Explore every episode of the podcast 100 Things we learned from film
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 215 - Safety Last! | 01 Jun 2026 | 01:00:55 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re heading back to the silent era for one of the most influential comedies ever made 1923’s Safety Last! starring the legendary Harold Lloyd. We dive into the making of the film, the jaw-dropping skyscraper climb, how Lloyd performed dangerous stunts despite a disability, and why the famous clock-hanging scene became one of the defining images in cinema history. Along the way we explore early Hollywood, the genius of silent comedy, Hal Roach Studios, rooftop trick photography, real-life “human spider” climber, and how Safety Last! helped shape action comedy for generations to come. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, silent film history, production trivia, and plenty of facts about Harold Lloyd: the often-overlooked third giant of silent comedy alongside Chaplin and Keaton. --- Friend of the Pod James from Repeat or Delete and his wonderful wife Katie are doing The North Yorkshire Ultra Challenge on 20 June 2026. Walking 50km in a day for Endometriosis UK. Like us you can sponsor them at https://www.justgiving.com/team/katieandjamesendo?utm_medium=TE&utm_source=WA If you enjoy the show and want to help support future episodes, consider joining us on Patreon for bonus content, early episodes and the chance to pick future films. patreon.com/100thingsfilm --- Safety Last! is a 1923 American silent romantic-comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It includes one of the most famous images from the silent-film era: Lloyd clutching the hands of a large clock as he dangles from the outside of a skyscraper above moving traffic. The film was highly successful and critically hailed, and it cemented Lloyd's status as a major figure in early motion pictures. It is still popular at revivals, and it is viewed today as one of the great film comedies.[5] The film's title is a play on the common expression "safety first", which describes the adoption of safety measures as a means to avoid accidents, especially in workplaces. Lloyd performed some of the climbing stunts himself, despite having lost a thumb and forefinger four years earlier in a film accident. | |||
| Episode 214 - Out Of Sight | 25 May 2026 | 01:08:39 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re diving into the slick, stylish world of Out of Sight the crime classic that helped turn George Clooney into a genuine movie star and proved Jennifer Lopez had serious big-screen presence. We uncover behind-the-scenes stories about the casting, the famous chemistry between the leads, Steven Soderbergh’s unique directing style, and how the film quietly became one of the most beloved crime movies of the 1990s. A huge thank you to Phil, one of our brilliant patrons, who picked this episode as part of supporting the show for a quid a month. If you’d like to help keep the podcast going and maybe even choose a future episode yourself you can support us too at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk Expect cool criminals, sharp dialogue, bizarre casting stories, Elmore Leonard brilliance, and plenty of facts you probably didn’t know about one of cinema’s smoothest capers. --- ut of Sight is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor George Clooney, it was released by Universal Pictures on June 26, 1998. The film stars Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, co-starring Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Nancy Allen, Steve Zahn, Catherine Keener, and Albert Brooks. There are also special appearances by Michael Keaton, briefly reprising his role as Ray Nicolette from Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown the previous year, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. It won the Edgar Award for Best Screenplay and the National Society of Film Critics awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. | |||
| Episode 213 - Robin Hood (1973) | 18 May 2026 | 01:17:53 | |
Disney’s 1973 adaptation of Robin Hood is remembered as a charming animated classic packed with catchy songs, recycled animation, and one of the most relaxed heroes Disney ever created. But somehow… it also became the film responsible for awakening something in generations of viewers who found themselves strangely drawn to a cartoon fox in a green tunic. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, Planty is joined by Mrs John, Kirsty as they dive into the bizarre legacy of Disney’s furry folk hero, exploring the troubled post-Walt Disney production, the reused animation tricks, the legendary voice cast, hidden production stories, and why this low-budget gamble became one of Disney’s most beloved cult classics. Expect behind-the-scenes chaos, accidental internet history, Roger Miller earworms, and far more discussion about sexy foxes than anyone planned. Featuring:
--- If you like this, you'll love our monthly bonus Patreon episodes COMEDY CRAIC, where we talk about a different cartoon each month! Only available to Patrons on the Give Us A Quid tier at Patreon.com/100thingsfilm --- Robin Hood is a 1973 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it is based on the English folktale "Robin Hood". Taking place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, the story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John, and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian. The film features the voices of Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Pat Buttram, Monica Evans, Terry-Thomas, Roger Miller, and Carole Shelley. The idea to adapt Robin Hood into an animated feature was dated back to Walt Disney's interest in the tale of Reynard the Fox following the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The idea was repeatedly shelved for several decades. In 1968, Ken Anderson pitched a film adaptation of Robin Hood, incorporating ideas from Reynard the Fox by using anthropomorphic animals rather than humans. The project was approved, becoming the first completely "post-Walt" animated feature and the first with an entirely non-human cast. Robin Hood was released on November 8, 1973. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it was nonetheless a box-office success, grossing $33 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Although some retrospective reviews have criticized the heavy use of animation recycled from previous Disney films, the film's reputation has grown positively over time. It has since become a cult classic. | |||
| Episode 212 - Idiocracy | 04 May 2026 | 00:55:10 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re diving into Idiocracy—the cult sci-fi comedy that somehow feels more like a documentary every year. Chosen by Patron Josh Wilson from the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, we explore the chaotic making of Mike Judge’s satirical classic: from its bizarre casting choices and ultra-low budget to the studio quietly trying to bury it on release. It flopped in cinemas, found life on DVD, and now sits as one of the strangest “told you so” films ever made. Website: https://100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 💬 Support the ShowIf you’re enjoying the podcast, consider supporting us on Patreon for bonus episodes like a brand new Cartoon Craic every month, a shout out each week and more nonsense! | |||
| Cartoon Craic episode 1 - Cobweb Hotel (1936) | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:17:45 | |
Welcome to the very first episode of Cartoon Craic . and like drugs the first one’s a freebie! This month, we’re heading all the way back to 1936 to check into the delightfully strange world of Cobweb Hotel : a Fleischer cartoon packed with singing spiders, chaotic insects, and some surprisingly dark undertones. We get stuck into the story behind the cartoon, how it was made, and why these early animations had such a unique (and slightly unsettling) vibe. There’s also plenty of chat about spiders and Pens! If you enjoy the episode, the rest of the series will be available exclusively over on Patreon .com/100thingsfilm with a brand new cartoon deep dive every month. In this episode:
Support the show: Want more Cartoon Craic? Join us on Patreon for monthly episodes, bonus content, and more animated deep dives. | |||
| Episode 211 - Masters Of The Universe | 13 Apr 2026 | 01:24:01 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re diving headfirst into the neon-drenched, synth-powered madness of Masters of the Universe—the film where He-Man leaves Eternia… and somehow ends up in suburban America. Cannon Films touted this as the Star Wars of the 1980s but what we actually got is a fascinating mix of huge ambition, shrinking budgets, and pure 80s energy. From behind-the-scenes chaos and last-minute rewrites to Frank Langella going full Shakespeare as Skeletor, this is one of those films that shouldn’t work… but absolutely earns its cult status. Joining us this week is patron Stig from the Modern Escapism podcast, who FINALLY landed on the wheel and brought us his pick so expect big laughs, deep dives, and plenty of Cannon Films insanity along the way. If you enjoy the episode, you can support the show and get involved by heading over to 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk where for just £1 a month, you can get your own film onto the wheel and join us on a future episode. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a fellow film fan it really helps us grow and keep uncovering the wildest stories in cinema history. --- Masters of the Universe (stylized as Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture) is a 1987 American sword and sorcery film based on the Masters of the Universe franchise by Mattel. The film was directed by Gary Goddard, produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, and written by David Odell. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, James Tolkan, Christina Pickles, and Meg Foster with supporting roles by Billy Barty, Jon Cypher, Chelsea Field, and Robert Duncan McNeill. The film follows two teenagers who meet He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, who travels to Earth with his friends, Man-At-Arms and Teela, to stop their archenemy, the evil Skeletor from obtaining a cosmic key that will enable him to take over their home planet Eternia and the entire universe. While it is the first live action movie in the franchise, the very first He-Man/Masters of The Universe movie was the animated The Secret of the Sword, released in theaters nationwide two years earlier in 1985. Masters of the Universe was released theatrically in the United States on August 7, 1987. It was a critical and commercial failure, grossing $17 million worldwide against a budget of $22 million. At the time of release, it was met with negative reviews from film critics, but is now regarded as a cult film. Another film adaptation is set to be released in 2026 --- Cast Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, the champion of Eternia Frank Langella as Skeletor, the leader of the Evil Warriors and He-Man's archenemy Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn, a witch who is a member of the Evil Warriors Billy Barty as Gwildor, a Thenurian who invented the Cosmic Key Courteney Cox as Julie Winston, a teenager on Earth who finds the Cosmic Key Robert Duncan McNeill as Kevin Corrigan, a teenager and friend of Julie who finds the Cosmic Key Jon Cypher as Man-At-Arms, an ally of He-Man Chelsea Field as Teela, the daughter of Man-At-Arms and ally of He-Man James Tolkan as Hugh Lubic, a detective that has his encounters with the Eternians Christina Pickles as Sorceress, the protector of Castle Grayskull Tony Carroll as the Beastman, an animalistic member of the Evil Warriors who makes animalistic sounds Pons Maar as Saurod, a lizard man member of the Evil Warriors Anthony De Longis as Blade, a sword-wielding member of the Evil Warriors who wears an eyepatch Robert Towers as Karg, a bat-like member of the Evil Warriors who commands Skeletor's soldiers and interprets for Beast Man Barry Livingston as Charlie Gwynne Gilford as Mrs. Winston, the mother of Julie Walter Scott as Mr. Winston, the father of Julie Walt P. Robles as Carl, the janitor Cindi Eyman as Gloria Peter Brooks as the narrator Richard Szponder as Pigboy, a member of the Evil Warriors with a pig-like face who gives Skeletor his staff | |||
| Episode 210 - Rush (2013) | 06 Apr 2026 | 01:19:04 | |
Strap in! This week we’re going full throttle. We’re diving into Rush (2013), the explosive true story of Formula 1 rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda: two drivers, two mindsets, and one deadly season that pushed both men to the absolute limit. Joining us for this episode is one of our supportive Patrons Kurt from The Never Watchers. It's the Marvel and film podcast you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Not only is Kurt our guest, but this was also his Patreon pick, and he’s brought some seriously great insights (and a few surprises) along for the ride. From behind-the-scenes secrets to wild real-life stories that sound too insane to be true, we’re breaking down everything that makes Rush one of the most intense sports films ever made. Expect:
