Movie Squad

Each year, Movie Squad hosts Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo watch around 80 flicks each, and then in December, they put themselves through the emotional wringer to condense all this filmic greatness into individual Top 30s. Then, to ensure that they only present the ripest produce to Breakfast host Taylah Strano during their end-of-year rundown, they combine their lists using a complicated points system, resulting into an inarguable Top 10 list. Can you really rank art? Yes, it turns out, if you have the correct algorithm. Sorry, folks, we don't make the rules! In 2021, their Top 10 Films (technically a Top 12 once you count the ties) covered the gamut: tiny, tonal masterpieces and gargantuan cinematic events; populist American entertainment and boundary-pushing Romanian and Swedish cinema; stand-up comedy specials and nearly wordless Western spectacles. And, of course, Nicolas Cage. Plus, a double-dose of Mads Mikkelsen! Listen in to hear the countdown (or scroll down to see the list, including the rest of the movies that made the Top 30). Plus, catch up with our Top Films of 2020 [here](https://rtrfm.com.au/story/movie-squad-top-picks-of-2020/). --- --- --- Are you sure? --- --- --- Alright! --- 1. The Killing of Two Lovers 2. Dune 3. The Kid Detective = Another Round 4. Shiva Baby 5. Bad Luck Banging or Looney Porn 6. Bad Trip 7. About Endlessness 8. The Power of the Dog = Riders of Justice 9. Pig 10. Inside --- 13. The Green Knight 14. The Card Counter 15. First Cow 16. Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time 17. V/H/S 94 18. 76 Days 19. I Blame Society 20. Violation 21. The Worst Person in the World 22. Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar 23. Coming Home In The Dark 24. The French Dispatch 25. Titane 26. Malignant 27. Zola 28. Cruella 29. Prisoners of the Ghostland 30. Boiling Point

It's Oscar season, folks! Oscar Isaac season, that is. On Breakfast this week, your Movie Squad stalwarts Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo reviewed Denis Villeneuve's all-star adaptation of Frank Herbert's legendary sci-fi tome Dune, starring Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson and many more. Then, the crew (including Brekky host Taylah Strano), shared their review of Paul Schrader's The Card Counter, also starring Isaac, this time as a quiet gambler with a horrifying past. Both films are now in Australian cinemas!

Who made Tony Soprano? This is the central question and poster tag-line for the feature film The Many Saints Of Newark, a prequel to the HBO series The Sopranos, which has been co-written by the show creator, David Chase. Set during the 1960s, we follow Tony Soprano (played by Michael Gandolfini, son of James Gandolfini, the star of the original HBO show) as a teenager in New Jersey and the influence of his family and relatives involved in the mafia including father figure, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). Movie Squad reviewer Tristan Fidler was joined by very special guests, Libby Noble and Jackson Hawdon, both former Out To Lunch and Drivetime presenters and massive Sopranos fans, and Axel Carrington (New Talk, Hip Priest) who has not watched any Sopranos (but wants to), to discuss this movie. Please note: this is Part 2 of our round-table discussion and features heavy spoilers - you are warned! In case you missed it, Part 1 is [here](https://rtrfm.com.au/story/the-many-saints-of-newark-part-1-movie-squad-podcast-53-1/).

Who made Tony Soprano? This is the central question and poster tag-line for the feature film The Many Saints Of Newark, a prequel to the HBO series The Sopranos, which has been co-written by the show creator, David Chase. Set during the 1960s, we follow Tony Soprano (played by Michael Gandolfini, son of James Gandolfini, the star of the original HBO show) as a teenager in New Jersey and the influence of his family and relatives involved in the mafia including father figure, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). Movie Squad reviewer Tristan Fidler was joined by very special guests, Libby Noble and Jackson Hawdon, both former Out To Lunch and Drivetime presenters and massive Sopranos fans, and Axel Carrington (New Talk, Hip Priest) who has not watched any Sopranos (but wants to), to discuss this movie. Please note: this is Part 1 of our round-table discussion and features no spoilers in its review. For the rest of the conversation, check out Part 2 [here](https://rtrfm.com.au/story/the-many-saints-of-newark-part-2-movie-squad-podcast-53-2/) and its spoiler-heavy deep dive.

