Episode 164: Awakenings [The Revenant; The Force Awakens; Spotlight; Carol]
It’s Episode 164 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.
We’re back from a two-month absence with a jam-packed podcast, focusing on the big juggernauts of this year’s awards season, as well as the seventh instalment of a certain sci-fi franchise. We tackle Steven Spielberg’s latest moody historical drama “Bridge of Spies,” claustrophobic double-hander “Room,” and Todd Haynes’ lesbian tale “Carol,” which had to hurdle prickly preconceptions from Pete about one of its main stars. We give our verdict on Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s forest-set revenge tale “The Revenant,” Thomas McCarthy’s journalism drama “Spotlight,” and the biggest film of 2015, “The Force Awakens,” while we may have had a few choice words to say about the use of Margot Robbie in fancied finance crisis comedy “The Big Short.” Elsewhere, we predict this year’s Academy Award nominations (happening tomorrow!), we mourn the death of the great David Bowie, there’s a digression on the films of 1988, and a listener question prompts an upheaval of The Pootsition.
Opening Segment: Discussing the film career of musician, actor, and all-around legend David Bowie, who sadly passed away this week
[1:40 – 9:30]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens 27:40 – 37:24
- Bridge of Spies 37:25 – 45:36
- Carol 45:37 – 51:53
- The Revenant 51:54 – 1:04:14
- Room 1:08:10 – 1:16:41
- The Big Short 1:16:42 – 1:24:12
- Spotlight 1:24:13 – 1:31:46
Closing Segment: Previewing this week’s Academy Award nominations!
[1:31:47 – 1:46:45]
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Outro Music: David Bowie, “Five Years”
Episode 163: The Spirit of Fellini [Spectre; Youth; The Last Witch Hunter]
It’s Episode 163 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 return with a lively episode, featuring (sorry!) not a great deal of positivity, but we try and make the best of a bad situation regardless. There’s two helpings of Michael Caine, firstly in the supernatural Vin Diesel vehicle “The Last Witch Hunter,” and then in Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth,” which had to ride some heavy preconceptions about its director’s historic use of music. Elsewhere, Cal reviews gambling affair “Missisippi Grind” and we turn our attention to “Spectre,” the latest film in a recent purple patch for the James Bond franchise. Other issues which emerge include Taylor Swift’s legal problems, the history of curses in the game of baseball, and laughable accents of Jude Law past. We assess the history of BIFA Best Actress winners, there’s speculation about Judi Dench’s fondness for Vin Diesel, and the writing’s on the wall for Sam Smith as we dig our claws into his latest assault on the eardrums.
The week’s news:
- Ricky Gervais to host the Golden Globes
- British Independent Film Award nominations
[3:48 – 17:15]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- The Last Witch Hunter 25:37 – 35:08
- Youth 35:09 – 46:50
- Mississippi Grind 46:51 – 54:08
- Spectre 54:09 – 1:16:22
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Outro Music: Neil Diamond, “Forever In Blue Jeans”
Episode 161: The Chinese Intervention [The Martian; Macbeth; The Intern]
It’s Episode 161 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.
A big congratulations to Pete, as this week he proposed to his other half Jane, prompting the women of the West Midlands to cross him out in their little black books, and the podcast to indulge in a Taylor Swift-inspired celebration. The week’s reviews include “The Intern,” Nancy Meyers’ latest frothy window into the life of a working woman, and “McFarland,” the latest of many sports movies in the lengthy filmography of Kevin Costner. Cal dares to take on William Shakespeare’s story structure in his review of the latest adaptation of “Macbeth,” while many of the plot developments in “The Martian” are up for scrutiny, particularly with regard to the Chinese. Elsewhere, two composers’ birthdays get us discussing their finest works, there’s a sizeable digression about the Best Actress crop of 2003, and Pete can’t help but veer into profanity while ranting about one of the week’s scripts.
The week’s news: The career of the late John Guillermin, plus the week’s birthdays!
