Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Reel Britannia
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 186 - Campbell's Kingdom (1957) | 20 Dec 2025 | 00:55:09 | |
Episode 186 - Campbell's Kingdom (1957) "Rugged Wildcatters...Fighting The Treacherous Might Of The Canadian Rockies"
Grab your parka and get ready for a trip to the Canadian Rockies, because 1957's Campbell's Kingdom is a gloriously old-school adventure that absolutely bursts with high-stakes drama and breathtaking scenery. If you're in the mood for a classic "ripping yarn," this is the film for you. It's a story of grit, oil, and one man's incredible race against time, all set against one of the most stunning backdrops ever captured on film. At the heart of the story is the wonderfully charismatic Dirk Bogarde as Bruce Campbell. Given a grim health diagnosis, Bruce inherits a patch of land in Alberta known as "Campbell's Kingdom." He's told it's worthless, but his grandfather died believing there was oil under that rocky soil. With nothing left to lose, Bruce sinks his last penny and every ounce of his failing strength into proving him right.
This is where the fun really starts. The film is a fantastic story of the underdog. Bruce is a man with a dream, facing down a world of naysayers. This includes the slick, menacing villain Owen (played with wonderful steel by Stanley Baker) and a looming deadline from a hydro-electric company threatening to flood the entire valley. But Campbell's Kingdom isn't just a character drama; it's a grand spectacle! Director Ralph Thomas makes the Canadian Rockies a character in their own right. The Vistavision and Technicolor cinematography is simply spectacular, with sweeping vistas of snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, and rugged forests that will have you longing for the great outdoors.
The action builds to a truly thrilling climax. As Bruce and his small, loyal crew drill desperately for their "black gold," the tension mounts. Will they strike it rich before the dam floods them out? Will Owen's schemes succeed? The final sequences are pure, high-adventure magic, delivering a payoff that is both exciting and deeply satisfying. Sure, it's a film of its time, with earnest heroes and clear-cut villains, but that's precisely its charm. Campbell's Kingdom is a wonderfully made, optimistic, and thrilling piece of classic British cinema. It's a feel-good movie about betting it all on a dream, and it leaves you with a real sense of exhilaration.
This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts
Bonus content available at: patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast
Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod
Thanks for listening Scott and Steven
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| Episode 185 - Miranda (1948) | 09 Nov 2025 | 01:01:45 | |
Episode 185 - Miranda (1948) "You've hated me ever since I set tail in this house."
In the canon of post-war British comedy, there are grand spectacles and quiet character studies. And then, every so often, there's a film so completely, cheerfully absurd that it defies category. Miranda (1948) is one such treasure, a fantasy-comedy that is as polished and witty as it is delightfully naughty. It's a film that asks what would happen if a classic British "comedy of manners" was suddenly interrupted by a mermaid—and the answer, it turns in, is pure, bubbly entertainment. The story itself is a wonderfully silly concoction. Dr. Paul Martin (Griffith Jones), escaping his wife for a solo fishing holiday in Cornwall, gets more than he bargained for. He doesn't just catch a fish; he is caught by Miranda, a flirtatious, man-crazy mermaid who promptly holds him captive in her aquatic cave. His ransom? A trip to see London.
What follows is a brilliant farce. Paul passes off the beautiful Miranda as an "invalid patient," concealing her tail under long dresses and wheeling her around his sophisticated London home. This is where the film truly shines, thanks to the absolutely enchanting central performance from Glynis Johns. Long before she was Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, Johns established her star power here. With a coy, kittenish voice and eyes that perpetually sparkle with mischief, her Miranda is a sublime creation. She's no innocent nymph; she's a charming siren who has every man in the house—from her "doctor" to the lovestruck chauffeur (a wonderful David Tomlinson)—wrapped around her little finger, or fin. While Glynis Johns is the undeniable heart of the film, she is bolstered by one of the finest supporting casts in British comedy. Googie Withers is perfectly cast as Paul's increasingly bewildered and suspicious wife, Clare. But it is the magnificent, eccentric Margaret Rutherford who threatens to steal the entire picture as Nurse Carey. Hired to look after the "patient," she is not shocked to discover Miranda's secret but openly delighted, exclaiming, "It's a mermaid! I've always believed in them!"
The film is packed with witty dialogue and brilliant sight gags that never get old: Miranda's insistence on eating raw fish sandwiches, her casual snacking from the goldfish bowl, and a priceless scene at the zoo where she communicates with the seals. It's all so unapologetically fun, a droll and airy fantasy that was a smash hit with audiences at the time, and it's easy to see why. Miranda is a whimsical, charming, and thoroughly amusing escape that still feels as fresh and sparkling as the day it first splashed onto the screen.