💥 SUPPORT THE SHOW Love what we do? Be ;ike our mate Kurt and Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive picks, and early access 👉 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 🎧 CHECK OUT OUR GUEST Give Kurt a listen on Never Watchers: a brilliant Marvel and film podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. 🔥 FOLLOW & SHARE If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves films as much as you do. | |||
| Episode 209 - Cool Hand Luke | 23 Mar 2026 | 01:05:42 | |
This week, we’re taking it off, boss… one button at a time as we head to the chain gang with Cool Hand Luke the ultimate story of rebellion, defiance, and a man who simply refuses to play by the rules. Chosen by our brilliant Patreon supporter Luke (couldn’t have picked a more perfect film if he tried), this episode dives deep into one of the coolest anti-heroes ever put on screen. From parking meter carnage to egg-eating madness, we’re breaking down everything that makes this film an enduring classic and uncovering the wild behind-the-scenes stories that make it even better. A massive thank you to Luke for choosing this week’s film, an absolute belter of a pick. If you want to choose an episode and support the show, read on… Love what we do? Want to help keep the show going and get involved? 👉 Head over to 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk You can sign up to our Patreon from just £1 a month, get involved with episode picks, and support the podcast directly. --- Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg[3] written by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson, and starring Paul Newman in the title role. The cast also features George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Strother Martin and Jo Van Fleet. Based on Pearce's semi-autobiographical 1965 novel, the film is about a nonconformist convict in an early 1950s Florida prison camp who refuses to submit to the system. Filming took place within California's San Joaquin River Delta region; the set, imitating a prison farm in the Deep South, was based on photographs and measurements made by a crew the filmmakers sent to a Road Prison in Gainesville, Florida. Lalo Schifrin wrote the film's Oscar-nominated musical score. Upon its release, Cool Hand Luke received favorable reviews and was a box-office success. It cemented Newman's status as one of the era's top actors, and was called the "touchstone of an era". Roger Ebert called Cool Hand Luke an anti-establishment film shot during emerging popular opposition to the Vietnam War. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Newman, with George Kennedy winning for Best Supporting Actor. Both also received Golden Globe nods for their performances. In 2005, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, considering it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4][5] The film also has a 100% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. | |||
| Episode 208 - Wake in Fright | 15 Mar 2026 | 00:49:24 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we head into the blistering Australian outback for the legendary and deeply unsettling cult classic Wake in Fright (1971) known in the United States as Outback. Following a mild-mannered schoolteacher trapped in a remote mining town called “The Yabba,” the film becomes a nightmarish descent into gambling, alcoholism, violence, and psychological collapse. When the film premiered at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, critics praised it but audiences were shocked by its brutal depiction of Australian outback culture. The film quickly faded from view and for decades was thought to be lost until a miraculous rediscovery of the original elements in the early 2000s allowed it to be restored and re-released. Today, Wake in Fright is widely considered one of the greatest Australian films ever made and a key influence on the gritty wave of 1970s Australian cinema. In this episode we uncover the wild story behind the film, including: 🎬 The controversial 1961 novel by Kenneth Cook that inspired the story 🎬 Why director Ted Kotcheff filmed in the real outback town that inspired the book 🎬 The infamous kangaroo hunting sequence that still shocks audiences today 🎬 Behind-the-scenes stories from filming in 43°C desert heat 🎬 The terrifying performance of Donald Pleasence as Doc Tydon 🎬 How the movie was nearly lost forever before being rediscovered in a warehouse 🎬 Why modern critics now call it one of the most powerful films ever made about isolation This episode was also a Patreon pick from supporter Kyle, who not only chose the film but also sent in some absolutely brilliant, meaty facts that we dive into during the episode. Cheers Kyle! 🍻 You too can pick an episode by joining our list of Patrons us at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk So grab a beer, settle in, and prepare yourself… WELCOME TO THE YABBA! | |||
| Episode 207 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl | 09 Mar 2026 | 01:13:58 | |
Hoist the colours and prepare to set sail — this week we’re diving headfirst into the swashbuckling blockbuster that resurrected the pirate genre. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, John and Planty explore the behind-the-scenes chaos, casting stories, production madness, and surprising trivia behind Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. From the moment Johnny Depp turned Jack Sparrow into a swaggering rock-star pirate, to the tropical storms that battered the production and the ground breaking skeleton visual effects created by Industrial Light & Magic, this film had no right to work… and yet it became one of the biggest adventure movies of the 2000s. We’ll uncover how a Disneyland ride became a $650 million global hit, why Disney executives thought Depp was ruining the movie, and how Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush helped turn a risky theme-park adaptation into a cinematic phenomenon. This episode was chosen by our Patreon supporter Jen, who backs the show for £1 a month proving that even a single doubloon can help steer the ship. If you'd like to pick a film for a future episode and support the podcast, you can join our Patreon crew. You can also follow us and find all of our social media links and the Patreon page at our website: 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk So grab a bottle of rum, watch out for cursed Aztec gold, and join us as we try to learn 100 things from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. | |||
| Episode 206 - Cool Runnings | 02 Mar 2026 | 01:00:59 | |
How accurate is Cool Runnings? Did the Jamaican bobsled team really crash? And what actually happened at the 1988 Winter Olympics? This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we break down the true story behind Disney’s 1993 sports classic from Walt Disney Pictures, starring John Candy. We separate movie myth from Olympic reality, including:
The real story is colder, riskier, and far more impressive than the film suggests. 🎧 Support the podcast and get a shout out as well as bonus content: Patreon.com/100thingsfilm 🌐 All our links, episodes and socials: 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, and Michael Goldberg, and a story by Siefert and Michael Ritchie. It is loosely based on the debut of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, and stars Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. In the film, former Olympian Irving Blitzer (Candy) coaches a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica, led by sprinter Derice Bannock (Leon). The film was originally envisaged as a sports drama, and Jeremiah S. Chechik and Brian Gibson were attached to direct before dropping out, leading to Turteltaub being hired. Leon was cast in 1989, followed by Doug and Yoba a year later. Lewis, who had little acting experience prior to the film and was first sought as a dialect coach, joined in November 1992. Principal photography began in February 1993 and lasted until that March, with filming locations including Kingston, Discovery Bay, and Calgary. Cool Runnings is Candy's final film released in his lifetime. Its score was composed by Hans Zimmer. Cool Runnings was theatrically released in the United States on October 1, 1993, by Buena Vista Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its humor, tone, and cast performances. The film grossed $154.9 million worldwide and its theme song, a cover of "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff, reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100. | |||
| Episode 205 - Monty Python and The Holy Grail | 16 Feb 2026 | 01:10:08 | |
Bring out your dead… because today we’re resurrecting one of the most gloriously chaotic comedies ever made: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, which was chosen by Patron Dale, we saddle up (no horses were harmed, because there weren’t any) and charge headfirst into the mud-soaked, coconut-powered madness of Python’s medieval masterpiece. We cover:
From “It’s just a flesh wound!” to “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”, we dig into the production chaos, casting quirks, historical inaccuracies, and happy accidents that turned a tiny British comedy into one of the most quoted films in cinema history. Expect mud. Expect mayhem. Expect shrubbery. 👑 Support the ShowIf you enjoy deep dives into film history (without the boring bit), you can support 100 Things We Learned From Film here: 🎙 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm 🌍 Website: https://www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk Your support helps keep the coconuts clacking and the film facts flowing. | |||
| Episode 204 - The Untouchables | 02 Feb 2026 | 01:09:19 | |
This week at 100 Things Towers, we’re diving headfirst into Brian De Palma’s operatic gangster classic The Untouchables: a film where history takes a back seat and pure cinema grabs the wheel. We break down:
This episode was picked by Lovely Rob Jones, one of our brilliant Patreon supporters proof that backing the show really does let you shape what we cover next. ❤️ Support the Show on PatreonIf you enjoy the podcast and want to keep it independent, consider joining us on Patreon: 👉 patreon.com/100thingsfilm Our “Give Us a Quid” tier gets you:
Every quid helps keep the mics on and the facts flowing. 🌐 Find Us Online
--- Rob also wants us to highlight the Stop Portland Incinerator Campaign (SPIC), a grassroots project currently fundraising via Chuffed.org to support independent air-quality monitoring equipment. SPIC’s aim is to begin their own air-quality monitoring from January 2026, rather than relying solely on self-monitoring by incinerator operators. By gathering baseline data now, the group hopes to make meaningful comparisons in the future and potentially launch a citizen science project, helping local residents better understand the real environmental impact should the incinerator go ahead. You can find and support the campaign here: | |||
| Episode 203 - Death Wish 5: The Face Of Death | 19 Jan 2026 | 01:29:04 | |
We wrap up the original Death Wish series with Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) the final theatrical film of action legend Charles Bronson. Joined once again by Paul Payne of Evil Genius Artworks, we dig into the troubled production, shrinking budgets, Canadian tax breaks, and why this low-key sequel feels more like a farewell than a franchise entry. From exploding soccer balls to weary vigilantes, we explore how Death Wish V became the quiet end of one of cinema’s most controversial action series. Like, subscribe, and let us know which vigilante film we should tackle next. --- If you like what you hears you can give us a quid for a shout out of your own as well as loads of bonus NSFW stuff at patreon.com/100thingsfilm --- Death Wish V: The Face of Death is a 1994 American vigilante action-thriller film a sequel to the 1987 film Death Wish 4: The Crackdown and the fifth and final installment in the Death Wish film series, written and directed by Allan A. Goldstein. Charles Bronson reprises his role in both his final theatrical starring role and his final appearance as the character Paul Kersey. In the film, Kersey tries to protect his girlfriend, Olivia Regent (Lesley-Anne Down) from brutal mobsters that are threatening her fashion business. | |||
| Episode 202 - The Limey | 12 Jan 2026 | 01:16:56 | |
Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey (1999) isn’t just a revenge film it’s a study of grief, memory, and barely contained rage. Starring Terrence Stamp in one of his most powerful performances, the film follows a father tearing through Los Angeles after the death of his daughter, driven by anger, regret, and unresolved history. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, we are joined by friend and regular guest Paul Payne to break down The Limey through behind-the-scenes facts, casting choices, editing decisions, and production stories pulled from respected interviews, commentaries, and film criticism. From Soderbergh’s radical use of non-linear storytelling to the repurposing of Stamp’s 1960s film Poor Cow, this is a deep dive into one of the most emotionally precise crime films of the 1990s. We explore why The Limey feels so different from traditional revenge movies, how memory is used as a narrative weapon, and why Terrence Stamp’s Wilson might just be the angriest dad in cinema history. Whether you’re revisiting the film or discovering it for the first time, this video looks at why The Limey remains one of Steven Soderbergh’s most daring and underrated works. --- 🎧 Support the Show If you enjoy deep-dive film analysis and behind-the-scenes stories like this, you can support 100 Things We Learned From Film over on Patreon. Patreon supporters get:
