Category: Film

Episode 233: Halloween (1978)

For the first time in 11 years, we bring you a Halloween special. This was an impromptu episode recorded 15 minutes after Martyn and Gerrod saw Halloween at the local Odeon.

Your dynamic duo discusses John Carpenter’s seminal classic, Halloween.

Equipment used in the creation of this feature was purchased through a grant from Graeae and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.



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Review-Borat: subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ took the world by storm. In a time when things have changed so much, Borat’s return in the sequel ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ might be just what we need to cut through the noise and see ourselves for who we really are.

The film begins with Kazakhstan’s fourth most celebrity, Borat Sagdiyev, doing hard labour in a gulag. After the first film, his fame brought shame and ridicule to his country, causing exports of potassium and pubis to plummet. Borat became a pariah, with all but one of his children despising him. Premier Nazarbayev offers him one last chance to redeem himself by travelling to America and delivering a gift to Vice President Mike Pence: Johnny the monkey.

But how does a sequel mockumentary work when the entire world knows the character? Spectacularly, it turns out. The film mostly follows the same plot structure as the first, with Borat and his daughter Tutar travelling together, having a falling out, and then reuniting. Cohen plays Borat in disguise for most of the film, with newcomer Maria Bakalova delivering an excellent performance as Tutar.

Cohen’s dedication to method acting is evident in his staying in character for five days straight while filming. He’s easily the Peter Sellers of our time, and his chemistry with Bakalova makes their father-daughter relationship completely believable. What follows is a cutting satire of our modern-day lives mixed with a heartwarming family narrative.

Borat and Tutar’s antics get people to reveal they’re true colours in hilarious and disturbing ways. When Borat casually asks a store owner if a can of propane would gas 20 Gypsies, the store owner replies with “maybe the bigger one.” He also happily puts Tutar in a cage. However, because Borat is in disguise so much, certain scenes can feel more like Cohen’s ‘Who is America?’ than a straight-up Borat sequel.

Like the first film, this sequel gleefully basks in its very un-PC humour, but that’s part of what makes it work so well. It’s a serious work of social criticism that might just get us all reevaluating how we think about racism, bigotry, and sexism. Is it offensive? Yes. But if you’re easily offended, maybe this film isn’t for you.

Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, October 23, 2020




Trailer-Borat:Subsequent moviefilm

Below is the trailer for the upcoming sequel to the 2006 hit, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

In the sequel, Borat again travels to America seeking redemption for the shame he brought Kazakhstan with the last film.

The sequel was shot in secret over the summer. Fans wondered what was happening, when Cohen was seen driving as Borat in June.

The original “Borat” was a box office smash in 2006, grossing over $260 million worldwide. Sacha Baron Cohen won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

Film to Launch Globally on October 23rd Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video

Review-Mulan

Except The Jungle Book, Disney’s live-action remakes have failed to capture the magic of their animated predecessors. Mulan, however, had the potential to break this trend with a cast full of martial arts experts and breathtaking sets. Unfortunately, the film fails to deliver on its promise, despite having many promising parts.

One of the biggest deviations from the 1998 source material is the absence of musical numbers and the romantic subplot. In addition, the wisecracking dragon, Mushu, has been replaced with a less effective soaring phoenix. While the film is visually stunning, with impeccably designed costumes and sets, the CGI and green screen work are sometimes dodgy, which detracts from the overall experience.

Liu Yifei’s performance as Mulan is great, but she fails to convince as a man. Her feminine appearance throughout the film makes it difficult to suspend disbelief. The action set pieces, which should be spectacular given the cast of renowned martial arts experts, are either bad or mediocre, which is a real shame.

In the end, Mulan 2020 is just Mulan 1998 with the fun taken out. Despite having all the necessary ingredients for success, the film fails to bring them together in a satisfying way. My advice would be to wait until it’s free to stream on Disney+ rather than spend money on a disappointing cinematic experience.

Review-Bill & Ted Face the Music

Reuniting the magic of a successful franchise after a long hiatus can be a daunting task, especially in comedy films where societal sensibilities change over time. However, Bill & Ted Face the Music manages to deliver a new and innovative instalment that pleases both lifelong fans and new audiences.

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves seamlessly slip back into their titular roles, 29 years after their last film. They are still the kind-hearted characters we fell in love with in 1988, now on a quest to write the song that will unite the world.

