Film Gold

Luke and Antony complete their look at the classic comedy ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian', the talk originally recorded on video earlier this year (see below).

It’s hard to avoid the controversy that surrounded this filmwhen it came out, and you will hear a clip or two from the remarkable TV debate around the more contentious aspects of it, the like of which would surely not be seen these days.

Most important though is the marvellous, some would sayflawless, con /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329635

What more is there to say about Monty Python’s Life ofBrian? Well, we may as well give it a bash.

Luke Thompson takes on hosting duties for a swapcast between Film Gold and Luke’s English Podcast, originally recorded on video earlier this year (see below).

In this first part, Luke & Antony discuss among otherthings their histories with the film, the basic philosophy of the Python team regarding biblical epics, some of the original inspiration for the film, and its p /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329640

Among Oliver Stone’s large and celebrated body of work is afilm from 1997 that was largely ignored and derided at the time but is a classic case of a rediscovered gem with cult appeal. Scott Phipps joins Antony to look at the dark and twisted ‘U Turn’.

Sean Penn leads an ensemble cast including the ultimate femme fatale Jennifer Lopez and many recognisable and renowned names at various stages of their careers. We recommend multiple viewings of this film to fullyabsorb all the detai /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329645

This time round we present our second Steven Spielberg filmand one that was very much a forerunner to (and inspiration for) the more famous ‘Jaws’, as an ordinary man is forced to find inner resources and transcend his limitations in order to defeat a seemingly unstoppable force that can’t be reasoned with.

By kind permission of Julian Charles of The Mind Renewed,the recording used here is from TMR’s 20th movie roundtable, featuring Antony as a guest alongside Julian, Frank Johnson /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329650

And so we say goodbye as Charles Foster Kane faces the final curtain…

Antony wraps up Citizen Kane’s final scenes, discusses the critical response to the film and its multi-decade legacy, and the final words -13 minutes of them- are given to the man himself, Orson Welles, aided by Huw Wheldon and Dick Cavett

If you’ve listened through this series (and the previous3-parter on Orson), we sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed it

'Film Gold' is on all the /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329655

Antony continues a scene-by-scene analysis of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. As we enter the second half of the film, things are still going reasonably well with Charles Foster Kane, but the slow descent into despair and emptiness will soon begin with the famous ‘breakfast table montage’.

As you listen to this and/or watch the film, it’s worth asking a fundamental question about acceptance of reality and whether public acclaim is merely a poor substitute for something fundamental to /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329660

Our continuing journey into the world of Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane finds Antony beginning a scene-by-scene analysis, starting with the film’s Gothic horror opening,possibly the best-known final word of a character in any film, and then the sudden and jarring segue into the newsreel obituary of the world-famous Charles Foster Kane.

We try to make sense of the sometimes absurdly non-linear structure of the film while admiring the remarkable artistry contained in every scene. The you /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329665

We continue our multi-part series on Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane, finishing our prelude to the main film by looking at the shooting, storytelling, special effects, editing and sound/music. We also detail its commercial performance and the pushback from William Randolph Hearst.

In Part 3, Antony will begin going scene by scene through the film

We hope you enjoy it!

'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast platforms.

Feedback to contra /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329670

Following on from Film Gold’s Orson Welles special last time round, Antony this time tackles head-on, with another multi-parter, the grandaddy of American films, Citizen Kane.

The first two parts look at the background and the making of the film before we go scene-by-scene through the film in later parts.

This time round, Antony intros this deep dive and looks at Orson Welles’s arrival in Hollywood, his incredible RKO contract, and the writing and inspiration(s) for /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329675

Just as Orson Welles finally bowed out in 1985, we must do the same.

We continue our Orson Welles journey, accompanied by uberfan David ‘Ghosty’ Wills, with discussion of the big daddy of all films, 1941’s Citizen Kane. Was this both a blessing and a curse for Orson’s career? We also discuss /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329685

Following on from our Marlon Brando and Michael Caine deep dives in the last few years, this time Orson Welles gets the Film Gold treatment. David ‘Ghosty’ Wills joins Antony for a 3-parter looking at the great man’s life, work and legacy.

