November 11th, 2018
Inspired by Disney's planned big-budget streaming TV shows, as well as stylistically daring episodes of current series, Matt, Emily and Ed spend this week's episode discussing ambitious television, including the massive scale storytelling of Game of Thrones, the claustrophobic use of long takes in The Haunting of Hill House, and the ways in which TV shows appropriate the aesthetics of video games. Mainly it's an excuse for them to rave about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,and there's some socialist turtles for good measure.
- If you're in Glasgow, go to Emily's comedy variety show The Salon at The Old Hairdresser's on November 21st!
- If Super November is playing near you, go see it and try to spot Emily!
00:00:00 - 00:32:45 - Intro & News
00:32:46 - 01:05:32 - Matt, Emily and Ed discuss Ambitious Television
01:05:33 - 01:14:47 - SRS Recommends & Outro
November 4th, 2018
Matt and Ed celebrate the biggest cinephile event of 2018 on this week's episode: the release of Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind, which hit selected theatres and Netflix this past Friday. They detail the film's long journey to completion - its chaotic stop-start production in the early 1970s, myriad financial stumbles, Welles' death, and its eventual resurrection at the hands of several of his most high-profile disciples - as well as the film itself, how its approach to editing was decades ahead of its time (even as its story and themes were firmly rooted in not only the New Hollywood, but Welles' own life), and the effort that went into finishing a notoriously incomplete movie.
00:00:00 - 00:16:51 - Intro & News
00:16:52 - 00:53:32 - Matt & Ed discuss The Other Side of the Wind
00:53:33 - 01:02:07 - SRS Recommends & Outro
Dan Olson's Annihilation and Decoding Metaphor, as recommended by Ed
October 28th, 2018
It's a celebratory episode this week as Matt returns after a few months away, and Emily officially joins the show as the third co-host! (There's even a musical number!) They mark the start of this new era with a discussion of the state of Cinema and film culture in 2018, inspired by this interview with Paul Schrader, as well as the news that the great streaming service FilmStruck is being shut down.
00:00:00 - 00:40:31 - Intro & News
00:40:32 - 01:01:00 - Matt, Ed & Emily discuss the state of Cinema
01:01:01 - 01:10:46 - SRS Recommends & Outro
- NakeyJakey's YouTube channel, as recommended by Emily
- The Red Dead Redemption 2 episode of Polygon's Quality Control, as recommended by Ed
October 15th, 2018
Inspired by the delicious yet ominous omelettes in Phantom Thread, as well as the ways in which that film uses food as a symbol for the shifting dynamics in its central relationship, Ed and Emily talk about food movies, and the ways in which different filmmakers use food as a metaphor for creativity, as a way to explore social issues, and to meditate on grief. And, of course, to make the audience hungry. That also ponder the baffling tagline for the new Hellboy movie and Banksy's latest stunt.
00:00:00 - 00:12:06 - Intro & News
00:12:07 - 01:10:10 - Ed & Emily discuss Food Movies
01:10:11 - 01:15:24 - SRS Recommends & Outro
October 8th, 2018
After a week away, Ed and Emily are back and, inspired by the debut of the trailer for Adam McKay's Vice, they discuss the times when the marketing for a movie promises one thing ("This movie is a light romp!") yet delivers something very different ("This movie is a complex depiction of marriage!") and the fine line that exists between misdirecting audiences so as to maintain a sense of surprise, and outright lying in order to sell tickets. They also discuss the one-year anniversary of the New York Times' Harvey Weinstein expose, as well as #MeToo in the context of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court.
00:00:00 - 00:20:30 - Intro & News
00:20:31 - 00:57:19 - Ed & Emily discuss misleading marketing
00:57:20 - 01:03:26 - SRS Recommends & Outro
- Here is the YouTube series Franklin that Ed mentions during recommendations.
September 24th, 2018
Ed and Emily catch-up on some of the news stories that broke over the last two weeks, including the Emmys, the controversy surrounding The Predator, and the strange saga of Fan Bingbing. Then they talk about indispensable performances; those times when an actor's work takes a movie from good to great, or where their ineffable qualities take something otherwise unremarkable and make it special. They also offer definitive proof that Columbo is antifa.
