Monthly Archives: November, 2014

Episode 124: The Gay in Engaging [The Imitation Game; The Drop; Life Itself]

Episode 124: The Gay in Engaging
[1:24:54]
You can Listen online

It’s Episode 124 of In the Mood for Podcast, a British-based film podcast hosted by Calum Reed of Ultimate Addict and Pete Sheppard of In the Mood for Blog.

This week the beer is flowing, and so is the innuendo, as Pete finally has the keys to his brand new house. This forces Cal into a distillation of jukebox classics, before we review the new releases, which include Michael Roskam’s “The Drop” and Roger Ebert documentary “Life Itself,” which prompts Pete to recite some of Roger Ebert’s more baffling reviews. In the wake of Alan Turing biopic “The Imitation Game” we get chatting about our favourite gay characters and icons of cinema, featuring discussion of Oscar Wilde and Billie Holiday, while Cal discloses some of the recent films he’s caught up with from earlier in the year, including a horror film about an urban archaeologist. A hefty news segment sees us discuss Angelina Jolie’s adoption of Derbyshire dialect, plus Eddie Redmayne’s fuckability sees a boost, and Fashion Police finally found a replacement for Joan Rivers. Elsewhere, the cast of Downton Abbey are out in force this week, Cal is feeling guilty for leaving Matthias Schoenaerts in the lurch, we float the possibility of a Tallulah Bankhead biopic starring Cate Blanchett, and Pete recounts a regretful dancefloor moment set to the music of Vanilla Ice.

The Week’s News:
  • Chris Hemsworth voted People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”
  • Angelina Jolie’s Derby Moment
  • Kathy Griffin announced as Joan Rivers’ replacement on Fashion Police
  • The trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” is out
Plus! Cal gives a round-up of 2014 films he’s been catching up with, including “As Above, So Below,” “Black Coal, Thin Ice,” and “The Guest”!

[4:15 – 23:10]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

  • The Drop
  • Life Itself

[30:25 – 52:15]

Closing Segment: Our take on Oscar-tipped Alan Turing biopic “The Imitation Game,” and discussing LGBT heroes of the film world! 

[52:20 – 1:13:00]

Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Olsen Factor
The Isaac Range

Outro Music: This Mortal Coil, “Holocaust”

Episode 123: The Folly of Ambition [Interstellar; Leviathan; Human Capital]

Episode 123: The Folly of Ambition
[1:38:59]
You can Listen online

It’s Episode 123 of In the Mood for Podcast, a British-based film podcast hosted by Calum Reed of Ultimate Addict and Pete Sheppard of In the Mood for Blog.


This week we’re joined once again by Irini M., who brings us news from her home country’s Thessaloniki Film Festival in a notably more concise fashion than September’s Venice round-up. She also joins in our discussion of some interesting recent events, which includes some rare exciting news involving David O. Russell, and the bizarre spectrum of films vying for this year’s Animated Feature Oscar. We discuss two Foreign Language Oscar contenders, as Paolo Virzi’s “Human Capital” enlivens the middle-class misery of bourgeois Italy and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Leviathan” documents the coastal conflicts of rural Russia, before giving ambition a dressing down, as Christopher Nolan’s epic “Interstellar” comes to town. We reveal whether the cinematic influences used in the film are a blessing or curse, and whether Nolan’s scope and logic holds up under scrutiny. Elsewhere, we recount a horror show from Venice which saw Pete become a gay advocate, a mistaken text briefly convinced Cal that his niece was a child genius, while Keira Knightley’s recent quest to boost female self-image has us rather baffled.

The Week’s News:
  • Darren Aronofsky to head the jury at next year’s Berlin Film Festival
  • David O. Russell’s long-delayed “Nailed” re-titled as “Love in Politics” and scheduled for release in the UK
  • Animated Feature Oscar qualifying list is announced
  • European Film Award nominations are announced

[3:05 – 20:55]

Opening Segment: Irini M. provides a round-up of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, which includes discussion of films by Peter Strickland, Susanne Bier, and Mia Hansen-Love!

[21:00 – 34:45]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

  • Leviathan
  • Human Capital

[43:25 – 1:01:30]

Closing Segment: Our take on Christopher Nolan’s space-set epic “Interstellar,” and discussing cine-literate films, with comment on “Allegro,” “Kill Bill,” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”!

[1:01:35 – 1:28:40]

Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Olsen Factor
The Isaac Range

Outro Music: Adam and the Ants, “Prince Charming”

Episode 122: The Lake Malfunction [Mr. Turner; Nightcrawler; The Films of 1987]

Episode 122: The Lake Malfunction
[1:28:46]
You can Listen online

It’s Episode 122 of In the Mood for Podcast, a British-based film podcast hosted by Calum Reed of Ultimate Addict and Pete Sheppard of In the Mood for Blog.


This week we’re going retro again, as the Red Light District is back for its monthly outing, bringing news of an amibitious take on spirituality and a French poison-pen mystery, while a BAFTA-winning Maggie Smith performance and a glorious turn by Anne Bancroft turn the discussion to the year of 1987, in which we discuss the qualities of Holly Hunter, Olympia Dukakis, Jack Nicholson, and more! Current releases reviewed include the much-delayed “Charlie Countryman,” Polish surgery procedural “Bogowie,” and Dan Gilroy’s “Nightcrawler,” which had Seydoux repercussions for Jake Gyllenhaal. After that, attention is drawn to the painterly attributes of Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner,” but did either of us respond to the grunts and thrusts of Cannes Best Actor winner Timothy Spall? We engage in a brief hum-a-long of the film’s score, before taking the opportunity to discuss our favourite flicks based on the lives of artists, which includes talk of a Ken Russell biopic, a Tarkovsky epic, and a rare moment of non-objectification afforded to Emmanuelle Beart. There’s time to bitch about the running times of recent films in the wake of next week’s near three-hour “Interstellar,” while there are some rare kind words about Shia LaBoeuf, and an Adidas tracksuit unexpectedly provides a retrospective Huston Problem. Elsewhere, one of this week’s performers is unfavourably compared to Danny DeVito, the appeal of Mads Mikkelsen’s blondeness is swiftly dismissed by Cal, and the very thought of Lake Bell causes Pete to malfunction.

The Week’s News:
  • British Independent Film Award nominations are announced

[2:25 – 9:20]

Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of films by Darren Aronofsky, Jack Clayton, Henri-Georges Clouzot, and David Hugh Jones, plus an overview of the films of 1987!

[9:25 – 25:05]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

  • Charlie Countryman
  • Nightcrawler
  • Bogowie (Gods)

[29:55 – 53:00]

Closing Segment: Our take on Mike Leigh’s biographical drama “Mr. Turner,” and discussing films based on the lives of artists!

[53:05 – 1:10:45]

Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Olsen Factor
The Isaac Range

Outro Music: Kate Bush, “The Painter’s Link”
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