We are delighted to bring you another swapcast with former Film Gold guest and my podcasting ‘spiritual brother’, Julian Charles of ‘The Mind Renewed’.

Antony and returning guest Luke Thompson /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329700

One of the films that ushered in the new century, Requiem For A Dream is a virtuoso powerhouse from director Darren Aronofsky, featuring a remarkable lead performance by Ellen Burstyn. Although primarily dealing with drug addiction, it hits all kinds of other points of social and emotional impact, such as the power of television, the pain of loss, the fragility of dreams and the human need for love and attention.

The story of HMS Bounty and the mutiny that took place aboard it is a compelling narrative that has not surprisingly been the subject of many film adaptations and other creative endeavours. In this discussion from 2020 that originally went out on the Stinking Pause podcast, regular Film Gold collaborator Scott Phipps is joined by myself and Steven Byford for a long and expansive discussion of the 1962 film version of the story and its troubled production, as well as the other film versions and their rela /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329710

We complete our Michael Caine tribute, a joint presentation of the ‘Film Gold’ and ‘The Stinking Pause’ podcasts, as the great man turns 90. Antony Rotunno and Scott Phipps count down their top 5 Caine performances and also discuss his ultimate legacy after 60 years as a film star. There are audio clips galore to complement the conversation, including Michael reading from the first of his many memoirs and also offering a few acting tips!

Michael Caine, born as Maurice Micklewhite, has been acting for 70 years and been a star for nearly 60. This 2-part joint presentation of the ‘Film Gold’ and ‘The Stinking Pause’ podcasts celebrates the life and career of a true cinematic icon as he approaches his 90th birthday.

Originally recorded for 'The Mind Renewed' podcast and hosted by Julian Charles, this is a four-way discussion, also including Mark Campbell and Frank Johnson, about the 1978 conspiracy thriller Capricorn One, starring Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Branda Vaccaro and Hal Holbrook and written and directed by Peter Hyams.

We continue the boxing theme with a look at the black-and-white 'anti-Rocky', starring the dynamite team of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Based on the book by Jake La Motta and Pete Savage, this filmic masterpiece looks at La Motta's life and struggles in and out of the ring as well as the punishment he dishes out to those around him. In this film, boxing is the backdrop but 'the ring' is everywhere in the traps that are imposed on us and which we also set for ourselves.

The Rocky films, for better or worse, have become an instantly recognisable part of popular culture. The original 1976 film, as you will hear, went through a gradual period of evolution but Sylvester Stallone’s script was born in a unique time of ‘realistic’ Hollywood films. The finished product was an unlikely success and a marriage of this gritty realism and crowd-pleasing triumphalism, all against the backdrop of that most primal of sports, boxing.

Taxi Driver's master filmmaking and complex psychology have made it a key film in the classic 'Easy Riders/Raging Bulls' period dominated by the Hollywood of the 70s. Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader were, in Schrader's words, 'all looking for something', and along came this script and story and they embarked on a filmic and personal journey that would become a landmark in American cinema. I'm joined to discuss this film by Jon Davenport, a film student and also creator of the 'Un /episode/index/show/b862b31f-5020-4bf0-98a9-0440f526de1f/id/42329750

Film analyst extraordinaire Rob Ager returns to 'Film Gold' podcast to help Antony pick through the many layers of the seminal 'zombie film' from 1968, which also has elements of horror & sci-fi and makes numerous comments on the society of the time  We go through the plot, characters and themes of the film, talk about its influence and throw in a couple of tangents along the way...  

Alfred Hitchcock, The Master of Suspense, makes his first appearance on the podcast as we take a look at his 1954 ‘limited setting’ classic, starring Hitchcock regulars James Stewart and Grace Kelly in their only on-screen collaboration.