The Stinking Pause Podcast
The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good. This week join Scott, Paul and Charlie for a tale of a bungled diamond heist leading to a chaotic, hilarious web of double-crosses. Seduction, stammering, and stolen fish ensnare a stuffy lawyer in a madcap Anglo-American culture clash for the loot. A Fish Called Wanda (1988) "A Fish Called Wanda" is a delightfully chaotic and hilariously upbeat caper that brilliantly blends British wit with American brashness. The story ignites when a mismatched gang of jewel thieves – the cunning...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good. This week,Antony joins Scott to take a look at an incredible piece of cinema from Sidney Lumet In a WWII British military prison in North Africa, new inmates face brutal punishment, epitomized by repeatedly climbing a man-made hill in the desert heat. Led by a defiant ex-Sergeant Major, the prisoners clash with sadistic guards, leading to a grim struggle for survival and exposing the camp's inhumanity. Anthony is the host of Film Gold, Life And Life Only and Glass Onion: On John Lennon...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good. This week join Scott, Paul and Charlie for a tale of two seasoned Navy men, tasked with escorting a young sailor to military prison. Instead of a straightforward trip, they turn it into an unforgettable adventure—boozing, brawling, and sharing hard-won wisdom along the way. The Last Detail (1973) The Last Detail (1973) is a rollicking, bittersweet road trip wrapped in military blues. Directed by Hal Ashby and starring Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid, the film...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good. This week join Scott and Paul as they discuss a tale of a gambler-jeweler navigating chaos to secure a rare opal and escape debts, blending tension, addiction, and greed in a relentless thriller masterpiece. Uncut Gems (2019) "Uncut Gems," directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, is a gripping and anxiety-inducing crime thriller set in the bustling Diamond District of New York City. The film centers on Howard Ratner, played with frenetic energy by Adam Sandler, a charismatic but deeply...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good. This week join Scott and Paul as they dive into the deep and murky world of jury rigging and a warm hearted tribute to the legendary Gene Hackman Runaway Jury (2003) Runaway Jury, the 2003 courtroom thriller that puts a quirky twist on the phrase “justice is blind.” Imagine a high-stakes tug-of-war featuring a scheming jury, a ruthless gun lobby, and two legal eagles circling each other like hawks. The result? A movie that’s less about legal jargon and more about who can outfox...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good. This week join Scott, Paul, and Charlie as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson hunt down the most famous serial killer of all time. Murder By Decree (1979) Imagine Victorian London draped in its signature fog—moody, mysterious, and murderous. Enter Sherlock Holmes, played by the suave Christopher Plummer, whose deerstalker hat is firmly in place as he faces off against the city's ultimate boogeyman, Jack the Ripper. Accompanying him is Dr. Watson, portrayed by James Mason, the ever-patient...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 This week join Scott, Paul, and Charlie as we discuss Frederick Forsythe's tale of an assassin out to kill French President de Gaulle, while a detective races to stop him in a tense cat-and-mouse chase. The Day Of The Jackal (1973) "The Day of the Jackal" (1973) is a tense political thriller centered on an assassination plot against French President Charles de Gaulle. The story follows a mysterious and highly skilled assassin, known only as the Jackal (Edward Fox) , hired by a paramilitary group seeking to eliminate...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good. This week, an episode that has been eleven years in the making. At last, our dear friend Maurice, host of See Hear and Love That Album joins Scott, Paul and Charlie from Melbourne. Also joining us, from York, is Steven, Scott's co host on the Reel Britannia podcast. A word of warning - this episode is a bit sweary! McVicar (1980) John McVicar (Roger Daltrey) is an English career criminal locked up with all the other lifers in the dreaded E Wing of Durham Prison. Between riots...
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The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good. This week, it's Anthony's turn to join Scott and Paul to take a look at an American cop classic from the seventies Anthony is the host of Film Gold, Life And Life Only and Glass Onion: On John Lennon. Electra Glide In Blue (1973) The only thing good-hearted motorcycle cop John Wintergreen () wants is to become a detective. To wear a big Stetson, smoke fancy cigars and be paid to think. So when he stumbles upon a dead body, he takes the case - and proves he's...
info_outlineThe Stinking Pause Podcast
The Stinking Pause Podcast - bringing you classic movies since 2013...some good, some not so good. This week, it's Anthony's turn to join Scott and Paul to look back at a movie that we first chatted about in 2013 Anthony is the host of Film Gold, Life And Life Only and Glass Onion: On John Lennon. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does. "He won't...
info_outlineThe Stinking Pause Podcast – bringing you classic movie reviews since 2013 - some good...some not so good.
This week join Scott, Paul and Charlie for a tale of a bungled diamond heist leading to a chaotic, hilarious web of double-crosses. Seduction, stammering, and stolen fish ensnare a stuffy lawyer in a madcap Anglo-American culture clash for the loot.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
"A Fish Called Wanda" is a delightfully chaotic and hilariously upbeat caper that brilliantly blends British wit with American brashness. The story ignites when a mismatched gang of jewel thieves – the cunning Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis), her dangerously dim-witted "brother" Otto (Kevin Kline), the animal-loving, stuttering Ken Pile (Michael Palin), and the brains of the operation, George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) – successfully pull off a major diamond heist.
However, the trust among thieves is, predictably, non-existent. Wanda and Otto immediately betray George, landing him in jail, but not before he cunningly hides the loot. Enter the quintessential, repressed English barrister, Archie Leach (John Cleese). Wanda sets her sights on seducing Archie, believing he can lead her to the hidden diamonds. What follows is a whirlwind of outrageous situations, escalating absurdities, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Kevin Kline's Oscar-winning performance as the pseudo-intellectual, pathologically jealous Otto is a comedic tour-de-force, delivering iconic lines and unforgettable physical comedy. Michael Palin is equally brilliant as the tortured Ken, whose attempts to eliminate a key witness (an elderly dog lover) go catastrophically and hilariously wrong, usually involving the unfortunate demise of her beloved pooches.
Jamie Lee Curtis shines as the smart, manipulative Wanda, effortlessly wrapping everyone around her little finger. John Cleese is perfect as the flustered Archie, whose stiff upper lip gradually crumbles under Wanda's charms and the sheer madness of the unfolding events, leading to some of the film's most memorable and uproarious scenes.
"A Fish Called Wanda" is a masterclass in comedic timing and ensemble performance. Its relentless pace, witty dialogue, and a genuine sense of fun make it an enduring and infectiously cheerful cinematic treat that leaves audiences roaring with laughter.
"You pompous, stuck-up, snot-nosed, English, giant, twerp, scumbag, fuck-face, dickhead, asshole."
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Scott, Paul, and Charlie