This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts
Bonus content available at: patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast
Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod
Thanks for listening Scott and Steven | |||
| Episode 176 - Hammer Britannia 020 - The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) | 21 Aug 2025 | 01:05:22 | |
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 176 - Hammer Britannia 020 - The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)
In Hammer's "The Evil of Frankenstein" (1964), a destitute Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), with his assistant Hans, is forced to flee and returns to his ancestral chateau in Karlstaad. He finds his home looted by vengeful villagers and his original creation missing. Guided by a deaf-mute girl, he discovers the Creature (Kiwi Kingston) perfectly preserved in a glacier. After thawing and reanimating its body, Frankenstein finds its mind is dormant. Desperate, he seeks help from Professor Zoltan, a traveling carnival hypnotist, hoping to reactivate the Creature's brain. Zoltan succeeds but seizes control of the powerful being for his own greedy purposes. He commands the Creature to steal and murder, enacting revenge on the town officials who wronged him. The Creature's rampage spirals out of control, leading to Zoltan's death. In a drunken rage, the Creature accidentally sets Frankenstein's laboratory ablaze. Refusing to abandon his creation, the Baron is trapped in the inferno, seemingly perishing alongside the monster in the fiery explosion that consumes the chateau. "I realised long ago that the only way to prove my theories was to make something in my laboratory that actually lived. I never told you, Hans... I succeeded once." This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts
Bonus content available at: patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast
Thanks for listening Scott and Steven
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| Episode 084 - Look Back In Anger (1959) | 09 Nov 2020 | 01:04:36 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 084 – Look Back In Anger (1959)
Scott and Steven are back in the Balaban Sound Studio for this week's review…continuing our look at the kitchen sink dramas. It's 1959 and the movie that proclaimed the era of the angry young man. Richard Burton stars alongside Clare Bloom and Mary Ure in the Tony Richardson picture, Look Back In Anger Richard Burton smoulders as the ever-complaining Jimmy Porter in Tony Richardson's version of John Osborne's ground-breaking play, which at the time was the epitome of the kitchen-sink drama and heralded the liberated Swinging Sixties. As the downtrodden, middle-class wife taking the brunt of his tirades, Mary Ure poignantly deserves better from life than a husband who believes the world owes him a living, while Burton makes his portrayal remarkably unsympathetic. An emblem of its time that's not to be missed. SUMMARY CAST "Ladies and gentlemen, a little recitation entitled 'she was only a gravediggers daughter but she loved lying under the sod'." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 083 - The Innocents (1961) | 30 Oct 2020 | 00:49:42 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven to chat about governesses, ghosts and all manner of ghastly goings-on Join us we take a look at the classic horror movie from 1961, The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr
In Victorian England, the uncle (Sir Michael Redgrave) of orphaned niece Flora (Pamela Franklin) and nephew Miles (Martin Stephens) hires Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) as governess to raise the children at his estate with total independence and authority. Soon after her arrival, Miss Giddens comes to believe that the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop) and valet Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde) are possessing the children. Miss Giddens decides to help the children to face and exorcise the spirits. "Truth is very seldom understood by any but imaginative persons... and I want to be quite truthful."
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 082 - Gideon's Day (1958) | 23 Oct 2020 | 01:06:01 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 082 – Gideon's Day (1958) Scott and Steven are back in the Balaban Sound Studio for this week's review…24 hours in the life of Detective Chief Inspector George Gideon of the Metropolitan Police. A story of armed robbers, crooked cops, family strife…and salmon. Directed by John Ford and starring Jack Hawkins. Scotland Yard Inspector George Gideon starts his day off on the wrong foot when he gets a traffic-violation ticket from a young police officer. From there, his 'typical day" consists in learning that one of his most-trusted detectives has accepted bribes; hunts an escaped maniac who has murdered a girl; tracks a young girl suspected of a payroll robbery and, then, helps break up a bank robbery. His long day ends when he arrives at home and finds that his daughter has a date with the policeman who gave him a ticket that morning. "I could tell you a few things about executions - they're not very dramatic - you know, they're rather an anti-climax after the trial. Three weeks in jail and then one morning the long walk. And it won't be a bit like you imagine - the heroine with her head held high. They'll drag you there half doped and vomiting with terror... that's the worst thing about hanging - it's so undignified..." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 082 – Gideon's Day (1958) Scott and Steven are back in the Balaban Sound Studio for this week's review…24 hours in the life of Detective Chief Inspector George Gideon of the Metropolitan Police. A story of armed robbers, crooked cops, family strife…and salmon. Directed by John Ford and starring Jack Hawkins.
