This week, we discuss two films that quietly explore isolation, beauty and the passage of time. The first is Vigil (1984), which follows a young girl in rural New Zealand as she navigates grief, and a mysterious new presence, after her father's death. The second is Days of Heaven (1978), which captures the tragedy of a love triangle set against the…

This week, we discuss two films from acclaimed director Jane Campion. The first is In the Cut (2003), a psychological thriller that delves into desire and danger as a woman becomes entangled in a murder investigation. The second is The Piano (1993), which tells the haunting story of a mute pianist whose arranged marriage in colonial New Zealand ign…

This week, we discuss two depressing Scandinavian films. The first is Aniara (2018), which follows a spaceship of passengers drifting hopelessly through space, confronting existential despair after veering off course. The second is Melancholia (2011), which centres on two sisters grappling with personal and cosmic doom as a rogue planet threatens t…

This week, we discuss two films starring Jack Nicholson. The first is The Witches of Eastwick (1987), which blends dark comedy and supernatural chaos as three women discover their powers, and a devilish visitor, in a small town. The second is Terms of Endearment (1983), which traces the complex, tender and often turbulent bond between a mother and …

This week, we discuss two Martin Scorsese films dealing with Christianity. The first is The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), which presents a deeply human portrait of Jesus, torn between divine duty and earthly desires. The second is Silence (2016), which follows two Jesuit priests facing persecution and crisis of faith while searching for their m…

This week, we discuss two American sports films from 1979. The first is North Dallas Forty (1979), which exposes the gritty underside of professional American football, where painkillers, politics and profit overshadow the game The second is Breaking Away (1979), which follows a group of working-class friends navigating identity, dreams and class d…

This week, we discuss two classic British films from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The first is Black Narcissus (1947), which explores the psychological unraveling of nuns in a remote Himalayan convent as desire and isolation take hold. The second is The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), which traces the life of a British officer thr…

This week, we discuss two historical dramas about political resistance. The first is Peterloo (2018), which tells the harrowing story of the 1819 massacre in Manchester, where peaceful protesters were met with deadly force while demanding political reform. The second is The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006), which follows two brothers caught on op…

This week, we discuss two horror films from director Tobe Hooper. The first is The Funhouse (1981), which follows a group of teens who sneak into a carnival funhouse for a night of thrills, only to be hunted by a monstrous killer lurking within. The second is Poltergeist (1982), which tells the story of a suburban family whose home becomes haunted …

This week, we discuss two films from the Wachowski siblings. The first is Cloud Atlas (2012), an epic science fiction film which weaves together six interconnected stories across time and space, exploring how individual actions ripple through history to shape destinies. The second is Bound (1996), a neo-noir erotic crime thriller where two women pl…

This week, we discuss two films which delve into the Soviet/Russian psyche. The first is Brother (1997), a neo-noir crime drama which follows a young Russian veteran navigating the criminal underworld of post-Soviet Saint Petersburg, where his code of honor and survival instincts are tested amid violence and betrayal. The second is Come and See (19…

This week, we discuss two films written and directed by John Sayles. The first is Matewan (1987), an historical drama which depicts a tense labour struggle in 1920s West Virginia, where coal miners, faced with brutal oppression from company enforcers, unite in a fight for their rights. The second is Lone Star (1996), a neo-Western which unravels a …

This week, we discuss two films starring, written and directed by Orson Welles. The first is Chimes at Midnight (1966), an historical comedy which follows the rise and fall of Sir John Falstaff, a boisterous yet tragic figure caught between loyalty and political upheaval in Shakespearean England. The second is Touch of Evil (1958), a noir thriller …

This week, we discuss two films starring French actor Alain Delon. The first is Purple Noon (1960), an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. In the film, a young man becomes entangled in deception and identity theft while vacationing on the Italian coast, leading to dangerous consequences. The second is The Red Circl…

This week, we discuss two films involving Brady Corbet, the director of The Brutalist. The first is Vox Lux (2018), a musical drama written and directed by Brady Corbet, from a story by Corbet and Mona Fastvold. It follows a pop star who rises to fame after a traumatic event, exploring the intersection of celebrity and personal history. The second …

This week, we discuss two vampire films. The first is Daughters of Darkness (1971), an erotic horror film co-written and directed by Harry Kümel and starring Delphine Seyrig, John Karlen, Andrea Rau and Danielle Ouimet. A newlywed couple's honeymoon at a deserted seaside hotel takes a sinister turn when they encounter the enigmatic Countess Bathory…

