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PODCAST

Call It, Friendo

Andy J Ritchie & Donnchadh Tiernan

Join co-hosts Andy J Ritchie and Donnchadh Tiernan as we watch and discuss 2 films decided by the toss of a coin.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

01:25:20

24. The Bounty (1984) & The Mission (1986)

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/02/22

This week we discuss two Historical epics written by legendary English screenwriter Robert Bolt. The first is The Bounty (1984), the 5th retelling of the famous mutiny on The Bounty committed to film. However, this version, starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins, purports to be the most faithful to real-life events. The second is The Mission (1986), starring Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro. The film tells the story of Jesuit missionaries in South America who clash with Spanish and Portuguese

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01:25:07

23. The Rider (2017) & Nomadland (2020)

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/02/15

This week we discuss two Neo-Westerns directed by Chinese American filmmaker Chloé Zhao. The first is The Rider (2017), a semi-fictionalised account of former bronc rider Brady Jandreau. With a cast of real people playing themselves, Zhao captures an honest depiction of life in rural South Dakota, and of a man dealing with the effects of a life-altering accident. The second is Nomadland (2020), starring Frances McDormand as Fern, a widow who chooses to take up a life on the road living out of a van

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01:02:03

22. Locked Down (2021) & Synchronic (2019)

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/02/08

This week we discuss two films released on VOD in 2021. The first is Locked Down (2021), a film written, filmed and released during the COVID-19 pandemic. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anne Hathaway as a couple who plan a heist at Harrods during lockdown. The second is Synchronic (2019), Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson’s low budget time travel film about one man’s quest to find and rescue his friend’s daughter. The film stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan. Timestamps Locked Down

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01:14:13

21. Birth (2004) & Destroyer (2018)

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2021/02/01

This week we discuss two films starring Nicole Kidman in two extremely different roles. The first is Birth (2004), Jonathan Glazer’s second feature and follow-up to Sexy Beast. In the film, a widow meets a ten-year-old boy who claims to be the reincarnation of her dead husband, leading to more than a few uncomfortable moments. The second is Destroyer (2018), directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Nicole Kidman as you’ve never seen her before. Kidman earned a Golden Globe nomination for her

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01:30:22

20. Dheepan (2015) & Rust and Bone (2012)

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/01/25

This week we discuss two films, both excellent character studies, from award-winning French director Jacques Audiard. The first is Dheepan (2015), the story of a makeshift family of 3 Tamil refugees relocated to a tough housing estate in France. The film, inspired by Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The second is Rust and Bone (2012), based on the short story collection of the same name by Canadian Author Craig Davidson. The film meshes 2 of the short stories together, with

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01:30:19

19. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) & The...

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/01/18

This week we discuss two films from acclaimed Australian director Peter Weir released in the 1980s. The first is The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), which gives a semi-fictionalised insight into some of the events leading up to the attempted communist coup in Indonesia in 1965. The second is The Mosquito Coast (1986), based on the novel by travel writer Paul Theroux, which follows Harrison Ford as a troubled genius inventor who leads his family into peril in the jungles of Central

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01:40:31

18. The Films of S. Craig Zahler - Bone Tomahawk...

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/01/11

This week we discuss the filmography of genre director S. Craig Zahler and delve into all 3 of his films in chronological order. The first is Bone Tomahawk (2015), a gritty, ultraviolent western where a group of cowboys and lawmen face off against a bloody-thirsty tribe of cave-dwelling mutants. The second is Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017), an even grittier and more ultraviolent tale of a man who fights his way through 2 prisons worth of guards and thugs. The third is Dragged Across Concrete (2018),

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01:29:06

17. Topsy Turvy (1999) & Vera Drake (2004)

Call It, Friendo ·

2021/01/04

This week we discuss two Mike Leigh period films which examine vastly different areas of British culture. The first is Topsy Turvy (1999), which depicts Gilbert and Sullivan’s tumultuous creative process in bringing their acclaimed operetta, The Mikado, to the stage. The second is Vera Drake (2004), a hard-hitting look into the life of a working-class housewife in 1950s London who performs backstreet abortions. Timestamps Topsy Turvy (00:07:25) Vera Drake (00:42:35) Links Justwatch.com –

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01:12:02

16. Zardoz (1974) & Time Bandits (1981)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/12/28

This week we discuss two works of imagination from the 70s and 80s. The first is Zardoz, John Boorman’s 1974 follow up to the very successful Deliverance. In contrast to the film which preceded it, Zardoz was not well received by viewers or critics of the time. The second is Time Bandits, a 1981 fantasy adventure from Terry Gilliam and fellow python Michael Palin. An early entry in Gilliam’s directorial career, Time Bandits bears all the hallmarks of his surrealist take on the

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01:11:41

15. The Bad News Bears (1976) & The Candidate (1972)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/12/21

This week we go back to the 1970s for 2 films from American filmmaker Michael Ritchie. The first is The Bad News Bears, a 1976 baseball comedy that set the blueprint for a lot of films to follow. An alcoholic coach, played by Walter Matthau, has to corral a group of young misfits and mould them into a winning team. The second is The Candidate, a 1972 political comedy drama that leans far more to the drama side of things. This film, starring Robert Redford, won the academy award for best original