👉 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm 🌐 Visit Our Website You can also find full episode lists, our socials and more on our website. 👉 Visit the official site: https://www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- The Limey is a 1999 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt, Joe Dallesandro, and Peter Fonda.[2] The plot concerns an English career criminal (Stamp) who travels to the United States to investigate the recent suspicious death of his daughter. It was filmed on location in Los Angeles and Big Sur. Critical reception was positive, but the film was not a financial success upon release. The film was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Stamp and Guzmán were nominated for Best Male Lead and Best Supporting Male Lead respectively. | |||
| Episode 201 - Taken | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:11:40 | |
Liam Neeson didn’t just make an action film: He accidentally reinvented himself, launched a franchise, and created an entire genre of extremely motivated dads. When Taken arrived in 2008, it looked like a modest European thriller: short runtime, simple premise, middle-aged lead actor, and no interest in subtlety. What it became was a cultural hand grenade redefining modern action cinema and turning a respected dramatic actor into one of the most unlikely action icons of the 21st century. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, we pull Taken apart piece by piece from it's famously calm phone threat to its frantic editing, lean storytelling, and unexpectedly huge box office impact. We dig into how the film was never meant to be a hit, why its most famous scene nearly didn’t survive the edit, and how a €25 million thriller ended up reshaping what audiences expect from action heroes. We also explore Taken’s roots in vigilante cinema, its uncomfortable real-world inspirations, and how it functions as a modern echo of films like Death Wish grief, rage, and moral simplicity stripped down to their rawest form. This is a film built on efficiency: no subplots, no excess, no distractions. Just a father, a ticking clock, and a very particular set of skills. --- New episodes of 100 Things We Learned From Film are available wherever you get your podcasts. 🌐 Website: 👉 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 💥 Support the show on Patreon: 👉 patreon.com/100thingsfilm Patreon supporters get bonus episodes, extended cuts, early access, and the occasional deep dive that absolutely did not make it into the main feed. --- Taken is a 2008 English-language French action-thriller film directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance and Famke Janssen. In the film, Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA officer, sets out to track down his teenage daughter Kim and her best friend Amanda after they are kidnapped by Albanian human traffickers while on vacation in France. Taken was released in France on February 27, 2008. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and was a financial success, grossing $226 million against a $25 million budget. Numerous media outlets cited the film as a turning point in Neeson's career that redefined him as an action star. It also launched a franchise, consisting of two sequels and a television series. | |||
| Episode 200 - Event Horizon | 22 Dec 2025 | 01:03:55 | |
We're Back with episode 200! Some said we'd never make it, others said we shouldn't have bothered... Event Horizon is remembered as a cult sci-fi horror classic: but the film released in 1997 is only part of the story. In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, we dive deep into the making of Event Horizon, uncovering the disturbing behind-the-scenes history, the missing footage that may never be recovered, and the far darker film audiences almost saw. We explore how Paul W.S. Anderson set out to make a “haunted house in space,” why test screenings terrified studio executives, and how entire sequences of extreme imagery were cut — then quietly lost. From gothic spaceship design inspired by cathedrals, to rushed post-production, to the film’s journey from box-office disappointment to beloved cult nightmare, this is the full story of one of the most infamous sci-fi horrors ever made. We also break down the cast, the infamous “visions of hell,” the production chaos, and why a true director’s cut of Event Horizon is almost certainly impossible. If you’ve ever wondered why this film feels so uniquely unsettling or what horrors were left on the cutting-room floor this episode has you covered. ⚠️ Listener discretion advised. --- 🎙 Support the show on Patreon This episode was picked by the Listeners! If you enjoy 100 Things We Learned From Film, you can support the podcast on Patreon for bonus content, extended episodes, early access, and exclusive extras you won’t hear anywhere else. 🌐 Visit the show website Find past episodes, show notes, and more at www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk | |||
| Episode 199 - Aliens | 08 Dec 2025 | 01:56:22 | |
Strap in, Marines — this week we’re heading back to LV-426 to break down every flamethrower-lit, pulse-rifle-blazing detail of James Cameron’s sci-fi masterpiece Aliens. From behind-the-scenes chaos to creature design breakthroughs, from production meltdowns to legendary on-set stories, we’re pulling together 100 of the wildest, weirdest and most fascinating facts about one of the greatest sequels ever made. Joining us is special guest Geoff Harmer — filmmaker, VFX-savvy genre storyteller and creator of indie sci-fi and horror shorts — bringing his insight into how Cameron’s practical effects, world-building and relentless pacing turned Aliens into a masterclass in tension and spectacle. Expect talk of Stan Winston wizardry, those iconic power-loader shots, cast bonding (and clashes), and brand-new revelations from the 2025 documentary that cracked open even more hive secrets. Catch all our episodes, merch, and extras at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk and support the show — plus unlock bonus content — over on our patreon.com/100thingsfilm It’s guns, goo, guts, and geekery. Game over? Not a chance. We’re just getting started. --- Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, and the second film in the Alien franchise. Set in the far future, it stars Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate. Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, and Carrie Henn are featured in supporting roles. Despite the success of Alien, its sequel took years to develop due to lawsuits, a lack of enthusiasm from 20th Century Fox, and repeated management changes. Although relatively inexperienced, Cameron was hired to write a story for Aliens in 1983 on the strength of his scripts for The Terminator (1984) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). The project stalled again until new Fox executive Lawrence Gordon pursued a sequel. On an approximately $18.5 million budget, Aliens began principal photography in September 1985 and concluded in January 1986. The film's development was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at Pinewood Studios. The difficult shoot affected the composer, James Horner, who was given little time to record the music. Aliens was released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim. Reviewers praised its action, but some criticized the intensity of certain scenes. Weaver's performance garnered consistent praise along with those of Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein. The film received several awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Weaver at a time when the science-fiction genre was generally overlooked. It earned $131.1–183.3 million during its theatrical run, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 worldwide. | |||
| Episode 198 - Strange Days (1995) | 01 Dec 2025 | 01:18:15 | |
This week we’re stepping into the neon-soaked, paranoia-driven world of Strange Days — Kathryn Bigelow’s bold and prophetic 1995 tech noir. We explore the POV filming breakthroughs, the real-world riot influences, Angela Bassett’s powerhouse performance, Ralph Fiennes’ sleazy charm, and the film’s eerily accurate predictions about surveillance, police power and the turn of the millennium. We break down 100 surprising facts, production stories, casting discoveries, on-set chaos and why this movie has aged into one of the most relevant cult films of the 90s. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes and early access: https://www.patreon.com/100ThingsFilm More from us at: https://www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk | |||
| Episode 197 - Barb Wire | 17 Nov 2025 | 01:08:17 | |
In this week’s episode, we dive into the neon-soaked, PVC-wrapped future of Barb Wire (1996): a film that boldly asked, “What if Casablanca… but with more explosions and significantly fewer buttons?” We break down the wild behind-the-scenes chaos, the practical effects, the last-minute rewrites, the leather-clad world-building, and Pamela Anderson’s full-throttle commitment to becoming the hardest-drinking, hardest-kicking bounty hunter of the distant future year of 2017. Expect fun facts, production disasters, comic-book origins, and maybe even a cameo. We’re joined by friend of the show Dean from TotalCultZone.com, who brings his encyclopaedic knowledge of cult cinema and low-budget brilliance. If you enjoy what we do, check out more episodes at www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk and support the show over on Patreon.com/100ThingsFilm for bonus content, early episodes, and all the good stuff. Strap in — things are about to get absolutely mad. --- Barb Wire is a 1996 American superhero film based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. It was directed by David Hogan, produced by Brad Wyman, and written by Chuck Pfarrer and Ilene Chaiken. The film stars Pamela Anderson in the title role, alongside Temuera Morrison, Victoria Rowell, Xander Berkeley, Udo Kier, and Steve Railsback. Although Barb Wire was panned by critics, it has attracted a cult following. --- #BarbWire #PamelaAnderson #BarbWire1996 #90sMovies #CultCinema #ComicBookMovies #MoviePodcast #FilmPodcast #100ThingsWeLearnedFromFilm #BehindTheScenes #MovieFacts #FilmTrivia #SciFiMovies #DystopianMovies #ActionMovies #90sAction #CultMovies #BMovieLove #PamelaAndersonFans #CasablancaButWilder #MovieNerds #FilmGeeks #CinemaHistory #RetroMovies #NostalgiaMovies #MovieCommunity #FilmDiscussion #TotalCultZone #PodcastLife #FilmTok #MovieTok #RetroCinema #FilmFans #GeekCulture #CultFilmCommunity #MovieBreakdown #MovieAnalysis #UnderratedMovies #HiddenGems #ComicAdaptations #SciFiNerds #Future2017 #LeatherAndMotorbikes #AbsoluteMadness #90sSciFi #FilmChat #PodcastRecommendations #CinephileCommunity | |||
| Episode 196 - Candyman | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:55:26 | |
Step into the mirror with us as we head to Chicago’s Cabrini Green for 100 Things We Learned From Candyman. This week we’re summoning Clive Barker’s urban legend and Bernard Rose’s haunting 1992 film to uncover every drop of blood, honey, and history behind Tony Todd’s iconic hook-handed ghost. From the real-life horror stories that inspired it to the shocking bee stunts, hypnotised performances, and Philip Glass’s chilling score, we dig deep into how a gothic fairy tale became one of horror’s most enduring and intelligent nightmares. Join Planty and John as they whisper “Candyman” (only once, we promise) and explore race, class, and the power of belief that turned a local legend into a cinematic myth. Expect buzzing trivia, behind-the-scenes madness, and the sweetest blend of fear and fascination as we count down 100 terrifying, tragic, and totally fascinating things we learned from Candyman. If you like what we do and want to support the show, you can join our Patreon for bonus episodes, early access, and exclusive movie polls plus a few sweet surprises we promise don’t involve mirrors or bees. Head to patreon.com/100thingsfilm and help us keep the lights on and the reels turning. | |||
| Episode 195 - Wishmaster | 20 Oct 2025 | 01:12:34 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re diving deep into 1997’s Wishmaster, the Wes Craven–presented, Robert Kurtzman–directed slice of supernatural horror where every wish comes with a deadly price. We’re joined by friend of the podcast, Paul Payne, the creative force behind Evil Genius Artworks and Comics, to unpack the gore, the mythology, and the staggering amount of horror royalty packed into this underappreciated gem. From the practical effects wizardry of KNB to Andrew Divoff’s unforgettable performance as the Djinn, we explore how Wishmaster became a love letter to the golden age of monster makeup and VHS horror. Together we’ll unearth the film’s mythic inspirations, its roster of genre icons, and the franchise it spawned through the late ’90s and beyond. Expect laughs, lore, and a little nostalgia for a time when horror was slimy, practical, and gleefully over the top. So be careful what you wish for and join us as we count 100 things we learned from Wishmaster. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! It's nowt to you but it means the world to us. You can also find us everywhere else at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- You can buy all Paul's Comics and various other work on his Etsy Store https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EvilGeniusArtworks | |||
