Episode 185 - Miranda (1948)
Reel Britannia
Episode 185 - Miranda (1948) "You've hated me ever since I set tail in this house." In the canon of post-war British comedy, there are grand spectacles and quiet character studies. And then, every so often, there’s a film so completely, cheerfully absurd that it defies category. Miranda (1948) is one such treasure, a fantasy-comedy that is as polished and witty as it is delightfully naughty. It’s a film that asks what would happen if a classic British “comedy of manners” was suddenly interrupted by a mermaid—and the answer, it turns in, is pure, bubbly entertainment. The story...
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Episode 184 - In The Name Of The Father (1993)
Reel Britannia
Episode 184- In The Name Of The Father (1993) "You got 15 years of blood and sweat and pain from my client - whose only crime was that he was bloody well Irish. And he was foolish, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Based on the powerful true story of the Guildford Four, In the Name of the Father (1993) is a gripping legal and personal drama chronicling a devastating miscarriage of justice during "The Troubles" in 1970s England. The film centers on Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis), a petty thief from Belfast. To escape the escalating violence, his father sends him to...
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Episode 183 - Boiling Point (2021)
Reel Britannia
Episode 183 - Boiling Point (2021) "I do not get paid enough to deal with this shit." The 2021 British film "Boiling Point" offers a raw and immersive look into the high-pressure environment of a professional kitchen, captured in a single, continuous take. Directed by Philip Barantini, who co-wrote the screenplay with James Cummings, the film is a technical marvel that amplifies the relentless stress of the culinary world. The production notably filmed the entire movie four times, with the third take being the one used in the final cut, a testament to the cast and crew's incredible...
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Episode 182 - All Night Long (1962)
Reel Britannia
Episode 182 - All Night Long (1962) "Me? Oh, I belong to that new minority group: white American jazz musicians. They're going to hold a mass meeting in a phone booth." Get ready to step into the coolest party of 1962. Basil Dearden's All Night Long is a cinematic powder keg, a film that brilliantly transplants Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello into the vibrant, smoke-filled world of the London jazz scene, and it does so with an electrifying pulse that never lets up. This isn't just a drama; it's a front-row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime jam session, featuring knockout performances from...
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Episode 181 - Hammer Britannia 021 - The Gorgon (1964)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 181 - The Gorgon (1964) " Don't use long words, Inspector; they don't suit you." Get ready to have a monstrously good time with one of Hammer Film Productions’ most creative and atmospheric chillers, 1964’s The Gorgon! This isn't just any old creature feature; it’s a vibrant, gothic mystery that brings together the titans of terror, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, for a truly legendary showdown. Forget what you know about Medusa, because this film introduces a...
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Episode 180 - A Kind Of Loving (1962)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 180 - A Kind Of Loving (1962) "You know, it's a funny feeling. Sometimes I really fancy her, and the next day I can hardly stand the sight of her." More kitchen sink drama this week as Scott and Steven step into the vibrant, bustling world of early 1960s Lancashire with "A Kind of Loving," a wonderfully spirited and heartfelt romance. The story centres on Vic Brown, a wisecracking and ambitious young draughtsman with dreams bigger than his industrial town. His world is instantly...
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Episode 179 - North Sea Hijack (1980)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 179 - North Sea Hijack (1980) Forget your suave, tuxedo-clad spies. The hero of North Sea Hijack is Rufus Excalibur ffolkes, a man whose only true loves are his cats, a strong Scotch, and a perfectly executed bit of underwater sabotage. When a group of rather impolite terrorists, led by the chillingly polite Kramer, decide to hijack a massive oil rig and its supply vessel in the middle of the tempestuous North Sea, the British government is in a pickle. The villains' demand is...
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Episode 178 - Carry on Cruising (1962)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 178 - Carry On Cruising (1962) "During the War I did Arctic runs that would've made HMS Ulysses look like a trip to Brighton. Without getting a scratch! Two days on a simple cruise with you lot and look at me!" The sixth installment in the beloved Carry On franchise, 1962's Carry On Cruising holds a special place in the series' history. Not only did it take the familiar brand of British seaside humour to the high seas, but it was also the very first Carry On film to be shot and...
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Episode 177 - This Is England (2006)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 177 - This Is England (2006) Set in a coastal English town during the summer of 1983, This Is England centres on Shaun, a lonely 12-year-old boy grieving the death of his father in the Falklands War. After a fight at school, Shaun is befriended by a group of older, good-natured skinheads led by the welcoming Woody. He quickly finds a sense of belonging and a surrogate family within their subculture of ska music, fashion, and camaraderie. The group's joyful dynamic is shattered by...
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Episode 176 - Hammer Britannia 020 - The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 176 - Hammer Britannia 020 - The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964) In Hammer's "The Evil of Frankenstein" (1964), a destitute Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), with his assistant Hans, is forced to flee and returns to his ancestral chateau in Karlstaad. He finds his home looted by vengeful villagers and his original creation missing. Guided by a deaf-mute girl, he discovers the Creature (Kiwi Kingston) perfectly preserved in a glacier. After thawing and reanimating its body,...
info_outlineWelcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism.
And a huge welcome back to Hal, contributer of wonderful reviews at the official Talking Pictures Podcast as well as host of his very own show Couple Indemnity.
Hold onto your snorkels! In Thunderball, suave spy James Bond jets off to the sun-drenched Bahamas. Why the holiday? Because the villainous, eye-patch-wearing Largo of SPECTRE has pinched two atomic bombs and is holding the world to ransom! 007 must navigate treacherous waters, both literally and figuratively, charming allies like the stunning Domino while dodging Largo's aquatic thugs. Get ready for thrilling underwater battles, cool gadgets, and Bond proving that even a nuclear crisis can't cramp his impeccable style. It's a high-stakes game of global poker, and Bond's all-in!
Thunderball(1965)
In 1965's Thunderball, James Bond, played with maximum cool by Sean Connery, finds himself in a pickle when the notoriously nasty organization SPECTRE, specifically their number two main man, the delightfully devious and eye-patch-sporting Emilio Largo, makes off with two atomic bombs. Their asking price for not reducing a major city to a fine powder? A cool £100 million in diamonds.
Naturally, Her Majesty's Secret Service dispatches their best man, 007, who, after a rather explosive pre-title sequence involving a man in drag and a handy jetpack, tracks the villainy to the vibrant, sun-drenched Bahamas.
Bond's mission quickly turns into a tropical tango of espionage. He crosses paths with the alluring Domino, who just happens to be Largo's mistress, and the fiery SPECTRE operative Fiona Volpe, who prefers lethal motorcycles to leisurely strolls. Armed with Q's latest toys – including gadgets perfect for underwater shenanigans – Bond dives headfirst into Largo's world, which is, conveniently, based around a superyacht and a rather shark-infested estate.
The film culminates in an absolutely bonkers underwater battle royale, proving that fisticuffs are just as effective below the waves as they are on dry land. With the fate of a major city hanging in the balance, Bond and his newfound allies engage in a fin-tastic clash against Largo's scuba-equipped forces. Will Bond recover the bombs, get the girl, and deliver a perfect one-liner before the credits roll? You know the answer, but the fun is in watching him do it with effortless charm and a never-ending supply of air tanks!
"My dear girl, don't flatter yourself. What I did this evening was for King and country. You don't think it gave me any pleasure, do you?"
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Thanks for listening
Scott and Steven