[5:40 -13:40]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Macbeth 19:55 – 32:25
- McFarland 32:26 – 43:19
- The Intern 43:20 – 50:54
- The Martian 50:55 – 1:05:40
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Outro Music: Britney Spears, “Oops, I Did it Again”
Episode 160: The Back of Black [Everest; The D Train; Solace]
It’s Episode 160 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 there’s a ton of news, as we discuss the possibility of Damian Lewis as James Bond, the decision by Sean Penn to sue Lee Daniels, and the final submissions for the Foreign Language Oscar, which include a surprising move from the French committee, and a nationally-questionable entry from Ireland. The week’s reviews see us tackle the frosty climate and eclectic cast of Baltasar Kormakur’s “Everest,” Cal caught Anthony Hopkins’ clairvoyant antics in “Solace,” while an unforeseen plot device in Jack Black comedy “The D Train” saw us glimpse far more of him than we’d like. Elsewhere, Ryan Adams’ cover of Taylor Swift’s album has Pete enthused, and the week’s array of hunks pleases Cal greatly.
The week’s news:
- Sixty years without James Dean
- Damian Lewis rumoured to be the next James Bond
- Sean Penn sues Lee Daniels for $10m
- Foreign Language Oscar deadline ends
[4:45 – 20:40]
Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of “Daisy Kenyon,” “It Follows,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “Singles,” “So I Married An Axe Murderer,” and “There’s Always Tomorrow”!
[20:45 – 30:10]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- The D Train 34:35 – 47:20
- Solace 47:21 – 54:04
- Everest 54:05 – 1:07:30
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Outro Music: The Waterboys, “The Whole of the Moon”
Episode 155: Rachel, Rachel [Inside Out; Mission Impossible 5; Southpaw]
It’s Episode 155 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.
We’ve spent the past two weeks topping up the tan, but now we’re back with an episode packed full of criticism, as we turn our attention to the most anticipated film of the year, Pixar’s “Inside Out”. We also assess whether Tom Cruise has still got it, in the latest instalment in the Mission Impossible franchise, “Rogue Nation,” while Cal reviews heavy-going boxing fable “Southpaw,” and Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in ramshackle comedy “Hot Pursuit.” Meanwhile, we turn our attention to the start of the awards season by digging into the Venice and Toronto Film Festival line-ups, touching upon (among other things) Charlie Kaufman’s return to directing and Tom Hooper’s latest piece of Oscar bait. Plus there’s news of Mads Mikkelsen’s unlikely collaboration with a pop star, Alicia Vikander’s prolific year in film continues, and Xavier Dolan’s foray into the world of voice-over acting comes as somewhat of a surprise.
The week’s news
Opening Segment: Discussing the line-up for this year’s Venice Film Festival, featuring anticipation for films from Charlie Kaufman, Atom Egoyan, and Pablo Trapero, plus we discuss some of the awards hopefuls playing at this year’s film festival in Toronto!
[3:27 – 26:05]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Southpaw 35:50 – 42:11
- Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 42:12 – 53:42
- Hot Pursuit 53:43 – 1:00:47
- Inside Out 1:00:48 – 1:15:36
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Outro Music: Odyssey, “Inside Out”
Episode 133: Finger On the Pulse [Inherent Vice; Big Hero 6; Tangerines]
It’s Episode 133 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 back with a diverse array of films, from the artistic flourish of animated science fiction yarn “Big Hero 6,” to the war-torn meditation of Foreign Language Oscar nominee “Tangerines,” the review of which led to some rather distasteful fruit-based innuendo. Elsewhere, we were both in the queue for the second collaboration between Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix, the stoner detective tale “Inherent Vice, while Cal’s long-standing perplexity with religion was tested when he sat down to watch Berlin Film Festival runner-up “Stations of the Cross.” Meanwhile, a big news segment sees us discuss the possibility that the French aren’t all that snobby, an unexpected coming out story leads us into a discussion of the 1972 Oscars, Imogen Poots is bested by the unlikeliest of characters, and Pete likens Judy Greer’s association with Jason Reitman to self-flagellation.
- Harper Lee has penned a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird”
- The death of Geraldine McEwan
- Joel Grey comes out as gay
- Announcement of an all-female “Ghostbusters” sequel
- Cesar nominations
[2:37 – 15:43]
Reviews of:
- Tangerines 20:10 – 28:35
- Inherent Vice 28:36 – 40:58
- Stations of the Cross 40:59 – 53:48
- Big Hero 6 53:49 – 1:02:15
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
In the Mood for Podcast 
