Episode 170: The Drive-Thru Dig [Parasite; The Irishman; Marriage Story]
It’s Episode 170 of In the Mood for Podcast!
It’s been four years, but Cal and Pete are finally back together in a bumper two-hour episode that features lots of discussion of the Oscars, and that history-making win for Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite”. We reveal our feelings about the film, while Pete gets his statistician head on as we detail some interesting Oscar trends that have emerged in the past decade. Elsewhere, we chat about the length (among many other things) of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” troubling preconceptions of Renee Zelwegger are tested when we review “Judy,” while we discuss an unexpected best-in-show in “Bombshell”. Five acting nominations between “Marriage Story” and “The Two Popes” get us discussing the worthiness of this year’s crop of nominees, while a snub from times-gone-by sets us off on a digression on the 1990 Best Actor lineup. In other news, Pete finally saw the end of “Wolf of Wall Street,” Cal has a bee in his bonnet about flashbacks, and Pete saves a scathing fast food-related diss until late in the day.
Opening Segment: A quick look back at the last four years, and although Pete’s cinema going has taken a hit, he offers some of his notable watches since we last did an episode together!
[5:00 – 20:23]
Preconception Corner (including a listener question from Ibbi!)
Reviews of:
- The Irishman 39:25 – 53:46
- Bombshell 53:47 – 1:04:40
- Judy 1:04:41 – 1:14:02
- Marriage Story 1:14:03 – 1:24:38
- The Two Popes 1:24:39 – 1:31:20
- Parasite 1:31:21 – 1:40:00
Closing Segment: Discussing new Oscar trends since we started the podcast eight years ago, including acting sweeps, picture/director splits, and diversity scandals!
[1:40:01 – 1:55:27]
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Intro Music: Thin Lizzy, “The Boys are Back in Town”
Outro Music: Marmalade, “Reflections of My Life”
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 142: Age Of Consent [The DUFF; John Wick; While We’re Young]
It’s Episode 142 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 after a two-and-a-half week absence with a packed lineup! As we catch up on the releases from the past fortnight, we’re reviewing five films, including the highly-anticipated new film from Christian Petzold, “Phoenix,” and Keanu Reeves’ foray into the action genre with “John Wick.” Cal reveals all about Noah Baumbach’s latest observation on the middle-classes, “While We’re Young” and Andrew Niccol’s moralistic war drama “Good Kill,” while we finish by talking about teen flick “The DUFF,” which Pete suspected that Cal would like. Elsewhere, in the wake of Thursday’s announcement of the Cannes Film Festival lineup, we assess upcoming films from Gus Van Sant, Paolo Sorrentino, and more, a listener’s rant re-instigates a costuming discussion from our last episode, and a controversial Pootsition flies narrowly close to the age of consent.
Listener question/rant [Ibbi]: Colleen Atwood vs. Sandy Powell
Cannes Film Festival: We dig into the line-up for this year’s festival, featuring films by Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, Jacques Audiard, and Hirokazu Koreeda!
[10:52 – 27:52]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Phoenix 34:30 – 46:00
- While We’re Young 46:01 – 52:47
- John Wick 52:48 – 1:03:12
- Good Kill 1:03:13 – 1:09:49
- The DUFF 1:09:50 – 1:23:07
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Episode 81: Patience Is a Virtue [Mandela; Last Vegas; The Patience Stone]
Episode 81: Patience Is a Virtue
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It’s Episode 81 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.
Any New Years resolutions to be kinder about films get well and truly broken today, as we discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of geriatric Hangover-style comedy “Last Vegas,” although at least one of the cast members appears to be keeping the hands of time at bay. Cal tackles the latest biopic of the late Nelson Mandela, subtitled “Long Walk to Freedom,” while Pete opted for the rigidity of Keanu Reeves in samurai tale “47 Ronin.” After recovering from Amy Adams’ sexy exploits last week, Pete finds a woman worth coveting in middle-Eastern drama “The Patience Stone,” but the film itself may have tested the patience of at least one of us too much. We discuss several organisations’ nominations this week, chief of which is BAFTA, while there are asides concerning Faye Dunaway’s lack of humility and Rinko Kikuchi’s vulpine ability, plus the Cage Scale makes a welcome return.
The Week’s News:
- Jane Campion will head the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival
- Costume Designers Guild nominations
- American Society of Cinematographers nominations
- Directors Guild of America nominations (plus listener question from Alex!)
