Mark The Poet - The Podcast

In this episode Mark talks about another of his favourite films: the American coming-of-age drama film "Boyhood", written and directed by Richard Linklater - which stars Patricia Arquette, Ella Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan Hawke. "Boyhood" was filmed over 12 years - from 2001 to 2013 - depicting the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. from the age of six to the age of eighteen a...

In this episode Mark talks about the 2019 American psychological thriller film "Joker" - directed, produced and co-written by Todd Philips - which is based upon the DC Comics character best known as the archenemy of the superhero Batman. Set in 1981, "Joker" follows the story of Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who is a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into insanity and nihilism insp...

In this episode Mark reviews the newest episode of The Mandalorian TV series: Season 2, Episode 4 (Chapter 12): "The Siege" - and Mark talks about the premise of the episode, the characters, and what moments stood out for him within the episode.

In another Star Wars-themed episode, Mark talks about the 2002 Star Wars film "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" - which was written and directed by George Lucas, and which was the second installment in the Star War prequel trilogy of films but the fifth Star Wars film produced of the space-opera movie series. In this episode Mark talks about the premise of the film, the characters, an...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films and a family favourite film of many: "Mrs. Doubtfire" - which is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus, based in the 1987 novel "Alias Madame Doubtfire" by Anne Fine. The film stars Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky, about a recently divorced actor, Daniel Hilliard (Rob...

In this episode Mark talks about the 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film "Donnie Darko", written and directed by Richard Kelly - which includes a star-studded cast, including: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, and Noah Wyle. "Donnie Darko" follows the story of the titular troubled teenager characte...

In this episode Mark talks about both the TV series "Firefly", which premiered in U.S. on the Fox network on September 20, 2002 - which unfortunately was cancelled after only 11 of the 14 produced episodes were aired - and its motion picture sequel "Serenity", which premiered on August 22, 2005. Mark talks about the space Western premise of the show and the film, both created by writer and directo...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: "Lost In Translation" - which is a 2003 American romantic comedy-drama film, directed by Sofia Coppola, which stars Bill Murray as Bob Harris - a fading American movie star who is having a midlife crisis - who travels to Tokyo, Japan, to promote a whisky, where he befriends Charlotte - a young American woman and a recent college graduate...

In this episode Mark does a spoilery review of the latest episode of The Mandalorian TV series: Season 2, Episode 3 (Chapter 11): "The Heiress" - in which we see the return of a character that some Star Wars fans may have been seen before, but this time they are personified in live action instead of animation. And we find out that The Way of The Mandalorian is not the way of all Mandalorians.

In another Star Wars-themed episode Mark talks about "Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace", which premiered in 1999 and which was the first film in the "Prequel Trilogy" of Star Wars movies, written and created by George Lucas. Mark talks about the story of the film - which had divisive reviews and reactions to it by some critics and fans upon its initial release because it was felt that it...

In this episode Mark talks about one of favourite TV series, adapted from one of his favourite books by one of his favourite authors, Neil Gaiman: "American Gods". Mark talks about the premise of both the novel "American Gods" and the first two seasons of the television adaptation - which revolves around a war that is by incited between the "Old Gods" of mythology and the "New Gods" of technology...

In this episode Mark talks about another of his favourite films: the 2017 action film "Baby Driver" - which was written and directed by Edgar Wright. "Baby Driver" stars Ansel Elgort, as the gateway driver "Baby" who is seeking to free himself of a life of crime who has tinnitus and who uses music as catharsis; and Lily James, who is Baby's love-interest and girlfriend in the film. Mark talks abou...

In this episode Mark reviews the latest episode of "The Mandalorian" - Season 2, Episode 2 - Chapter 10: "The Passenger". Mark discusses the events of the episode and he talks about what he liked about the episode. Mark also discusses the story of the episode - which some people have not had an initial positive reaction to - and he gives his opinion, as an author of books and stories, why he belie...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite TV shows: 'The West Wing' - which is an American serialised political drama that was created by Aaron Sorkin that was primarily set in the West Wing of The White House, which depicted the fictional Democratic administration of President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet. The series ran from 1999 to 2006, during which it featured an enthralling and a phenome...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: "V for Vendetta" - the 2006 dystopian political action film directed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowskis, based on the 1988 DC/Vertigo graphic novel/limited comic book series by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Both the film and the comic book series center upon the relationship between the anarchist, masked freedom fighter, V (pl...

In this episode Mark talks about another of his favourite films: "District 9", directed by Neil Blomkamp - which is an enthralling 2009 science-fiction action film that deals with such subjects as xenophobia, racism, social segregation, and identity. The premise of "District 9" centres around the arrival of an alien species to Earth, whose spacecraft has spent over 20 years hovering over the city...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 1990 submarine spy-thriller film "The Hunt For Red October", based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy, which was directed by John McTiernan and which starred Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Sam Neil, and James Earl Jones. Mark talks about the story of "The Hunt For Red October" and the motivations of the main protagonists of the...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films, and one of his favourite book adaptations: "Ready Player One" - which came out in 2018 and which was directed by Steven Spielberg, based upon the novel of the same name which came out in 2011 written by Ernest Cline. Mark talks about the premise of both the film and the book, and he also talks about the characters and the themes that the...

In this Special Halloween-themed episode, Mark recites some Halloween/supernatural short-stories and poems that he has written over the years about this time of the year: including his short-story/poem "The Trick-or-Treaters"; his short-story/poem "Boo"; his short-story/poem "The Haunting of 14 Yucca Drive"; and his poem "Vampire State of Mind". And Mark would like to wish everybody a very Happy H...

In this episode, Mark does a *Spoilery* review of The Mandalorian - Season 2, Episode 1: "The Marshal"; and Mark talks about what he liked about the episode, what characters stood out for him, and he also discusses how he thinks the events of the first episode of the season will influence the episodes of the series to follow - including the return of a legendary Star Wars character! This is the wa...

In this epsiode Mark talks about another of his favourite movie franchises: "Ghostbusters"! Mark does a deep-dive into the premise of the original 1984 "Ghostbusters" film and the actors who portray the iconic characters of the original movie, as well as the 1989 sequel "Ghostbusters 2": including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. Mark talks briefly about...

In this episode Mark talks about another of his favourite movie trilogies: "The Matrix Trilogy" - which consists of 'The Matrix' (1999), 'The Matrix: Reloaded' (2003), and 'The Matrix: Revolutions' (2003). Mark does a deep-dive into the premise of 'The Matrix' film trilogy, the backstory, the plot, the significance of some of the main characters and how they influence the overriding story that con...

In this episode Mark talks about one of the most celebrated horror movie franchises: John Carpenters' Halloween films. Mark talks about the main premise of most of the Halloween films, and he also talks about their main protagonist, Laurie Strode played by Jamie Lee Curtis's, and the main antagonist, Michael Myers. Mark does a review of both the most recent 2018 'Halloween' film and the original 1...

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite TV series at the moment: "Cobra Kai" - which is a sequel television series to the critically-acclaimed 'The Karate Kid' film series, which stars Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence. The first two seasons of 'Cobra Kai' are currently streaming on Netflix and the third season is expected to premiere in January 202...

In this Halloween/Supernatural-themed episode, Mark talks about another of his favourite TV shows: 'Supernatural' - in which he talks about the central premise of the series, as well as the main characters - Dean and Sam Winchester, played by Jenson Ackles and Jared Pedelecki - and the incredible supporting actors and characters that recur throughout the series. Mark also recites his poems "Scream...