STUDIOCANAL Presents - The Podcast

To celebrate the 40th birthday of the immortal Highlander, a very special episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast. The film's director, Russell Mulcahy, joins regular host Simon Brew to reflect on the film. Plus, Russell talks about what turned into a very special trip to France, with some very large cut outs of Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery! There's just time too for a bit of news from...

In a very special episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, regular host Simon Brew welcomes writer/director Mike Figgis, to look back on 30 years of Oscar-winning drama  Leaving Las Vegas . As the film arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time, Mike takes us through the quality control of previous releases, plus the guerilla tactics required to make the movie in the first place. It's an incredible...

In a special episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, regular host Simon Brew invites the writer, director, producer and genius Alice Lowe on for a special episode. Alice is given the keys to the STUDIOCANAL catalogue, and picks a pair of films, including the 1967 version of  Far From The Madding Crowd . Why does she think it's 'edgier than an Austen?' Alice makes another choice too, and Simon has a round...

With three BAFTAs to its name, the film I Swear has added awards acclaim to its critical and commercial success. The real-life story of John Davidson OBE was brought to the screen by writer/director Kirk Jones, and the story of how he got the film made in the first place remains extraordinary. Reflecting on I Swear following its BAFTA success - with two awards alone for leading man Robert Aramayo...

There's a strong case for Peter Sellers being named the finest comedy film actor of all time, and in this latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, he's the subject of our discussion. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by Sellers expert Gemma Ross. They chat through films such as  Carlton Brown Of The F.O.  and  Only Two Can Play , amongst others. And Gemma has an extra double bill for us as well...

Agatha Christie's work may have been adapted for the screen many times, but she wasn't always too happy with it. That all changed with 1974's  Murder On The Orient Express , which started a run of four star-studded movies through to the early 1980s. All of which are now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time. Host Simon Brew dons his detective hat, and brings along Christie expert Dr...

1964's  One Potato, Two Potato is an extraordinary film that flies under many people's radars. Now available on Blu-ray for the first time, this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents looks at a superb slice of Black film history. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by Dr Clive Nwonka, Associate Professor of Film, Culture & Society at University College London. The pair chat about the film, and also br...

After breaking through on Broadway and earning early success with theatre, director Mike Nichols was looking to move to feature films. The second movie he made - and at one stage it was going to be the first - was  The Graduate , and over 50 years later, it's enjoying a 4K remaster and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. For this latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, regular host Simon Brew (of Film St...

An absolutely packed episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents here, as we celebrate a birthday, and bring in a couple of bonus guests! The first order of business is Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece,  Ran , which is celebrating its 40th birthday. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by The Guardian film writer Andrew Pulver to talk about the film, and the influence of Kurosawa on modern Hollywood. And then! In co...

A very special episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, as multi-Oscar-winning filmmaking legend Francis Ford Coppola spends some time with us. He's talking about the new restoration of  Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse , the newly-remastered documentary film charting the making of  Apocalypse Now . Francis talks candidly about the film, and how Eleanor Coppola went about her work.  Furthermor...

Academy Award-winning director Michel Hazanavicius joins regular host Simon Brew for a special episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast. After winning Oscar for The Artist , Michel spent many years realising the extraordinary  The Most Precious Of Cargoes.  He tells Simon about the challenge of making the film, and what animation afforded him that live action wouldn't. That, and about the power...

A British war movie classic comes into focus in the latest episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast, as  The Dam Busters celebrates its 70th birthday.  Host Simon Brew is joined by Dr Matthew Sweet as the pair chat about the film, drawing parallels with work as far and wide as  Apocalypse Now ,  Star Wars, Dunkirk and even a dab of  Top Gun Maverick . Also, why a version of the film written by...

Few filmmakers can ever match the output of the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a German filmmaker who died at the age of just 37, with several lifetimes of work to his name. He's in the spotlight in this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, with two movies in particular - In A Year Of 13 Moons and Lola - going under our microscope. Regular host Simon Brew, of Film Stories, is joined by film writer and...