Scotland Yard Inspector George Gideon starts his day off on the wrong foot when he gets a traffic-violation ticket from a young police officer. From there, his 'typical day" consists in learning that one of his most-trusted detectives has accepted bribes; hunts an escaped maniac who has murdered a girl; tracks a young girl suspected of a payroll robbery and, then, helps break up a bank robbery. His long day ends when he arrives at home and finds that his daughter has a date with the policeman who gave him a ticket that morning. "I could tell you a few things about executions - they're not very dramatic - you know, they're rather an anti-climax after the trial. Three weeks in jail and then one morning the long walk. And it won't be a bit like you imagine - the heroine with her head held high. They'll drag you there half doped and vomiting with terror... that's the worst thing about hanging - it's so undignified..." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you
Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 081 - Chariots Of Fire (1981) | 10 Sep 2020 | 01:29:34 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, Scott is joined by Steven to review the Oscar winning Chariots Of Fire (1981) – a tribute to Ian Holm and Ben Cross
Based on a true story, Chariots of Fire is the internationally acclaimed Oscar-winning drama of two very different men who compete as runners in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a serious Christian Scotsman, believes that he has to succeed as a testament to his undying religious faith. Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), is a Jewish Englishman who wants desperately to be accepted and prove to the world that Jews are not inferior. The film crosscuts between each man's life as he trains for the competition, fueled by these very different desires. As compelling as the racing scenes are, it's really the depth of the two main characters that touches the viewer, as they forcefully drive home the theme that victory attained through devotion, commitment, integrity, and sacrifice is the most admirable feat that one can achieve. (Ian Holm was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor in his role as Abrahams' coach), and this powerful film ended up with four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score. "I've known the fear of losing but now I am almost too frightened to win." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 080 - Withnail and I (1987) | 19 Aug 2020 | 01:46:49 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 080 – Withnail and I (1987)
Scott and Steven are joined this week in the Balaban Sound Studio by Anthony (Glass Onion – On John Lennon podcast) for this week's review…the finest comedy known to humanity featuring mistaken holidays, Camberwell carrots and youths weeping in butchers shops. Two out-of-work actors -- the anxious, luckless Marwood (Paul McGann) and his acerbic, alcoholic friend, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) -- spend their days drifting between their squalid flat, the unemployment office and the pub. When they take a holiday "by mistake" at the country house of Withnail's flamboyantly gay uncle, Monty (Richard Griffiths), they encounter the unpleasant side of the English countryside: tedium, terrifying locals and torrential rain. "Look at my tongue, it's wearing a yellow sock." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 079 - Whisky Galore (1949) | 12 Jul 2020 | 00:49:23 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven to chat about unskilled soldiery, Scottish accents and shipwrecked spirits. Join us we take a look at the Ealing Comedy classic, Whisky Galore – featuring John Gregson, James Robertson Justice and Gordon Jackson
During World War II, the tiny Scottish island of Todday runs out of whisky. When the freighter S.S. Cabinet Minister runs aground nearby during a heavy fog, the islanders are delighted to learn that its cargo consists of 50,000 cases of whisky. When officious English commanding officer Captain Waggett (Basil Radford) demands return of the liquor, shopkeeper Joseph Macroon (Wylie Watson) and his daughters Peggy (Joan Greenwood) and Catriona (Gabrielle Blunt) spearhead an island rebellion. "It's a well known fact that some men were born two drinks below par." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 078 - Sapphire (1959) | 26 Jun 2020 | 01:49:11 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven for a look at the last in their season on the movies that led up to the kitchen sink dramas of the late 50s and early 60s Join us we take a look at Basil Dearden's superb Sapphire from 1959 featuring the legendary Earl Cameron alongside Nigel Patrick and Michael Craig. A tense murder mystery set in the aftermath of the Notting Hill race riots, the movie also features support from Bernard Miles, Yvonne Mitchell and Paul Massie. A pregnant college student named Sapphire Robbins (Yvonne Buckingham) is murdered in London's Hampstead Heath. When police superintendent Robert Hazard (Nigel Patrick) discovers that the victim was a light-skinned black woman passing as white, it upends his initial assumptions. Hazard and his openly racist assistant (Michael Craig) explore the city's racially tense underground jazz scene as they interview suspects, including Sapphire's white fiancé (Paul Massie). "We didn't solve anything, Phil. We just picked up the pieces." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 077 - Carry On Constable (1960) | 18 Jun 2020 | 00:45:59 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Tony to chat about coppers, crime and Carry Ons Join us as we go back to 1960 and take a look at the fourth Carry On movie, Carry On Constable. Featuring the usual faces and first appearance in the franchise for Sid James. "Would you care to have a look at my shubunkin?"
A local police force is left short-staffed by a flu epidemic. Enter four bungling trainee policemen to fill the gap! Sergeant Wilkins has to try to turn them into real police overnight, but in the meantime criminals can breathe a sigh of relief while the innocent had better watch out... You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 076 - Lolita (1962) | 11 Jun 2020 | 01:40:54 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven and Antony from the Glass Onion: On John Lennon podcast to chat about Kubrick, Mason and Sellers and a movie based on a very controversial novel Join us we take a look at Stanley Kubrick's ' Lolita' starring Sue Lyon, James Mason, Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers. Is it a British movie?...You decide.
With a screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love to the screen. Humbert Humbert (James Mason) is a European professor who relocates to an American suburb, renting a room from lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenage daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte's sudden death, Humbert has Lolita all to himself -- or does he? "I want you to live with me and die with me and everything with me!"
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 075 - Darkest Hour (2017) | 04 Jun 2020 | 00:37:18 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Tony to chat about Prime Ministers, political upheaval and poetic license in film making. Join us for the most recent movie release we have reviewed so far on the show as we take a look at Darkest Hour (2017) featuring an Oscar winning performance from Gary Oldman.
During World War II, as Adolf Hitler's powerful Wehrmacht rampages across Europe, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), is forced to resign, recommending Sir Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as his replacement. But even in his early days as the country's leader, Churchill is under pressure to commence peace negotiations with Hitler or to fight head-on the seemingly invincible Nazi regime, whatever the cost. However difficult and dangerous his decision may be, Churchill has no choice but to shine in the country's darkest hour. "Will you stop interrupting me while I am interrupting you!" You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com
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| Episode 175 - The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) | 15 Aug 2025 | 01:20:25 | |
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, join Scott, Steven and Mark as they discuss a genuine British wartime classic. Episode 175 - The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) In a Japanese POW camp during WWII, British Colonel Nicholson engages in a fierce battle of wills with the camp's commandant, Colonel Saito, over the construction of a railway bridge. Nicholson's rigid adherence to principle evolves into a dangerous obsession. He becomes determined to build a perfect bridge, not for his captors, but as a monument to British ingenuity and morale.