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01:26:12

14. Fanny and Alexander (1982) & Let the Right One In...

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/12/14

This week sees a return to Scandinavia as we take on 2 highly acclaimed Swedish films. The first is Fanny and Alexander, the 1982 film which marked the end of Ingmar Bergman’s illustrious career as a director. This period drama gives an insight both into how Swedish high society lived at the start of the 20th century, and into some of the issues Bergman faced in his relationship with his father. The second is Let the Right One In, Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 romantic horror story about a young boy and

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01:27:04

13. Apostle (2018) & Gerald's Game (2017)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/12/07

This week, we watched two horror films produced by Netflix. In both cases, the streaming giant gave their talented, up-and-coming directors carte blanche and complete creative control. The results were mixed. The first is Apostle, Gareth Evans’s 2018 period horror, a big departure from the Indonesian martial arts films with which he built his reputation. The second is Gerald’s Game, Mike Flanagan’s 2017 attempt to adapt a Stephen King novel previously thought to be unfilmable. Both films can be

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01:31:30

12. Incendies (2010) & A Separation (2011)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/11/30

This week we watched two frankly outstanding, critically acclaimed dramas showing two completely different sides of the Middle East. The first is Incendies, Denis Villeneuve’s 2010 harrowing tale of twins who journey to an unnamed Middle Eastern country to learn more about their late mother’s life. The second is A Separation, Asghar Farhadi’s 2011 Oscar-winning courtroom drama, which gives the viewer a fascinating insight into the lives of a middle-class couple in Iran as they go through a

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01:34:03

11. The Conversation (1974) & Klute (1971)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/11/23

Thankfully back to narrative features this week, and very good ones no less, as we dip into the 1970s for a couple of Oscar-nominated thrillers. The first is The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 slow-burn surveillance tale, starring Gene Hackman. The second is Klute, Alan J Pakula’s 1971 starting point to his paranoia trilogy, starring Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda. Timestamps The Conversation (00:00:45) Klute (00:53:15) Links The Orb – Fluffy Little

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01:25:01

10. Windy City Heat (2003) & My Winnipeg (2007)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/11/16

It’s a weird one this week, with 2 unconventional documentaries from the 2000s. The first is 2003’s Windy City Heat, an elaborate practical joke played on an unwitting LA open micer, directed by comedy legend Bobcat Goldthwait. The second is 2007’s My Winnipeg, Guy Maddin’s surrealist reflection on his hometown. Timestamps Windy City Heat (00:00:45) My Winnipeg (00:49:30) Links Windy City Heat https://youtu.be/ancwTUkXyKk John

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01:41:42

9. Snowpiercer (2013) & Logan's Run (1976)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/11/09

The dystopian future is nigh this time on Call It, Friendo as we tackle two “end of the world” movies of vastly differing quality. First, the good one, Bong Joon-Ho’s 2013 train-based action sci-fi film “Snowpiercer”. Apart from celebrating the excellent set design, we also discuss some of the logistical issues of living on a train for 15 years. Second, the bad one, Michael Anderson’s 1976 effort “Logan’s Run”. Coming only one year before Star Wars, the gulf between what the two films achieved is

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01:54:34

8. The Dirty Dozen (1967) & Rififi (1955)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/11/02

It's men on a mission meets men planning a heist this week with 2 classic films from the '50s and '60s. First up to bat is Robert Aldrich's surprisingly jolly WW2 romp, The Dirty Dozen, a film that paved the way for future fare such as Inglourious Basterds and the reputedly awful Suicide Squad. Its partner is the celebrated French Film noir heist movie Rififi, directed by blacklisted American director Jules Dassin, and providing a gritty look at the mean streets of 1950s Paris. Timestamps The

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01:46:42

7. Don't Look Now (1973) & Walkabout (1971)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/10/26

We are thankfully leaving Vin Diesel and the Riddickverse behind this week as we delve into two films from the same visionary director, Nicholas Roeg. Both films leave an indelible imprint on the viewer with their unorthodox editing and striking imagery. The first, 1973’s Don’t Look Now, is a meditation on grief through the lens of the supernatural, boasting one of cinema’s most unforgettable endings. The second, 1971’s Walkabout, tells the story of two children lost in the Australian outback who

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01:43:24

6. The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) & Riddick (2013)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/10/19

After watching some truly great films on the podcast, we decided to take things down a notch or five by delving into the Riddickverse. We start by discussing the origins of the character in Pitch Black before moving into a breakdown of David Twohy's 2004 follow-up The Chronicles of Riddick. We ponder some of the issues of retconning a B-movie horror antihero into a "Lord of the Rings in space" chosen one trope. As if that wasn't enough, we then move on to discuss the third film in the trilogy,

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01:44:14

5. The Wages of Fear (1953) & Sorcerer (1977)

Call It, Friendo ·

2020/10/12

In this week's episode, we discuss two action films based on the 1950 novel "Le Salaire de la Peur" by Georges Arnaud. Both films involve 4 men down on their luck in fictional South/Central American towns driving trucks full of nitroglycerin across 300 miles of treacherous terrain. The first is "The Wages of Fear", the 1953 French/Italian adaptation directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and filmed entirely in the south of France. Secondly, "Sorcerer", the 1977 remake directed by William Friedkin and

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204 results

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