Groovy Movies

It’s been out for a week but we’re not taking any chances. Here is our painstakingly spoiler-free discussion of Dune: Part Two, plus our thoughts on Madame Web and a sexy addition to the Film Pharmacy.

References
Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two and dialogue v. cinematography for The Times
‘Dune: Part Two’ Star Stellan Skarsgard Laughed Seeing Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha: Butler ‘Really Enjoyed Being Evil’ by Michaela Zee for Variety
Dune: Part Two’s box office success and what it means for the film industry by Anthony D’Alessandro for Deadline

Film Pharmacy
Bound (1996) dir. by the Wachowskis
Black Narcissus (1947) dir. by Powell and Pressburger
Unfaithful (2002) dir. by Adrian Lyne
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) dir. by Gil Junger
Fish Tank (2009) dir. by Andrea Arnold
Love dir. by Gaspar Noe

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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We're  back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale.

Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cinema, Short King, and Least Unbearable Cinematic Experience. The Oscars better watch out. There's a new rodeo in town. 

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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It’s the end of the year and also our series finale so we're bringing both to a close with a deeply intellectual discussion on the ultimate New Years movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Plus, in anticipation of awards season, we list the films we’re most excited to see over the next couple of months.

References
Bridget Jones’s Diary deleted scenes
That scathing New York Times piece on Bridget Jones
20 behind-the-scenes Bridget Jones’s Diary facts

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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For our penultimate episode of the series we’re going recommendation-heavy and spoiler-free, with our top picks of festive films, hitting every point on the Grinch-to-Elf Christmas spirit scale. 

References
The Powell and Pressburger season from Oct-Dec 2023 - catch the last few screenings now.
The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror exhibition
Piece for ASC on Jack Cardiff from 1994, The Red Shoe’s cinematographer
Why The Red Shoes looks so good by The Royal Ocean Film Society on YouTube
The cinematography of The Dark Knight by V Renee for nofilmschool.com
The Philosophy of Groundhog Day by Sebastian Martinez Diaz for film-cred.com
Carol by it’s Cinematographer Ed Lachman for ASC

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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We couldn’t resist the controversy around Ridley Scott’s new movie, so this week we’re discussing Napoleon and wading into the debate about historical accuracy and film. But what do you think? Let us know on instagram - @groovymoviespod.

References
Ridley Scott profile by Michael Schulman for The New Yorker
Ridley Scott’s response to Napoleon’s critics by Caroline Frost for Deadline
Ridley Scott’s response to criticism of the Egyptian invasion scene in Napoleon by Adam Bentz on Screen Rant
‘Napoleon on trial: The battle for historical accuracy of the upcoming film’ by Prateek Dasgupta for Medium
‘Great man or monster - who was the real Napoleon?’ by Dominic Sandbrook for The Times
‘The Ugly Truth about Napoleon and Josephine’ by ElleHistory on YouTube
Facts on Napolean
Oppenheimer BBC documentary

Film Pharmacy
Frances Ha (2012) dir. by Noah Baumbach
Zodiac (2007) dir. by David Fincher

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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This week we are joined by Audra and Elisa from Culture Colander. They bring an American perspective to a very British class system as we dissect Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn, i.e. The Talented Mr Creepley.

References
Listen to and follow @culturecolander
Interview with Emerald Fennell and the cast of Saltburn
‘The sons and daughters of The Talented Mr Ripley’ by Manuela Lazic for The Ringer
The New Yorker Radio Hour episode where Emerald Fennell talks about her upbringing

Film Pharmacy
Friends Best Thanksgiving Moments
The Greatest Showman (2017) dir. by Michael Gracey
Dan in Real Life (2007) dir. by Peter Hedges

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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Aesthetica short film festival, the Hollywood blacklist, and one of its scripts, Todd Haynes’ new movie May December, are all up for discussion this week. Expect sweeping generalisations about short films and a tabloid-esque compare-and-contrast between May December and the real-life scandal that inspired it.