Welcome to an extremely adults-only edition of the Movie Squad pod! On Breakfast this week, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo reviewed Julia Ducournau's Cannes Palme d'Or winner Titane, which set tongues wagging on the Croisette (and continues to make audiences faint and vomit in cinemas, apparently) with its tale of a woman who develops a strange, sexual fixation on automobiles. Then, Tristan and Simon reviewed Bad Luck Banging or Looney P**n (which Brekky host Taylah Strano had also seen!); a Romanian black comedy about a school teacher who is put on 'trial' by the parents at her school when her homemade 'adult film' is leaked online. Finally, Simon caught up with Bad Luck Banging director Radu Jude to chat about making his movie in the middle of a pandemic, filming actual sex acts with adult film actors and why Facebook pulled the trailer down in Australia.

It's a British Invasion on Movie Squad this week. For special guest Breakfast host G*Rey, Tristan Fidler reviews Edgar Wright's hotly anticipated thriller Last Night in Soho, starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy as young women with a bewitching connection that spans the decades. Then, Simon covers Boiling Point, a single-take drama set in a swanky East London restaurant over one intense evening and starring Stephen Graham as a chef on the edge of a breakdown. Last Night in Soho is now playing in Australian cinemas, while Boiling Point is showing for a limited time as part of the [British International Film Festival](https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/).

The name's Squad. Movie Squad. This week, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo reunite with Taylah Strano on Breakfast to review a couple of the year's most anticipated releases. First up, Simon gets to Daniel Craig's final bow as Bond, in the long-delayed No Time to Die, featuring Craig's last performance as the iconic superspy. Then, Tristan reviews director Jane Campion's latest film, The Power of the Dog, in which Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee explore toxic masculinity in the wild west. Both films are now in cinemas, with The Power of the Dog available on Netflix in December.

On this special episode of the Movie Squad podcast, Tristan Fidler sits down with the Black Maria Film Collective, which includes Jordan Spoors, Liam Devitt, Russell Wyatt Roberts and Jack Gilmour, to talk movies! Specifically, we discuss the weird, wild and wonderful releases from Vinegar Syndrome, a label that restores and releases unknown cult and exploitation movies onto Blu-ray and DVD. We hear about how the Black Maria Film Collective got started, the retrospective screenings that they've organised in Perth since their inception (including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Zombi), and their upcoming film festival collaboration with Vinegar Syndrome, a three film weekend including Night Beast, Blood Games and Spookies. Black Maria Film Collective's Vinegar Syndrome 3-Film Weekend is happening on Friday November 19th, Saturday November 20th and Sunday November 21st at Johnny Ma's Studios. For more information including advance tickets, visit their website: https://www.blackmariafc.org/

Y'all wanna hear a podcast? This week, Movie Squad hosts Tristan Fidler and Cecilia Allen visit Breakfast to review a couple of A24 releases for Taylah Strano. Tristan's up first with a review of David Lowery's The Green Knight, an artful take on the Arthurian legend starring Dev Patel as a young man who enters into a deadly bond with a gnarly knight. Then, Cecilia reviews Zola, a cinematic adaptation of the viral Twitter thread involving strippers, gangsters and all kinds of strange characters converging in Florida (of course). The Green Knight is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Zola arrives in Australian cinemas 18 November, but RTRFM listeners can check out [a special preview screening at Luna Palace Cinemas on 10 November](https://rtrfm.com.au/event/luna-x-rtrfm-recommends-zola/).

Michael Myers is back... and so is Movie Squad... just in time for Halloween. This week, hosts Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo torment horror-hating Breakfast host Graeme Watson with reviews of Halloween Kills and Prisoners of the Ghostland. Halloween Kills is first up, with Tristan looking at David Gordon Green's sequel to his 2018 reboot, which was a sequel to the 1978 original, which ret-conned the other 10 instalments of the series (it's complicated). With Halloween Ends due for release next year, how does this middle entry in Green's trilogy hold up? Find out! Then, Simon reviews the third Nicolas Cage film of 2021: Prisoners of the Ghostland, from notorious Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono. In this flick, Cage plays Hero, a bank robber tasked with rescuing a Governor's daughter, and fitted with an electrified suit that'll explode if he hurts the young lady in the process... or if he gets aroused by her. Halloween Kills is in cinemas while Prisoners of the Ghostland is available to stream/download and on DVD/Blu-ray from November.

Hail Raatma! As spooky season lurches on, your Movie Squad hosts Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo cover a couple more horror flicks for guest Breakfast host Teri Campbell. First up, Tristan and Simon argue whether James Wan's Malignant is the good kind of bad or just the bad kind of bad (and how this grisly giallo-inspired flick compares to his Wan's other flicks, like Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring. Then, the trio share their love for found footage movies while digging into V/H/S 94, the latest instalment in the handheld horror anthology series (with short films about a Rat Man living in the sewers, a creepy casket at an empty wake, and a cult driven mad by watching video nasties). Malignant is in cinemas while V/H/S 94 is available to stream on Shudder.