| Episode 194 - Fright Night (1984) | 06 Oct 2025 | 01:43:17 | |
Sink your teeth into 1985’s Fright Night — a perfect blend of suburban satire, 80s flair, and bloodsucking fun. We’re talking practical effects, prosthetic nightmares, and one of the most charming vampires ever to hit the big screen. From Tom Holland’s sharp direction to Chris Sarandon’s suave menace, this is horror with heart, humour, and a lot of fake blood. Joining us this week are director Geoff Harmer and writer-producer Peter Hearn, the punk-powered duo behind Dead Air and Blink. We dive into their creative chaos: From punk rock to puppets to pure psychological panic and explore how Fright Night’s mix of comedy and terror still inspires their own brand of indie horror magic today. You can find Geoff and Pete's work at: https://www.youtube.com/@fraughtUK Frightseers: Future Proof Trailer can be fund here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfV5HHrUPAA&feature=youtu.be and don't miss Blink The scariest Short Film John and Planty have seen all year: https://youtu.be/AVHV7mJTHFw?si=6swN81Hy5N8SNjJN --- If you love what we do and want to sink your teeth a little deeper into the show, you can support us over on Patreon. You’ll get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes chats, and the odd bit of delightful nonsense we can’t put anywhere else. Every pledge helps us keep digging into the weird, wonderful world of film — one movie at a time. --- Fright Night is a 1985 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Holland, in his directorial debut. The film follows teenager Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale), who discovers that his next-door neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. When no one believes him, Charley decides to get Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), a TV show host who acted in films as a vampire hunter, to stop Jerry's killing spree. The film was released on August 2, 1985, and grossed $24.9 million at the box office. Since its release, it has received positive reviews from critics and become a cult classic, and spawned the media franchise of the same name. Fright Night was followed by a sequel, Fright Night Part 2, in 1988, and a remake of the same name in 2011. | |||
| Episode 193 - A Trip To The Moon | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:30:58 | |
This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film we’re travelling back to 1902 with Georges Méliès’ visionary masterpiece A Trip to the Moon. From the influence of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Méliès’ own background as a stage magician, we explore how one short film shaped cinema as we know it. We dive into the creation of the iconic “rocket in the moon’s eye” shot, the hand-painted colour prints, the Selenites’ acrobatics, and the huge cost of mounting such an ambitious production. We’ll also discover how the film was pirated around the world, why Méliès died in relative obscurity, and how this remarkable piece of cinema was rescued and restored more than a century later. We also look at the legacy of A Trip to the Moon, its return to the Cannes Film Festival with a new score by Air, and how Martin Scorsese’s Hugo brought Méliès’ story to a new generation. From surrealist painters to The Simpsons, the film’s influence has never faded. Join us as we count down 100 things we learned from one of the most important films ever made. Support the show on Patreon for early access, bonus episodes and extra content: patreon.com/100thingsfilm Find us on Bluesky: @100thingsfilm Follow us on Instagram: @100thingsfilm Email us: 100thingsfilm@gmail.com --- Tags innit a trip to the moon, a trip to the moon 1902, georges melies, melies, le voyage dans la lune, early cinema, silent film, film history, history of film, first science fiction film, sci fi cinema, hugo scorsese, martin scorsese hugo, air soundtrack, hand painted film, silent movies, french cinema, cinema history, movie trivia, film trivia, movie podcast, film podcast, 100 things we learned from film, movie facts, cinema restoration, unesco memory of the world, trip to the moon facts, trip to the moon explained, moon rocket eye scene, selenites, jules verne film, hg wells film, first sci fi movie | |||
| Episode 192 - The Great Outdoors | 22 Sep 2025 | 00:46:51 | |
This week we’re heading into the wilderness with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in the 1988 comedy classic The Great Outdoors. From the legendary “Old 96er” steak challenge and disastrous water skiing lessons to wisecracking raccoons and one unforgettable bald-headed bear, this lakeside family holiday has become a cult favourite of the 1980s. Written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, The Great Outdoors is a movie that proves family vacations are never peaceful: especially when Bart the Bear crashes the party. In this episode, we uncover 50 of the best facts behind the film. Discover how Bass Lake in California doubled for Wisconsin, how Annette Benning made her film debut, and what really went into wrangling raccoons, leeches, and one very patient grizzly. Whether you rented it on VHS, caught it on TV, or are revisiting it for the first time in years, this is the perfect summer throwback. For more episodes, head to 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk where you can catch up on all our previous shows. If you’d like to support the podcast, get shoutouts on future episodes, and access exclusive bonus content, check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/100thingsfilm --- The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, written and produced by John Hughes, and starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy with supporting roles by Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening (in her film debut), Chris Young, Lucy Deakins, and Robert Prosky. The film is about two families spending a vacation at a fictional resort town in northern Wisconsin. | |||
| Episode 191 - Sister Act with Candice Palladino | 15 Sep 2025 | 01:18:49 | |
In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re joined by award winning actress and creator Candice Palladino to dive deep into the 1992 comedy classic Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Harvey Keitel. Together we uncover 100 fascinating facts about the film, from behind-the-scenes stories and casting choices to filming locations, production trivia, and the unforgettable music that turned this movie into a worldwide hit. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or revisiting the convent for the first time in years, this episode is packed with insights and laughs. Candice brings her unique perspective as a performer and creative to help us explore the legacy of Sister Act and why it remains one of the most beloved comedies of the ’90s. Expect trivia you didn’t know, behind-the-scenes secrets you’ll love, and plenty of fun along the way as we celebrate one of cinema’s most joyful films. If you’re passionate about movie facts, film history, and laughs, this is the episode for you. --- All of Candice's links and Socials can be found on her website at: www.candicepalladino.com so get on that because she's a brilliant follow! But we seriously recommend checking out the short horror film BLINK created by Fraught Productions and starring Candice and Penelope Yeulet. It's the scariest 3 minutes you'll watch today! Also Candice's Comedy Musical Web series IT'S DAISY MAY: https://youtu.be/FTXxfYe2Jv4?si=ZULS8jeyPIf-AW9F Just a sweet southern gal that wants be friends and nothing creepy at all... We promise! The picture used on the Thumbnail is credited to photographer Richard Wakefield... the one of Candice. not the Whoppi one. That was knicked off a google image search, innit? --- Sister Act is a 1992 American musical crime comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (billed as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to hide in a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. It also features Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, Mary Wickes, and Harvey Keitel. Sister Act was one of the most financially successful comedies of the early 1990s, grossing $231 million worldwide against a $31 million budget. Its success extended to the home video market, and it was the most rented film of 1993 in the United States. The film spawned a franchise, which consists of the 1993 sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and a musical adaptation, which premiered in 2006 | |||
| Episode 190 - Rush Hour | 25 Aug 2025 | 01:06:56 | |
This week we’re kicking down doors and arguing over steering wheels as we dive into Rush Hour; the action-comedy classic that teamed up Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker for the first time. We’ve got behind-the-scenes stories, casting chaos, mad stunts, and why Jackie nearly turned the whole thing down. Plus: a whole lot of facts about bloopers, rewrites and the number two song of the 90's apparently. So grab your badge, grab your nunchucks, and don’t ever touch a black man’s radio. --- Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner from a screenplay by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna and a story by LaManna. It stars Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson, Chris Penn, and Elizabeth Peña. In the film, Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective James Carter (Tucker) are forced to work together to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. Development on Rush Hour began in 1995, after LaManna wrote a spec script, which was first initially sold to Hollywood Pictures with Ratner and Chan both attached to the project. The film was eventually shelved until being acquired by New Line Cinema, who had an established relationship with Ratner and Tucker following Money Talks (1997). Several actors were considered prior to Tucker signing onto the project, with the rest of the cast rounded out by early 1997. Principal photography began that November and lasted until January 1998, with filming locations including Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Rush Hour was theatrically released in the United States on September 18, 1998, by New Line Cinema. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Tucker and Chan's chemistry and performances. It also grossed $245.3 million worldwide and was followed by two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007). | |||
| Episode 189 - Almost Famous with Oodles from Modern Escapism | 18 Aug 2025 | 01:49:57 | |
This week, we’re hitting the road with Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical love letter to 1970s rock and roll, Almost Famous. We’ve got facts about the music, the madness, and the moments that made this one of the greatest rock movies ever made. From Robert Plant’s “golden god” moment to Kate Hudson’s iconic coat, from near-fatal plane rides to the true story behind “Tiny Dancer,” we dig into the real history, the on-set chaos, and the rock-solid trivia you didn’t know you needed. It’s all happening. --- Almost Famous is a 2000 American comedy drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the story of a teenage journalist, played by Fugit, writing for Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s, touring with the fictitious rock band Stillwater, and writing his first cover story on the band. The film is semi-autobiographical, as Crowe himself was a teenage writer for Rolling Stone. The film performed poorly in theatres, grossing $47.4 million against a $60 million budget.[3] It was widely acclaimed by critics and earned four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay. It also won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Roger Ebert hailed it as the best film of the year and the ninth-best film of the 2000s. The film also won two Golden Globe Awards, one for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and another for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Hudson. The film is regarded by some as a cult classic and in a 2016 international poll conducted by the BBC, Almost Famous was ranked the 79th greatest film since 2000, while it was ranked as the 47th best film of the 21st century in a 2025 poll by The New York Times. In a Hollywood Reporter 2014 list voted on by "studio chiefs, Oscar winners and TV royalty", Almost Famous was ranked the 71st greatest film of all time #AlmostFamous #MovieTrivia #RockAndRoll | |||
| Episode 188 - The Terminator | 11 Aug 2025 | 01:09:07 | |
We travel back to 1984 to break down James Cameron’s sci-fi masterpiece The Terminator. From on-set chaos to behind-the-scenes genius, from the film’s tiny budget to its massive cultural impact, we’ve crammed in facts, stories, and surprises about the film. Expect: 🦾 Arnold’s 14 lines of dialogue. 🎥 Guerrilla filmmaking in the streets of LA. 💻 The pixelated “future war” of early gaming. 💥 Explosions you could feel through your Walkman. No sequels. No reboots. Just the original killer robot movie that changed cinema forever. 💡 If you love movie trivia, ’80s sci-fi, or just want to know how one film rewrote the rules of action cinema, you’re in the right place. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! It's nowt to you but it means the world to us. You can also find us everywhere else at | |||
