The CineClub Podcast

In the final part of this year’s A CineClub Halloween, the team of Billy, Jake, Matthew and Rhys delve into the world of horror B-Movies, spanning three separate generations. Beginning with the classic era of Roger Corman and Ed Wood with films like Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957) and Bucket of Blood (1959), the team pick apart the tropes and traits of these films, as well as their influences on th...

In the third instalment of this year’s A CineClub Halloween, the team of Jake, Billy and Dion delve into the worlds of Stephen King, specifically the adaptations of his horror works. Conversations span from both renditions of It (1990/2017/2019) to Carrie (1976) and even some of King’s more cult or niche projects like Creepshow (1982) and Maximum Overdrive (1986). There’s so much to cover in so li...

In the second episode of this year's A CineClub Halloween, the team of Jake, Billy, Dion and new host Alec tackle both arthouse and international horror. Beginning with arthouse horror, the group makes their way through a plethora of films, including The Substance (2024), Sinners (2025) and Get Out (2017), in relation to the boom in 'Arthouse' horror. They talk about the newfound award buzz and cr...

‘A CineClub Halloween makes its bloody return this spooky season with our first in a four-part series. This week, the team of Billy, Matthew, Dion and Rhys delve into Blumhouse, the studio arguably at the forefront of modern horror. While a lot of the discussion centres on this year’s surprising smash hit Obsession (2026), as well as the ramifications that will come along with it for Blumhouse, th...

It’s all about film musicals this week as Billy, Jake, Emily and Adam explore the features of the genre and pick out their favourites. There are musicals through the decades including Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011) Tick Tick Boom (2021) and what appears to be everyone’s favourite Singin’ in the Rain (1952)....

It’s a real epic episode this week where Matthew, Jake, Rhys and Billy review this summer’s film releases. The chat includes discussion of Spiderman (2026), Supergirl (2026), The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), Tony (2026), and briefly Toy Story 5 (2026). If you’re wondering why Odyssey (2026) wasn’t on the list of summer 2026 releases, rest assured that the latest Christopher Nolan film will have a...

This week we’re having fun trying to Guess the Film from some prompts provided by Matthew, Billy and Rhys. It’s a hoot listening to the lads in the studio trying to Guess each other’s films from a brief summary of the film, a piece of trivia relating to the film and the decade of the film. There’s points available, so play along and let us know your score and if you would like to hear more of this...

This week we continue the Japanese theme with a full episode focusing upon the influential filmmaker Akiro Kurosawa. Our presenters, Rhys and Billy, consider, in detail, the features of Kurosawa’s work over six decades of filmmaking; from the distinct visual style, the repeating themes, the pacing and movement, and the huge impact he has had on directors and filmmakers which come after him. Our pr...

This week the focus is Studio Ghibli, the critically acclaimed Japanese animation studio. The studio officially began in 1985, but the recognisable style and themes are evident in even earlier work such as Castle of Cagliostro (1979) which is mentioned a few times in this episode. Our presenters, Jake, Amy and Dion, are fans of Ghibli and they each pick favourites from Ponyo (2008), The Boy and th...

In this episode, Dion, Elliott and Jake discuss the films of the Cannon Group Inc which made films between 1967 and 1994. The company are renowned for action films – some good, and many…not so good. The team sift through Cannon’s canon and pick their personal favourites Bloodsport (1988) and Highlander (1986), and some others such as Superman IV (1987) Masters of Universe (1987) Death Wish II (198...

This week Jake and Dion wax lyrical about the writer, director and actor, Kevin Smith. The discussion focuses on Smith’s fictional universe View Askewniverse and the films of this canon, such as Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999) and the Jay and Silent Bob films. Our presenter duo pick their favourites and heartily disagree on some points - although Smith's signature...

To get in the mood for the UK release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), the team have a whole episode dedicated to Spider-Man films. Our presenters Dion, Jake, Matthew and Billy all pick favourites and take time to discuss Spider-Man films from the Sam Raimi era to Marc Webb and Jon Watts, then take a detour into the animated films, and what they are hoping for with the new Destin Daniel Cretto...