00:00:00 - 00:32:11 - Intro & News
00:32:12 - 01:20:48 - Ed & Emily talk about indispensable performances
01:20:49 - 01:30:42 - SRS Recommends & Outro
- Here is the obituary of Denis Norden that Emily Recommends
- If you would like to donate to those affected by Hurricane Florence, The Weather Channel has a list of organizations who are providing aid and assistance to the victims
September 17th, 2018
It's another pre-recorded episode while Ed is on holiday, so there's no news this week but there is a lot of discussion about Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Lonely Island's mockumentary which was criminally ignored on its release in 2016 despite it being one of the best American comedies of the last 20 years. Ed and Emily talk about the many great jokes, how well the film mimics the films that inspired it, and how its story plays out as a nightmare version of The Lonely Island's own story. Get Donkey rolling everyone because the cult starts here!
September 10th, 2018
Ed's going on holiday for a couple of weeks, so he and Emily pre-recorded some non-topical episodes in which they talk about movies they love. First up, they discuss the bleakly funny and endlessly quotable high school satire Heathers, featuring early career-shaping performances from Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. They discuss the film's prescient examination of alienation, toxic masculinity and performative living, the long afterlife and legacy of the show as a home video staple, and why it's been so difficult to replicate its brilliance in other media.
September 3rd, 2018
As film festival season heats up and studios start gunning for that number one spot at the Oscars, it can be a little bewildering trying to figure out what movies to look out for. You're in luck, though, because Ed and Emily are here to tell you which films coming out between now and the end of the year you should get excited about. This preview has everything: Predators, plaintive Japanese dramas, yelling about Nicole Kidman.
00:00:00 - 00:24:20 - Intro & News
00:24:21 - 01:21:17 - Ed & Emily preview the next four months of movies
01:21:18 - 01:26:03 - SRS Recommends & Outro
Here is the Maureen Ryan column about Louis C.K.'s attempt to return to the spotlight that Ed references during the news
August 27th, 2018
This week, Ed and Emily discuss the ways in which seeing a movie with an audience can affect their experience of the film itself, in ways both good and bad, as well as the ways in which certain fanbases (i.e. Star Wars and Rick and Morty fans) negatively impact the reputations of the shows and movies they like, and how that complicates the experience of watching those works. They also discuss Danny Boyle's departure from Bond 25, and pleasant TV shows they've seen recently.
00:00:00 - 00:15:56 - Intro & News
00:15:57 - 00:52:33 - Ed & Emily discuss how audiences affect art
00:52:34 - 00:57:16 - SRS Recommends & Outro
August 19th, 2018
On this week's episode, Ed and Emily talk about Play for Today, the BBC's long-running anthology series which provided a platform for some of the best British actors, writers and directors of the '70s and '80s to create exciting, innovative works. They discuss some of the most (in)famous instalments (including Ken Loach's The Price of Coal, Mike Leigh's Nuts in May and Abigail's Party, Alan Clarke's Scum, and Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle) and whether the series left a lasting legacy beyond the careers of the people (but mostly men) who worked on it.
00:00:00 - 00:16:29 - Intro & News
00:16:30 - 00:54:21 - Ed & Emily talk about Play for Today
00:54:22 - 00:59:15 - SRS Recommends & Outro
Here is the Play for Today archive at British Television Drama that Emily references
Here is the Washington Post profile of Jimmy Carter that Ed recommends
August 13th, 2018
Inspired by the news that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is recasting a major character for thematic and artistic reasons - rather than because the original actor was a nightmare, as is so often the case - Ed and guest host Emily Benita discuss other examples of TV shows taking big risks, and whether the current glut of content has encouraged or lessened experimentation. They also try to make sense of the logic behind the forthcoming changes to the Oscars, and whether the idea of an Oscar for popular movies is self-defeating.
00:00:00 - 00:17:46 - Intro & News
00:17:47 - 01:04:13 - Ed & Emily talk about TV shows taking risks
01:04:14 - 01:10:46 - SRS Recommends & Outro
August 6th, 2018
Ed and guest-host Emily Benita talk about rewatching movies (and TV shows) in this week's episode. Which movies do they return to for comfort and/or catharsis? How have their rewatching habits changed over the years? What do they get out of watching a movie multiple times? They discuss all of these questions, as well as the death of Barry Chuckle, the return of Jean-Luc Picard, and YouTube mistakes.