- BAFTA nominations
[5:00 – 21:50]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Last Vegas
- 47 Ronin
- Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
- The Patience Stone
[27:15 – 1:06:15]
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Kylie Minogue, “Love At First Sight”
Episode 78: The Nose of the Poots [Nebraska; Frozen; Kill Your Darlings]
Episode 78: The Nose of the Poots
[Or How Everyone Should Join Us in Loving Zack Snyder Being Owned]
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Our latest episode was recorded in two parts due to a technical hitch, but hopefully you won’t be able to tell. The break allowed us to return post-Screen Actors Guild Awards announcement to give a brief run-down of our thoughts, but are we happy with the nominees? Cal had some worrying preconceptions about awards player “Nebraska,” after the (among other things) criminal voice-over in the first fifteen minutes of “The Descendants,” but did its monochrome mumblecore ways win us over? The big questions of the week are where Ethan Hawke’s 73rd film of 2013, “Getaway,” ranks on the dreaded Cage Scale, and whether Selena Gomez can manage to keep her clothes on, while some unexpected female casting in “Kill Your Darlings” threatens to shake up this week’s edition of The Watson Factor. We discuss the virtues of Disney’s “Frozen,” which has us both rapturous about one thing or another, and we take time out to consider the fragility of the Supporting Actor Oscar race, the allure of Imogen Poots’ nose, and revel in Zack Snyder being dealt a body blow by AMPAS.
The Week’s News:
- Woody Allen will not accept his Cecil B. DeMille award
- “Man of Steel” not on Oscar’s Visual Effects shortlist
- European Film Award winners
- British Independent Film Award winners
- L.A Film Critics winners
- Boston Film Critics winners
[3:10 – 17:15]
Listener Question [Alex], plus some anticipation for this week’s Golden Globe nominations
[17:20 – 24:45]
Preconception Corner
Reviews of:
- Nebraska
- Kill Your Darlings
- Getaway
[32:00 – 59:20]
Closing Segment: Our review of Disney’s “Frozen,” and discussing yesterday’s Screen Actors Guild nominees!
[59:25 – 1:18:20]
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Madonna, “Frozen”
Episode 74: The Single Life [Gravity; Gloria; The Nun]
Episode 74: The Single Life
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It’s Episode 74 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 episode sees the belated return of the Red Light District, after it had to be excised from last week’s epic 100+-minute recording. Cal is the only one bringing glad tidings, with discussion of a Coen brothers classic, and a semi-positive take on one of Nicholas Cage’s stranger efforts. It’s the week of the singletons, as we caught up with Paulina Garcia’s free-spirited “Gloria,” while Sandra Bullock finds herself alone and stranded in awards juggernaut “Gravity.” It’s safe to say that one of us was rather unimpressed by the space-set adventure, which prompts a brief discussion on films that failed to convince us, including an Ashton Kutcher vehicle and a recent sci-fi hit. Pete’s back from the Leeds Film Festival having seen Serbia’s submission for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, “Circles,” and a concert marred by technical debacles. Listen as we discuss the year’s latest batch of nominations, Isabelle Huppert’s lustful imposition, and Pete’s lament over the lack of viable romantic options among women over thirty. Violins at the ready!
The Week’s News:
- Lynne Ramsay is being sued by the producers of “Jane Got a Gun”
- Judi Dench and Harvey Weinstein fight the MPAA
- European Film Award nominations are announced
- British Independent Film Award nominations are announced
[3:35 – 20:55]
Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring comment on “Blood Simple,” “Knowing,” and “Mouchette”
Preconception Corner*
Reviews of:
- Gloria
- Circles
- The Nun
[36:40 – 1:04:55]
Closing Segment: Our take on Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity,” and discussing films we struggle to find convincing! [1:05:00 – 1:22:10]
The Watson Factor
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Ugo Tozzi, “Gloria”
Episode 73: Smooth Digressions [Philomena; Enough Said; Turbo]
Episode 73: Smooth Digressions
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It’s Episode 73 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 got plenty of material for you this week, as we bring you five films, a healthy news segment, and an epic Preconception Corner. Having already achieved the Sheppard seal of approval, Cal caught up with Stephen Frears’ “Philomena,” plus we tackle the Romanian Oscar hopeful “Child’s Pose,” and well-received animated film “Turbo.” As Awards Season hots up, we assess where the finalists for the Best Animated Feature Oscar all stand, and look at the nominees for France’s distinguished Louis Delluc prize. There’s a mini faux-pas regarding James Gandolfini during this week’s review of “Enough Said,” while only one of us managed to sit through all of booze-filled comedy “Drinking Buddies.” Listen to hear which former Oscar nominee’s family member contacted Cal this week, which sitcom scarred Pete’s early cinema-going days, and how anticipation of cartoon snails somehow evolves into a rant about a certain British radio station. You couldn’t make it up.
The Week’s News:
- Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” will open next year’s Berlin Film Festival
- “Renoir” snubbed by the Louis Delluc Prize committee
- Pete’s going to another film festival
- Cal has a story about a former Oscar nominee
[2:30 – 15:40]
*Preconception Corner*
Reviews of:
- Philomena*
- Enough Said*
- Child’s Pose
- Drinking Buddies
[25:00 – 1:02:00]
*Listener questions are addressed at the end of each review
Closing Segment: Our take on Dreamworks’ “Turbo” plus a discussion of the finalised list of entries for the Animated Feature Oscar, and an analysis of the race! [1:02:15 – 1:20:25]
The Watson Factor
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Santana feat. Rob Thomas, “Smooth”
Episode 65: Preferential Pork [About Time; Blackfish; Any Day Now]
Episode 65: Preferential Pork
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It’s Episode 65 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.
