Reel Britannia – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism

This week...more from the great Hammer studios as we continue our Hammer horror retrospective

The Damned (1962)

The brutality of modern society is fast encroaching on the picturesque seaside town of Weymouth. American tourist Simon Wells (Macdonald Carey) is looking for a relaxing holiday but he is mugged by the psychopatic King (Oliver Reed) and his gang of thugs. Wells escapes with King's sister, Joanie (Shirley Anne Field), and they stumble upon a sinister establishment where nine ice-cold children are being subjected to a horrifying experiment. The shadowy authorities in control of the base will stop at nothing to safeguard their secret, but it is the mysterious children who will doom them all...

"I'm strange, all right! I'll show you just how strange I am!"

You can find this and all our previous episodes everywhere you download your podcasts

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

email: reelbritannia@gmail.com

#podcast #britmovie #reelbritannia #hammerhorror 

Thanks for listening

Scott, Steven and Mark

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. 

Back to the seedy side of sixties Soho this week featuring a powerful performance from Anthony Newley

This week, Scott and Steven are joined by Anthony, the host of the Film Gold podcast 

The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963)

The Small World of Sammy Lee is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes. The story unfolds in the seedy underbelly of London's Soho district, focusing on the life of Sammy Lee, a strip club compere and hustler who finds himself in dire straits.

Sammy Lee, played by Anthony Newley, is a charismatic but desperate man. He owes £300 to a local bookie named Connor and has only five hours to pay off his debt. If he fails, the consequences will be severe, as Connor’s enforcers are known for their ruthless methods. The film begins with Sammy receiving a phone call informing him that his time is running out, setting off a frantic race against the clock.

As Sammy scrambles to gather the money, the film provides a vivid portrayal of his world. Soho is depicted as a place filled with strip clubs, gambling dens, and shady characters. Sammy’s interactions with the various inhabitants of this world reveal much about his character and the precarious life he leads.

Throughout the day, Sammy employs a series of hustles to raise the funds. He borrows from friends, pleads with acquaintances, and even resorts to stealing. One of the significant characters he turns to is his brother Lou, who runs a delicatessen. Lou, portrayed by Warren Mitchell, is initially reluctant to help due to Sammy’s repeated failures and irresponsible behavior. However, the bond of family eventually prevails, and Lou reluctantly provides some money, though it’s not enough to cover the debt.

Parallel to Sammy's frantic efforts, the film explores the impact of his lifestyle on others, particularly Patsy, a young woman who is infatuated with him. Patsy, played by Julia Foster, arrives in Soho from the countryside, naively hoping to start a new life with Sammy. Her innocence and genuine affection for Sammy contrast sharply with the gritty reality of his world. Sammy, though fond of her, is too entangled in his own troubles to reciprocate her feelings fully.

As the deadline approaches, Sammy’s situation becomes increasingly desperate. His attempts to hustle money from various sources lead to a series of tense and dramatic encounters. The film’s climax occurs in the strip club where Sammy works. In a last-ditch effort, Sammy bets the money he has managed to gather on a high-stakes poker game, hoping to win enough to pay off his debt. However, luck is not on his side, and he loses the game, sealing his fate.

The final scenes of the film are poignant and impactful. As the clock ticks down, Connor’s enforcers arrive to collect the debt. Sammy’s frantic energy gives way to a sense of resignation and defeat. The enforcers take Sammy away, leaving his fate ambiguous but undoubtedly grim.

The Small World of Sammy Lee is a compelling character study and a vivid depiction of the darker side of 1960s London. The film’s strength lies in its atmosphere, the complexity of its protagonist, and the tense, fast-paced narrative that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. Through Sammy Lee’s story, the film explores themes of desperation, survival, and the human cost of a life lived on the margins of society.

"Soho's not a place, it's a state of mind. It's where you end up when you've got nowhere else to go."

This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod 

Glass Onion: On John Lennon

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/glass-onion-on-john-lennon/id1473867166 

Life And Life Only

https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/ 

Film Gold

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/film-gold/id1544641271 

Thanks for listening

Scott and Steven

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism.

Back to 1959 this week and a classic starring Horst Buchholz and John and Hayley Mills

Tiger Bay (1959)

Rough-and-tumble street urchin Gillie (Hayley Mills) witnesses the brutal killing of a young woman at the hands of visiting Polish sailor Korchinsky (Horst Buchholz). Instead of reporting the crime to the authorities, Gillie merely pockets a prize for herself -- Korchinsky's shiny black revolver -- and flees the scene. When Welsh Detective Graham (John Mills) discovers that Gillie has the murder weapon, the fiery young girl weaves a web of lies to throw him off course.