As the bridge nears completion, a symbol of his proud collaboration, an Allied commando team, including an escaped American POW, arrives to destroy it. The climax is a tragic, explosive collision of duty, pride, and the profound madness of war.
"We can teach these barbarians a lesson in Western methods and efficiency that will put them to shame. We'll show them what the British soldier is capable of doing."
This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts
Bonus content available at: patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast
Thanks for listening Scott and Steven | |||
| Episode 074 - One Good Turn (1955) | 28 May 2020 | 00:56:53 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Our latest episode with Scott and Steven features our thoughts on Norman Wisdom's second movie, One Good Turn from 1955 Orphanage handyman Norman is, as a former resident himself, very much one of the family at the home. Enjoying a particularly strong bond with the children, he accompanies them to Brighton to see the sea, but manages to lose his trousers on the train journey south. Trying to find somewhere to be less conspicuous only half-dressed, he stumbles across a London-to-Brighton walking race - and manages to win first prize! The trophy he's awarded looks likely to come in handy when one particular boy, Jimmy, is let down by an aunt. To cheer him up Norman promises to buy him any toy he wants - but the electric ride-in model car he's got his eye on would normally be well out of Norman's price range, even at £12. As Norman sets about trying to find the money, news comes through that the home is to be sold and demolished to make way for a large new factory. The children will be sent into private foster care under the plans, but neither they nor the staff are going to accept their fate without a fight!
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Podchaser ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 073 - Carry On Teacher (1959) | 21 May 2020 | 00:53:31 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 072 – Carry On Teacher (1959) Our latest episode with Scott and Tony features our thoughts on the third Carry On movie, carry On Teacher featuring the only appearance in the series of Ted Ray.
The pupils of Maudlin School lace the staff tea with alcohol, saw through the legs of the grand piano, dowse the headmaster's study with itching powder and stage an elaborate bomb scare - all in the cause of sabotaging their headmaster's application for a new post, so that they can keep him for themselves. "Felicity Wheeler: Are you satisfied with your equipment, Miss Allcock? Sarah Allcock: Well, I've had no complaints so far!"
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 072 - Oh Mr Porter! (1937) | 14 May 2020 | 00:55:54 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 072 – Oh Mr Porter (1937) Our latest episode with Scott and Steven plus special guest, Mark from The Good The Bad And The Odd Podcast features our first Will Hay movie, Oh Mr Porter (1937)
In this classic British comedy, William Porter (Will Hay) is an accident-prone railroad employee whose sister and brother-in-law arrange for him to be made stationmaster at a run-down rail stop in rural Ireland. She wants to give William a chance to make good, hoping this will keep him far, far away. William arrives at Buggleskelly Station to discover that the last five stationmasters all went mad -- and that the ghost of One-Eyed Joe Miller supposedly haunts the building. Will meets his new co-workers, aging Jeremiah (Moore Marriott) and teenaged Albert (Graham Moffatt), and discovers that they supplement their meagre income by boosting baggage from passing trains. William hopes to increase business by fixing up the station, and he arranges for an excursion by a local football team. Unbeknownst to him, the footballers are actually criminals, and he's just made British Rail accomplices in a gun-running ring. Oh, Mr. Porter! was an early credit for co-screenwriter Val Guest, who went on to a long and distinguished career as a writer, director, and producer. "Everything on this station is either too old or doesn't work. And you're both!"
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 071 - A Prize Of Arms (1962) | 07 May 2020 | 01:09:29 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 071 – A Prize Of Arms (1962) Our latest episode with Scott, Steven and special guest, Antony Rotunno of the Glass Onion: On John Lennon podcast, features a criminally underseen crime heist drama starring Stanley Baker – A Prize Of Arms (1962)
Never in the history of crime was so much taken from so many by so few... A gang of criminals acquire an old army truck and try to pass themselves off as military policemen. Their plan is to steal a £250,000 payroll intended for soldiers in the Middle East. Turpin (Stanley Baker) recruits Fenner (Tom Bell) and Swavek (Helmut Schmid) to make up a crack assault team. As the duty guard at the camp raises the barrier, Turpin knows there can be no turning back. His desperate gamble for riches will now be played out to its shattering climax... You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 070 - From Russia With Love (1963) | 30 Apr 2020 | 01:18:17 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 070 – From Russia With Love (1963)
It's back to the James Bond series of movies as Scott and Steven slowly review their way through the Sean Connery era. In this episode we take a look at the second movie From Russia With Love. Agent 007 is back in the second instalment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organisation known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy. "You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees. How does it feel old man?" You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 069 - The Rebel (1961) | 22 Apr 2020 | 01:07:37 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 069 – The Rebel (1961) Scott and Steven are joined once again by Mark Cain of The Good The Bad And The Odd podcast. Together we venture back to 1961 for one of Tony Hancock's rare cinematic outings, The Rebel, also featuring Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and George Sanders. Anthony Hancock gives up his office job to become an abstract artist. He has lots of enthusiasm, but little talent, and critics scorn his work. Nevertheless, he impresses an emerging very talented artist. Hancock proceeds to con the art world into thinking he is a genius. "Your colours are all the wrong shape" You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you
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| Episode 068 - The Long Good Friday (1980) | 10 Apr 2020 | 01:03:59 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 068– The Long Good Friday (1980)
