The Film 89 Podcast

On Episode 115 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and returning guest host Stephen Simpson don their fire retardant suits as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Towering Inferno, Producer and co-director Irwin Allen and director John Guillermin’s big screen adaptation of not one but two books and a film that surely ranks as one of, if not THE greatest disaster films of all time. With a star studded ensemble cast including Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, Robert Wagner and many more, The Towering Inferno would go on to be a huge critical and commercial success, garnering 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. A showcase of some astounding practical effects and stunt work, The Towering Inferno isn’t just a rollicking action spectacle but also a superbly made drama and a somber cautionary tale. 

On episode 114 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Leighton Winstone and filmmaker Kyle Reardon join Steve and Skye as they did two years ago when they celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Godfather. Now they’re back to celebrate the 50th anniversary of possibly the greatest sequel ever made, The Godfather Part II. A huge critical success upon it’s release, it would go on to be nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning 6 for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction/Set Decoration, Original Score and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro. It currently sits at No.4 on the long running IMDB Top 250 and is widely regarded as not only one of the greatest sequels ever made, but one of the greatest films period.

On Episode 113 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and regular guest host, Bill Scurry, give their spoiler filled analysis and verdict of Part Two of Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel, Dune. Bill and Skye reviewed Part One of Villeneuve’s adaptation back in late 2021, on Episode 72 and Bill being a huge Dune fan, was duty bound to return for Film ‘89’s coverage of Part Two. Bill and Skye discuss the staggering technical achievement the film represents, it’s stellar cast, how faithfully it adapts Herbert’s epic tome, as well as making predictions as to its final box office haul and it’s potential to both sweep up at next year’s Academy Awards and also how it’s success may help pull Hollywood out of its recent slump. 

On Episode 112 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined once again by regular guest host, John Arminio and for once, the crux of their chosen topic isn’t a film, but a book, author Bram Stoker’s 1897 tale of the now famous Transylvanian Count Dracula. As well as discussing this classic of horror literature, the guys discuss some of the big screen adaptations of Stoker’s novel, in particular, Tod Browning’s 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, titled of course, Dracula, a film that kick-started a long running series of Monster features for Universal. They also go in-depth on a more recent adaptation of the book but one that’s now already over three decades old, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film, with the slightly longer title of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They explore the making of these two film adaptations as well as the prominent religious iconography, already present in the source novel, that Coppola weaved into his adaptation of a book that is arguably as important as any in the horror genre. 

On Episode 111 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and regular guest host, Bill Scurry don their colours and venture into the violent New York of 1979 to discuss Walter Hill’s cult classic film, The Warriors. Beloved by film critics such as Pauline Kael, the film was controversially pulled from cinema’s by Paramount three weeks into its theatrical run following reported outbreaks of gang violence at theatres. The film wasn’t the financial success that Hill had wanted but in the years that followed, The Warriors attained an ever growing following and a second life on television and home video, and is now regarded as not only one of Hill’s best films, but as a beloved example of ‘70s American cinema. Oozing style from every pore and armed with a phenomenal synth-rock score by composer Barry De Vorzon, The Warriors is a film as worthy as any of the Film ‘89 treatment. 

“We come to it at last, the great battle of our time”. On Episode 110 of The Film ‘89 Podcast our years-long podcasting journey through Middle Earth draws to a close as Skye and returning co-hosts, Bill Scurry, Adam Rackoff and John Arminio tackle The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for it’s 20th anniversary. The third and final part of Peter Jackson’s colossal undertaking to adapt to film J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic would not only smash box office records but would take an Oscar haul of a record equalling 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Join the guys as they follow their previous mammoth episodes on The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers with a deep dive into this staggering achievement in filmmaking. As before they discuss the making of the film and give an in-depth analysis of the third film in a trilogy that’s vying for the title of greatest film trilogy of all time. 

On Episode 109 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined by one of our favourite returning guest hosts, professional film poster artist and master cinephile, Tony Stella. This episode, the guys continue their coverage of the James Bond films that started last year with Dr. No, and continues here with a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the second big screen Bond outing for Sean Connery, From Russia With Love. Skye and Tony discuss the film in-depth as well as Ian Fleming’s 1957 book on which the film is based. So pack your gadget filled suitcases and step aboard The Orient Express for a celebration of one of the most beloved of all the big screen James Bond adventures. 