"It'll be all right, he says. A fat lot of good the police are. We've got one in the house and a murder's done right under his nose and now here's a child whose got hold of a gun and they don't even know where she is!"

You can find this and all our previous episodes everywhere you download your podcasts

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod
email: reelbritannia@gmail.com

#britmovie #reelbritannia #tigerbay #johnmills #hayleymills #movie #podcast

Thanks for listening!

Scott and Steven

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 056 – Please Sir (1971)

This week Scott is joined by Steven and guest host Mark from The Good The Bad and The Odd podcast to take a look at the big screen version of British sitcom Please Sir from 1971

Movie spin-off from the popular TV sitcom in which teacher Bernard Hedges takes troublesome class 5C to a holiday camp with inevitably comic and disastrous results.

Release date: 1971 (United Kingdom)

Director: Mark Stuart

Producer: Andrew Mitchell

Music composed by: Mike Vickers

Screenplay: John Esmonde, Bob Larbey

Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia

email: reelbritannia@gmail.com


Thanks for listening


Scott, Steven and Mark

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 055 Scott of the Antarctic (1948)

“Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. It seems a pity but I don't think I can write more. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale. For God's sake look after our people.”

This week Scott is joined by Steven for their review of the true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole – only to find that the murderously cold weather and a rival team of Norwegian explorers conspire against him

Robert Falcon Scott (John Mills) is a determined explorer whose ambition is to be the first man to reach the South Pole. He starts off well, with three modes of transportation -- dogs, ponies and snow tractors -- but the extremely cold weather, as well as the conspiracy against him by a rival team of Norwegian explorers, proves to be too much for the man and his expedition. The film is based on the true story and inspired by footage shot on the actual journey.

Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia

email: reelbritannia@gmail.com


Thanks for listening


Scott and Steven

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 054 – The Holly and the Ivy (1952)

“Cheer up, Mick old boy. In a hundred years we'll all be dead.”

This week Scott is joined by Steven for this year’s Christmas movie review, The Holly and the Ivy starring Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson, Margaret Leighton, John Gregson and Denholm Elliot.

An English clergyman’s neglect of his grown children, in his zeal to tend to his parishioners, comes to the surface at a Christmas family gathering.

Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia

email: reelbritannia@gmail.com


Thanks for listening


Scott and Steven

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 053 – The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

“Danny's only a man. But he breaks wind at both ends simultaneous - which is more, I reckon, than any god can do.”

This week Scott is joined by both Steven and Tony for their review of the John Huston movie The Man Who Would Be King.

RUDYARD KIPLING’S EPIC OF SPLENDOUR, SPECTACLE AND HIGH ADVENTURE AT THE TOP OF A LEGENDARY WORLD.

A robust adventure about two British adventurers who take over primitive Kafiristan as “godlike” rulers, meeting a tragic end through their desire for a native girl. Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling.

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 052 – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1976)

‘Why don’t you come on up to the lab….and see what’s on the slab?’

This week, Mark from The Good, The Bad, And The Odd Podcast joins Scott and Steven for their Halloween review of the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1976)

Sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named ‘Rocky’.

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 051 – The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

“Six inches is perfectly adequate. More is vulgar!’’

Join Scott and Steven for their 50th movie review…..

Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith) is a free-spirited teacher at a Scottish girls' school during the 1930s. She encourages her young pupils to embrace romantic ideals, educating them about love and art rather than hard facts. However, her controversial teaching philosophy draws the ire of the school's headmistress, Miss Mackey (Celia Johnson), and, as Miss Brodie becomes entangled in a love triangle, her behaviour towards her favourite students becomes increasingly manipulative.

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism.

Episode 050 - Time Bandits (1981)

‘Honestly, Trevor, if you were half a man you would've gone in there after the blender.’

Join Scott and Steven for their review of the Terry Gilliam directed Time Bandits from 1981.

Young history buff Kevin (Craig Warnock) can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they've purloined a map charting all of the holes in the fabric of time and are using it to steal treasures from different historical eras. Taking Kevin with them, they variously drop in on Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) before the Supreme Being catches up with them.

Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM


Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia

email: reelbritannia@gmail.com


Thanks for listening


Scott and Steven