00:00:00 - 00:16:03 - Intro & News
00:16:04 - 00:46:23 - Ed & Emily talk about rewatching movies and TV shows
00:46:24 - 00:56:18 - SRS Recommends & Outro
July 30th, 2018
Ed is joined by returning guest Emily Benita to talk about horror movies in the 21st century, with a specific focus on movies released during the last four or five years, and whether the genre is currently going through a golden age. They also talk about the latest developments in the Chris Hardwick scandal, the potential damage that could be caused by the Disney/Fox merger, and the Buffy reboot.
00:00:00 - 00:27:17 - Intro & News
00:27:18 - 00:59:22 - Ed & Emily talk about 21st century horror movies
00:59:23 - 01:05:28 - SRS Recommends & Outro
July 22nd, 2018
It's been ten years since the release of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, a film which achieved tremendous commercial and critical success, and for many seemed to legitimise the superhero story as a cinematic genre. It also inspired a lot of people to act terribly on the Internet. Matt and Ed look back at the movie and try to decide how well it holds up, and to make sense of its complicated legacy. They also discuss some of the news coming out of Comic-Con, and try to untangle the messy situation surrounding James Gunn's firing by Disney.
00:00:00 - 00:24:25 - Intro & News
00:24:26 - 00:56:59 - Matt & Ed discuss The Dark Knight
00:57:00 - 01:02:32 - SRS Recommends & Outro
July 15th, 2018
Inspired by the upcoming MLB All-Star game, Matt and Ed talk about baseball in movies and TV (though through a mixture of tiredness and lack of time they didn't get to A League of Their Own, which is unforgivable since it's the best), with digressions about Soundcloud rappers, the Toronto Raptors, and The Wine Show.
00:00:00 - 00:35:54 - Intro & News
00:35:55 - 01:07:56 - Matt & Ed discuss baseball in movies and TV
01:07:57 - 01:12:48 - SRS Recommends & Outro
July 8th, 2018
Inspired by a tweet from Mark Kermode, this episode is all about the changing face of cinema, and how we experience films in an age where the traditional cinematic experience is being replaced with something very different. Matt speaks to Jaq Chell and Abi Standish from Cinema for All, an organization which helps communities set up their own cinematic experiences outside of traditional theatrical exhibition. Ed and Matt also talk about the ways in which digital filming and distribution shape film culture, Scarlett Johansson's decision to play a trans character in an upcoming movie, and, of course, WORLD CUP FEVER.
00:00:00 - 00:30:08 - Intro & News
00:30:09 - 00:52:10 - Matt interviews Jaq Chell and Abi Standish
00:52:11 - 01:09:31 - Matt and Ed discuss Cinema in 2018
01:09:32 - 01:17:52 - SRS Recommends & Outro
July 1st, 2018
Inspired by the release of another lackluster Jurassic Park/World movie, Matt and Ed talk about film series that ran too long, wearing out their welcomes with audiences and critics. They also talk about the abuse accusations against Chris Hardwick and the notable silence coming from the comedy and podcast communities, the weird, dumb saga of David Lynch's weird, dumb comments about Donald Trump, and WORLD CUP FEVER.
00:00:00 - 00:10:16 - Intro & World Cup chatter
00:10:17 - 00:23:49 - News
00:23:50 - 00:43:05 - Matt & Ed discuss Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and the Jurassic franchise in general
00:43:06 - 01:14:03 - Matt & Ed discuss other franchises overstayed their welcome
01:14:04 - 01:22:51 - SRS Recommends & Outro
June 24th, 2018
With Matt out due to hay fever-related illness, Ed is joined by returning guest Emily Benita to talk about long movies. Why does it feel like movies are getting longer? Is there a certain kind of story that best suits a longer runtime, or is it all in the way a story is told? Which of the two movies about Abraham Lincoln released in 2012 is better? There's only way to find out: LISTEN TO THE EPISODE.
00:00:00 - 00:06:15 - Intro
00:06:16 - 01:00:31 - Ed & Emily discuss long movies
01:00:32 - 01:06:15 - SRS Recommends & Outro
June 11th, 2018
In one of the loopier episodes in recent memory, Matt and Ed discuss heist movies by way of World War II propaganda films, Birch/Hird confusion, and ill-fated BBC sitcoms of the '90s. They also talk about missing out on Doc/Fest, memories of bad Q&As, and toxic Star Wars fans.
00:00:00 - 00:13:40 - Intro
00:13:41 - 00:41:41 - News
00:41:42 - 01:24:30 - Matt & Ed discuss heist movies
01:24:31 - 01:31:12 - SRS Recommends & Outro
