Review It Yourself

'Keep a hold of those 99 balloons, tear down this wall Mr Gorbachev and make a shelter of your internal doors, we're diving into the Cold War in Britain'. Sean is joined by Imperial War Museum employee and author of Cold War Britain: 50 Years in the Shadow of the Bomb , Fraser McCallum. A two-hour exploration of the Cold War from a purely British stand-point, this begins as a discussion of Fraser'...

A classic episode as Sean, Clayton and Shawn dive into one of the most beloved Christmas films of all time: The Holiday (2006). Eyelid kissing, across-the-pond relationships and characters 'so English it hurts' combine to make this episode unmissable. Sean takes some time to teach Clayton and Shawn some chocolate-based English phrases. Who moved where, after the credits roll? Chapters: 0:08 C...

Cold War fists, broken pride, and the ultimate 80s showdown. When an exhibition fight turns fatal, boxing becomes geopolitics in one of the most iconic sports movies of the 1980s. In this episode of Review it Yourself, we dive into Rocky IV, exploring Cold War tension, masculinity, spectacle, and why this so-called “montage movie” still packs an emotional punch. Joining us is award-winning histori...

' The blast wave from a thermonuclear weapon has been likened to an enormous door, slamming in the depths of hell ' -Narrator, The War Game. Sean and Sarah go from very silly (Sean has been eating too many Brandy-infused Mince Pies) to incredibly serious whilst discussing one of the most harrowing films they've ever seen: The 1966 BBC Nuclear War pseudo-documentary programme, The War Game . Banned...

What do you get when two Titanic enthusiasts get together to geek out over one of the staples of 1990's Titanic documentary: Answers from the Abyss (1999)? You get nerdy chaos. Sean is joined by Ryan 'The Dalek Man' Wade this time around. Ryan brings his insight into the documentary, the Titanic disaster and lesson learned from the tragedy... when Sean let's him get a word in that is. Chapters: 1:...

Katja Hoyer, German-British Historian, Author and Journalist joins Sean and Sarah to discuss the dilemma facing German actors since 1945: whether to take Nazi roles or not. They examine 'memory politics' of the Second World War, the stereotypical Nazi portrayal seen in Hollywood over the years such as Wolf Kahler, through to modern German actors like Sandra Hüller, Daniel Brühl, Franka Potent...

Preview It Yourself Returns! Sean and Sarah watch what Sean thought was the teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey (2026), before discussing his filmography. It turned out to be a concept trailer. Never mind. Do you enjoy Nolan's films or endure them? Chapters: 0:07 Introduction to Odyssey Trailer 0:27 Thoughts on Matt Damon 2:03 Concerns About the Cast 4:42 Storytellin...

Luke from 'Howdy Beans' has never seen 'October Sky' (1999). Sean wasn't having it. Chapters: 0:04 Hey Luke, where's my sigh? 2:03 Housekeeping and Positivity 3:29 Trivia About October Sky 5:18 Introducing Homer Hickam 11:11 The Influence of Sputnik 27:01 The Role of Education 33:25 The Father-Son Dynamic 38:09 Understanding Each Other 44:29 The Rocket...

In Space No-One Can Hear You Rage, or Argue Like Hell! Paul from 'History Rage' returns to continue the Alien series, with Alien 3 (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997) and Alien: Romulus (2024). Will Sean and Paul agree on anything in this one? Listen in to find out... Chapters: 0:05 Welcome to Review It Yourself 26:03 The Flaws of Alien 3 (1992) 26:18 A Dive into Alien Resurrection (...

Sean and Sarah are joined by Author Fiona Dodwell to discuss her new book 'A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls', to try and answer the question: Can dolls truly be haunted? The Book is Out Now! Our Guest: X (Twitter): @Angel_Devil982 Instagram: Fiona_Dodwell_ Chapters: 0:04 Introduction to Haunted Dolls 6:05 The Risks of Engaging with Spirits 12:38 The Cultural Perspective on Haunt...

The Dames of Doom, Tessa and Nicole from the 'Doom Generation Podcast' join Sean to rant about the cheesy, science-bereft 2003 film 'The Core'. Chapters: 0:06 Shout-out to Luke from 'Howdy Beans podcast' 0:50 Introducing Nicole and Tessa from 'Doom Generation' 4:33 "Why The Core?" Nicole and Tessa question Sean’s film choice. 31:29 Analysing the Film's Flaws (there's a few of t...

Sean is joined by Carla and James from 'The Traumarific Podcast'. In this second part of their E.T. review, they get bored of talking about E.T. (who could blame them?) and decide to discuss films in general. They discuss a shared love of Tropic Thunder (2008), the Terrifier films, and the Halloween series. Chapters: 0:16 E.T. Disappointment 0:23 Nostalgia vs. Reality 2:50 Watching...

Sean is joined by Carla and James from 'The Traumarific Podcast'. Although newcomers to Review It Yourself, Sean, Carla and James bond over a shared bewilderment over how E.T. is considered a classic. Chapters: 0:08 Welcome Everyone 0:58 The Trauma of E.T. 2:28 An Unbearably Long Slog of a film? 8:00 Modern Film Frustrations 9:32 The Art of Storytelling 11:28 Nostalgi...

