Episode 137: The Sexual Menace [Focus; Clouds of Sils Maria; The Boy Next Door]
It’s Episode 137 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.
After last week’s epic trawl through the best of 2014, we move onto this year’s delights, sampling the A-list, B-list, and indie offerings from stateside. We review crime caper “Focus,” starring the overcharged coupling of Will Smith and Margot Robbie (the latter of which dominated most of Pete’s attention), while Jennifer Lopez’s infrequent on-screen activity of late is remedied in trashy thriller “The Boy Next Door.” Cal managed to catch queer Sundance hit “Appropriate Behaviour,” plus, off the back of Kristen Stewart’s Cesar win, we review Olivier Assayas’ Alpine foray into the world of acting, “Clouds of Sils Maria.” Elsewhere, we reveal some exciting plans for the month ahead, there’s some speculation about how J. Lo’s Tinder profile might read, and the trailer for Neill Blonkamp’s latest robot-dominated effort instigates fear, sympathy, and eventually derision.
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- The Boy Next Door 14:50 – 23:23
- Clouds of Sils Maria 23:24 – 36:26
- Appropriate Behaviour 36:27 – 45:23
- Focus 45:24 – 1:00:35
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Episode 77: To Seydoux Or Not Seydoux [Saving Mr. Banks; Blue Is the Warmest Colour; Catching Fire]
Episode 77: To Seydoux Or Not Seydoux
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This week’s episode is particularly risque, as controversial erotic French drama, “Blue is the Warmest Colour,” hits UK screens. Both of us were taken aback by the sapphic desires, but did its all-girl relationship work for us? We had dramatically different opinions of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” but Cal caught Kimberley Peirce’s remake and had some choice words to say about it, while a review of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” forces Pete to ponder questionable costume designing. We discuss the mythologising in Disney’s factually dodgy “Saving Mr. Banks,” before chatting about our favourite films about authors. Tune in to hear us re-introduce the Cage Scale, joke about vagina and side-boob shots, and reveal which of the week’s films channels “Mommie Dearest.” All that, plus an epic news segment concerning the latest critics awardsfoils Pete’s plan for an hour-long episode. Maybe one day we’ll get there.
The Week’s News:
- Smooth FM’s Top 500
- Tom Daley comes out of the closet
- The death of Paul Walker
- Peter O’ Toole comes out of retirement
- Oscar Documentary Shortlist announced
- New York Film Critics winners
- National Board of Review winners
[2:10 – 26:25]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Blue Is the Warmest Colour
- Carrie
[31:35 – 1:04:25]
Closing Segment: Our review of Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” and discussing our favourite films about real-life authors!
[1:04:30 – 1:24:05]
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: The Temptations, “Treat Her Like a Lady”
Episode 53: Rolling Back the Years [After Earth; Behind the Candelabra; The Iceman]
EPISODE 53: Rolling Back the Years
[1:19:12]
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It’s Episode 53 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’s episode sees some fairly interesting cosmetic changes, as Winona Ryder and Matt Damon roll back the years to star in 70s-set dramas, while the facial hair burdened upon the actors in “The Iceman” gets Cal’s dander up. We review the gangster drama, as well as Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace movie, “Behind the Candelabra,” of which only one of us is counting as movie eligible. Pete sat it alone (literally) for Viggo Mortensen showcase “Everybody Has a Plan,” but we both caught the Smith family outing “After Earth,” which gets us talking about famous film families, among other things. We also take time out to discuss Werner Herzog’s distinguished career, while pondering what prompts Sir Christopher Doyle’s outspoken nature, and whether Munich will take kindly to Abdelatif Kechiche’s Lesbian Palme d’Or winner. Cal struggles to control himself when divulging the plot of a recent Chloe Moretz movie, before we pledge to watch it for next week’s episode.
Opening Segment: The week’s film news, plus a discussion of Werner Herzog’s work, in the wake of the BFI’s two-month retrospective [2:35 – 16:40]
*Preconception Corner*
Reviews of:
- The Iceman
- Behind the Candelabra
- Everybody Has a Plan
[22:10 – 51:00]
Closing Segment: Our take on M. Night Shyamalan’s “After Earth,” starring Will and Jaden Smith, and discussing on-screen partnerships between famous parents and their offspring [51:05 – 1:05:25]
*Shag, Marry or Kill?*
*The Watson Factor*
*The Poupaud Range*
Outro Music: The Orb, “Little Fluffy Clouds”
Episode 44: Mere Mortals [Spring Breakers; Dark Skies; A Late Quartet]
EPISODE 44: Mere Mortals
[1:25:35]
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Download MP3
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It’s Episode 44 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 starts off in morbid fashion as we acknowledge the deaths of some important people, both in the film industry and outside of it, before we look ahead to Kimberly Peirce’s remake of “Carrie,” which triggers guilt in Pete over his lack of appreciation of Julianne Moore on the podcast. Things get more cheerful when we get to the reviews, which include the leafy family offering “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” and Harmony Korine’s colourful “Spring Breakers.” We get gritty with the Aaron Eckhart-led “The Expatriate” while Pete goes it alone for British drama “All Things To All Men,” before the toil of “A Late Quartet” strikes too many chords for one of us. And then we round everything off with a discussion of supernatural thriller “Dark Skies,” where once again actor Josh Hamilton gets mistaken for somebody else. He must have one of those faces…
Opening Segment: Talking about the week’s news: the deaths of Margaret Thatcher, Roger Ebert, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Richard Griffiths, and the premiere of the new “Carrie” trailer [2:10 – 14:05]
*Preconception Corner*
Reviews of:
- “Spring Breakers”
- “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
- “All Things To All Men”
- “The Expatriate” (aka “Erased”)
- “A Late Quartet”
[22:05 – 1:03:15]
Closing Segment: Our take on Scott Stewart’s “Dark Skies,” and our top one-scene cameos, as inspired by J.K. Simmons [1:03:20 – 1:16:25]
*Shag, Marry or Kill?*
*The Watson Factor*
*The Poupaud Range*
Outro Music: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, “Cut Me Down”
In the Mood for Podcast 