Episode 140: The Birthday Quintet [Insurgent; The Gunman; The Voices]
It’s Episode 140 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 discuss Sean Penn’s brawn in the critically-derided “The Gunman” and Ryan Reynolds’ form in the flat-out weird horror comedy “The Voices,” while the return of Shailene Woodley in Robert Schwentke’s “Insurgent” brings excitement (as does the surprise appearance of Naomi Watts), but did the Divergent sequel live up to the promise of its predecessor? Elsewhere, in the wake of the release of “Mommy” we take the opportunity to discuss the career of Xavier Dolan (leading to a Greek peace offering), we discuss the crowded Best Actor field of 2007, one of this week’s performers prompts a resurrection of the “best actress under thirty” debate, and Pete has taken to social media with his frustration at radio airplay.
Preconception Corner
A Conversation on Xavier Dolan: Discussing the filmmaker’s work thus far, in the wake of this week’s release of “Mommy”
[15:25 – 25:12]
Reviews of:
- The Gunman 25:13 – 33:30
- The Voices 33:31 – 42:06
- Insurgent 42:07 – 58:08
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Pootsition
The Garrett Gauge
Episode 120: L’entrecôte de Belgique [The Maze Runner; The Judge; Annabelle]
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It’s Episode 120 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 Pete is recovering from the gruelling tasks of running a half-marathon and tackling the Cougars of Sutton, while Cal is exhausted from a week’s worth of screenings at the London Film Festival. We’re braving hit horror prequel “Annabelle,” despite Pete being unable to remember its predecessor, “The Conjuring,” and we both saw futuristic flick “The Maze Runner,” which we only really watched for the presence of the delectable Kaya Scoledario. Pete saw Robert Duvall get his grump on in David Dobkin’s courtroom thriller “The Judge,” while Cal caught the James Franco-penned “Palo Alto,” the plot of which forced Pete into demonstrating his eye-rolls through sound bites. Audio cues continue to invade the episode from then on, so listen as we discuss a history of unappealing subplots involving Vera Farmiga, an 80s cult classic starring David Bowie, and the promise of Val Kilmer’s son Jack. Elsewhere, a certain horticultural film sees much of Matthias Schoenaerts on display, Cal braves the wrath of Irini when he reviews Xavier Dolan’s latest, and anticipation for next week’s “The Babadook” leads to hilarity.
The Week’s News:
- The death of Misty Upham
- The death of Kit Carson
- Neil Patrick Harris to host the Oscars
- Leviathan wins Best Film at the London Film Festival
[4:45 – 12:25]
Opening Segment: Coverage from the London Film Festival, featuring discussion of “A Little Chaos,” “Mommy,” and “Something Must Break”
[12:30 – 22:50]
Preconception Corner
- Annabelle
- The Judge
- Palo Alto
- The Maze Runner
[32:55 – 1:18:00]
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Olsen Factor
The Isaac Range
Episode 116: The Decoy Tots [The Giver; Magic in the Moonlight; A Walk Among the Tombstones]
Episode 116: The Decoy Tots
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It’s Episode 116 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 super-long episode, we lament Cal’s laissez faire approach to editing, but this edition managed to sail under the ninety-minute mark fairly smoothly. The Red Light District is back, as we discuss films starring Nina Hoss and Richard Burton, a dishonest Dogme flick, plus Cal’s return to awards completion gets us analysing two Best Actress Oscar races, one of which features one of the biggest snubs of all time. New releases include baseball underdog drama “Million Dollar Arm,” of which the MVP was plain for both of us to see, and Woody Allen’s “Magic in the Moonlight,” which Pete unsurprisingly snubbed. There’s also Liam Neeson thriller “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” and Philip Noyce’s “The Giver,” which Pete managed to smear in innuendo and spend forever on divulging the plot of. Taylor Swift’s presence in the film forces both of us to admit some admiration for her lyrical hand, while her likeness to a famously jilted tennis player instigates discussion of a disastrous celebrity relationship. Elsewhere, there’s a postponed Joe Wright rant from last week, Pete’s parents’ holiday snaps struggle to emulate Michael Ballhaus, and the natural charm of one of this week’s actresses leads to a new qualification in the Olsen Factor.
The Week’s News
- Foreign Language submissions from France, Belgium, Canada, and Hong Kong
[2:25 – 8:20]
Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of “Barbara,” “Elena,” “Mifune’s Last Song,” “Mourning Becomes Electra,” “Passion Fish,” “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold” and “Win/Win”
[8:25 – 23:15]
Preconception Corner
- Million Dollar Arm
- A Walk Among the Tombstones
- Magic in the Moonlight
- The Giver
[29:15 – 1:12:15]
Shag, Marry or Kill?
The Olsen Factor
The Isaac Range
Episode 100: Don’t Fear the Reaper [100 Films to See Before You Die]
Episode 100: Don’t Fear the Reaper
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It’s Episode 100 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.
As we close in on a century of episodes, our 100th is our longest yet, as we take a week off from new releases at the cinema to bring you our one hundred films you must see before you die. We take a moment to consider the people who have departed us since the podcast began, we discuss the recent winners from the Cannes Film Festival, plus the positivity continues with the latest installment of the Red Light District! Listen for discussion of films from France, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, and more, digressions concerning Greta Garbo and Bryan Forbes, and find out which auteur Pete shockingly left out of his personal canon.
The Week’s News:
- Cannes Film Festival prize winners
Red Light District: featuring discussion of “Once,” “The Passion of Anna,” “Skyfall,” “Sorcerer,” “The Spirit of the Beehive,” “To Paint, or Make Love” and “The Wrong Box”
[6:10 – 20:20]
Our 100 Films to See Before You Die: featuring discussion of tons of classics, ranging from “M,” to “Onibaba,” to “Titanic.”
[20:25 – 1:48:30]
Outro Music: Blue Oyster Cult, “Don’t Fear the Reaper”
Episode 95: The Pullitzer Puzzle [Locke; The Love Punch; Cannes Lineup]
Episode 95: The Pullitzer Puzzle
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It’s Episode 95 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 welcome Irini M back to the podcast to help us discuss the much-anticipated lineup of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, featuring the upcoming works of David Cronenberg, Mike Leigh, and many more European auteurs, some of which fill us with dread. We’re reviewing the Miranda Otto-led lesbian drama “Reaching for the Moon,” British heist comedy “The Love Punch,” and Tom Hardy’s one-man show “Locke,” which divided the camp in its depiction of drama and geography. Cal’s review of psychological horror film “Magic Magic” gets hijacked by Pete’s rant about a certain Pullitzer Prize winner, while Irini had a bone to pick with him about his “failure to understand” the point of Xavier Dolan’s latest delight. There are predictably many digressions, concerning Mr. Potato Head’s liberal use of his lips, Tom Hardy’s neglect of his razor, and Faye Dunaway’s fear of apostrophes, as well as a shocking Hathaway Protocol. It’s a week of regrets, as Irini’s belief in her own festival foresight lost her a fair bit of cash, while Naomi Watts finally bit the bullet and admitted that “Diana” wasn’t all that. Who knew?
Opening Segment: Discussing the recently announced line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, featuring anticipation of films by David Cronenberg, Xavier Dolan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Andrey Zvyagintsev!
[3:50 – 26:55]
Preconception Corner
- Reaching for the Moon
- The Love Punch
- Magic Magic
[36:00 – 1:00:25]
Closing Segment: Our take on Steven Knight’s “Locke,” and random asides involving Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway!
[1:00:30 – 1:17:05]
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Radiohead, “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”
In the Mood for Podcast 