On Episode 108 of The Film ‘89 Podcast the team are back in the embrace of one of their favourite filmmakers, David Fincher, with an in-depth and spoiler-filled review of his latest thriller based on the graphic novel series by Alexis Nolent, The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender in his first acting role since 2019’s Dark Phoenix. As well as discussing The Killer, Skye and returning guest hosts, Jacob Rivera, Leighton Winstone and Kyle Reardon discuss the current state of theatrical distribution. Given that The Killer is a Netflix film that only had a two week limited theatrical release window before it dropped onto the streaming service on November 10th, the guys discuss the increasing trend of high profile directors making films for streaming services such as Netflix and Apple and how this may affect the future of cinema. 

On Episode 107 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve is joined by Leighton Winstone and filmmaker Kyle Reardon to give you their in-depth review and analysis of legendary director Martin Scorsese’s latest film, his epic adaptation of author David Grann’s 2017 book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Scorsese’s film drops the book’s subtitle and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons and John Lithgow. It tells the story of the discovery of oil in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land and the subsequent series of murders of the Osage people that take place until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery. Scorsese has directed some of the Film ‘89 team’s all time favourite films, several of which have had their own in-depth episodes on the podcast. Will Scorsese’s latest capture the same degree of success of the other big 2023 historical drama, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, or will audiences, put off by it’s considerable runtime, wait for its subsequent release on Apple TV+? Tune in to hear the team’s verdict of the latest film from a true Hollywood legend. *Apologies for the varying levels of audio quality on this episode. In keeping with the theme of the film, it was recorded on equipment from the 1920s. 

Halloween season is in full swing at Film ‘89 Towers as we bring you our special 2023 horror themed episode as Steve & Skye, along with returning guest hosts, John Arminio and Stephen Simpson, delve headlong into a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Director William Friedkin’s 1973 film adaptation of author William Peter Blatty’s best selling 1971 novel, The Exorcist. It’s a film that’s not only regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made but one that’s also, adjusted for inflation, one of the most financially successful films ever made. Featuring amazing performances from Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb and a stunning turn from then child actress, Linda Blair, The Exorcist is a film that pushed boundaries in a way no film before it had done, and is one that has endured for half a century as an all-time classic of cinema. Special thanks to Matt Needle for the great episode artwork. Follow him on Twitter @needledesign. 

On Episode 50 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is joined once again by professional film poster artist, Tony Stella to discuss, for its 50th anniversary, a film starring one of the true icons of cinema, Bruce Lee. That film is Enter The Dragon, Lee’s first, breakout Hollywood movie and tragically his last following his death at age 32 shortly before the film’s release. Bruce Lee’s life, although cut tragically short, was a fascinating one that led to not only the creation of his own style of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do, but he would attain both within his lifetime and way beyond, a mythical status and is without doubt the most recognised martial artist to ever live. Even though he only made one Hollywood film, his three Hong Kong films would become some of the most successful ever made, and his lasting impact on both cinema and pop culture will likely endure for all time. So join Skye and Tony in this celebration of arguably the most important martial arts epic ever made. 

On Episode 104 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye interviews Gary Smart, Christopher Griffiths and Eastwood Allen, respectively the producer, director and co-director/editor of RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, the epic, four and a half hour making-of documentary that’s been seven years in the making. Gary first appeared on Film ‘89 way back in September 2018 when the documentary was still in the early stages of production but it’s finally complete and available to stream in the US with U.K. streaming to come next month as well as a features packed Blu-Ray to follow. Already the No.1 Documentary Blu-Ray on Amazon in the US and U.K., RoboDoc is without doubt the definitive document of the making-of and lasting legacy of director Paul Verhoeven’s ultra-violent, satire filled 1987 masterpiece, and just happens to be Skye’s all-time favourite film. 