It's Easter Weekend so forget Easter Parade and Ben Hur…join Scott and Steven as they chat about the ultimate Easter movie…Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren on top form in The Long Good Friday (1980) In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organisation, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion. "You don't crucify people! Not on Good Friday! You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 067 - How I Won The War (1967) | 04 Apr 2020 | 01:20:09 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 067 – How I Won The War (1967) A warm welcome this week to our special guest, Antony Rotunno from the splendid Glass Onion – On John Lennon podcast. Antony joins Scott and Steven to chat about Richard Lester's movie, How I Won The War, starring Michael Crawford and featuring a certain member of The Fab Four. Captured by German soldiers, British officer Ernest Goodbody (Michael Crawford) details his history as a commanding officer. While he describes himself as a noble and heroic officer, the truth is that he is a bumbling idiot whose own ineptitude and idiocy ends up costing the lives of most of his company. As his own men continue to drop like flies, their ghosts remain on the battlefield, marching along with their commanding officer even after death. "And I'm not a thief, really. I've never found anything worth keeping." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 066 - The Ipcress File (1965) | 27 Mar 2020 | 00:45:12 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 066 – The Ipcress File (1965) The perfect antidote to Bondmania as Scott and Steven review The Ipcress File. With Michael Caine as the laconic secret agent Harry Palmer set in a world of spies that features more paperwork and freshly ground coffee than fist fights and shoot outs. A classic piece of British cinema from the swinging sixties. Several leading Western scientists have been kidnapped only to reappear a fews days later. Unfortunately, each scientist has been brainwashed and is now completely useless. The British send Agent Harry Palmer to investigate. Palmer is surprised to be selected for such a mission (considering his past) and believes he has been chosen because he is expendable. "You didn't come here to talk about button mushrooms and birds." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 065 - Dunkirk (1958) | 22 Mar 2020 | 00:52:32 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 065 – Dunkirk (1958)
Scott, Steven and Tony have managed to get together once again for a chat about a great British war film - Dunkirk from 1958 directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. Better than the Christopher Nolan movie…? Take a listen and see what we think. A British Corporal in France finds himself responsible for the lives of his men when their officer is killed. He has to get them back to Britain somehow. Meanwhile, British civilians are being dragged into the war with Operation Dynamo, the scheme to get the French and British forces back from the Dunkirk beaches. Some come forward to help, others were less willing. "It may be a phoney war to you, but it's not to all the blokes at sea. Never has been."
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you
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| Episode 174 - The Killing Of Sister George (1968) | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:59:24 | |
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism. This week, join Scott and Steven as they discuss'The Killing Of Sister George' (1968) On-screen, she's Britain's beloved Sister George. Off-screen, she's a gin-soaked, abusive tyrant. When network executives axe her popular character, actress June Buckridge's life implodes. A ruthless BBC boss not only orchestrates her professional demise but also seduces her vulnerable young lover, Alice. Stripped of her fame and her relationship in a vicious power play, George is left a humiliated, broken woman facing total annihilation. Episode 174 - The Killing Of Sister George (1968) "The Killing of Sister George" (1968) doesn't just explore the gap between public image and private life—it shatters it. On the air, June "George" Buckridge is Sister George, a beloved BBC radio nurse. Off the air, she's a gin-soaked, cigar-chewing tyrant, trapping her younger, childlike partner, Alice "Childie" McNaught, in a toxic, abusive relationship.
When June's off-screen antics and declining ratings become a liability, rumors fly that the BBC plans to kill off her character. The seemingly prim executive, Mrs. Mercy Croft, is dispatched to handle the "situation," but her motives seem ambiguous. As the professional axe hangs over her head, June's paranoia and rage explode, tightening her cruel grip on the vulnerable Alice.
Mrs. Croft begins to insert herself into their chaotic home life under the guise of offering support, but her interest, particularly in Alice, seems to go beyond professional concern. As June fights to save her career, a more insidious power struggle emerges within her own four walls. The film builds towards a tense confrontation between the three women, where careers, relationships, and identities hang precariously in the balance.
"Appearing to be drunk happens to be one of the easier ways of getting out of some of life's most embarrassing situations."
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Bonus content available at: patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast
Thanks for listening Scott and Steven | |||
| Episode 064 - Violent Playground (1958) | 13 Mar 2020 | 01:13:23 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 064 – Violent Playground (1958) Another in our series of movies that influenced the British New Wave Cinema movement. Another fine example of the 'social problem' movie directed by the master himself, Basil Dearden. Highlighting the dangerous world of the newly-born 'teenagers', we present Violent Playground from 1958 starring Stanley Baker, David McCallum and Peter Cushing. Sgt. Truman (Stanley Baker), a policeman who deals with juvenile delinquents, visits the Murphy household after a theft by the young twins, Mary and Patrick. There he meets their older sister, Cathie (Anne Heywood), and soon begins a romantic involvement with her. However, Cathie's brother, Johnnie (David McCallum), is the leader of an infamous local gang, and doesn't like to see his sister with a cop. Gradually, Truman starts to see a link between Johnnie and a string of local arsons. "Every city has its dangerous youth. Stark, explosive drama – as the camera lays bare the heart of a big city and probe the secrets of its violent youth"
You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 063- Four Lions (2010) | 06 Mar 2020 | 00:54:54 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 063 – Four Lions (2010) Our latest episode with Scott and Steven features our thoughts on the hilarious Four Lions from 2010 directed by Chris Morris.
