Blog Posts

TOP FILM & TV PODCASTS

11/6/2019

You Must Remember This (Slate): Karina Longworth's now-legendary podcast investigates the myths, depths and struggles of Classic and New Hollywood. Her series on Kenneth Anger is especially noteworthy. She is such a talented narrator, researcher and all-round storyteller. This is likely to stay at #1 for a while.
Little Gold Men (Vanity Fair): this podcast offers unparalleled industry insights, criticism and gossip about Hollywood's biggest releases, as well as news from the frontlines of key awards ceremonies and festivals. The hosts are witty, speculation is juicy and analysis is mostly sharp. It's also lovely to see an incorporation of the TV landscape into the discussion.
Happy Sad Confused (MTV): the sheer calibre of talent available on this podcast is impressive, from Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame to Woody Allen via Oscar Isaac. I love how Josh Horowitz reaches far into the guests' careers to illuminate their present work.
ID10T with Chris Hardwick (Art19): it's a real shame Hardwick's career has come into shade due to recent allegations of sexual assault, as his podcast is well-informed, funny and casually charming. He makes huge stars like Antonio Banderas and Jamie Lee Curtis feel comfortable and speak candidly.
Fantastic Geeks and Where to Find Them: this is a guilty pleasure. The hosts are lovely (some would say annoying) and conjure up that feeling of excitement when watching Star Wars for the first time. The show is obviously very Potter-heavy, however their discussions range everything from Lord of the Rings to the Avengers. A real must for geeks.

TOP 5 SHOWS OF 2018

14/1/2019

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Warner Bros): blending the perfume commercial aesthetics of 'Riverdale' with a compelling story about adolescence, change and identity, this unexpectedly captivated me to the point of binge-watching the entire show in a couple of days. Kiernan Shipka is great.
Titans (Warner Bros / DC): for the first time, DC gets Gotham City completely right with a Christopher Nolan-esque tale of frustrated teenagers, jaded superheroes and supernatural doom and gloom. Mixing genres (horror, thriller and superhero movies, to name but a few), this flawed cocktail is often effective and addictive. Let's hope they make more. It reminded me of the first two X-Men movies, you know - the good ones.
Riverdale (Warner Bros / CBS): Netflix's prodigal child returns with more of the same, which is fine. After a long and exhausting second season that didn't quite hit the mark in terms of storytelling, this third season shows promise. I'm confident the second half which debuts this Wednesday will hit the ground running.
Killing Eve (BBC): James Bond meets psychopathic blonde. Based on Luke Jennings's Codename Villanelle novella series, the show successfully puts the viewer in the shoes of the bad girl, who roams the earth hunting her next target. It's alluring, dangerous and well made.
Altered Carbon (Skydance): how do I even start to describe this show? It's Blade Runner on TV, a dystopian science fiction cyberpunk muder mystery. Watch it now.
Honourable mention for Love (Legendary): the most honest and accurate depiction of being in love in your mid to late 20s - hopeless, lost, monotonous and riddled with passive-aggressive friends and foes. After two strong seasons, the series ends in a satisfactory if predictable way.