References
Aesthetica Short Film Festival
New York 81 (short 2022) dir. by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau on Barbara Walters
John Lahr’s piece on Todd Haynes for The New Yorker
Adam White’s interview with Todd Haynes for The Independent
The Black List

Film Pharmacy
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) dir. by Joel and Ethan Coen
Whiplash (2014) dir. by Damien Chazelle
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013) dir. by Frank Pavich
Moonage Daydream (2022) dir. by Brett Morgen
Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story (2021) dir. by Laura Fairrie

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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In honour of new release Fingernails, we talk dystopian romances: why they work, when they don’t, and which animal we’d like to be turned into if we didn’t find love.

References
Fingernails director Christos Nikou on modern dating by Lou Thomas for BFI
Sheila O’Malley’s review of The Lobster
Interview with Yorgos Lanthimos on The Lobster by Mekado Murphy for The New York Times
Spike Jonze on Her by Logan Hill for The New York Times

Film Pharmacy
Die Hard (1988) dir. by John McTiernan
The Godfather (1972) dir. by Francis Ford Coppola 
Atonement (2007) dir. by Joe Wright
Fight Club (1999) dir. by David Fincher

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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This week James drags us to the BFI IMAX for Gravity’s 10th year anniversary re-release, on a mission to prove that the cinematic experience is worth leaving the house for.

Film Pharmacy
The Full Monty (1997) dir. by Peter Cattaneo
Pride (2014) dir. by Matthew Warchus

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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With DiCaprio and De Niro in fine gurning form and Thelma Schoonmaker on the edit, the gang’s back together for Martin Scorsese’s brand new film. But is it worth the 3hr26m runtime?

References
Killers of the Flower Moon: Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (the book the film is based on)
Interview with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone for Critqal
Martin Scorsese’s companion films list on Letterboxd

Films and TV shows about indigenous communities we recommended:
Dances with Wolves (1990) dir. by Kevin Costner 
Smoke Signals (1998) dir. by Chris Eyre
Reservation Dogs (2021-2023) created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi
Call Me Human (2020) dir. by Kim O'Bomsawin

For more, read Corinne Rice’s ‘8 Essential Films of the Native American Experience’

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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It’s that spooky time of year and Practical Magic’s 25th anniversary. So this week we take a whistlestop tour through witch movie history to our final destination: the 90s (cinema’s hexiest decade?). 

References
‘Screaming, Flying, And Laughing: Magical Feminism’s witches in contemporary film, television and novels’ by Kimberly Ann Wells
‘Witches, “bitches” or feminist trailblazers? The Witch in Folk Horror Cinema’ by Chloe Germaine Buckley
‘“We are the weirdos”: how witches went from evil outcasts to feminist heroes’ by Anne T. Donahue for The Guardian
‘Magical Women, Witches & Healers’, Frames Cinema Journal, issue 16
The Evolution of Black Witches on Screen
‘How Hollywood Has Failed Black Witches’ by BreAnna Bell for Variety
‘Celebrating the magic of black witchiness in entertainment’ by Claire Lawrence for offcultured.com
‘Thirstory: The Real Witches of Hollywood’ by Mitchell Nugent for Interview
George Miller on directing The Witches of Eastwick
Cher on The Witches of Eastwick
Rachel True on The Craft
‘The Real Curse in Practical Magic is Heterosexuality’ by Natalie Adler for Vice

Film Pharmacy
Ikiru (1952) dir. by Akira Kurosawa
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) dir. by David Gelb

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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To any Swifties listening - hello, welcome. To any non-Swifties, please forgive us. We couldn’t resist discussing the music-movie partnership of an era. So this week we take the opportunity to ask the question: do concert films work?

We, of course, dive into Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour  but also compare it with another concert movie that is currently in cinemas: Stop Making Sense, A24’s re-release of the 1984 Talking Heads documentary. We also watched Amazing Grace, the long-lost Sydney Pollack film capturing the recording of Aretha Franklin’s gospel album of the same name.