A group of young Muslim men living in Sheffield decide to wage jihad, and they hatch an inept plan to become suicide bombers. Omar (Riz Ahmed) and Waj (Kayvan Novak) have a brief, disastrous run at a Pakistan training camp, while Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) works on an unlikely scheme to train birds to carry bombs. Their ill-conceived plan culminates at the London Marathon with their bumbling attempts to disrupt the event while dressed in outlandish costumes. "The report makes crystal clear that the police shot the right man, but as far as I'm aware, the wrong man exploded. Is that clear?." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 062 - Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) | 29 Feb 2020 | 00:55:35 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 062 – Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) Scott and Steven are back in the Balaban Sound Studio for this week's review…a mystery / thriller starring Laurence Olivier, Carol Lynley and Keir Dullea. Also featuring Noel Coward, Martita Hunt and Anna Massey…Bunny Lake is missing…or is she? Ann Lake has recently settled in England with her daughter, Bunny. When she goes to retrieve her daughter after the girl's first day at school, no one has any record of Bunny having been registered. When even the police can find no trace that the girl ever existed, they wonder if the child was only a fantasy of Ann's. When Ann's brother backs up the police's suspicions, she appears to be a mentally-disturbed individual. Are they right? "I have some more African heads in my apartment. Small, pickled ones. Do drop in anytime you care to meet some unsuccessful politicians." You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 061 - The Reckoning (1969) | 23 Feb 2020 | 00:41:13 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 061 – The Reckoning (1969) Join Scott and Steven as they bring you an underseen British drama from the sixties starring Nicol Williamson and Rachel Roberts. Michael Marler (Nicol Williamson), determined to leave his criminal father and his Irish past behind him, abandoned Liverpool to pursue a more respectable career path. Now he's a wealthy businessman living in London, but his father's death draws a reluctant Michael back to his hometown. When he learns his father was killed in a fight with a young delinquent, Michael teams up with an old flame (Rachel Roberts) and a friend of his father's (Paul Rogers) to avenge the death. You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 060 - The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) | 08 Feb 2020 | 00:50:58 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 060 – The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) Join Scott and Steven as they chat about one of the best of the Ealing Comedies starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway. After two decades of service to his employers, gold bullion carrier Henry Holland (Alec Guinness) decides to run off with more than a million pounds worth of the stuff. After convincing his sculptor friend Alfred (Stanley Holloway) to help him melt down the gold and mould it into a small Eiffel Tower, Henry sends the statuette ahead of him to Paris, only to discover it was one of six miniature towers bought by a group of schoolgirls. You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: ListenNotes Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we'd love to chat with you | |||
| Episode 059 - Waking Ned (2008) | 03 Feb 2020 | 00:37:09 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Episode 059 – Waking Ned (1998) Join Scott and Steven as they chat about a tale of death, deceit and dentures… When best friends Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly) discover someone in their small Irish village has won the lottery, they immediately set off to see if the winner is in a sharing mood. Deducing that Ned Devine is the lucky man, O'Shea and O'Sullivan pay him a visit, only to find him dead from shock. Since Devine is the only one who can claim the prize, the townsfolk band together to convince the claim inspector that O'Sullivan is really Devine, and split the cash. Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 058 - Pool Of London (1951) | 17 Jan 2020 | 01:06:25 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Episode 058 – Pool Of London (1951) Join Scott and Steven as they take a look at the second in their series of movies that influenced the British New Wave Cinema movement "When you're at the wheel of a ship at night, far at sea and nothing else to do, you think about a lot of things you don't understand. You wonder why one man is born white and another isn't." Merchant sailor Dan MacDonald (Bonar Colleano) has a lucrative sideline in smuggling black market goods ashore. While docked in London, MacDonald and his best friend, Johnny Lambert (Earl Cameron), get mixed up with a gang of ruthless jewel thieves, who hire MacDonald to smuggle their loot out of the country. Complications arise when Earl falls for a charming but pernicious young woman named Pat (Susan Shaw), and is charged with a murder he did not commit. Release date: 20 February 1951 (United Kingdom) Screenplay: Jack Whittingham, John Eldridge
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| Episode 057 - Gregory's Girl (1981) | 10 Jan 2020 | 00:43:33 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Episode 057 – Gregory's Girl (1981) Join Scott and Steven as they head north of the border to review Bill Forsyth's movie from 1981 , Gregory's Girl. "Twelve tons of cornflakes pass under here every day. It's a well-known fact" In his warm, Scottish coming-of-age film, gangly teen Gregory and his school-mates are starting to find out about girls. He fancies Dorothy, not least because she has got on to the football team (and is a better player than he). He finally asks her out, but it is obviously the females in control of matters here, and that very much includes Gregory's younger sister. Release date: 23 April 1981 (United Kingdom) Budget: 500 GBP
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| Episode 056 - Please Sir (1971) | 05 Jan 2020 | 00:51:06 | |
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) Music composed by: Mike Vickers Screenplay: John Esmonde, Bob Larbey
Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 055 - Scott of the Antarctic (1948) | 30 Dec 2019 | 01:02:51 | |
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 facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 173 - Hammer Britannia 019 - The Old Dark House (1963) | 11 Jul 2025 | 00:46:35 | |
Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 173 - The Old Dark House (1963)
In the 1963 horror-comedy "The Old Dark House," American car salesman Tom Penderel seeks shelter from a storm in a remote, dilapidated mansion. He finds himself an unwelcome guest among the eccentric Femm family, who are gathered for the reading of a will. The family members soon become victims of a mysterious killer, who murders them one by one in bizarre fashion. Trapped by the storm with the strange household, Tom must navigate the growing paranoia and uncover the identity of the murderer before he also falls victim. The film combines traditional haunted house suspense with elements of black comedy and slapstick, as Tom attempts to survive the increasingly chaotic and dangerous night. "No, I'm not strange. I'm American."
