Groovy Movies

Last week A24’s Civil War was released and we have mixed feelings about it. Will their biggest-budget movie to date prove itself at the box office? And is a movie about war and an American fascist leader really what we want to see right now? References ‘The Rise and Rise of A24’ , The Economist (not credited) Director Alex Garland speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about Civil War ‘Box Office: ‘Ci...

It takes skill to capture the effortless spontaneity of a really good party scene. Relatively few nail it but when they do, they really do. This week we compile our top 5 party scenes; from teenage house parties to rave afters, with a surreal French restaurant jamboree sandwiched in the middle. References The party scene in 10 Things I Hate About You The afterparty in Human Traffic (1999) The part...

We’re going back to the horniest years in Hollywood history for another scandalous pre-coder; Baby Face , the 1933 movie that was so shocking it solidified cinema’s censorship for the next 30 years.  Watch it for free here .  References Will Hays IRL You Must Remember This ’ episode on Will Hays and “Pre-Code” Hollywood   Wes Anderson Talks Early Hollywood Censorship in ‘TCM Picks’ Video for Barba...

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It’s been out for a week but we’re not taking any chances. Here is our painstakingly spoiler-free discussion of Dune: Part Two , plus our thoughts on Madame Web and a sexy addition to the Film Pharmacy. References Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two  and dialogue v. cinematography for The Times ‘Dune: Part Two’ Star Stellan Skarsgard Laughed Seeing Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha: Butler ‘Really Enjoy...

We're  back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer 's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale. Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cine...

It’s the end of the year and also our series finale so we're bringing both to a close with a deeply intellectual discussion on the ultimate New Years movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary . Plus, in anticipation of awards season, we list the films we’re most excited to see over the next couple of months. References Bridget Jones’s Diary deleted scenes That scathing New York Times piece on Bridget Jone...

For our penultimate episode of the series we’re going recommendation-heavy and spoiler-free, with our top picks of festive films, hitting every point on the Grinch-to-Elf Christmas spirit scale.  References The Powell and Pressburger season from Oct-Dec 2023 - catch the last few screenings now. The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror exhibition Piece for ASC on Jack Cardiff from 1994, The Red Shoe ’s cin...

We couldn’t resist the controversy around Ridley Scott’s new movie, so this week we’re discussing Napoleon and wading into the debate about historical accuracy and film. But what do you think? Let us know on instagram - @groovymoviespod. References Ridley Scott profile by Michael Schulman for The New Yorker Ridley Scott’s response to Napoleon ’s critics by Caroline Frost for Deadline Ridley Scott’...

This week we are joined by Audra and Elisa from Culture Colander . They bring an American perspective to a very British class system as we dissect Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn, i.e. The Talented Mr Creepley. References Listen to and follow @culturecolander Interview with Emerald Fennell and the cast of Saltburn ‘The sons and daughters of The Talented Mr Ripley’ by Manuela Lazic for The Ring...

Aesthetica short film festival, the Hollywood blacklist, and one of its scripts, Todd Haynes’ new movie May December , are all up for discussion this week. Expect sweeping generalisations about short films and a tabloid-esque compare-and-contrast between May December and the real-life scandal that inspired it. References Aesthetica Short Film Festival New York 81 (short 2022) dir. by Jannicke Syst...

In honour of new release Fingernails , we talk dystopian romances: why they work, when they don’t, and which animal we’d like to be turned into if we didn’t find love. References Fingernails  director Christos Nikou on modern dating by Lou Thomas for BFI Sheila O’Malley’s review of The Lobster Interview with Yorgos Lanthimos on The Lobster by Mekado Murphy for The New York Times Spike Jonze on Her...

This week James drags us to the BFI IMAX for Gravity’s 10th year anniversary re-release, on a mission to prove that the cinematic experience is worth leaving the house for. Film Pharmacy The Full Monty (1997) dir. by Peter Cattaneo Pride (2014) dir. by Matthew Warchus ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Edited by Lily Austin Original music by James Brails...