| Episode 187 - The Stone Tape | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:48:37 | |
What happens when cutting-edge science meets ancient ghosts in a crumbling British mansion? This week, John & Planty dive deep into the BBC’s cult classic The Stone Tape Nigel Kneale’s chilling fusion of tech and the supernatural. We’re unpacking every shocking sound cue, reel-to-reel moment, and experimental psychic theory. You’ll learn about ghostly geology, failed Doctor Whos, and how a 1972 Christmas horror became a timeless slice of sci-fi TV history. This one’s a proper hauntological rabbit hole. search 100 Things We Learned From Film wherever you get your podcasts About the Film:Title: The Stone Tape Air Date: 25 December 1972 (BBC Two) Written by: Nigel Kneale Directed by: Peter Sasdy Produced by: Innes Lloyd Runtime: 90 minutes Country: United Kingdom Genre: Techno-horror / Ghost Story / Sci-Fi Original Broadcast Format: PAL colour (shot on 2” videotape and 16mm film) Full Cast & Characters:Michael Bryant as Peter Brock Jane Asher as Jill Greeley Iain Cuthbertson as Roy Collinson Michael Bates as Eddie Holmes Reginald Marsh as Hargrave Tom Chadbon as Stewart James Cosmo as Maudsley (yes, that James Cosmo) Philip Trewinnard as Crawshaw Neil Wilson as Clegg Why The Stone Tape still haunts horror fans Nigel Kneale’s influence on sci-fi and supernatural TV What’s “stone tape theory” and how it shaped ghost hunting cast members from Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and beyond The wild production process and location secrets 💾 Support the Show:Want your own 60-second film fact bomb made just for you, a shoutout and a chance for your very own fave film rubbished? Join the cult at 👉 patreon.com/100thingsfilm | |||
| Episode 186 - Strictly Ballroom | 21 Jul 2025 | 00:50:57 | |
This week, we strap on the sequins, fluff up our ruffled shirts, and step into the glitter-soaked world of Strictly Ballroom — the 1992 debut feature from Baz Luhrmann that kicked off his Red Curtain Trilogy. From Federation dance politics to flaming Galahs and the power of self-expression, we pull apart every sparkly frame to bring you circa 100 weird, wonderful, and deeply daft things we learned along the way. Expect mullets, Paso Dobles, and more than one mention of the word "strictly." We also look at Baz’s background in theatre, how the film was made on a shoestring budget, and why ballroom dancing became big in the early ’90s — all with our usual mix of facts, nonsense, and affectionate ridicule. This episode is especially for Mrs Planty's Birthday. 21 and a bit you absolute legend. Support the show for a shoutout and get your own pick on the pod, plus access to exclusive stuff like our 60-second custom film fact videos: Find all our links at: 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann in his feature directorial debut. The film is the first in his Red Curtain Trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; it was followed by 1996's Romeo + Juliet and 2001's Moulin Rouge! Strictly Ballroom is based on a critically acclaimed stage play, originally set up in 1984 by Luhrmann and fellow students during his studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney. An expanded version of the play became a success at the Czechoslovakian Youth Drama Festival in Bratislava in 1986. In 1988, it had a successful season at Sydney's Wharf Theatre, where it was seen by Australian music executive Ted Albert and his wife Antoinette. They both loved it, and, when Albert, soon after, set up the film production company M&A Productions with ex-Film Australia producer Tristram Miall, they offered Luhrmann their plan to transform his play into a film. He agreed on the condition that he would also get to direct it. | |||
| Episode 185 - The Gold Rush (1925) | 14 Jul 2025 | 00:45:24 | |
Welcome to another glittering deep dive from 100 Things We Learned From Film! This week, we're panning for cinematic gold with Charlie Chaplin’s silent comedy classic, The Gold Rush. 💡 We unearth fascinating facts about Chaplin’s Little Tramp, the madness of frozen boot dinners, real bear encounters, United Artists’ rebellious spirit, and how a silent film managed to speak volumes nearly 100 years later. 👢 Expect frozen shoes, fork-dancing, starving prospectors, and the world’s worst cabin share. 🎭 Was Chaplin really hanging off a cliff? 🍽️ Did people actually eat boiled shoes? 📽️ Why did United Artists nearly break Hollywood? PLUS: Planty goes full Tramp mode and uncovers what else was going on in 1925 (spoiler: it gets wild). 🔎 Featured Topics: – Charlie Chaplin’s genius and ego – The history of United Artists – Bear wrangling in the silent era – Iconic scenes & how they were shot – Cold weather filmmaking madness – Gold Rush trivia that isn’t in the film 🎧 Listen now and strike trivia gold with us! 👉 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 🎙️ Support us for £1/month & pick an episode! #CharlieChaplin #TheGoldRush #SilentFilmTrivia #MoviePodcast #FilmHistory #ChaplinFacts #100ThingsPodcast #BehindTheScenes #ClassicCinema | |||
| Episode 184 - Point Break (1991) | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:57:52 | |
Surf's up, and the crime wave is gnarly. This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re grabbing our boards, slipping on our Nixon masks, and catching waves (and feelings) with the 1991 cult classic Point Break. Planty and John ride through the most extreme FBI training montage ever committed to film, debate how many meatball subs is too many, and discover just how wet Keanu Reeves got making this movie. We’re talking skydiving stunts, behind-the-scenes beefcakes, surfing facts, FBI realness from Quantico, and the legacy of director Kathryn Bigelow’s wild action masterpiece. This episode was picked by our radical patron Maria – who supports the show for just £1 a month and gets a shoutout! Want yours? Hit up: 👉 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 🧠 In this episode you’ll learn:
🔎 Keywords/SEO Tags: Point Break podcast, Point Break facts, Keanu Reeves FBI, Patrick Swayze surfing, Kathryn Bigelow movies, Point Break trivia, 100 Things We Learned From Film, best film podcasts UK, cult movie podcast, action movie podcast, surfing movies, skydiving stunts 📢 Follow & Support Us: 💻 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk 📸 Instagram: @100ThingsPod 📘 Facebook: /100ThingsPod 💸 Support from just £1: Patreon.com/100Thingsfilm | |||
| Episode 183 - Men in Black | 30 Jun 2025 | 01:10:18 | |
This week we're doing the most Mid Rap, Taking the Turnpike to Jersey and putting on the last ray bans we'll ever wear with 1997's Men in Black. We're doing the comic and shadowy government departments. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! It's nowt to you but it means the world to us. https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm You can also find us everywhere else at www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Men in Black (abbreviated as MIB) is a 1997 American alien/UFO science fiction action comedy film[2] starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as "men in black", secret agents who monitor and police extraterrestrials. The film is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on a script by Ed Solomon, that adapts the Aircel Comics series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. In the film, Agent K (Jones) and Agent J (Smith) investigate a series of seemingly unrelated criminal incidents related to the extraterrestrials who live in secret on Earth. Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Rip Torn also appear in supporting roles. Development for the film began in 1992, after producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald optioned the rights to the comic book series. Solomon was soon hired to write the screenplay; Sonnenfeld was the preferred directorial choice, which resulted in delays due to his commitments to other film projects and a failure to secure any alternative directors. Principal photography began in March 1996 and lasted until that June, with filming primarily taking place in New York City. The film's visual effects were helmed by Industrial Light & Magic. The film's soundtrack contains the theme song of the same name, performed by Smith, as well as the score, composed by Danny Elfman. Men in Black premiered at Pacific's Cinerama Dome in Hollywood on June 25, 1997, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 2. It received critical acclaim for its screenplay, humour, action sequences, and the performances and chemistry between Jones and Smith. The film was a box-office success, grossing more than $589.4 million worldwide and becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 1997 as well as the ninth-highest-grossing film of the decade. It won for Best Makeup and was also nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score at the 70th Academy Awards, among numerous other accolades. A sequel was released in 2002, a third film was released in 2012, and a stand-alone sequel was released in 2019, with Jones and Smith absent. --- Tommy Lee Jones as Kevin Brown / Agent K: J's grizzled and humorless mentor. Will Smith as James Darrell Edwards III / Agent J: A former NYPD detective, newly recruited to the MIB. Linda Fiorentino as Dr. Laurel Weaver / Agent L: A deputy medical examiner, and later J's partner. Vincent D'Onofrio as Edgar / The Bug: An abusive farmer who is killed and eaten by a giant alien insect, which then wears his skin in order to search for the Galaxy and incite a war from the Arquillians. Rip Torn as Chief Zed: The head of the MIB. Tony Shalhoub as Jack Jeebs: An alien arms dealer who runs a pawn shop as a front. Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Beatrice: Edgar's abused wife. Mike Nussbaum as Gentle Rosenberg: An Arquillian royal family member, posing as a jeweler, who is the guardian of "the Galaxy". Jon Gries as Nick the van driver: the American smuggler who unknowingly carries a literal alien among his posse. Sergio Calderón as Jose John Alexander as Mikey: An alien who poses as a Mexican being smuggled across the border. Patrick Breen as Mr. Redgick Becky Ann Baker as Mrs. Redgick Carel Struycken as Arquillian Fredric Lehne as Agent Janus Kent Faulcon as 2nd Lieutenant Jake Jensen Richard Hamilton as Agent D: K's former partner who retires after deciding he is too old for the job. Ken Thorley as Zap-Em Man, an Exterminator who is killed by Edgar the Bug David Cross as Newton, Morgue Attendant Sean Whalen as Passport Officer Verne Troyer as the Alien son Harsh Nayyar as News Vendor Bernard Gilkey as himself (New York Mets outfielder) Voices/Puppeteers Tim Blaney as Frank the Pug: A smart-talking pug-like alien. Mark Setrakian as Rosenberg Alien Brad Abrell, Thom Fountain, Carl J. Johnson, and Drew Massey as the Worm Guys: A quartet of worm-like aliens that work for Men in Black. | |||
| Episode 182 - Spaceballs | 23 Jun 2025 | 00:57:20 | |
This week we're attempting to to cash in on the announcement of Spaceballs 2 with our episode on Spaceballs the search for more downloads! We're talking the terrible 80's film choices of Gene Wilder, George Lucas and the original Star Wars Trilogy as well as Pizza Hut and why Elon Musk means we can't have nice things any more. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! It's nowt to you but it means the world to us. https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm You can also find us everywhere else at www.100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Spaceballs is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It primarily parodies the original Star Wars trilogy, but also other popular franchises such as Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers. The film stars Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga, with the supporting cast including Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Lorene Yarnell, and the voice of Joan Rivers. In addition to Brooks playing a dual role, the film features Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise and Rudy De Luca in cameo appearances. In Spaceballs, heroic mercenary Lone Starr (Pullman) and his alien sidekick Barf (Candy) rescue Princess Vespa (Zuniga) of the planet Druidia and her droid, Dot Matrix (Yarnell, voiced by Rivers), from being captured by the Spaceballs, led by President Skroob (Brooks), who wants to use Vespa as ransom to obtain Druidia's air for their own planet. However, the heroes get stranded on a desert moon, where they encounter the wise Yogurt (also Brooks), who teaches Starr about the metaphysical power known as "the Schwartz". Meanwhile, Spaceball commanders Dark Helmet (Moranis) and Colonel Sandurz (Wyner) lead the search for them, but are hindered by their own incompetence. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) on June 24, 1987. A sequel is in the early stages of development as of June 2025. Directed by Josh Greenbaum and co-written by Josh Gad and Brooks, the sequel will star Lewis Pullman, Keke Palmer, and Gad, with Brooks, Bill Pullman, Moranis, and Zuniga reprising their roles. The sequel has an anticipated theatrical release by MGM in 2027. --- Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, a mercenary who travels the galaxy in his flying 1986 Winnebago Chieftain 33, Eagle 5. He is a parody of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. John Candy as Barf, a parody of Chewbacca. Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa, the spoiled princess of Planet Druidia. She is a parody of Princess Leia. Joan Rivers as the voice of Dot Matrix, Princess Vespa's droid of honor and guardian. She is a parody of C‑3PO. Lorene Yarnell provided Dot Matrix's on-screen physical performance. Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet, the Spaceballs' short-statured, bratty, and childish chief enforcer, who can wield the "down-side" of the Schwartz. He is a parody of Darth Vader. Mel Brooks as: President Skroob, the incompetent leader of Planet Spaceball. His name "Skroob" is an anagram of "Brooks". Yogurt, the wise and powerful keeper of the "up-side" of the Schwartz. He is a parody of Yoda. George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz, the commander of Spaceball One. His name is a reference to Colonel Sanders. Dick Van Patten as King Roland, the ruler of Planet Druidia and Princess Vespa's father. Michael Winslow as a radar technician on Spaceball One who can re-enact the radar's sounds. Ronny Graham as the minister. Jim J. Bullock as Prince Valium, a narcoleptic prince. Leslie Bevis as Commanderette Zircon, a minion of President Skroob on Planet Spaceball. Sandy Helberg as Dr. Irving Schlotkin, a plastic surgeon. Dom DeLuise as the voice of Pizza the Hutt, a crime boss described as being half-man and half-pizza. He is a parody of Jabba the Hutt and his name is a reference to Pizza Hut. Richard Karron (original takes) and Rick Lazzarini (reshoots and final takes) portrayed Pizza's on-screen presence. Lazzarini spoke Pizza's lines for the character's on-camera scenes with DeLuise's voice dubbed in later. Rudy De Luca as Vinnie, Pizza's robotic subordinate. He is a parody of the 1980s TV personality Max Headroom. Rhonda Shear as a woman in the diner. Jeff MacGregor as Snotty,[4] a minion of President Skroob on Planet Spaceball based on Scotty from Star Trek. Various actors and comedians appear in unnamed roles, with Sal Viscuso, Michael Pniewski, Stephen Tobolowsky, Robert Prescott, Tom Dreesen, Rick Ducommun, Rob Paulsen (who was uncredited), Tommy Swerdlow, and Tim Russ all appearing as soldiers of Dark Helmet. Additional unnamed appearances include Dey Young as a waitress, Jack Riley as a newsman covering the news about Pizza the Hutt's death, Ken Olfson as the head usher, and Bryan O'Byrne as an organist. Brenda Strong appears as Gretchen, Dr. Schlotkin's nurse, alongside Johnny Silver as Arnold, Dr. Schlotkin's caddy. Denise and Dian Gallup appear as Charlene and Marlene, two twin girls in Spaceball City who President Skroob keeps mixing up the names for. Ed Gale, Felix Silla, Tony Cox, Antonio Hoyos, Arturo Gil, and John Kennedy Hayden appear as the Dinks (based on the Jawas) while their uncredited voices are provided by Corey Burton, Phil Hartman, Tress MacNeille, John Paragon, and Rob Paulsen.[5] John Hurt makes a cameo appearance as a parody of his character Gilbert Kane in the film Alien (1979).[6] In the same scene archival recordings of William "Bill" Roberts' performance of "Hello! Ma Baby" as heard in the animated short film One Froggy Evening were used as the Xenomorph bursts out of Kane's chest and suddenly breaks into song and dance.[7] | |||
| Faces of Death: Shock, lies and morbid fascination (Bonus deep dive episode) | 16 Jun 2025 | 00:40:31 | |
🧠 Episode Summary: Another Bonus episode this week! In this deep-dive episode, Planty is joined by schlock cinema expert Joe from Hallmark of Greatness to unravel the twisted legacy of one of the most infamous cult films of all time: Faces of Death (1978). Together, they break down the bizarre blend of real footage, fake gore, and urban legend that made this video nasty a VHS-era rite of passage. Was it banned? How much of it was real? And why did millions of people pass around this grotesque documentary with whispered reverence? Expect:
If you’ve ever wondered how Faces of Death became a cultural phenomenon — or you just want to hear two film lovers wrestle with their trauma — this one’s for you. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:
🎧Don’t forget to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it! --- The Music for this episode is Darkness Speaks by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100364 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ | |||
| Facts and Lies and Rock & Roll: Take on me - A-ha | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:27:42 | |
This week in yet a further example of a guest too good to be wasted on a filler show Planty is joined by Josh Wilson to talk Synth Pop, Long notes and The Mission impossible theme as we talk Take on me. --- Be like literally billions of other people on the planet and watch the video for the song we're discussing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914 --- You can also pay us £1 a month and check out the video interview on our Patreon. We can assure you we don't have billions of subs... but we're getting there. We've also got exclusive episodes, out takes and hours of content you can't get if you don't pay! --- Josh comes to us from Super Familiar With The Wilsons podcast. A couple try and figure out the modern world each week. and lets be fair, if anyone can it's them. | |||
| Facts and Lies and Rock & Roll: Bring Me The Disco King - David Bowie | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:28:35 | |
John is taking a well deserved break. so this week Planty's talking music facts with friends of the podcast Mono and Ciara. We'll talk songs not good enough for albums, Super producers and The Underworld Soundtrack album. --- You can listen to Mono and Ciara's show about Adult Swim show Metalocolypse wherever you get your pods and on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/3SFmcGkwxBdMeMXteR2kTg?si=d0679c18c58749e6 | |||
| Episode 181 - Romeo + Juliet (1996) With Mono and Ciara | 26 May 2025 | 01:24:59 | |
This week we're learning about the Garish spectacle of the Catholic Church (Here come the death threats!), the History of Shakespeare's biggest plays, Why Miriam Margoles should be given a Dameship and why you should just pick up the bloody phone!! --- Our Guests have a million projects, but they wanted us to promote their new thing because it's brilliant! You can listen to Mono and Ciara's show about Adult Swim Metalocolypse wherever you get your pods and on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/3SFmcGkwxBdMeMXteR2kTg?si=d0679c18c58749e6 But you absolutely don't have to I mean they've already given us their money, innit? --- William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (stylized as William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet) is a 1996 romantic crime film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It is a modernized adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, albeit still utilizing Shakespearean English. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title roles of two teenagers who fall in love, despite their being members of feuding families. Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Miriam Margolyes, Harold Perrineau, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Sorvino and Diane Venora also star in supporting roles. It is the third major film version of the play, following adaptations by George Cukor in 1936 and by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968. The film was released on November 1, 1996, by 20th Century Fox. It was met with generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $147 million against its $14.5 million budget. At the 47th Berlin International Film Festival in 1997, DiCaprio won the Silver Bear for Best Actor and Luhrmann won the Alfred Bauer Prize.[6] At the 69th Academy Awards, Catherine Martin and Brigitte Broch were nominated for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration.[7] In 2005, the film was included on the BFI list of the "50 films you should watch by the age of 14".[8] The film was also re-released in Luhrmann's Red Curtain Trilogy DVD box set in 2002 together with Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). --- The House of Montague Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo Montague Brian Dennehy as Ted Montague, Romeo's father[9] Christina Pickles as Caroline Montague, Romeo's mother Dash Mihok as Benvolio Montague, Romeo's cousin Jesse Bradford as Balthasar, Romeo's cousin Zak Orth as Gregory, Romeo's cousin Jamie Kennedy as Sampson, Romeo's cousin The House of Capulet Claire Danes as Juliet Capulet Paul Sorvino as Fulgencio Capulet, Juliet's father Diane Venora as Gloria Capulet, Juliet's mother John Leguizamo as Tybalt, Juliet's cousin Vincent Laresca as Abra, Juliet's cousin Carlos Martín Manzo Otálora as Petruchio, Juliet's cousin Miriam Margolyes as Nurse, Juliet's nanny Others Harold Perrineau as Mercutio, Romeo's best friend Pete Postlethwaite as Father Laurence, the priest who marries Romeo and Juliet Paul Rudd as Dave Paris, the governor's son and Juliet's fiancé Vondie Curtis-Hall as Captain Prince, the chief of police M. Emmet Walsh as Apothecary Quindon Tarver as Choir Boy, the singer at Romeo and Juliet's wedding Edwina Moore as the anchorwoman / newsreader, who opens the movie, reading the prologue, and later assumes the role of the Chorus. | |||
| Episode 180 - True Romance | 19 May 2025 | 01:13:06 | |
Join us this week as we learn what is a Drexyl, a Sonny Chiba, a Rottweiler and a Grindhouse with QT and Tony Scott's brilliant True Romance. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! It's nowt to you but it means the world to us. https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm You can also find us everywhere else at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- True Romance[a] is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Walken in supporting roles. Slater and Arquette portray newlyweds on the run from the Mafia after stealing a shipment of drugs. True Romance began life as an early script by Tarantino; he sold the screenplay in order to finance his debut feature film, Reservoir Dogs (1992). It is regarded by proponents as a cross-section of writer Tarantino and director Scott's respective trademarks, including a Southern California setting, pop cultural references, and stylized violence punctuated by slow motion.[6][7] Though initially a box-office failure, the film's positive reviews, with critics praising the dialogue, characters, and offbeat style,[8] helped it earn a cult following. It has come to be considered one of Scott's best films and one of the best American films of the 1990s ---
| |||
| Episode 179 - Eurovision Song Contest: The story of Fire Saga | 12 May 2025 | 01:32:02 | |
This week we welcome back Mrs John, Kirsty Watson to talk about her absolute passion: The Eurovision Song Contest. She'll keep us on track with the history of Eurovision and we'll teach her about Scottish Geography, The Urbz: Sims in the city, The OVO Hydro and quiz her on naughty Ghosts. --- Want to support the podcast? It'll only cost you a quid and we'll shout you out every episode! https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm You can also find us everywhere else at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a 2020 American musical romantic comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Will Ferrell and Harper Steele,[a] and starring Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Mahut, Mikael Persbrandt, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Graham Norton, Demi Lovato, Pierce Brosnan, and Elín Petersdóttir. It follows the personally close Icelandic singers Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir as they are given the chance to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest. Development of a film based on the Eurovision Song Contest began in 2018, with Ferrell, a self-described follower of the event, attending the 2018 and 2019 editions to conceive the characters and story. The film was officially announced in June 2018, and filming took place between August and October 2019 in Scotland, Iceland, and England. The Story of Fire Saga was originally scheduled for a May 2020 release on Netflix to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 contest was canceled, and the film was subsequently released a month later, on June 26. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the original music but criticised the screenplay and runtime. However, the film was generally received favourably by Eurovision fans. The film received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards (for "Husavik"). Cast Will Ferrell as Lars Erickssong, a middle-aged man with aspirations of winning the Eurovision Song Contest Alfie Melia as young Lars[3] Rachel McAdams as Sigrit Ericksdóttir, Lars' bandmate and long-time best friend, who wishes for a romantic relationship with him Sophia-Grace Donnelly as young Sigrit Molly Sandén sings parts of Sigrit's songs (she and McAdams worked together to produce Sigrit's singing voice).[4] Dan Stevens as Alexander Lemtov, a flamboyant singer representing Russia Erik Mjönes sings all Lemtov's songs Melissanthi Mahut as Mita Xenakis, another contestant, representing Greece Petra Nielsen sings Mita's song.[5] Mikael Persbrandt as Victor Karlosson, governor of the Central Bank of Iceland, who doesn't want Iceland to win the contest Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Neils Brongus, president of RÚV, Iceland's national public service broadcaster Graham Norton as himself, a Eurovision commentator, credited as playing Graham Norton Demi Lovato as Katiana Lindsdóttir, winner of Söngvakeppnin Pierce Brosnan as Erick Erickssong, Lars' disapproving widowed father who is implied to be Sigrit's father as well Joi Johannsson as Jorn, a member of the Icelandic Eurovision committee Alfrun Rose as Anna, a member of the Icelandic Eurovision committee Björn Hlynur Haraldsson as Arnar, a policeman who has a crush on Sigrit Jamie Demetriou as Kevin Swain, head of Iceland's creative team Jon Kortajarena as Corin Vladvitch, the Eurovision host Elina Alminas as Sasha More, the Eurovision host Elín Petersdóttir as Helga, Sigrit's mother Christopher Jeffers as Johnny John John, a rapper representing Sweden Rebecca Harrod as Brittny, one of the American tourists Josh Zaré as Bill, one of the American tourists Bobby Lockwood as Jeff, one of the American tourists Eleanor Williams as Jenn, one of the American tourists Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Johans, male host of Söngvakeppnin Natasia Demetriou as Nina, a crew member at the contest Hannes Óli Ágústsson as Olaf Yohansson, a resident of Húsavík, who is obsessed with "Jaja Ding Dong". Milan van Weelden as 21st Century Viking. William Lee Adams as himself, a Eurovision commentator. Zack Propert as Stephan, Fire Saga's drumme | |||
