We have a theory… Do long series of films only hit their stride after their first three instalments? Join us at the Popcorn Counter this week after our Mad Max marathon as we try to prove or disprove our thesis, using a hefty list of examples. Surely if you rummage around in the IMDB for […]
Author: James Ruzicka
Furiosa vs Mad Max Fury Road: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Road
Join us in the post apocalyptic wasteland for one of our longest episodes ever this week, as we watch the new ‘Mad Max Saga’ Furiosa, and compare it with its direct antecedent, 2015’s action masterpiece Mad Max Fury Road. These two high octane, gas guzzling thrillers are more or less anagrams of each other, but […]
Popcorn Counter: Elevator Pitches of the 80s
We have a bit of a disaster this week as we get stuck in the elevator on the way to the popcorn counter, but at least it gives us a chance to practise our elevator pitches. And after watching The Fall Guy last week we’re basing all our pitches on pre-existing 1970s and 80s properties. […]
The Fall Guy vs The Fall: Taking The Fall
We’re watching stunt performers smash up cars, leap from helicopters and ride horses across the desert in this week’s movies as we compare the new Ryan-Gosling-Emily-Blunt 80s throwback The Fall Guy to 2006’s surreal and sumptuous The Fall. They’re both films about stuntmen, but aside from sharing most of a title they could hardly be […]
Popcorn Counter: Dead Presidents
Apparently there’s some kind of election in the US soon? We’re not sure of the details, but if we had the opportunity to write the name of a movie president on the ballot, who would get our cross? Join us as we hash out the possibilities at the Popcorn Counter this episode. And while we’re […]
Civil War vs Land and Freedom: Civil War Land
Neighbours fight neighbours in this week’s pod, as we watch Alex Garland’s new, maybe-too-close-to-real-life, dystopian thriller Civil War and compare it with Ken Loach’s 1995 Spanish Civil War picture Land and Freedom. Both of these films are certainly thought-provoking, with action, bloodshed, tragedy and tension. But which one makes the best use of a rucksack? […]
Popcorn Counter: The Podcast About Podcasts
You’re welcome to join us at the Popcorn Counter this episode, but speak up because we’ve got our noise cancelling headphones on. (You know, the ones for dogs, remember?) We’ve been listening to a few rival pods while we wait for the popcorn machine to warm up, but which would we sincerely recommend? What are […]
The Teachers’ Lounge vs To Sir, With Love: Teachers Teach
Is it term time already? It must be, because we’re heading back to school again, this time comparing the new, Oscar-nominated German drama The Teachers’ Lounge with 1967’s scholastic classic, To Sir With Love. There are so many elements in common here that you have to ask if someone’s been copying their homework: outsider teachers, […]
Popcorn Counter: Courtroom Drama
Please be seated, the Court of the Popcorn Counter is now in session. We’re hosting a constitutional controversy of our own this episode, as we accuse Legal Dramas of the crime of being a bit boring and fundamentally uncinematic. And in true legal tradition, we flipped a coin beforehand to decide which one of us […]
Anatomy of a Fall vs Anatomy of a Murder: Anatomies of the Law
It’s double anatomy at the Two Reel Cinema Club this episode, as we catch up on the last of the Oscar nominees with Anatomy of a Fall, the French courtroom drama that ended up with the Best Screenplay Academy Award this year. It’s a bloody and nuanced multilingual piece with a couple of dynamite performances, […]