This week on the Movie Squad pod, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo return to the world of streaming television, before looking at an arthouse horror fairytale with Breakfast host Taylah Strano. Tristan is up first, reviewing the Netflix phenomenon Squid Game. The nine-episode series follows a group of South Koreans in a battle royale to the death in pursuit of millions of dollars. But how does it compare with other 'last person standing' films and series like The Hunger Games, The Running Man and, of course, Battle Royale? Next, Simon covers the strange Icelandic tale Lamb, starring Noomi Rapace as a farmer who takes in a baby animal as her own child, interfering with a very unnatural side of nature. Listen in to hear how this slow-burner (from producer Béla Tarr, and co-written by Sjón from The Sugarcubes) maintains its tension... or doesn't. Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

This week on the Movie Squad pod, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo catch up with two thrillers, each with a twist in their tail. First up, Tristan regales Breakfast host Taylah Strano with the story of No Sudden Move, another heist caper from Ocean's Eleven and Out of Sight director Steven Soderbergh. Starring Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro, how could it miss? Well... Next, Simon covers Mads Mikkelsen's latest Danish effort, Riders of Justice, in which his character seeks revenge against a crime gang over the death of his wife. But it's a comedy? Listen in to hear how these two films experiment with form and tone to produce wildly different results. No Sudden Move is available to rent, while Riders of Justice is in cinemas. Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

This week on the Movie Squad pod, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo kick off the spookiest of months, October, with horrors both real and fictional. The conversation with Breakfast host Taylah Strano begins with a discussion of Justin Kurzel's controversial Nitram, starring American actor Caleb Landry Jones as Australia's most notorious mass shooter. Simon weighs up the benefits of art that examines real tragedy, and how Kurzel's depiction of the lead-up to the Port Arthur massacre is actually quite "moral" in its intentions. Next, Tristan turns to the streaming service Shudder for Séance, the directorial debut of screenwriter Simon Barrett. Does this "ghost at a boarding school" story have enough twists in its tail? How does it compare with Barrett's previous efforts You're Next and The Guest (two of Tristans all time faves)? And why is this the rare horror flick Taylah actually wants to see? Listen in to find out! Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

This week on the Movie Squad pod, Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo explore some movies of the mind! For special guest Breakfast host Doug Swampé, Tristan kicks off proceedings with a review of Reminiscence, the neo-noir starring Hugh Jackman as a private investigator in a future Miami who explores the deepest recesses of his clients' memories. It comes from writer-director Lisa Joy, co-creator of the Westworld TV show. Is it worth the high price of rental, having skipped Australian cinemas? Next, Simon covers the tongue-twisty title Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time. This acclaimed Hungarian drama concerns a neurosurgeon who believes she's scheduled to reunite with the love of her life on a bridge in Budapest, only to discover... he doesn't know who she is at all. Is it a case of gaslighting? Mistaken identity? Or is it that pesky brain playing tricks on her? In cinemas 7 October, get the early word on this excellent 'unmooring' film. Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

Go hog wild: the latest episode of the Movie Squad pod is here! In their latest episode, Squad-mates Simon Miraudo and Cecilia Allen (filling in for Tristan Fidler, on assignment) cover a couple new cinema releases with Breakfast host Taylah Strano. First up, Simon sniffs out Pig, the newest (for now) film starring Nicolas Cage. In it, he plays a retired chef living in the Oregon wilderness with his prized truffle pig, who returns to the big city when the pig is abducted. However, what begins as a John Wick-styled journey of revenge becomes a meditation on the natural world and a satire of the food industry. Next, Cecilia examines the Aussie doco Palazzo di Cozzo, all about Sicilian immigrant and Melbourne icon Franco Cozzo, and his baroque homewares empire. Does the documentary have the same 'wow' factor as Cozzo's furniture? Listen in to find out. Finally, we throw in a review from back in July, when The Killing of Two Lovers played the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. With the movie now arriving in Australian cinemas, it's worth hearing Tristan and Simon's coverage of what they call one of the best films of the year. (You can also catch Jeff Bullen's interview with director Robert Machoian in the latest episode of [Rewind](https://rtrfm.com.au/story/rewind-on-rtrfm-17-september-2021/).) Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