This week the team of Dion, Elliott and Matthew discuss A24 Films. This indie production and distribution company have created a cannon of cult classics such as The Lighthouse (2019), Backrooms (2026), The Iron Claw (2023) and Dream Scenario (2023). The chat focuses upon the distinctive styles of storytelling that A24 have developed in the horror and arthouse spheres, and which are now influencing...

It’s a special episode this week to celebrate Graduation. We managed to squeeze five presenters into Studio 4 so that Matthew, Emily, Rhys, Jake and Billy could reminisce together about their time studying at the University of Sunderland and being regular CineClub members. They each pick their favourite films from the course, from CineClub and one final film they’d love to screen - that’s a lot to...

To celebrate his 100th birthday, CineClub celebrates the work of Mel Brooks. This week’s presenters, Elliott, Dion and Billy pick their favourite Brooks films including Young Frankenstein (1974), Spaceballs (1987) and The Producers (1967) and Blazing Saddles (1974). The team discuss the impact of Brooks in the development of the parody/spoof film, his acting appearances in random films and his hug...

This week the team of Billy, Emily and Rhys take another foray into the realm of television with a discussion of the fantasy epic Game of Thrones and it’s spin offs House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . There is a lot of chat about the characters and plot points and a bit of ranting from Rhys about subverting expectations, plot armour and some apparent ‘teleporting’… Our present...

It’s back to the Golden Age of Hollywood this week on the podcast with Jake and Billy looking back on the work of director Billy Wilder. It’s classics all the way from Double Indemnity (1944) to Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like it Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960). The guys rank their favourites and ruminate on the repeating tropes in Wilder’s films and whether Wild...

This week our CineClub presenters forego the big screen and have a night in to review their favourite prestige television picks. Goodness knows how Matthew, Jake, Adam, Dion and Billy all managed to fit in the studio at once, but they definitely have fun discussing Better Call Saul (AMC), 3 Body Problem (Netflix), Invincible (Amazon Prime), Pantheon (AMC) and Daredevil (Netflix). TeleClub produces...

This week the team investigate the filmography of the late, great, David Lynch. Starting with Eraserhead (1980), The Elephant Man (1980), Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986) Jake, Matthew, Dion and Billy discuss the weird wonders of early Lynch. CineClub engineer and editor Emily makes her very first appearance on mic to discuss Twin Peaks before the team review his later films. Stay til the end an...

This week Rhys and Billy chat to film scholar Dr Steve Cannon about the French New Wave. The conversation begins discussing the emergence of the New Wave and how it captures the spirit of the era of 1950’s and 1960’s France. The team discuss the innovations of the New Wave directors, not only with new film techniques such as direct address to the audience, but also with ideas and style. Most impor...

This week the team, Elliott, Billy, Connell and Jake, talk Hong Kong action films. Starting with Bruce Lee’s classic martial arts films Enter the Dragon (1974) and Way of the Dragon (1972) our film devotees appreciate the spectacular fight scenes and wonder about the crossover with video games. The conversation moves on to consider ways the genre has evolved - sometimes with comic elements such as...

This week the team of Matthew, Dion and Rhys review the extensive filmography of the acclaimed and influential director, Martin Scorsese. Starting with Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1981) the discussion focuses upon Scorsese’s repeated use of specific actors and his skill in creating trust on set which enables great on-screen performances. The chat even c...

This week Dion, Matthew, Rhys and Billy focus upon Nick Park’s Aardman films. The discussion begins with the quirky British charm of the Wallace and Gromit shorts and features from A Grand Day Out (1989) The Wrong Trousers (1993) A Close Shave (1995) The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008) and Vengeance Most Fowl (2024). The team remark upon the success of the spin-of...

This week Jake chats with film maker Andrew T Smith. Andrew was writer and editor of acclaimed documentary Filmed in Supermarionation (2014) about the work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Andrew discusses the process of supermarionation film making and the broader work of Century 21 Film Productions such as Thunderbirds: The Anniversary Episodes (2015) and Nebula-75 (2020). His current work is focus...

This week the team of Elliott, Joseph, Samantha and Adam discuss film adaptations such as The Maze Runner (2014) , The Hobbit (2012) , Wuthering Heights (2026) , Red, White and Royal Blue (2023) , The Hunger Games (2012) and Dune (2021) . There are strong opinions on some fan favourites and some witty one-liners from Joseph. Wuthering Heights attracts some high emotions from laughing inappropriate...