References
Patrick Willems on Taylor Swift as a director - a must for anyone in the middle of the venn diagram of film and Swift lovers
The origin story of Stop Making Sense by Jonathan Gould for The New Yorker
‘Is the worldwide release of ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ a game-changer for distribution?’ by Jeremy Kay for Screen Daily
Q&A with Alan Elliott, the producer who got Amazing Grace finally made
The Story behind Amazing Grace by Jim Farber for The Guardian

Film Pharmacy
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) dir. by Guy Ritchie
Bridget Jones Diary (2001) dir. by Sharon Maguire

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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It's the 30 year anniversary of Dazed and Confused (1993), Richard Linklater's ode to 70s adolescence. And he wasn't alone - many of the 90s greatest films were set in the last vinyl decade. Besides the dramatically pointy collars and avocado bathroom sets, what was the appeal? To answer the question, we take a closer look at Linklater's coming-of-age breakout hit, Cameron Crowe's career-defining Almost Famous (2000 - ok not quite 90s, but as good as) and our favourite Paul Thomas Anderson movie, Boogie Nights (1997).

References
An Oral History of Boogie Nights
‘Almost Famous: The Oral History of a Golden God’s Acid Trip’ by Ilana Kaplan for the NY Times
‘Dazed and Confused Was the Definitive Movie About the '90s, Not the '70s’ by Stephen Marche for Esquire
Philip Seymour Hoffman on Acting

Film Pharmacy
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1977) dir. by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Fame (1980) dir. by Alan Parker

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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Inspired by new release Past Lives, this week we look at love stories about what could have been. We discusses the enduring influence of 90s clanger Sliding Doors and the indie classic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

References
Past Lives director Celine Song explains ‘in-yun’
'Break-Up' - This American Life's podcast episode
I don’t want to get over you by The Magnetic Fields
‘From Script to Screen: Charlie Kaufman on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’  by David S. Cohen for Scriptmag.com

Film Pharmacy
The Wizard of Oz (1939) dir. by Victor Fleming
The Fall (2006) dir. by Tarsem Singh
A Philadelphia Story (1940) dir. by George Cukor

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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We return to our favourite debate: monogamy vs. polyamory. This time with love triangles as the point of entry.

We discuss new release Passages' somewhat bleak version of the shape, and look back at more optimistic portrayals, including Woody Allen's Spanish holiday fantasy Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and the pre-code shocker Design For Living. 

Lily also gives the lowdown on (the auteur behind The Room) Tommy Wiseau's new release, Big Shark. 

References
‘The Ethical Slut’: Inside America’s Growing Acceptance of Polyamory by Anna Fitzpatrick for Rolling Stone
Design for Living New York Times review from 1933‘
Ernst Lubitsch Made the Hollywood Comedy Sublime’ by Alex Ross for The New Yorker

Film Pharmacy
Night Watch (2004) dir. by Timur Bekmambetov
Cold War (2018) dir. by Paweł Pawlikowski

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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This week we take a closer look at the writers and actors strikes and what the impact will be for film-making and cinemas. We also pick our must-see movies from the Venice Film Festival.

Donate here to emergency financial assistance writers, performers and people in support roles affected by the strike
Donate here to SAG-AFTRA's emergency fund

References
SAG proposals
WGA proposals
Deadline Strike Talk - podcast by Hollywood strikers about the strikes
'The 2023 Hollywood strikes for dummies' by Jason P Frank for Vulture
'The unions of Hollywood are trying to save it from itself' by Emma Roth for theverge.com
'The Hollywood strike can and must win – for all of us, not just writers and actors' by Hamilton Nolan for The Guardian
'Inside The Shifting Theatrical Release Dates: How Studios Changed Up The Movie Calendar As WGA Strike Clocks 100 Days' by Anthony D'Alessandro and Justin Kroll for Deadline
'‘Barbenheimer’ Fever… and Then What? How Major Film Delays Amid the Strikes Could Damage the Movie Business' by Rebecca Rubin for Variety
AI writing a script

