time! Your between-season fix, keeping you going before the start of Series Three. For two weeks only, the format has been abandoned as Phil and Nicky complete the trilogies they started in Series Two. Phil is here with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) whilst Nicky has brought BEFORE SUNSET (2004). Enjoy! References mentioned, and wider reading… Post by Shaun Watson - ...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976). Written by Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, and William Goldman, and directed by Alan J Pakula, ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN is a love letter to journalism. With Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman playing the tenacious reporters on the scent of Watergate scandal, this film combines routine procedure, the tiniest of d...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about THE KARATE KID (1984). Written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G Avildsen, THE KARATE KID is a long time fave of Phil’s. Telling the story of Daniel - a new kid on the block who’s developed the unfortunate habit of getting beaten up on the daily - and his rise to karate dominance with the help of friendly maintenance man, Mr Miyag...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about BEFORE SUNRISE (1995). Written by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan, and directed by Richard Linklater, this film asks an age-old question. If Ethan Hawke asked you to get off a train with him, would you? For Nicky, it’d be a real quick yes. She’d walk round Vienna, have the most meaningful experience of her life, and measure all romantic e...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about NOTTING HILL (1999). Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell, NOTTING HILL tells the story of sweet, bumbling Will, played by Hugh Grant in his sweet and bumbling rom-com period.  After casually throwing orange juice over a humungous movie star, bookseller Will and mega-famous Anna, start a relationship. Is it too implausibl...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about DIRTY DANCING (1987). Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, DIRTY DANCING tells the story of boy meets girl, girl learns professional dance routine while boy’s colleague gets backstreet abortion, boy gets sacked, girl is put in corner, boy and girl have time of their lives. An everyday tale, relatable to all. Is this...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988). Written by John Cleese, and directed by John Cleese and Charles Chrichton, A FISH CALLED WANDA is a comic caper that tells the story of a slick diamond heist that falls apart when the double crossing starts. With a corruptible lawyer, an elderly dog owner, and farcical lols aplenty, has this romp stood the test...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about GHOSTBUSTERS (1984). Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and directed by Ivan Reitman, this is the story of four paranormal investigators as they tackle the supernatural shenanigans in New York City. A fun adventure from a previous era or dated, crude, and of its time? Who knows? You’ll have to listen to the pod and see where the discu...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Nicky has chosen to talk about REAR WINDOW (1954). Written by John Michael Hayes and Cornell Woolrich, and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, REAR WINDOW is the story of an injured photojournalist turned detective, providing a stark warning about flash photography in unlit rooms. Whether you come for the spenny set, the classic Hollywood stars, or the naked voyeurism and the...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about TOY STORY (1995). Directed by John Lasseter, and written by John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft, TOY STORY is the tale of Andy and his toys. Woody – the Sheriff and overall top dog - gets usurped by Buzz, a deluded alpha who thinks he can fly. With an enemies to friends trope coupled with a team work makes the dream wo...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Phil has chosen to talk about STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977). Written and directed by George Lucas, STARS WARS - A NEW HOPE is the ultimate story of good versus evil. It’s the good guys on a humanitarian mission against the bad guys intent on universal destruction. It’s faith in what you can’t see and hope in a better world. Or, is it just a camp as tits spac...