With DiCaprio and De Niro in fine gurning form and Thelma Schoonmaker on the edit, the gang’s back together for Martin Scorsese’s brand new film. But is it worth the 3hr26m runtime? References Killers of the Flower Moon: Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (the book the film is based on) Interview with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone for Critqal Martin Scorsese’s compan...

It’s that spooky time of year and Practical Magic’s 25th anniversary. So this week we take a whistlestop tour through witch movie history to our final destination: the 90s (cinema’s hexiest decade?).  References ‘Screaming, Flying, And Laughing: Magical Feminism’s witches in contemporary film, television and novels’ by Kimberly Ann Wells ‘Witches, “bitches” or feminist trailblazers? The Witch in F...

To any Swifties listening - hello, welcome. To any non-Swifties, please forgive us. We couldn’t resist discussing the music-movie partnership of an era. So this week we take the opportunity to ask the question: do concert films work? We, of course, dive into Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour   but also compare it with another concert movie that is currently in cinemas: Stop Making Sense , A24’s re-release...

It's the 30 year anniversary of Dazed and Confused (1993), Richard Linklater's ode to 70s adolescence. And he wasn't alone - many of the 90s greatest films were set in the last vinyl decade. Besides the dramatically pointy collars and avocado bathroom sets, what was the appeal? To answer the question, we take a closer look at Linklater's coming-of-age breakout hit, Cameron Crow...

Inspired by new release Past Lives, this week we look at love stories about what could have been. We discusses the enduring influence of 90s clanger Sliding Doors and the indie classic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. References Past Lives director Celine Song explains ‘in-yun’ 'Break-Up' - This American Life's podcast episode I don’t want to get over you by The Magnetic Fiel...

We return to our favourite debate: monogamy vs. polyamory. This time with love triangles as the point of entry. We discuss new release Passages' somewhat bleak version of the shape, and look back at more optimistic portrayals, including Woody Allen's Spanish holiday fantasy Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and the pre-code shocker Design For Living .  Lily also gives the lowdown on (the auteur...

This week we take a closer look at the writers and actors strikes and what the impact will be for film-making and cinemas. We also pick our must-see movies from the Venice Film Festival. Donate here to emergency financial assistance writers, performers and people in support roles affected by the strike Donate here to SAG-AFTRA's emergency fund References SAG proposals WGA proposals Deadline S...

This week on the podcast we’re trying our hand at the greatest radio format of all time. Lily does her best (very bad) Kirsty Young impression as James' delivers his top 3 Desert Island DVDs. He also, of course, details his preferred AV set-up for shipwrecked screenings - think monkeys in tuxedos. References The lowdown on Cargo Cults 'The rise (and Inevitable fall) of Citizen Kane as th...

This week we're discussing directors who have achieved cult status: the ones you can recognise within 24 frames of a film  - the Taratinos,  the Hitchcocks and of course, the Nolans. We come up with rules for achieving cult of director status and question if superstar directors still have power in the era of streaming services. References A quick guide to auteur theory by Jax Griffin for film...

This week James tells the amazing story behind the rise of women editors in cinema and we take a closer look at three of the best: Verna Fields (Jaws), Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull) and Anne V. Coates (Out of Sight). References 'The Celluloid Ceiling' - stats on behind-the-scenes women in 2022's top grossing films 'Edited By' - an excellent source on women film editors...

The Great British Summer is letting us down so we’re escaping to Italy for a cinematic holiday special. Stops on the trip include Roman Holiday, Call Me By Your Name and The Great Beauty. References Audrey Hepburn’s screen test for Roman Holiday, 1953 , YouTube The making of Roman Holiday , YouTube Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and...

This week we contemplate plot twists - what works, what doesn't work and the different purposes they can serve. And apologies, this week is spoiler heavy, so if you can, watch before listening: Psycho (1960) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock Atonement (2007) dir. by Joe Wright Parasite (2019) dir. by Bong Joon-ho References The Making of Psycho , YouTube How Hitchcock got people to watch Psycho , YouT...