Festivals are on the brain this week, as we discuss the unexpected winners from Venice’s Bertolucci-headed jury, and what to expect from the London Film Festival in October. Cal saw a rare film outing for Alan Cumming, in gay adoption drama “Any Day Now,” and braced the bloody horror “No One Lives,” while Pete opted for killer whale documentary “Blackfish.” We have a review of the academic “Museum Hours,” and Richard Curtis’ “About Time,” which Cal only saw a quarter of, due to some terrible projection incompetence in Hammersmith, and the Red Light District returns with films from the 1940s and 1980s. All this, plus our usual digressions, in which we launch into tangents on the prospect of a Liv Ullman comeback, the benefits of “Certified Copy,” and why Charles Laughton’s ham is more tolerable than Philip Seymour Hoffman’s.
The Week’s News, featuring discussion about this year’s honourary Oscars, Meryl Streep’s Oscar category reversal, Germany’s Foreign Language Oscar submission, and some “Blue is the Warmest Colour” controversy [3:00 – 12:20]
Opening Segment: Discussing the winners from this year’s Venice Film Festival, and the recently announced lineup for the London Film Festival! [12:25 – 22:10]
Reviews of:
- Any Day Now
- About Time
- No One Lives
- Blackfish
- Museum Hours
[25:45 – 1:10:00]
Closing Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion about “Barfly,” “Flying Lessons,” “The Suspect,” and “World War Z” [1:10:05 – 1:18:40]
The Watson Factor
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Cat Power, “The Greatest”
Episode 64: The Return of Wowface [Venice Film Festival; Upstream Color; You’re Next]
Episode 64: The Return of Wowface
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It’s Episode 64 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 Pete return from the Venice Film Festival with reviews of Stephen Fears’ “Philomena” and Sion Sono’s “Why Don’t You Play In Hell,” among other work by Miguel Gomes, Kelly Reichardt, and John Curran. We also take time out to discuss reaction on the Lido to Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity.” This week’s films see the highly-anticipated release of abstract entanglement drama “Upstream Color,” claustrophobic horror “You’re Next,” and the return of Michael Bay with “Pain & Gain,” which had Cal somewhat worried. As usual we go off on a few tangents, as Pete pimps the beauty of 2004 in film, laments the absence of Nadine Labaki from one of the week’s offerings, and we ponder how Liv Ullman would have fared in “Miss Congeniality.” And then we reveal the exciting news that an underseen long-time podcast favourite may soon be coming to a website near you, but keep that one quiet, won’t you?
The Week’s News, featuring discussion about the death of Sir David Frost, and the casting of “Fifty Shades of Grey”! [2:35 – 6:05]
Reviews of:
- Upstream Color (warning: minor spoilers)
- Pain & Gain
- You’re Next
[9:10 – 33:45]
Closing Segment: Pete’s report from the Venice Film Festival, featuring reviews and commentary on “Why Don’t You Play In Hell?” “Tracks,” “Holding Breath,” “Redemption,” “We Are the Best!” “May in the Summer,” “Philomena,” “Night Moves,” and some brief thoughts about “Gravity” [33:50 – 1:18:30]
The Watson Factor
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Placebo, “Taste In Men”
Episode 59: Car Crashes in Black & White [Frances Ha; Blancanieves; The Internship]
Episode 59: Car Crashes in Black & White
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It’s Episode 59 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 going retro with this week’s podcast, as we discuss the otherworldly prowess of Rita Hayworth in 1946 noir “Gilda,” which Pete caught recently in all of its digitally restored glory. We also discuss two films deliberately harking back to the good old days, with silent fairy-tale “Blancanieves” facing off against Noah Baumbach’s “Manhattan” wannabe, “Frances Ha.” We both snubbed hairly Hugh Jackman in “The Wolverine,” Pete opting for French biographical drama “Renoir” and Cal badly in need of light relief in the form of “The Internship.” We take time out to discuss the lineup of this year’s Venice Film Festival, which Pete will be attending, while Cal is perturbed by the loss of a super comedic actress. Listen for digressions involving Miley Cyrus, Rose Byrne’s portrayal of blindness, and a distasteful slur on Greta Gerwig which caused Cal to label Pete “below the belt.”
Opening Segment: The week’s news, featuring three major deaths in the world of sport, TV, and film, and discussing this year’s Venice Film Festival lineup, featuring work from Stephen Frears, Terry Gilliam, and Kelly Reichardt! [1:30 – 17:20]
*Preconception Corner*
Reviews of:
- Blancanieves
- The Internship
- Renoir
- Gilda (re-release)
[26:20 – 1:04:50]
Closing Segment: Our take on Noah Baumbach’s “Frances Ha,” Shag Marry or Kill, and discussing director/actor partnerships between real life partners! [1:04:55 – 1:19:25]
*The Watson Factor*
*The Poupaud Range*
Outro Music: Mika, “Grace Kelly”
In the Mood for Podcast 