| Episode 178 - Timecop | 28 Apr 2025 | 01:11:40 | |
This week we're heading back to 1994 and then Forward?? to 2004 with JCVD's Futuristic Thriller Timecop. Join us as we talk The great depression, the dangers of working at hights, 1994's new Nissan, Minidiscs and doing the splits. --- Later this week we're walking 25 miles for Teesside Hospice. You can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/100thingspod --- Join us on all our socials and our other links: 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Timecop is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on Timecop, a story created by Richardson, written by Verheiden, and drawn by Ron Randall, which appeared in the anthology comic Dark Horse Comics, published by Dark Horse Comics. It is the first installment in the Timecop franchise. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Max Walker, a police officer in 1994, with time travel having been made possible, and later a U.S. federal agent in 2004. It also stars Ron Silver as a corrupt politician and Mia Sara as Melissa Walker, the agent's wife. The story follows Walker's life as he fights time-travel crime and investigates the politician's plans. Timecop remains Van Damme's highest-grossing film as a lead actor (his third to break the $100 million barrier worldwide). Although met with mixed reviews, it is generally regarded by critics as one of Van Damme's best films. The Cast of Timecop includes: Jean-Claude Van Damme as Agent Max Walker Mia Sara as Melissa Walker Ron Silver as Senator Aaron McComb Bruce McGill as Commander Eugene Matuzak Gloria Reuben as Agent Sarah Fielding Scott Bellis as Ricky Jason Schombing as Agent Lyle Atwood Scott Lawrence as George Spota Kenneth Welsh as Senator Utley Brad Loree as Reyes Kevin McNulty as Jack Parker Gabrielle Rose as Judge Marshall Callum Keith Rennie as Stranger Steven Lambert as Lansing Richard Faraci as Cole Veena Sood as Nurse | |||
| Episode 177 - The Cannonball Run | 21 Apr 2025 | 01:23:08 | |
This week it's Lotus Esprits, Drunken crooners, mental health concerns and the bloke that killed Patrick Swayze. It's gotta be The Cannonball Run. --- Give us a quid and get a shoutout at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- The Cannonball Run is a 1981 action-comedy film[5] directed by Hal Needham, produced by Hong Kong firm Golden Harvest, and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. Filmed in Panavision, it features an all-star ensemble cast, including Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin. The film is based on the 1979 running of the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an actual cross-country outlaw road race beginning in Connecticut and ending in California. It was the sixth-highest-grossing domestic film of 1981 and became the first installment of the Cannonball Run trilogy. It was followed by Cannonball Run II (1983) (which was far less successful at the box office and with critics) and Speed Zone (1989). This film and its sequel were the final film appearances of actor Dean Martin. It also featured Jackie Chan in his second Hollywood role. Cannonball (1976) and The Gumball Rally (1976) were two other motion pictures based on the actual Cannonball Run outlaw road race. --- Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise as racer J.J. McClure and his buddy, Victor Prinzim who occasionally "becomes" his alter ego "Captain Chaos", to the annoyance of J.J. Roger Moore as Seymour Goldfarb Jr. He is self-parody of his role as James Bond. The car that he drives is an Aston Martin DB5, displays the UK registration plate 6633 PP (matching the number plates on a DB5 from two Bond films, although Moore never drove an Aston Martin in any of his Bond appearances). Molly Picon portrays his mother. Five women ride with Seymour, including model Lois Hamilton, billed as Lois Areno, with Simone Burton, Finele Carpenter, Susan McDonald, and Janet Woytak. Moore's next Bond film, For Your Eyes Only, premiered on June 24, 1981, only a few days after The Cannonball Run. Farrah Fawcett as tree-loving photographer Pamela Glover. J.J. calls her "Beauty." Dean Martin, as race car driver Jamie Blake, and Sammy Davis Jr. as scam artist and degenerate gambler Morris Fenderbaum, both disguised as Catholic priests. Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder plays himself as Fenderbaum bets on his success (Snyder was Dean Martin's neighbor when both were growing up in Steubenville, Ohio). Blake's car, a Ferrari 308 GTS 1979, is the same as the model in the TV series TV Magnum, P.I. George Furth as Arthur J. Foyt, the insipid, uptight main antagonist of the film, who tries to have the race stopped Jackie Chan and Michael Hui as drivers of a Subaru GL filled with gadgets. In the opening part of the film, Chan and Hui are introduced on a talk show (hosted by Johnny Yune) as the operators of Japan's entry into the race. Both Chan and Hui are actually Hongkongers (Chinese). Jackie Chan's character is referred to as "Jackie Chan." Jamie Farr as Sheik Abdul Ben Falafel, a wealthy Arabian potentate determined to win the race, even if he has to buy it. Bianca Jagger makes a brief appearance as his sister. Farr's car is a souped-up Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The Sheik is the only character to appear in all three Cannonball Run films. Mel Tillis and Terry Bradshaw are Mel and Terry, a couple of "good ol' boys" driving a 1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna NASCAR Hawaiian Tropic replica, then, at the start of the race they have a Monte Carlo. Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman as Marcie Thatcher and Jill Rivers, satin-Spandex-clad "hotties" in a black Lamborghini Countach who distract police officers with cleavage. The same Lamborghini was used in the film's opening credits as it was being pursued by a Nevada Highway Patrol car after spray-painting a 55 mph speed limit sign. Their character names are not mentioned during the story but appear in the end credits. Their names return in the sequel, though the parts were re-cast. Valerie Perrine has a cameo as the state trooper pulling over the Lamborghini duo, beating them at their own game Peter Fonda has a cameo role referencing his motorcycle gang leader character in The Wild Angels while wearing his stars&stripes leather jacket from Easy Rider. The appearance of Fonda and his motorcycle gang during a halt in the race offered an excuse for Chan and others ("I'm Roger Moore!") to demonstrate the fighting skills. Fonda's big, bald buddy ("Roger Who?") is played by biker movie veteran Robert Tessier Bert Convy as wealthy but bored executive Bradford Compton, who planned to run the Cannonball by motorcycle with the help of an old friend, Shakey Finch (Warren Berlinger), once the world's greatest cross-country motorcyclist. The two planned to disguise themselves as newlyweds. Compton's now portly ally forces the motorcycle into a wheelie for the entire race. Jack Elam as Dr. Nikolas Van Helsing, same name as the famous vampire hunter. This Van Helsing is a proctologist and graduate of the University of Rangoon, and the Knoxville, Tennessee College of Faith Healing.[7] Rick Aviles and Alfie Wise as "Mad Dog" and "Batman", tow truck drivers who jump the train flatcar. John Fiedler as the desk clerk. Joe Klecko as the Polish driver in the van who gets pulled over by Mr. Foyt (Klecko was not only an active player in the National Football League, like Bradshaw, but also a trucker in the off season). Car and Driver Magazine columnist and correspondent Brock Yates, who having created the real-life Cannonball Run, wrote the film directly for the screen, plays the race organizer of who lays down the rules at the starting line. Director Hal Needham appears uncredited as the ambulance EMT. Veteran Daytona 500 commentator Ken Squier, along with NFL on CBS producer Robert D. Stenner, who produced the CBS Daytona 500 broadcasts from 1979 to 1993 (except in 1992), appear as California Highway Patrolmen. Veteran voice actor June Foray provided the dubbed dialogue of several of the women who escort Goldfarb in the race | |||
| Episode 176 - Burke and Hare | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:54:02 | |
This week its week two of S*** Show month with the utterly guff Historic British Comedy Burke and Hare. Join us as we talk ending John Landis' Career, one of the best British casts of any film, The true story behind the film and Edinburgh Castle's secrets! --- The episode was picked for us by Patron Iain. If like him you want to make us watch utter rubbish then you can give us a quid a month and we'll not only put you on the wheel but give you a shout out in every episode. https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm --- The theme you heard at the top of the show was 'Perps, Polyester and Power slides' kindly donated to us by Friend and Patron Josh Wilson. You can find his music online as FAMILIAR WILSON at Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/familiar-wilson/1748687558 and on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nE4vxPTkEx8Sp12pfD1xP --- It's less than three weeks before we walk 25 miles round Ullswater and the Dalmain Loop for James Allan and Teesside Hospice. You can donate to the cause here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/100thingspod --- Burke & Hare is a 2010 British black comedy film, loosely based on the Burke and Hare murders of 1828. Directed by John Landis from an original screenplay by Nick Moorcroft and Piers Ashworth, the film stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as William Burke and William Hare respectively. It was Landis's first feature film release in 12 years, the last being 1998's Susan's Plan. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2010 Cast: Simon Pegg as William Burke Andy Serkis as William Hare Isla Fisher as Ginny Hawkins Tom Wilkinson as Dr Robert Knox Tim Curry as Prof. Alexander Monro Jessica Hynes as Lucky Bill Bailey as Angus the Hangman Hugh Bonneville as Lord Harrington Allan Corduner as Joseph Nicephore Niepce Simon Farnaby as William Wordsworth David Hayman as Danny McTavish David Schofield as Fergus Ronnie Corbett as Capt. Tom McLintock Reece Shearsmith as Sgt. McKenzie Christian Brassington as Charles Michael Smiley as Patterson Christopher Lee as Old Joseph Jenny Agutter as Lucy Georgia King as Emma John Woodvine as Lord Provost Steven Spiers as McMartin's doorman Stephen Merchant as Holyrood Footman Paul Whitehouse as Gentleman drunk Michael Winner as Gentleman passenger Max Landis as Handsome coachman | |||
| Episode 175 - Big Momma's House | 07 Apr 2025 | 01:00:57 | |
This week we're counting the cost of having a baby in the Hospital in The USA, Fat suits, Oscar Winning Make up artists and why you'd not stand a chance in The MTV Video Music Awards in 1987. It's 2000's Big Momma's House. --- Donate to our 25 Mile Charity walk on 4th of May at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/100thingspod --- Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm Go on, you know you want to. --- Big Momma's House is a 2000 crime comedy film, directed by Raja Gosnell, and written by Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer. The film stars Martin Lawrence as an FBI agent who is tasked with tracking down an escaped convict and his loot, by going undercover as the estranged grandmother of his former girlfriend, unaware of the bond he will form with her. The film also stars Nia Long, Paul Giamatti, and Terrence Howard. Big Momma's House received mostly negative reviews from critics, but grossed over $174 million worldwide. Its success led to two sequels: Big Momma's House 2 (2006) and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son | |||
| Episode 174 - The Wanderers | 31 Mar 2025 | 01:08:47 | |