Welcome to the brand new season of STUDIOCANAL Presents, kicking off in style as Paul Merton joins regular host Simon Brew to talk about comedy legend Tony Hancock. In particular, two films that Hancock made at a pivotal point in his career: 1961's  The Rebel and 1963's  The Punch & Judy Man , both arriving on STUDIOCANAL's Vintage Classics DVD and Blu-ray label.  Wearing terrific socks, which...

In the final episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents for 2024, regular host Simon Brew is joined by film historian and critic Henry K Miller. Between them, they're digging into some of the early work of Alfred Hitchcock. They pick out the highlights from a brand new Blu-ray boxset of Hitchcock films, not least the film that straddled the line between silent cinema and talkies. Plus, there's time too for a...

The work of the late screen legend Alain Delon is the focus of the latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by broadcaster and journalist Christina Newland to chat about Delon's films, with Plein Soleil  and  Mr Klein in particular a focus of conversation. There's also time for more news from the world of STUDIOCANAL, and a fresh double bill recommendation too...

A real treat in this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, as host Simon Brew gets to go behind the scenes of the eagerly-awaited Paddington In Peru! He heads to a top secret location in London where the film was having its final touches put to it. He also finds out more from producer Rosie Alison, and the film's director, Dougal Wilson. Just enough time too for a news round-up from STUDIOCANAL as well...

The work of Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar moves into the limelight in this episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast - in particular, a pair of his earlier movies. Kayleigh Donaldson joins regular host Simon Brew, examining and discussing both  Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and  Kika.  There's also time for the latest STUDIOCANAL news, as well as a fresh double bill recommend...

Founded back in 1999 by Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Nora Twomey, Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon has earned a worldwide reputation off the back of films such as The Secret Of Kells, Song Of The Sea and The Breadwinner. In a very special episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, the trio join regular host Simon Brew to talk about the story of Cartoon Saloon, its films, and its birthday. It's quite the...

A real treat in this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, as regular host Simon Brew is joined by Academy Award winner Walter Murch to talk about the 1974 classic  The Conversation . Directed by Francis Ford Coppola,  The Conversation was the movie he made between the first two  Godfather films, and for actor Gene Hackman, he called it one of his favourite roles. No wonder: a superb, paranoid thriller...

Creature features have been omnipresent in cinema since its early days, and in this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, we're putting them firmly centre stage. Joining regular host Simon Brew is a man who's just directed a creature feature of his own: Kiah Roache-Turner. He's the man behind the newly-released rampaging spider film Sting. As you're about to discover, he's scared of spiders - but he do...

The spotlight falls upon the Oscar-nominated animated film Persepolis for this episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by writer and critic Kambole Campbell, and the pair delve into a modern animated classic. They chat about the source comic book, the mix of dark and light in the film, and its distinctive animation style. That, and the telling of Marjane Satr...

The rich history of Ealing Studios comes into the spotlight in this latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, and in particular two of its comedies that are amongst the finest films in British cinema history: Kind Hearts & Coronets , and The Lavender Hill Mob . Host Simon Brew is joined by Ealing expert and fan Dr Benedict Morrison, and the pair explore the history, importance and joy of the fil...

Now playing in cinemas, Wicked Little Letters brings together Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and an awful lot of foul language! Shepherding it to the screen? That’d be director Thea Sharrock, who joins Simon for this episode of the STUDIOCANAL Podcast. They talk about the making of the film, the true story underpinning it, and getting the tone right. As much as the film is a comedy, it’s got a res...

It may not have got the recognition it deserved on its original release, but Michael Powell's stunning 1960 film Peeping Tom is now rightly regarded as a flat-out classic. It's also the subject of the latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by film critic Lillian Crawford to talk about the film, its legacy, and the impact it had on Michael Powell's career. Plus, t...