Reel Britannia
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, join Scott and Steven as they discuss'The Killing Of Sister George' (1968) On-screen, she's Britain's beloved Sister George. Off-screen, she’s a gin-soaked, abusive tyrant. When network executives axe her popular character, actress June Buckridge's life implodes. A ruthless BBC boss not only orchestrates her professional demise but also seduces her vulnerable young lover, Alice. Stripped of her fame and her relationship in a vicious power play, George is...
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Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 173 - The Old Dark House (1963) In the 1963 horror-comedy "The Old Dark House," American car salesman Tom Penderel seeks shelter from a storm in a remote, dilapidated mansion. He finds himself an unwelcome guest among the eccentric Femm family, who are gathered for the reading of a will. The family members soon become victims of a mysterious killer, who murders them one by one in bizarre fashion. Trapped by the storm with the strange household, Tom must navigate the growing...
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Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. We welcome back Hal, contributer of wonderful reviews at the official Talking Pictures Podcast as well as host of his very own show Couple Indemnity. 1980s political thriller shenanigans this week as what begins as a seemingly straightforward sex scandal quickly unravels into a complex web of conspiracy. Defence Of The Realm (1986) In the politically charged atmosphere of 1980s Cold War London, Fleet Street is a battleground of ambition, rivalry, and relentless deadlines....
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Welcome to Le Hollandais, the most fashionable restaurant in town, where the food is divine and the clientele is dreadful! Meet Albert, a gangster with Michelin-star vulgarity, and his elegant wife, Georgina, who’s desperately seeking a more palatable main course. She finds it in a quiet bookworm, and soon they’re having their cake and eating it too, right under Albert’s nose! What follows is a deliciously decadent tale of high fashion, haute cuisine, and hilariously unsubtle revenge. It’s a visual feast where the only thing more shocking than the menu is the table manners. The...
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Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, join Scott and Steven as they discuss'The Father'. A movie that poignantly depicts an elderly man's descent into dementia, masterfully portraying his disorienting reality. As Anthony's memory fractures, his daughter Anne struggles to care for him. The film uniquely places the audience within Anthony's confused perspective, where timelines shift and faces change, creating a deeply moving and unsettling exploration of aging, memory, and loss. Episode 170 -...
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Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Fancy a twisted trip to France? Our American painter, Jeff, certainly gets more than he bargained for when he dallies with the alluring Eve. She cooks up a rather madcap scheme to spring her hubby, Georges, from the local asylum using a handy oxyacetylene torch. But hold onto your berets! This seemingly straightforward caper spirals into a fiery game of murder, mistaken identities, and shocking revelations. Turns out, some folks are just a tad maniacal, and poor Jeff's in a very sticky...
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Fancy a playdate that's to die for? Join Mumsy, Nanny, and their darling (if slightly overaged) Sonny and Girly! This charmingly unhinged family just adores making new friends and luring them back to their quaint estate for endless games. Just remember: follow the rules, or it's permanent naptime! Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) Get ready for a rollicking, if rather unnerving, trip to the countryside with Freddie Francis’s 1970 cult delight, "Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly"! Forget your typical family get-togethers; this aristocratic British clan, tucked away in their gloriously...
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Welcome 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,...
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Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, vintage British drama as a tranquil English village is torn apart by anonymous letters accusing residents of scandalous misdeeds. Suspicion and paranoia escalate, leading to tragic consequences, as the community struggles to uncover the culprit and restore harmony. Episode 166 - Poison Pen (1939) All episodes at: Poison Pen (1939) turns the tranquil charm of an English village into the backdrop for a juicy...
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Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, more classic British kitchen sink drama with the tale of Jo, a bold working-class teen who discovers strength in unexpected places. After a brief romance leaves her pregnant, she bonds with Geoff, a kind gay art student. Together, they challenge conventions, showing the power of love, resilience, and humanity in the face of social prejudice. Episode 165 - A Taste of Honey (1961) All episodes at: ...
info_outlineWelcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism.
We welcome back Hal, contributer of wonderful reviews at the official Talking Pictures Podcast as well as host of his very own show Couple Indemnity.
1980s political thriller shenanigans this week as what begins as a seemingly straightforward sex scandal quickly unravels into a complex web of conspiracy.
Defence Of The Realm (1986)
In the politically charged atmosphere of 1980s Cold War London, Fleet Street is a battleground of ambition, rivalry, and relentless deadlines. At the heart of this cut-throat world is Nick Mullen, a young, ferociously ambitious reporter for the Daily Despatch. Mullen is driven by a burning desire to make a name for himself, to break the one big story that will catapult him to the top of his profession. He is sharp, cynical, and initially unconcerned with the moral complexities that may lie beneath a sensational headline.
His world is shared by Vernon Bayliss, a veteran journalist of the old school. Where Mullen is rash and hungry for glory, Bayliss is weary, methodical, and haunted by the compromises he has witnessed throughout his long career. He serves as a reluctant mentor and a cautious sounding board for Mullen's explosive energy, their dynamic a classic clash of youthful fire and aged wisdom, bound by a shared, albeit sometimes begrudging, respect for the craft.
The film ignites when Mullen receives a tantalising tip from an anonymous source. The information points to a major sex scandal involving Dennis Markham, a respected Member of Parliament who has been a vocal critic of the government's close military relationship with the United States, particularly regarding the presence of American nuclear forces on British soil. The story is explosive: Markham has allegedly been frequenting a London club where he has been meeting with a call girl who is also a suspected KGB agent. For Mullen, this is the scoop he has been waiting for. He pursues it with vigour, and the subsequent front-page exposé creates a political firestorm, effectively destroying Markham's career and reputation overnight.
Initially, Mullen basks in the glory of his journalistic triumph. However, the neat narrative soon begins to fray at the edges. Small inconsistencies and lingering questions trouble Bayliss, who, with his seasoned eye for detail, starts to believe that the story was too perfect, too easily handed to them. He quietly begins his own discreet investigation, urging a dismissive Mullen to consider the possibility that they have been used as pawns in a much larger, more sinister game. Mullen, still high on his success, initially resists Bayliss's cautious counsel, viewing it as the ramblings of a man who has lost his nerve.
The tone shifts dramatically when Bayliss dies suddenly and mysteriously in what is officially ruled a heart attack. Stricken with guilt and a growing sense of dread, Mullen is shocked into action. He discovers that Bayliss had been secretly investigating a seemingly unrelated event: a near-disastrous accident at an American airbase in the UK. Retrieving Bayliss's hidden research, Mullen inherits his mentor's investigation and his paranoia. He begins to piece together the terrifying truth that the Markham scandal was not about sex, but was an intricately fabricated smear campaign designed to silence him.
As Mullen delves deeper into the labyrinthine cover-up, the shadows begin to close in. He finds himself under constant surveillance, his flat is ransacked, and his every move is seemingly anticipated by faceless, powerful forces within the state's security apparatus. The story he is chasing is no longer about journalistic ethics or a political scandal; it is about a chilling government conspiracy to conceal a near-nuclear catastrophe from the public. Every new lead and every potential source becomes a risk, pushing Mullen further into a dangerous isolation where the very institutions meant to uphold the nation's defence are the ones he has to fear the most. He is no longer just a reporter chasing a story; he is a man fighting for his life against an enemy he cannot see.
"Vodka and Coca-Cola. Detente in a glass!"
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Thanks for listening
Scott and Steven