Our Picks from Venice
Aggro Dr1ft trailer
Scene from One From The Heart
Michel Gondry's music video for The Chemical Brothers' Let Forever Be
Michel Gondry's music video for Bjork's Bachelorette
Michel Gondry's Cibo Matto's Sugar Water
Poor Things trailer
Priscilla trailer
Origin trailer

Film Pharmacy
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) dir. by Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Saragossa Manuscript (1965) dir. by Wojciech Has

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Original music by James Brailsford
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This week on the podcast we’re trying our hand at the greatest radio format of all time. Lily does her best (very bad) Kirsty Young impression as James' delivers his top 3 Desert Island DVDs. He also, of course, details his preferred AV set-up for shipwrecked screenings - think monkeys in tuxedos.

References
The lowdown on Cargo Cults
'The rise (and Inevitable fall) of Citizen Kane as the Greatest Movie Ever Made' by Bilge Ebiri for vulture.com
'What’s so good about Citizen Kane?' by Nicholas Barber for BBC
Interesting article on the battle for writer’s credit on Citizen Kane by Richard Brody for the New Yorker
'Citizen Kane' a masterpiece at 50', by Roger Ebert
'Realism for Citizen Kane' by Gregg Toland for theasc.com
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse’s sexy dance routine in Singin’ In the Rain
'Why Singin’ in the Rain Is an Almost Perfect Musical' by Jeanine Basinger for The Atlantic
'Beyond the Frame: Singin’ in the Rain' by David E. Williams for the asc.com
'Shooting In Color Caused Some Problems Behind The Scenes Of Singin' In The Rain' by Whitney Seibold for slashfilm.com
Lucasfilm’s J.W. Rinzler Talks About The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by for Vanity Fair
'The Empire Strikes Back at 40: did the Star Wars saga peak too early?' by Scott Tobias for The Guardian
'In Hindsight, Empire Strikes Back Director Irvin Kershner Would’ve Helmed One of the Prequels' by Mike Ryan for Vanity Fair

Film Pharmacy recommendations
Celine & Julie Go Boating (1974) dir. by Jacques Rivette
Showgirls (1995) dir. by Paul Verhoeven

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Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon

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This week we're discussing directors who have achieved cult status: the ones you can recognise within 24 frames of a film  - the Taratinos,  the Hitchcocks and of course, the Nolans. We come up with rules for achieving cult of director status and question if superstar directors still have power in the era of streaming services.

References
A quick guide to auteur theory by Jax Griffin for filminquiry.com
Pauline Kael's rebuttal to auteur theory
Pauline Kael on Taratino and Pulp Fiction
Christopher Nolan: A Labyrinth of Linkages by David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson - essays looking closely at Nolan's narrative and cinematic style
Wally Pfister's cinematography in Inception by Prachurya Das
Hitchcock's Psycho marketing campaign
Dramatic Tension in North by Northwest by Junming Jiang
The directing and writing style of Greta Gerwig

Film Pharmacy recommendations
Miss Congeniality (2000) dir. by Donald Petrie
20th Century Women (2016) dir. by Mike Mills
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) dir. by Griffin Dunne

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Original music by James Brailsford
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This week James tells the amazing story behind the rise of women editors in cinema and we take a closer look at three of the best: Verna Fields (Jaws), Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull) and Anne V. Coates (Out of Sight).

References
'The Celluloid Ceiling' - stats on behind-the-scenes women in 2022's top grossing films
'Edited By' - an excellent source on women film editors
'"Mother Cutter": Verna Fields Mentors a New Generation of Film Directors in the 1970s'
'Precise Feeling: The Editing of Thelma Schoonmaker'
Editing rules from Anne V. Coates
Criterion on the history of women editors
The bar scene from Out of Sight
Why Tarantino wanted a female editor

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Original music by James Brailsford
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The Great British Summer is letting us down so we’re escaping to Italy for a cinematic holiday special. Stops on the trip include Roman Holiday, Call Me By Your Name and The Great Beauty.

References
Audrey Hepburn’s screen test for Roman Holiday, 1953, YouTube
The making of Roman Holiday, YouTube
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

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Original music by James Brailsford
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