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 | |||
| Episode 054 - The Holly and the Ivy (1952) | 21 Dec 2019 | 00:45:57 | |
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 facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 053 - The Man Who Would Be King (1975) | 02 Dec 2019 | 00:42:57 | |
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. | |||
| Episode 052 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) | 30 Oct 2019 | 00:55:40 | |
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'. | |||
| Episode 051 - The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) | 27 Oct 2019 | 00:53:51 | |
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. | |||
| Episode 050 - Time Bandits (1981) | 04 Oct 2019 | 01:00:08 | |
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 facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 049 - A Matter Of Life And Death (1946) | 16 Sep 2019 | 00:57:30 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Episode 049 - A Matter Of Life And Death (1946) 'You've got a good voice. You've got guts too. It's funny - I've known dozens of girls: I've been in love with some of them, but an American girl whom I've never seen and who I never shall see will hear my last words. That's funny. It's rather sweet.'
Join Scott and Steven for their review of A Matter Of Life And Death, the Powell and Pressburger classic starring David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesey, Marius Goring and Raymond Massey Returning to England from a bombing run in May 1945, pilot Peter Carter's plane is damaged and his parachute ripped to shreds. He has his crew bail out safely, but figures it is curtains for himself. He gets on the radio, and talks to June, a young American woman working for the U.S. Army Air Forces, and they are quite moved by each other's voices. Then he jumps, preferring this to burning up with his plane. He wakes up in the surf. It was his time to die, but there was a mix-up in heaven. They couldn't find him in all that fog. By the time his "Conductor" catches up with him twenty hours later, Peter and June have met and fallen in love. This changes everything, and since it happened through no fault of his own, Peter figures that heaven owes him a second chance. Heaven agrees to a trial to decide his fate. Apple Podcasts/Libsyn/Player FM facebook.com/groups/reelbritannia | |||
| Episode 048 - A Man For All Seasons (1966) | 28 Aug 2019 | 00:44:18 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven for their review of a Man For All Seasons from 1966, featuring an Oscar winning performance from Paul Scofield with support from Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller, John Hurt and many more. When the highly respected British statesman Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to pressure the Pope into annulling the marriage of King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) and his Spanish-born wife, More's clashes with the monarch increase in intensity. A devout Catholic, More stands by his religious principles and moves to leave the royal court. Unfortunately, the King and his loyalists aren't appeased by this, and press forward with grave charges of treason, further testing More's resolve. This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 047 - Dance With A Stranger (1985) | 22 Aug 2019 | 00:47:18 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven for their review of Dance With A Stranger from 1985 starring Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, and Ian Holm. This tale of murderous revenge focuses on Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed by the state in England. Ellis (Miranda Richardson), a former prostitute and single mom, falls for David Blakely (Rupert Everett) when she meets him in a club. Although Blakely comes from an aristocratic background, compared with Ellis's hardscrabble upbringing, the two start a torrid affair. But when David starts to pull away, Ruth is overwhelmed by jealousy and turns to extreme measure to get him back. This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 046 - Little Voice (1998) | 08 Aug 2019 | 00:41:25 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven for their review of Little Voice from 1997, featuring stand out performances from Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn and Ewan Macgregor. The pathetically shy LV lives the life of a recluse listening to her late father's old records in her room and in the process driving her abusive, loud-mouthed mother, Mari Hoff, to distraction. At night, however, when her father's ghost visits, LV sings the songs of the great divas such as Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and Dame Shirley Bassey. One evening, LV is overheard by one of her mother's loathsome boyfriends, the disastrous dead-end talent scout Ray Say, who recognizes her innate talent and realizes this is his last big chance for the glittering prizes. Gambling everything, Ray Say forces LV to appear at a local run-down, seedy nightclub run by Mr. Boo. As preparations for the big event proceed apace LV meets the equally shy Billy, a pigeon-racing telephone engineer and they form a tentative, gentle friendship. The big night finally arrives and everything is in readiness, the band, the club, and even a big agent from London, but what about LV? This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 045 - It Always Rains On Sunday (1947) | 29 Jul 2019 | 01:33:50 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven for their review of It Always Rains On Sunday from 1947, seen by many as the precursor to the kitchen sink movies of the late 50s and early 60s In a working class neighbourhood in London, a housewife named Rose (Googie Withers) finds herself in a serious bind when her old lover, Tommy Swann (John McCallum), escapes from prison and winds up in her backyard. Rose wants to escape the drudgery of her daily life and remembers the charming man Swann was before prison. But when Swann suspects that Rose is about to turn him in, he snaps, and threatens to destroy not only her fantasies about him but her family's security as well. This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn
Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 172 - Defence Of The Realm (1986) | 06 Jul 2025 | 01:01:45 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. We welcome back Hal, contributer of wonderful reviews at the official Talking Pictures Podcast as well as host of his very own show Couple Indemnity. 1980s political thriller shenanigans this week as what begins as a seemingly straightforward sex scandal quickly unravels into a complex web of conspiracy. Defence Of The Realm (1986)
In the politically charged atmosphere of 1980s Cold War London, Fleet Street is a battleground of ambition, rivalry, and relentless deadlines. At the heart of this cut-throat world is Nick Mullen, a young, ferociously ambitious reporter for the Daily Despatch. Mullen is driven by a burning desire to make a name for himself, to break the one big story that will catapult him to the top of his profession. He is sharp, cynical, and initially unconcerned with the moral complexities that may lie beneath a sensational headline. His world is shared by Vernon Bayliss, a veteran journalist of the old school. Where Mullen is rash and hungry for glory, Bayliss is weary, methodical, and haunted by the compromises he has witnessed throughout his long career. He serves as a reluctant mentor and a cautious sounding board for Mullen's explosive energy, their dynamic a classic clash of youthful fire and aged wisdom, bound by a shared, albeit sometimes begrudging, respect for the craft. The film ignites when Mullen receives a tantalising tip from an anonymous source. The information points to a major sex scandal involving Dennis Markham, a respected Member of Parliament who has been a vocal critic of the government's close military relationship with the United States, particularly regarding the presence of American nuclear forces on British soil. The story is explosive: Markham has allegedly been frequenting a London club where he has been meeting with a call girl who is also a suspected KGB agent. For Mullen, this is the scoop he has been waiting for. He pursues it with vigour, and the subsequent front-page exposé creates a political firestorm, effectively destroying Markham's career and reputation overnight.