This week, Andy J Ritchie goes through the 10 films that formed him, featuring discussion of pre-9/11 optimism, sad bastard music and the most Scottish form of revenge. Next week, we’re back to regular programming with Daughters of Darkness and Near Dark, so get them watched now! Links Instagram - @callitfriendopodcast @munnywales @andyjayritchie L…

This week, we change things up with a completely original idea that was definitely not stolen from a popular film podcast. In this bonus episode, Donnchadh Tiernan runs down his 10 most formative films, surprisingly few of which feature gratuitous nudity. Links Instagram - @callitfriendopodcast @munnywales @andyjayritchie Letterboxd – @andycifpod @…

This week, we wrap up our best of 2024. We talk about: The top 5 films we watched for the podcast this year The worst film we watched Favourite films of 2024 Biggest disappointment of 2024 Favourite TV series Favourite albums Favourite games Most anticipated for 2025 Thanks for listening! See you in 2025! Links Instagram - @callitfriendopodcast @mu…

This week, we discuss two films which take a satirical look at the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s. The first is The Front (1976), starring Woody Allen as a schmuck who serves as a front for a group of blacklisted writers. Several people involved in the making of the film, including the director, writer and a number of actors, had actually been bl…

This week, we discuss two American prison films. The first is Shot Caller, a crime thriller written and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. The film chronicles the transformation of a well-to-do family man, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, into a hardened prison gangster trying to survive California's brutal penal system after he is incarcerated for his r…

This week, we discuss two anthology films. The first is The Decameron (1971), written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, based on the 14th-century allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio. It is the first film of Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, the others being The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights. Each film was an adaptation of a different piece of classic…

This week, we discuss two films that feature characters being terorrised by vehicles. The first is Christine (1983), a supernatural horror film co-scored and directed by John Carpenter and starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky and Harry Dean Stanton. Adapted from Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same name, the movie f…

This week, we discuss two films that delve into the complex dynamics of political ideology and revolution in the 1960s. The first is The Battle of Algiers (1966), an Italian-Algerian war film co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. It is based on action undertaken by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in N…

This week, we discuss the first two films from acclaimed American director Peter Bogdanovich. The first is Targets (1968), a crime thriller starring Tim O'Kelly, Boris Karloff, Nancy Hsueh and Bogdanovich himself. The film depicts two parallel narratives which converge during the climax: one follows Bobby Thompson, a seemingly ordinary and wholesom…

This week, we discuss two comedy films from the CCU (Chuck Cinematic Universe). The first is Good Luck Chuck (2007), starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. In the film, women find their "one true love" after having sex with a dentist named Chuck (Cook). Chuck meets a girl named Cam (Alba) and tries to become her true love. The second is I Now Pronoun…

This week, we discuss two films from American Indie director Hal Hartley. The first is The Unbelievable Truth (1989), starring Adrienne Shelly and Robert Burke. It tells the story of Audry, a girl who dumps her high-school boyfriend and becomes a successful fashion model, and her relationship with a mysterious man called Josh, recently released fro…

This week, we discuss two home invasion thrillers. The first is Hush (2016), directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, and starring Kate Siegel, who also co-wrote the film with Flanagan. Siegel plays a deaf-mute horror author who must face off against a crossbow-wielding psycho. The second is Wait Until Dark (1967), directed by Terence Young and based …

This week, we discuss two films from American director Blake Edwards. The first is 10 (1979), starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber and Bo Derek. It was considered a trendsetting film at the time of its release and became one of the year's biggest box-office hits. The film follows a middle-aged man who becomes infatuated with a young …

This week, we discuss two films from Japanese director Shohei Yamamura. The first is The Eel (1997), starring Kōji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baisho and Akira Emoto. The film is loosely based on the novel On Parole by celebrated author Akira Yoshimura, combined with elements from the director's 1966 film The Pornographers. It shared the Palme d…

This week, we discuss two films from two prominent New German Cinema directors. The first is Until the End of the World (1991), an epic science fiction adventure drama directed by Wim Wenders. Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world-changing catastrophe, the film follows a man and woman, played by William Hurt and Solveig Dommart…

This week, we discuss two films featuring friend of the show Roy Scheider. The first is The Seven-Ups (1973), a neo-noir mystery action thriller produced and directed by Philip D'Antoni. It stars Roy Scheider as a crusading policeman who is the leader of the Seven-Ups, a squad of plainclothes officers who use dirty, unorthodox tactics to snare thei…

This week, we discuss two films from American director and choreographer Bob Fosse. The first is All That Jazz (1979), a musical drama starring Roy Scheider. The screenplay, by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse, is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as a dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired …

This week, we discuss two films from English director Jack Clayton. The first is The Innocents (1961), a gothic psychological horror film starring Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave and Megs Jenkins. Based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw by the American novelist Henry James, the screenplay was adapted by William Archibald and Truman Capote, w…

