Groovy Movies

What better way to celebrate Lily’s imminent nuptials than by watching a family musical based on a Roman legend about sexual assault? If you haven’t seen it, think Hollywood’s golden era with catchy tunes, luminous Metroscope (a rival to technicolor) and yes, some problematic gender politics. Enjoy. References Making-of featurette with Ruth Lee raving about corsets An American Cinematographer article on shooting Seven Brides by George Folsey ----------- If you love what we do, p...

We’re feeling nostalgic for sexy sex scenes and the villainisation of single women. Enter, Fatal attraction. Prepare for spoilers as we discuss the controversy around the axing of the original ending and look back on an era where it was possible for a film to be dubbed “the zeitgeist movie of the decade.” References The original ending You Must Remember This podcast’s ‘Erotic 90s’ series ‘Fatal Attraction’ Oral History: Rejected Stars and a Foul Rabbit’, by Bruce Fretts for...

If you’re in the mood for a time capsule of 1967, In The Heat Of The Night is the movie for you. We discuss how this iconic civil rights infused detective drama-cum-social thriller should have won Sidney Poitier an oscar - if only he hadn’t already won one 3 years before - and the pros and cons of deploying the camera’s zoom function. References Making of featurette Sidney Poitier on In The Heat Of The Night ‘In the Heat of the Night: The Double Bind’, essay by K. Austin Collins -----...

Our run of classics continues with Akira Kurosawa’s genre-creating, hero-assembling action/comedy/drama, Seven Samurai. Don’t let the 3.5 hour runtime put you off (or watch at 2x speed - we don’t endorse this), it is considered one of the best films ever made for a reason and we discuss why. See where you can catch it below. Where to watch BFI Player Check out this website for links to cinema screenings of Seven Samurai References Check out the Stockport Plaza The eventful productio...

This week we discuss the self-declared cinephile’s favourite, Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love. If you live near London and want to catch it, check out showtimes at The Prince Charles - it’s screening this Sunday (23rd) as it happens. We get into Kar Wai’s eccentric directorial method and the many versions of the film there could have been - but thank the film gods for this one. References “The Troubled Production of In The Mood for Love” production film for 20th anniversary Beauti...

You may have heard something about Mikey Madison’s shining, star-making performance as Anora? Or perhaps that Sean Baker made Oscar-history by winning four awards at this year's ceremony for said film? Well if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the moment, it’s back in cinemas and will soon be available on streaming. This week we discuss what makes the story so kinetic, shooting on film with a tiny budget and that intimacy coordinator controversy. References Sean Baker and Mikey M...

As the set comes down from the biggest celebration of the least-viewed cinematic triumphs of the year, we take stock of Sean Bakers success with Anora and attempt to map the blueprints of The Brutalist's anticlimatic awards season. Was it a grand failure or a misunderstood masterpiece? Probably neither but listen to find out. ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original music by James Bra...

It’s the 30 year anniversary of David Fincher’s Seven, otherwise known as the OG unboxing video. Be prepared for spoilers as we discuss the iconic ending that almost wasn’t and why real serial killers never live up to the hype. References Seven’s script Seven’s cinematography by David E. Williams for theasc.com Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Se7en' by Mike McGranaghan for ranker.com ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Edited and...

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like age-gap office affairs and BDSM, so with that in mind, we bring you Halina Reijn’s Babygirl. It may have been snubbed at the Oscars but we shant be overlooking this orgasm-forward, kink-celebrating homage to the 90s erotic thriller. References Vanity Fair piece on Babygirl by David Canfield Halina Reijn on Bridging Hollywood’s “Orgasm Gap” by Scott Roxborough Cinematographer Jasper Wolf on working on Babygirl ----------- If you love what we d...

Remember when teen pregnancy was a thing? This week we discuss Juno, the movie that reinvented this particular noughties trend and made stars out of Elliot Page, Michael Cera and the film’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody. We discuss what makes the script so good and why people hated it. There is also space to reminisce about the heyday of director’s commentaries. This movie had an excellent one with Diablo Cody and the film’s director, Jason Reitman. Is there a way to bring them back? Refe...

This week we do a compare-and-contrast between Robert Egger’s Nosferatu and the 1922 German silent film it's based on. We deep-dive into the mad production story of the original, why Bram Stoker owes Nosferatu an apology and somehow pitstop at Yoga Hosers and Robbie William’s new film Better Man along the way. References Watch Nosferatu (1922) here Yoga Hosers (2016) trailer Shadow of a vampire (2000) trailer ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Ed...

In honour of David Lynch who died last week - though serendipitously we recorded the episode a few weeks before - this episode we discuss his feature debut, Eraserhead. A film so freaky, so funny and utterly unique. Just like the man himself. References David Lynch’s documentary, Eraserhead Stories Interviews with the Eraserhead cast ‘The Epic Influence of David Lynch's Eraserhead, from Kubrick to Star Wars’ by Garin Pirnia for Esquire Interview with Lynch from Chris Rodley’s 1997 book ...

We go behind-the-scenes of an overlooked gem which is finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to a 4K restoration by Mubi. Tarsem Singh's debut feature The Fall is a globe-trotting feast for the eyes, with a transformative performance by first-time actor, the then six-year-old Catinca Untaru. We strongly recommend catching it on Mubi before listening to the episode. References Behind-the-scenes documentary 'Wanderlust and Nostalgia' Tarsem Singh on the making of The Fall by Christ...

This week we sift through the web lore of one of the original multiverse movies, Donnie Darko. We relish seeing adolescent Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal squabble at the dinner table and ponder why a 23-year-old directing wunderkind never succeeded with a follow-up. References Pages from the fictional book "The Philosophy of Time Travel" by Roberta Sparrow aka Grandma Death Donnie Darko’s BTS production video diary An oral history of Donnie Darko ----------- If you love what we do, pl...

To kick off a new series, we’re starting with the biggest film of 2024 - that’s biggest by our personal metrics. Expect a detailed breakdown of the lens required to achieve such a revolting zoom on Dennis Quaid munching prawn heads and a rant about why this is not Demi Moore’s comeback. References Interview with Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Coralie Fargeat A breakdown of the set design of The Substance The kind of headline Lily doesn’t appreciate ----------- If you love what we do, plea...