Groovy Movies – Détails, épisodes et analyse

You may not have clocked it, given the lack of fanfare, but the third installment of Knives Out was released last week. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will only be in cinemas for 2 weeks, before moving to Netflix, but is it worth catching on the big screen? We also discuss WGA and SAG renegotiations which will be taking place in 2026. Is another strike on the cards?

References
For horror fans: The Knickel Cinema
The Odyssey cinema in St Albans

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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This we’re revisiting one of our most popular early episodes, where we did the unthinkable and willingly watched the worst films ever made (allegedly). The hit list includes Howard the Duck, Mommie Dearest and, of course, The Room, along with our own submission, the apex of Roger Moore’s career, North Sea Hijack, in an attempt to figure out what it takes to achieve cult bad status. 

References
Howard the Duck: An Oral History by Caseen Gaines for thedecider.com
How George Lucas’ Howard the Duck movie made The Matrix possible by K. Thor Jensen
Mommie Dearest at 40: the derided camp classic that deserves a closer look by Guy Lodge for The Guardian
The Room: how the worst movie ever became a Hollywood legend as bizarre as its creator by Aja Romano
Tommy Wiseau breaks down a scene from The Disaster Artist
BTS from The Room

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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Disney is struggling to appeal to Gen Z men, according at a Variety article. Is original IP the answer?

This past weekend saw the release of The Golden Spurtle, a documentary about the world porridge-making contest. We discuss this and other delightfully absurd documentaries that have nothing to do with missing girls.

And James delivers a Nolan progress report following the The Odyssey's shoot wrap.

References
Christopher Nolan loves pepperoni pizza
A trojan horse spoiler from The Odyssey
For news on the Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through Film season at the BFI, go to https://www.bfi.org.uk/

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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Is a screen adaptation obliged to be faithful to the book? We wade into the controversy around Emerald Fennel’s forthcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation, review Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing and discuss our highlights from the Venice Film Festival - namely the premiere of Megadoc, the behind-the-scenes documentary about Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

References
Emerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights trailer
World of Reel’s story on the Wuthering Heights test screening
Cineworld’s 4DX Rewind

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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We return just as it comes to the end of “popcorn season” - but is that term still relevant? From lukewarm hits like F1 and Superman, to surprise ones like Weapons and KPop Demon Hunters, we compare notes about the summer’s struggling box office.

References

James’ Letterboxd (be sure to follow Groovy Movies’ too!)

The Projected Picture Trust

Bradford Pictureville

Our cinema recommendation

Widescreen Weekend Film Festival

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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Who better to wrap the season finale with than Christopher Nolan? But it would be too easy to go for Tenet or Inception, we’re going back to where things all began, with his very first film. Made for just £6000 (!) but with all the hallmarks of his later movies, it’s a great one to watch to see where it all began. 

References 

The Vine’s top 10 movies made on a shoestring 

Nolan on Following

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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What better way to celebrate Lily’s imminent nuptials than by watching a family musical based on a Roman legend about sexual assault? If you haven’t seen it, think Hollywood’s golden era with catchy tunes, luminous Metroscope (a rival to technicolor) and yes, some problematic gender politics. Enjoy.

References

Making-of featurette with Ruth Lee raving about corsets

An American Cinematographer article on shooting Seven Brides by George Folsey

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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We’re feeling nostalgic for sexy sex scenes and the villainisation of single women. Enter, Fatal attraction. Prepare for spoilers as we discuss the controversy around the axing of the original ending and look back on an era where it was possible for a film to be dubbed “the zeitgeist movie of the decade.”

References 

The original ending

You Must Remember This podcast’s ‘Erotic 90s’ series 

‘Fatal Attraction’ Oral History: Rejected Stars and a Foul Rabbit’, by Bruce Fretts for The NY Times 

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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If you’re in the mood for a time capsule of 1967, In The Heat Of The Night is the movie for you. We discuss how this iconic civil rights infused detective drama-cum-social thriller should have won Sidney Poitier an oscar - if only he hadn’t already won one 3 years before - and the pros and cons of deploying the camera’s zoom function. 

References

Making of featurette

Sidney Poitier on In The Heat Of The Night

‘In the Heat of the Night: The Double Bind’, essay by K. Austin Collins

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Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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Our run of classics continues with Akira Kurosawa’s genre-creating, hero-assembling action/comedy/drama, Seven Samurai. Don’t let the 3.5 hour runtime put you off (or watch at 2x speed - we don’t endorse this), it is considered one of the best films ever made for a reason and we discuss why. See where you can catch it below. 

Where to watch

BFI Player

Check out this website for links to cinema screenings of Seven Samurai

References

Check out the Stockport Plaza

The eventful production story of Seven Samurai by Collier Jennings on collider.com

An analysis of the opening minutes of Seven Samurai by Arttective on YouTube

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If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!

Edited by Lily Austin
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Alfie Garland

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