Sean is joined by Author and Historian Roger Moorhouse to discuss his new book 'Wolfpack: Hitler's U-Boat War'. Sniff up that fabled 'U-Boat Stink' and keep your hands off anyone else’s Tauchretter, and immerse yourself in the U-Boat War of 1939-1945, from the optimistic beginnings and the happy years, until the turkey shoot of the final years as Nazi Germany is beaten back on all fronts. The book...

Sean and Sarah welcome Author, YouTuber, Journalist, Speaker, Podcaster, Film Critic and Baptist Minister, Peter Laws to discuss his upcoming book ' The Frighteners: Why We Love Monsters, Ghosts, Death and Gore '. The book will be published on 9th October 2025. ' The Frighteners ' finds Peter on a paranormal pilgrimage to seek out what is it that draws people to both the dark and macabre, but...

Ryan Walker is back! He joins Sean to discuss the iconic film Total Recall (1990). They also swear-ily discuss 1980's/90's action films, dating fails and Jean-Claude Van Damme. 0:05 Welcome to Review It Yourself 0:44 Manifesting Nicknames 2:07 Worst Dating Stories 3:39 Total Recall Discussion 8:12 Classic Action Films 16:43 Violence and Nostalgia 17:58 Practical...

Sean has just got home from seeing the legacy-sequel 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' (2025) in cinemas. Clayton can't wait to see what Sean thinks of the film. Chapters: 0:05 Welcome to Review It Yourself 1:15 Free Popcorn and Awkward Dates 3:19 Nostalgia and Killer Reveals 8:46 Cinema Renaissance and Legacy Sequels 11:49 A Dive into the Conjuring Universe 15:40 Mer...

Paul from 'History Rage' continues to argue that his favourite film in the Alien series is Alien (1986). One snag: Sean and Sarah prefer Alien. This conclusion to the Aliens (1986) review is chockful of laughs, disagreements, tangents and nit-picking. Chapters 0:01-Sting from 'Pods Like Us' 0:15 James Cameron's Deleted Scenes 1:21 Practical Effects vs. CGI 3:43 Thematic Elements of...

Paul returns to discuss his favourite film in the Alien series: Aliens (1986). One snag: Sean and Sarah prefer Alien (1979). Sean tries to derail the review by discussing his frustration with James Cameron's latest films. Paul thinks Terminator 2 "broke James Cameron". Did Paul really prefer Barbie over Oppenheimer? With a sting from the fantastic Marv at 'Pods Like Us'. Chapters 1:21 Aliens...

In Space No-One Can Hear You Rage! Sean and Sarah are joined by Paul from 'History Rage', to begin yet another franchise: The Alien Franchise. Beginning with arguably the best (at least according to Sean and Sarah), Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). Chapters: 0:07 Welcome to Review It Yourself 0:24 Terminator Talk 1:19 The Alien: The One That Began It All 1:49 Cramming Alien 3:15&nb...

Clayton and Shawn from 'Men Who Like Men Who Like Movies' return to hear what Sean thought of his first-time watching I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Chapters: 1:28 Welcome Back, Clayton and Shawn 1:31 Thoughts on the Sequel 3:28 Voodoo and Quirky Characters 4:56 Obvious Plot Points 6:51 Recognizing Actors 7:40 The "Nice Guy" Trope 9:59 Julie's Char...

Sean and Cliff continue their in-depth review of the 2012 TV Film 'Saving The Titanic'. The film focused upon the Engineers and Firemen, who fought to save the ship. With a podcast sting from the fantastic Marv at 'Pods Like Us'. Chapters: 1:48 Titanic's Youngest Crew Members 4:59 The Engineers Behind the Ship 8:35 Cliff's future writing projects 11:54 The Role of Music on Tita...

Sean is once again joined by author of 'Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Called The Coward of Titanic', Clifford Ismay. Cliff brings his life experience as an electrician to bear during this in-depth review of the 2012 TV Film 'Saving The Titanic'. The film focused upon the Engineers and Firemen, who fought to save the ship. -The book which Sean references is ' Titanic:...

@CinnamonToastCrunch3842 joins Sean to discuss his favourite moments of Doctor Who Series Four (2008). Originally live-streamed on YouTube in February 2024. Chapters 0:51 Introduction to Doctor Who Series Four 2:46 Childhood Memories of Doctor Who 3:30 Favourite Episodes and Themes 3:48 The Evolution of Doctor Who's Tone 5:18 Darker Elements in Series Four 6:55 Viewer...

Sean and Sarah discuss the trailers for the entire Jurassic Park and Jurassic World film series, from Jurassic Park (1993) to Jurassic World Rebirth (2025). Would the trailers alone convince you to part with your hard-earned cash and go to the cinema to see it? Chapters 0:06 Welcome to Review It Yourself 1:38 Previewing the Jurassic Park & World Film Series 5:08 Jurassic Park (1...