Initially, Mullen basks in the glory of his journalistic triumph. However, the neat narrative soon begins to fray at the edges. Small inconsistencies and lingering questions trouble Bayliss, who, with his seasoned eye for detail, starts to believe that the story was too perfect, too easily handed to them. He quietly begins his own discreet investigation, urging a dismissive Mullen to consider the possibility that they have been used as pawns in a much larger, more sinister game. Mullen, still high on his success, initially resists Bayliss's cautious counsel, viewing it as the ramblings of a man who has lost his nerve. The tone shifts dramatically when Bayliss dies suddenly and mysteriously in what is officially ruled a heart attack. Stricken with guilt and a growing sense of dread, Mullen is shocked into action. He discovers that Bayliss had been secretly investigating a seemingly unrelated event: a near-disastrous accident at an American airbase in the UK. Retrieving Bayliss's hidden research, Mullen inherits his mentor's investigation and his paranoia. He begins to piece together the terrifying truth that the Markham scandal was not about sex, but was an intricately fabricated smear campaign designed to silence him. As Mullen delves deeper into the labyrinthine cover-up, the shadows begin to close in. He finds himself under constant surveillance, his flat is ransacked, and his every move is seemingly anticipated by faceless, powerful forces within the state's security apparatus. The story he is chasing is no longer about journalistic ethics or a political scandal; it is about a chilling government conspiracy to conceal a near-nuclear catastrophe from the public. Every new lead and every potential source becomes a risk, pushing Mullen further into a dangerous isolation where the very institutions meant to uphold the nation's defence are the ones he has to fear the most. He is no longer just a reporter chasing a story; he is a man fighting for his life against an enemy he cannot see. "Vodka and Coca-Cola. Detente in a glass!"
This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts
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Thanks for listening
Scott and Steven | |||
| Episode 044 - Doctor In The House (1954) | 20 Jul 2019 | 00:58:51 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Tony for their review of Doctor In The House, the first in the classic series of British Comedies from 1954 starring Dirk Bogarde. Simon Sparrow (Dirk Bogarde) begins medical school in London at St. Swithin's Hospital, and moves into an apartment with roommates Richard Grimsdyke (Kenneth More), Tony Benskin (Donald Sinden) and Taffy Evans (Donald Houston), a huge fan of rugby. A series of challenges and shenanigans takes place during their next five years at medical school, including unsuccessful dates with women and run-ins with a tough-as-nails chief surgeon, Sir Lancelot Spratt (James Robertson Justice). This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 043 - Hope and Glory (1987) | 07 Jul 2019 | 00:58:42 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven for their review of Hope and Glory, John Boorman's semi-autobiographical account of wartime Britain through the eyes of a young boy. Director John Boorman drew from his own childhood experiences for this touching coming-of-age tale about a boy growing up in and around London during World War II. For young Billy Rowan (Sebastian Rice Edwards), the nightly bombings provide a frightening show, but they include opportunities to rummage through the rubble with friends in the mornings. As Billy plays, his family struggles to remain intact as they suffer through the anguish and losses of wartime. This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||
| Episode 042 - The Wicked Lady (1945) | 23 Jun 2019 | 01:02:38 | |
Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British films....with the occasional hint of professionalism. Join Scott and Steven as they review what turns out to be perhaps the most enjoyable movie reviewed so far on the podcast. The Wicked Lady (1945) starring Margaret Lockwood and James Mason. In 17th-century England, Barbara Worth (Margaret Lockwood) lives a privileged yet humdrum life as the wife of well-heeled landowner Sir Ralph Skelton (Griffith Jones). To stave off boredom, Barbara begins impersonating famed highway robber Capt. Jerry Jackson, stealing precious jewels and valuables from coach passengers. A chance encounter with the actual Jackson (James Mason) propels Barbara into a dangerous double life with potentially lethal consequences. This and all our other episodes can be found on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Radio Libsyn Facebook: facebook.com/rbritanniapod | |||