Call It, Friendo

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2018 Irish period drama, Black '47. Directed by Lance Daly, Black '47 tells the story of an Irish man who served with the British army returning to his famine-ravaged homeland. The title of the film refers to the most devastating year of the famine. The film, which was a box-office success in Ireland, failed to make as strong an impact internationally despite...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2017 comedy drama film, Brigsby Bear. The film was written by and stars SNL cast member Kyle Mooney. It tells the story of a man, kidnapped as a child, who is obsessed with a TV show made by his captors. The film was generally praised for its “positive tone” and “charming sentimentality”. What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:50) Donnchadh – The North Water Andy –...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2014 romantic horror, Spring. The film, directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, tells the story of an American man who, while travelling in Italy, meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman with a dark secret. The film was highly praised, with director Guillermo del Toro describing it as “one of the best horror films of the decade”.   What We’ve Bee...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2009 Bollywood coming of age comedy drama, 3 Idiots. The film, which tells the story of three engineering students fighting against the rigours of a strict education system, was a runaway hit in India and across Asia. It went on to gross around 90 million dollars worldwide, making it the most successful Bollywood film at that point. Coin Toss – A Lovecraftian...

In this bonus episode, we discuss the new James Bond film, No Time to Die. We start by giving our general reaction to the film, and ranking the 5 Daniel Craig entries, before moving into spoilers. We go on to talk about the cast, the plot and where the franchise may be headed in the future. Links Instagram - @callitfriendopodcast @munnywales @andyjayritchie   Spectre (2015) Main Title with Radiohe...

In this week’s episode, we discuss John Waters' 1974 black comedy film Female Trouble. The film, which stars legendary Waters' collaborator Divine, tells the story of a fame-obsessed young woman who engages in “crime as beauty”. The film is the second of Waters' so-called Trash Trilogy (the others being Pink Flamingos and Desperate Living) and was added to the Criterion Collection. What We’ve Been...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Leos Carax's 1991 drama Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, AKA The Lovers on the Bridge. The film tells the story of a troubled romance between a homeless couple, played by Denis Lavant and Juliette Binoche, in central Paris. As part of the “Cinéma du look” movement, Carax's film contains some exquisitely shot scenes on a giant replica of the famous Parisian bridge. Timest...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Clint Eastwood's 2014 film, American Sniper. It tells the story of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history, with 160 confirmed kills. It stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle, and Sienna Miller as his wife, Taya. The film grossed over half a billion dollars and was nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.   Timestamps What We’ve Been Wat...

We're on hiatus from regular episodes until September. Until then, we'll be putting out shorter "What We've Been Watching" episodes each week. If you have any recommendations of things to watch, hit us up on instagram @callitfriendopodcast.   What We’ve Been Watching Andy – Stillwater, Class Action Park, Avengers: Infinity War, What If...? Donnchadh – Down and Dirty, Nowhere to Go, The Big Gundown...

We're on hiatus from regular episodes until September. Until then, we'll be putting out shorter "What We've Been Watching" episodes each week. If you have any recommendations of things to watch, hit us up on instagram @callitfriendopodcast.   What We’ve Been Watching Andy – Val, The Empty Man, Manhunt Donnchadh – Don’t Breathe, Station Six Sahara, Innocent, The Missing, The Moment of Truth, Django...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film, The Last Emperor. It tells the story of Puyi, the eleventh and final ruler of the Qing dynasty. Ascending to the throne as a child, he was later expelled from the Forbidden City, before being installed as the puppet leader of Manchuoku during World War II. The film was nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Direct...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Paul Feig’s much-maligned 2016 Ghostbusters reboot. The film, which stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, provoked a largely negative response from both critics and audiences. It was considered a box office bomb, grossing $229.1 million from a $144 million budget.   Timestamps  What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:57) Andy – Slither, Su...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Land and Freedom, Ken Loach’s 1995 film about a British Communist (played by Ian Hart) fighting for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War. With a script from screenwriter Jim Allen, Loach uses his trademark naturalistic style to explore a series of sad and harrowing events faced by the POUM militia soldiers. The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at th...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Joss Whedon’s 2005 cowboy space opera, Serenity. The film served as both a follow-up and epilogue to the TV show Firefly, which was unceremoniously cancelled after only 14 episodes before going on to grow a dedicated cult following. Serenity takes the Firefly TV characters and imbues proceedings with a far greater budget. The film was well-received critically and...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Robert Altman’s 1973 Film Noir The Long Goodbye, starring Elliott Gould as private detective Philip Marlowe. Based on Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel of the same name, the film shifts the story 20 years later and adds a satirical edge. Although the film bombed at the box office, it was well-received by critics such as Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, with the latter a...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 1957 Stanley Kubrick World War 1 film Paths of Glory. Based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb, the film depicts a group of French soldiers court-martialled for cowardice and the commanding officer who defends them. David Simon, creator of The Wire, cites the film as a major influence on his work due to its portrayal of backroom politics and “the...

In this week’s episode, we discuss all 5 films in the Rambo franchise. Starting from the origins of the character and the novel the first film was based on, we move through each part before focusing on the cast and plot of Rambo: Last Blood (2019). The fifth instalment in the Rambo series finds our hero in Mexico, taking on a gang of ruthless cartel pimps. The Rambo films, while generating impress...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Spirited Away (2001), the Studio Ghibli classic about a young girl transported to a land of spirits. The film, from visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, grossed just under $400 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Also, Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars and added it to his “Great Movies” list.   Timestamps  What We’ve Been Watching...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Paddington 2 (2017), directed by Paul King and co-written by King and actor Simon Farnaby. The film, which grossed $228 million, was famously very well-received, maintaining a 100% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com for a record-breaking period. Apart from discussing Paddington 2, we also talk about: -Paul King’s background -His work on Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Prizzi’s Honor (1985), the penultimate film directed by the late, great (friend of the show) John Huston. It stars Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two mob assassins in an unorthodox relationship. The film was well received at the time and garnered 8 Oscar nominations, with Anjelica Huston winning for Best Supporting Actress. *Spoilers* – We did not enjoy th...

In this week’s episode, we discuss The Devils (1971). The film is partly based on Aldous Huxley’s non-fiction novel The Devils of Loudun (1952). It stars Oliver Reed as Father Urbain Grandier, a womanising priest accused of heresy. The Devils is often considered director Ken Russell’s finest work. However, one notable critic of the film was Roger Ebert, who wrote a scathing zero-star review.   Tim...

Due to a series of recording mishaps, and Donnchadh's debilitating intravenous drug habit, we have been unable to complete an episode for this week. We will return next Monday with our discussion of Ken Russell's 1971 film, The Devils.

In this week’s episode, we discuss West Side Story (1961). The film is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name created by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the musical tells the story of Maria and Tony, two young lovers from opposing sides of a gang conflict between two New York City gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. The film went on to w...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Crash, the controversial 1996 David Cronenberg sex fest. The film, which caused a media uproar in several countries, depicts a group of characters who engage in a car crash fetish. Despite mixed reactions from critics, the film did win a Special Jury Prize at Cannes, much to the chagrin of jury president Francis Ford Coppola. Timestamps  What We’ve Been Watching/...

This week, we discuss Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2010 film Biutiful, starring Javier Bardem. The film, a fairly grim tale, bridges the gap between the Death trilogy (Amores Perros, 21 Grams & Babel) and what came after (Birdman & The Revenant). Despite a mixed critical reception, the film received 2 Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Foreign Language Film. *** The podcast has a new forma...