On Episode 103 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye is once again joined by seasoned podcaster, cinephile and expert on film scores and composers, Stephen Simpson to celebrate, for its 60th anniversary, one of the Film ‘89 team’s all-time favourite films, The Great Escape. Director John Sturges, hot off the success of 1960’s, The Magnificent Seven, once again assembles an epic international cast including Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Donald Pleasence, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and many more, in an adaptation of Paul Brickhill’s book of the same name. The story of the real life breakout of Allied officers from a German POW camp in WWII, Sturges’ film, aside from garnering considerable critical acclaim, would go on to become a perennial Sunday afternoon TV classic with a memorable Elmer Bernstein score, and moreover, go on to be regarded as one of the greatest war films ever made.

On Episode 102 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by returning guest host and writer for Film ‘89, filmmaker Martin Kessler, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of a monumental classic of cinema, 1933’s King Kong. This beloved monster movie from the filmmaking team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack employed then revolutionary stop-motion animation to bring not just the film’s titular character to life, but a whole host of dinosaurs and other inhabitants of Skull Island. Featuring the original scream-queen, Fay Wray, as novice actress Ann Darrow, Robert Armstrong as desperate filmmaker Carl Denham and Bruce Cabot as daring sailor, Jack Driscoll, King Kong is arguably the most influential creature feature ever made and is discussed here along with the King Kong’s legacy which has spawned a long-running series of films that’s still going strong today. 

On Episode 101 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and returning guest host Matthias Van De Roest give their in-depth analysis and spoiler-filled review of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Based on the 2005 book, American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer is the biographical account of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer who was put in charge of the Manhattan Project, the goal of which was to win the race to develop nuclear weapons before the Nazi’s and ultimately win WWII. As well as discussing the technical merits of Nolan’s film and it’s stellar cast, the guys also discuss the crazy Frankenstein’s Monster of a phenomenon that is Barbenheimer. 

It’s the 100th Episode of The Film ‘89 Podcast and to celebrate, we’re devoting an entire episode to answering a selection of questions from our vast cohort of guest hosts, friends and you, our beloved listeners. So join Neil, Skye and Steve as they answer your questions on a number of film, television and pop culture related topics. And thank you all for helping us get to our first century of episodes! 

On Episode 99 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye give their spoiler-filled analysis and review of the fifth and possibly final film in the saga of the adventures of Dr. Henry Jones Jr, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. 

On Episode 98 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye don their Speedos, oil each other up and prepare to flex as they finally devote an episode to one of the Film ‘89 team’s most revered icons of the big screen, a man whose films typify the very decade from which the podcast derives its name. Bodybuilder, turned movie star, turned Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The catalyst for the guys finally tackling Arnie’s career is the new 3-part Netflix documentary, aptly titled ‘Arnold’. Each part, just over an hour long, is devoted to his early bodybuilding career where he came to dominate the sport, his acting career that made him a global household name and his eventual segue into politics. So join the guys as they discuss this fascinating documentary and discuss Schwarzenegger’s extensive filmography.

It’s time to keep your appointment with The Film ‘89 Podcast as Skye is joined by returning guest hosts John Arminio and Steven Saunders to celebrate the 50th anniversary of cult British horror film, The Wicker Man (1973). Director Robin Hardy’s film stars Edward Woodward as Scottish police sergeant Neil Howie who ventures to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Sgt Howie’s investigation turns into a cat and mouse chase that culminates in one of the most bone chilling endings in all of horror cinema. That said, the bulk of the film refuses to follow standard horror conventions and remains one of the most unique British films ever made, truly one of a kind. Featuring Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt, Diane Cilento and a superlative performance from screen legend Christopher Lee, Hardy’s folk horror classic remains a film like no other, and one that gets the usual passionate and in-depth analysis you’ve come to expect from the Film ‘89 team in this definitive exploration and examination of The Wicker Man. 

On Episode 96 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye boldly go somewhere they didn’t expect to go, back to the realms of a current year Star Trek television show. Join them as they give their in-depth, spoiler-filled analysis and review of Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. Show-runner, writer and director, Terry Malalas has been brought on to the show for this third season along with a new writing team and the results have had longtime Trek fans alight with joy as the core Next Generation cast are reunited for what might be their last adventure. Is this new show a welcome change of creative direction for modern Trek? Join the Film ‘89 team as they discuss what many  sci-fi fans are calling THE television event of 2023.