They're baaaaaack. Though Movie Squad has been covering the latest films every Friday at 7:30am on Breakfast With Taylah, squad-mates Tristan Fidler and Simon Miraudo return with the first podcast episode of 2021. And this time, they promise to keep it regular! Each week on the pod, you'll hear them (and occasionally Cecilia Allen) reviewing the best (and worst) arthouse, blockbuster and streaming releases with Brekky host Taylah Strano. Plus, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss original episodes and interviews, featuring special guests, including filmmakers, fellow critics and other RTRFM personalities. On this episode, Tristan kicks off with a review of the latest Marvel movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, starring Simu Liu and the legendary Tony Leung. Does it live up to the hype? And how the hell did Marvel stan Taylah not have this on her radar? Plus, Simon runs down Coming Home in the Dark, a grim New Zealand thriller about a family abducted by a strange and terrifying duo with a twisted history (that may or may not be connected to the family's father, played by Erik Thomson). Tristan and Simon weigh up whether this very good film is worth the emotional turmoil of the viewing experience. Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

2020 - what a year. With the Oscars uncertain after a year of big studio movies being delayed until next year or released onto streaming platforms, is there even a need to gift unnecessary awards? You bet, especially when it's the Movie Squad Awards, which return to conclude the year by looking back at the movies that were released in 2020 and presenting our own special categories. Simon Miraudo, Tristan Fidler and special guest Janice Loreck pick their favourites for such hot-ticket prizes as 'Most Forgettable Netflix Movie', 'Juiciest Accent Choice For An Actor', 'Weirdest Sex Scene', 'Most Annoying Character', and 'Best Ending' (Spoilers included). It's a fun, thoughtful discussion about a very difficult, stressful year; we hope you enjoy it in that spirit! Thanks to everyone for listening to us throughout 2020! This episode concludes the Movie Squad podcast's second season, so we'll be back in the new year for more movie chat! We hope you have a safe, happy holidays and watch all the movies you can hope for! Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). Production assistance from Eddie Curtis and Chris Webb. You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

Content Warning: This episode involves the discussion of a movie that explores themes of sexual abuse and incest. On the latest episode of the Movie Squad podcast, hosts Simon Miraudo and Tristan Fidler present an interview with Austrian writer-director Sandra Wollner, whose latest feature, The Trouble With Being Born, easily takes the crown of 2020's Most Controversial Film. Originally scheduled to play the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier this year, it was uninvited after a media storm brewed around the sci-fi flick's explosive themes; a move that earned the festival criticism in return. The picture—about a not-too-futuristic scenario in which android replicas of our loved ones are created for extremely questionable purposes—is nonetheless getting a national cinema release in Australia on 3 December. It also plays the Revelation Perth International Film Festival from 9 December. Before you see The Trouble With Being Born for yourself and make up your own mind, listen to Simon's chat with Sandra, who talks about the roiling scandal, the lengths she went to protect the 10-year-old star of the film (including the use of a pseudonym and a silicon mask to protect her identity) and the real meaning behind her dream-like drama. Find out more about The Trouble With Being Born's screenings at RevFest [here](https://www.revelationfilmfest.org/film-information-new.php?filmId=1087). Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). Production assistance from Eddie Curtis and Chris Webb. You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).

Just in time for Halloween, Luna Cinemas are premiering a new horror film called Cyst on Friday Oct 30th, which is set in the 1960s and focuses on an unlucky nurse's last day working for a cyst surgeon who is slowly going mad. When a new invention that can help with cyst removals goes horribly wrong, a new monster is born, resulting in a comedy-horror movie that is violently icky and darkly funny. Movie Squad were fortunate enough to interview the cast and crew of Cyst, namely director Tyler Russell, star/executive producer Eva Habermann, star George Hardy (from Troll 2) and star Greg Sestero (from The Room and author of The Disaster Artist). Simon Miraudo and Tristan Fidler also discuss the return of original episodes to the Movie Squad podcast so keep an eye out in 2020 and 2021 for more great film chat! For more details on the Cyst screening, visit the Luna Cinemas page [here](http://lunapalace.com.au/coming-soon+3681+cyst-premiere-screening-event). Theme music by [Eddie Electric](https://eddieelectric.bandcamp.com/). Logo by [Stage Left Design](http://stageleftdesign.com.au/). Production assistance from Eddie Curtis and Chris Webb. Special thanks to Rob Livings for his help organising and recording the Cyst interviews. You can listen using the play audio button. If you are on the Movie Squad podcast page you can download the podcast. The page is [here](http://rtrfm.com.au/podcasts/movie-squad/).