Inspired by Beyoncé's Homecoming - and continuing the music theme started with their episode on Visual Albums - this week finds Emily and Ed talking about concert movies, specifically the ones that go beyond recording a band or artist performing live to really using the language of cinema to transport and immerse the audience. They also discuss the absolute mess that is the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, their excitement about seeing Renée Zellweger play Judy Garland, and the death of Peggy Lipton.

00:00:00 - 00:19:44 - Intro & News

00:19:45 - 00:48:42 - Emily & Ed discuss Concert Movies

00:48:43 - 00:53:17 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by the recent release of Childish Gambino's Guava Island, as well as the success and acclaim in recent years of Beyoncé's Lemonade and Janelle Monáe's Dirty Computer, Emily and Ed discuss the visual album as a form of expression. They also ponder the goodness of Sigourney Weaver and Keanu Reeves, and the potential horrors of a live-action Rugrats movies.

00:00:00 - 00:24:57 - Intro & News

00:24:58 - 00:50:38 - Emily & Ed discuss visual albums

00:50:39 - 00:55:51 - SRS Recommends & Outro

The gang were unable to record together this week, so please enjoy Ed's recent appearance on the Big Questions podcast from Oxford Sparks at the University of Oxford. Host Emily Elias spoke to Ed about the science in films like King Kong, Pi, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Office Space and Superman III, and they listened to scientists assess just how feasible those "what if" scenarios might be. There's also a brief Recommendations segment at the end for good measure.

MATT GOT A DOG!

Also, Disney revealed a bunch of details about their forthcoming streaming service which, in addition to a few other stories from this past week, paints an interesting/terrifying picture of the streaming landscape, one which could be fundamentally reshaped by Disney and its franchise menagerie. Matt and Ed discuss the potential Disney+ has to challenge Netflix, the debut of the Criterion Channel, and how streaming services relate to a Supreme Court Case from 1948. Also, dogs.

00:00:00 - 00:02:35 - Intro

00:02:36 - 00:47:25 - Matt & Ed discuss the present and future of streaming

00:47:26 - 00:52:10 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by a rewatch of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Ed and Emily discuss instances where they changed their minds about a work of art, how their relationships to specific filmmakers have evolved over time, and being able to admit when you don't like canonically "great" movies. They also discuss the college admissions scandal involving Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, Netflix's weaselly cancellation of One Day at a Time, and James Gunn's surprise reinstatement to the MCU.

00:00:00 - 00:22:17 - Intro & News

00:22:18 - 00:49:31 - Ed & Emily discuss changing your mind about art

00:49:32 - 00:54:07 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Now that the dust has settled from last week's Oscars ceremony, Ed and Emily are ready to stir it up all over again by dissecting the winners of awards season, and what the victory of Green Book means for Hollywood more generally (assuming it means anything at all). They also discuss the controversy over possible changes to the Academy's bylaws that could exclude Netflix films in the future, and the best joke from long-forgotten 1990s animated anthropomorphic procedural Fish Police.

00:00:00 - 00:06:01 - Intro

00:06:02 - 00:35:44 - News

00:35:45 - 01:16:23 - Ed & Emily discuss the Oscars, Green Book, and awards season

01:16:24 - 01:23:39 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by the absolutely stacked cast for the new version of Dune, Matt, Emily and Ed spend this week's episode talking about movies with notable ensembles, as well as which genres benefit from a deep bench and the factors, both commercial and artistic, that can compel filmmakers to work with a big cast. They also try to parse the latest Oscars broadcast drama and the Aladdin teaser.

00:00:00 - 00:01:34 - Intro

00:01:35 - 00:27:45 - News

00:27:46 - 01:05:06 - Matt, Emily & Ed discuss movies with notable ensembles

01:05:07 - 01:08:57 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by M. Night Shyamalan's Glass (which is mentioned briefly, but in a spoiler-free fashion), Matt and Ed discuss examples of long delayed sequels, particularly ones made by the same creators as the originals. They also talk about the dispiriting experience of watching the Super Bowl, the freshly completed BAFTAs, and the death of Albert Finney.

00:00:00 - 00:06:30 - Intro

00:06:31 - 00:29:35 - News

00:29:36 - 00:57:10 - Matt & Ed discuss Long Delayed Sequels

00:57:11 - 01:02:55 - SRS Recommends & Outro

Inspired by two striking movies from 2018 about jobs and work - Andrew Bujalski's Support the Girls and Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You - Ed and Emily talk about some of their favourite movies and TV shows about the experience of doing a job. They also discuss the relatively boring Golden Globes nominations and the far from boring drama surrounding the Oscars.

00:00:00 - 00:20:13 - Intro & News

00:20:14 - 01:04:05 - Ed & Emily discuss movies and TV shows about work

01:04:06 - 01:13:13 - Outro & Recommends

To honour William Goldman, the acclaimed screenwriter who passed away last week, Matt, Emily and Ed talk about their experiences with his work, then have a broader conversation about depictions of writing in film. They also mark the passing of Stan Lee, chew over the Independent Spirit Awards nominees, and say "Detective Pikachu" six thousand times.

00:00:00 - 00:39:50 - Intro & News

00:39:51 - 01:18:46 - Matt, Emily and Ed discuss William Goldman & films about writing

01:18:47 - 01:24:56 - SRS Recommends & Outro

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

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

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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

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