This week, we discuss two films criticised for their depiction of gay people. The first is Boat Trip (2002), a romantic comedy directed by Mort Nathan in his feature film directorial debut and starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Horatio Sanz, Vivica A. Fox, Roselyn Sánchez and Roger Moore. The film was a critical and commercial failure. The second is Cruisi…

This week, we discuss two brutally violent films set in 19th century Australia. The first is The Proposition (2005), a Western directed by John Hillcoat and written by screenwriter and musician Nick Cave. It stars Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, John Hurt, Danny Huston and David Wenham. The second is The Nightingale (2018), a historical psy…

This week, we discuss two critically acclaimed feature films from first time directors. The first is Killer of Sheep (1978), edited, filmed, written, produced and directed by Charles Burnett. Shot primarily in 1972 and 1973, it was originally submitted by Burnett to the UCLA School of Film in 1977 as his Master of Fine Arts thesis. The second is Ge…

This week, we discuss two British gangster films from the early 1970s. The first is Sitting Target (1972), directed by Douglas Hickox and starring Oliver Reed, Ian McShane and Jill St. John. It was based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Laurence Henderson and is about a man intent on escaping prison to kill his unfaithful wife. The second is V…

This week, we discuss two films starring friend of the show Philip Seymour Hoffman. The first is Owning Mahowny (2003). The film is based on the true story of Brian Molony, a Toronto bank employee who embezzled more than $10 million to feed his gambling addiction. It was named one of the ten best films of the year by critic Roger Ebert. The second …

This week, we discuss two films from acclaimed director Terrence Malick. The first is To the Wonder (2012), an experimental romantic drama starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem. Filmed in Oklahoma and Paris, the film chronicles a couple who, after falling in love in Paris, struggle to keep their relationship from fa…

This week, we discuss two films which feature wrestling. The first is Paradise Alley (1978), an American sports drama written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone (in his feature directorial debut). The film tells the story of three Italian American brothers in Hell's Kitchen in the 1940s who become involved in professional wrestling. The …

This week, we discuss two critically acclaimed films from Brazil. The first is Estômago (2007), a Brazilian–Italian film directed by Marcos Jorge. It tells the story of Raimundo, a humble man who moves to the big city to become a chef. The film won a number of awards in Brazil. The second is Bacurau (2019), a Weird Western film written and directed…

This week, we discuss two films from American director Samuel Fuller. The first is White Dog (1982), a drama/horror film based on Romain Gary's 1970 novel of the same name. The film depicts the struggle of a dog trainer named Keys (Paul Winfield), who is black, trying to retrain a stray dog found by a young actress (Kristy McNichol), that is a "whi…

This week, we discuss two films which competed for the Palme d’Or in 2021. The first is A Hero (2021), an Iranian-French drama film written and directed by Asghar Farhadi and starring Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh and Sahar Goldoost. The film was screened at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, ultimately winning the Grand Prix. The second is Annette (2…

This week, we discuss two highly acclaimed films from the 90s. The first is Before the Rain (1994), a Macedonian war film written and directed by Milcho Manchevski and starring Katrin Cartlidge and Rade Šerbedžija. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards. The second is Farewell My Concubine (1993), a Chinese…

This week, we discuss two films from the 1970s starring Elliott Gould. The first is The Silent Partner (1978), a 1978 Canadian thriller film directed by Daryl Duke and starring Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, and Susannah York. The second is Capricorn One (1977), a 1977 British-produced American thriller film in which a reporter discovers that …

This week, we discuss two films from legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. The first is Throne of Blood (1957), which is based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Isuzu Yamada in the lead roles. With a budget of $350,000, the film was one of the most expensive films ever made in Japan at the time of its release. The se…

In this week’s episode we run through our best of 2023, starting with our top 5 toss pick films. We also delve into our favourite (and least favourite) media released last year. Links Instagram - @callitfriendopodcast @munnywales @andyjayritchie Letterboxd – @andycifpod @donnchadh Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.c…

This week, we discuss two films connected to Sherlock Holmes. The first is Zero Effect (1998), a mystery comedy film written and directed by Jake Kasdan in his feature directional debut. Starring Bill Pullman as "the world's most private detective", Daryl Zero, and Ben Stiller as his assistant Steve Arlo, the film's plot is loosely based on the Art…

This week, we discuss two films about the Japanese mafia. The first is The Yakuza (1974), a neo-noir crime drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura and Brian Keith. The screenplay by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne is from a story by Schrader's brother, Leonard Schrader. The second is Sonatine (1993), directed,…