The outstanding script by franchise creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon allows Bill and Ted to grow and evolve while remaining true to their beloved characters. The film offers enough callbacks to the previous films to please fans, while also welcoming newcomers.

The late George Carlin’s Rufus is respectfully handled, and William Sadler as Death remains a highlight with his absurd and uncool portrayal.

In addition to Bill and Ted’s adventures, we also follow their daughters, Billie and Thea, played by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving, respectively. They are completely believable as the daughters of Bill & Ted, and a spin-off with these two leading the way would be highly entertaining.

The film’s runtime of 91 minutes means that some characters, such as Bill & Ted’s wives, Elizabeth and Joanna, are underserved. However, the overall message of love, hope, unity, friendship, and joy for music shines through.

Reeves and Winter’s natural chemistry and understanding are apparent throughout the film, showcasing their trust and friendship after all these years.

2020 has been rough for everyone, Bill & Ted Face the Music is a shining beacon of pure unadulterated pleasure. It delivers a message that might just save the universe, and the end credits are a must-see.

Bill and Ted Face The Music will come to UK cinemas on September 16th.



Episode 232: New Mutants

Martyn and Gerrod discuss the 13th film in the X-Men franchise, they also discuss the latest Bond trailer and, John Boyega’s recent interview with GQ.

The New Mutants is a 2020 American teen-horror, based on the Marvel comics of the same name. It is the thirteenth and final installment in the X-Men franchise.

The film was directed by Josh Boone, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Knate Lee.

It stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, and Henry Zaga.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to; Amazon Music, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

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Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

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Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

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Episode 230: Backwards Boys (Tenet)

In which a couple of backwards boys give a spoiler-free review, of a film about a couple of backwards boys (Tenet).

They also pay respect to the late great Chadwick Boseman and Norm Spencer.

They talk about Sylvester Stallone’s director’s cut of Rocky 4, as well as discuss the wrath of Bob McLeod, Christopher Eccleston joining Big Finish, Bernice Summerfield, series 2 of The Umbrella Academy, DC Fandome, Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, The Snyder Cut, and a quick spoiler-free review of Bill & Ted face the music.



The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to;

Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

Check out Comedians talking football.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Chris-@ChrisWalkerT



Trailer- Miss Virginia

Based on the inspiring true story of Virginia Walden Ford’s fight to create positive educational opportunities for African-American students in Washington D.C., Miss Virginia is a gripping drama about community empowerment with a powerhouse central performance from Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black).


Virgina Walden (Uzo Aduba) an impoverished single mother who is losing her fifteen-year-old son to the rough streets of Washington D.C. Unwilling to see him drop out and deal drugs, she places him in a private school. But when she can’t afford tuition, she launches a movement to change the system that is destroying him and thousands like him. Attacked and threatened by those who don’t want change – from a corrupt politician to the local drug lord, Virginia must discover depths of strength she never knew she had.


Because of Virginia Walden Ford’s tireless campaigning, in 2002 the United States’ government enacted the first-ever Opportunity Scholarship Program for low-income children, leading to a complete overhaul of Washington D.C.’s education system.
Miss Virginia stars Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) in the titular role, Niles Fitch (Roman J. Israel, Esq., This is Us) as her son James, as well as Matthew Modine (Stranger Things), Vanessa Williams (Shaft), Adina Porter (American Horror Story) and directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna.

Trailer-The Batman

Warner Bros. has released the first teaser trailer for Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ and it’s pretty outstanding.

The Batman will be a noir-style story, that will heavily on Batman in his detective mode. Which is something no other Batman movie has done yet. In the comics, he’s the world’s greatest detective. Director Matt Reeves has said that it’s going to tell a deep and psychological story and confirmed that the movie will not be an origin story. We’ll be seeing Batman in the second year of his

The film stars Robert Pattinson as Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Cat Woman, Andy Serkis as Alfred, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson. Gil Perez-Abraham (Orange is the New Black), Charlie Carver (Teen Wolf), and Max Carver.

The Batman is now scheduled for release on October 1, 2021.

Review-Terminator 2:Judgment day

I was a guest on the latest episode of ‘Take your seat’. I was asked on to talk about the greatest film ever made, Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

I’ve long been a fan of the Terminator franchise, so I jumped at the opportunity to appear on this podcast to discuss the best one.