This week we're heading to The Bronx in 1963 to learn about what happened to JFK in Texas, California Games and Shaefer beer. --- Donate to our 25 Mile Charity walk on 4th of May at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/100thingspod --- Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/c/100thingsfilm Go on, you know you want to. --- The Wanderers is a 1979 American coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Ken Wahl, John Friedrich, Karen Allen, Toni Kalem, Tony Ganios and Jim Youngs. Set in the Bronx in 1963, the film follows a gang of Italian-American teenagers known as the Wanderers and their ongoing power struggles with rival gangs such as the Baldies and the Wongs. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Price; its screenplay was written by Philip Kaufman and his wife Rose. The film had a troubled development stage: after unsuccessfully trying to obtain financing for The Wanderers from Alberto Grimaldi, Kaufman directed other films. After filming the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Kaufman went to New York City and successfully pitched The Wanderers to Martin Ransohoff. The film's budget is unknown, but Kaufman said it was relatively low.[4] After an advance screening,[5] The Wanderers premiered on July 13, 1979, to mostly positive reviews.[5][6] The film was a financial success, grossing $23 million at the worldwide box office.[3] The film's increasing popularity and cult status led to The Wanderers being given a theatrical re-release in the U.S. by Warner Bros. in 1996.[7] According to Kaufman, "it took a long time for [the film] to find [an] audience".[4] | |||
| Episode 173 - Night Of The Living Dead | 17 Mar 2025 | 00:49:22 | |
This week we're coming to get you Barbara! With the OG Night of the living dead. It's a fave of both of ours so grab your shotgun, set some zombies on fire and be prepared to get eaten by your pr1ck of a brother. --- Donate to our 25 Mile Charity walk on 4th of May at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/100thingspod --- Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/c/100thingsfilm Go on, you know you want to. --- Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, written by Romero and John Russo, produced by Russell Streiner and Karl Hardman, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven people trapped in a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania, under assault by flesh-eating reanimated corpses. Although the monsters that appear in the film are referred to as "ghouls", they are credited with popularizing the modern portrayal of zombies in popular culture. Having gained experience creating television commercials, industrial films, and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood segments through their production company The Latent Image, Romero, Russo, and Streiner decided to make a horror film to capitalize on interest in the genre. Their script primarily drew inspiration from Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend. Principal photography took place between July 1967 and January 1968, mainly on location in Evans City, Pennsylvania, with Romero using guerrilla filmmaking techniques he had honed in his commercial and industrial work to complete the film on a budget of approximately US$100,000. Unable to procure a proper set, the crew rented a condemned farmhouse to destroy during the course of filming. Night of the Living Dead premiered in Pittsburgh on October 1, 1968. It grossed US$12 million domestically and US$18 million internationally, earning more than 250 times its budget and making it one of the most profitable film productions of all time. Released shortly before the adoption of the Motion Picture Association of America rating system, the film's explicit violence and gore were considered groundbreaking, leading to controversy and negative reviews. It eventually garnered a cult following and critical acclaim and has appeared on lists of the greatest and most influential films by such outlets as Empire, The New York Times and Total Film. | |||
| Episode 172 - Krull | 10 Mar 2025 | 01:11:01 | |
This week it's another Patron's choice. We are headed to the Planet of Krull to talk Clydesdale horses, English Character Actors and Quicksand in this not so cheap Star Wars/Lord of The rings knock off. --- Jake is a Patron. He pays £1 a month to be shouted out each episode and get his name on the wheel. be as smart as Jake and head to 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk to get involved. The money always goes toward new gear to make the podcast sound better, our charity endeavours or the Booze that is required to get us through guff like Krull and Ice Pirates. --- Krull is a 1983 British[1] science fantasy adventure film[2] directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It stars Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, and Alun Armstrong. Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane, still early in their film careers, appear in supporting roles. The story follows Prince Colwyn (Marshall) and a fellowship of companions who set out to rescue his bride, Princess Lyssa (Anthony), from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet. Development on the film began in 1980, when Columbia Pictures President Frank Price gave producer Ron Silverman the idea to produce a fantasy film. Krull was shot in England at Pinewood Studios and on-location in Italy and Spain. Nick Maley designed the creature and prosthetic makeup effects seen in the film. The film score was composed by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Krull was released in the United States on July 29, 1983, and in the United Kingdom later that December. The film was a box-office bomb upon release, and critical opinion has been mixed, both upon release and in retrospect. Numerous reviewers have highlighted its visual effects and soundtrack, while several critics have criticized its plot as being derivative and nonsensical. In the years since its release, the film has developed a cult following.[3][4] Plot A narrator tells of a prophecy that a king and queen will rule their world, and then their son will rule the galaxy. The planet Krull is invaded by an entity known as the Beast and his army of Slayers, who travel the galaxy in a mountain-like spaceship called the Black Fortress. Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa plan to marry in the hope that their two kingdoms' combined forces can defeat the Beast's army. However, the Slayers attack before the wedding is completed, devastating the native Krull armies, wounding Colwyn, and kidnapping Lyssa. Colwyn is nursed back to health by Ynyr, the Old One. Ynyr tells Colwyn that the Beast can be defeated with the Glaive, an ancient, magical, five-pointed weapon resembling a large throwing star with retractable blades.[a] Colwyn retrieves the Glaive from a mountain cave, and sets out to find the Black Fortress, which teleports to a new location every sunrise. As they travel, Colwyn and Ynyr are joined by the magician Ergo "the Magnificent" and a band of nine thieves and fighters: Torquil, Kegan, Rhun, Oswyn, Bardolph, Menno, Darro, Nennog, and Quain. The cyclops Rell later joins the group. Colwyn's group travels to the home of the Emerald Seer and his apprentice, Titch. The Emerald Seer uses a crystal to view where the Fortress will teleport next, but the Beast remotely crushes the crystal with magic. The group travels to a swamp that the Beast's magic cannot penetrate, but Darro is lost to a Slayer attack, and Menno to quicksand. A changeling agent of the Beast kills the Emerald Seer and assumes its victim’s form, but the agent is discovered and killed by Rell and Colwyn. Another changeling is instructed by the Beast to seduce Colwyn. This is meant to convince Lyssa that Colwyn does not love her. However, he rejects the changeling's advances, and Lyssa – witnessing this through a vision provided by the Beast – affirms that love triumphs over might. The Beast, though, forces her to consider marrying him so that he will halt the Slayers’ attacks. Ynyr leaves the group to seek the Widow of the Web: an enchantress who loved Ynyr long ago and was exiled to the lair of the Crystal Spider for murdering their only child. The Widow reveals where the Black Fortress will be at sunrise. She also gives Ynyr the sand of an enchanted hourglass to keep the Crystal Spider at bay and the injured Ynyr alive. As the Crystal Spider attacks the Widow, Ynyr returns to the group to reveal the location of the Black Fortress. As he speaks, he loses the last of the sand and dies. The group captures and rides magical Fire Mares to reach the Black Fortress. The Slayers at the Fortress kill Rhun, while Rell sacrifices himself to hold open the crushing spaceship doors long enough to allow the others to enter. Quain, Nennog, and Kegan are killed as they make their way through the fortress. Ergo transforms into a tiger to save Titch from a Slayers' attack. Colwyn, Torquil, Bardolph, and Oswyn are trapped inside a large dome. The latter three fall through an opening and are trapped between walls studded with huge spikes, which kill Bardolph. Colwyn breaches the dome and finds Lyssa. He attacks the Beast with the Glaive, which becomes embedded in the Beast's body. With nothing to defend themselves, Lyssa and Colwyn quickly finish their wedding ritual. This gives them the power to manipulate fire, with which Colwyn slays the Beast. The Beast's death frees Torquil and Oswyn, and they rejoin Colwyn, Lyssa, Ergo and Titch. The survivors make their way out of the crumbling fortress, which is pulled into space. | |||
| Episode 171 - White Men Can't Jump with Dan from Be There with Belson Podcast | 03 Mar 2025 | 01:17:11 | |
This week we're welcoming friend of the podcast and Patron Dan Belson for his Patron pick, WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP. Not only are we talking Charlotte Hornets, Muscle Beach and Parental Advisory but we're also inviting Dan to Play Jeopardy --- If you fancy a shout out every week and a chance to get your own subject episode then you can join us at https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm for just £1 a month. --- We are walking 25 miles in one day for Teesside Hospice in the memory of listener James Allen If you can spare a few quid please donate at: justgiving.com/page/100thingspod or 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century Fox. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. A loose video game adaptation was released in 1995, while a remake film was released in 2023. Plot Billy Hoyle is a former college basketball player who makes his living by hustling streetballers who assume he cannot play well because he is white. Sidney Deane is a talented but cocky player who is twice beaten by Billy. Billy and his live-in girlfriend, Gloria Clemente, are on the run from the Stucci brothers, mobsters to whom he owes a gambling debt. Gloria's goal is to be a contestant on the television game show Jeopardy! and make a fortune. Sidney wants to buy a house for his family outside the rough Baldwin Village neighborhood. He proposes a business partnership with Billy where they will hustle other players by setting them up to pick Billy as Sidney's teammate. At first, their system is very successful, but when they unexpectedly lose a game, it turns out that Sidney had double-crossed Billy by deliberately playing badly to avenge his earlier loss to him. Gloria and Billy go to Sidney's apartment and appeal to his wife, Rhonda. The women agree to share the money, provided Sidney and Billy team up for a major two-on-two outdoor tournament. Despite their constant bickering, Sidney and Billy win the grand prize of $5,000, largely due to Billy's ability to disrupt his opponents' concentration. Sidney is pleased with the outcome, but he cannot help mocking Billy about his inability to slam dunk. Billy insists that he can indeed dunk and bets his share of the $5,000 on his ability to dunk but fails. When he tells Gloria, she leaves him. Desperate to get her back, Billy goes to Sidney for help. Sidney has a friend who works as a security guard at the TV studio that produces Jeopardy! His friend agrees to use his connections to get her on the show if Billy can sink a hook shot from beyond the half-court line, which he does. Gloria initially stumbles over sports questions but makes a comeback with a pet topic, "Foods That Begin With the Letter Q". She wins $14,100 on her first episode. Billy sings Gloria a song he has composed and wins her back. As Billy and Gloria discuss their future, Sidney approaches Billy for help: His apartment was burglarized and his winnings were stolen. Gloria is expecting Billy to get a steady job, but Sidney informs him that two hoops legends of the L.A. streetball scene, "The King" and "The Duck", are playing downtown. Sidney asks Billy to partner with him to play against them. Billy agrees, offering to gamble his share of Gloria's take. Gloria warns that if Billy gambles with her money, they are through, even if he and Sidney win. Billy sides with Sidney, feeling he must honor the obligation he owes him for getting Gloria on Jeopardy!. They play against King and Duck and prevail, the winning point coming when Sidney lobs an "alley-oop" pass to Billy, who dunks it. Billy returns home and is crushed to find that Gloria has left him. The mobsters who are after Billy find him, and he pays his debts. Billy asks Sidney to set him up with a real job, and Sidney remarks that Billy and Gloria may be better off without each other. The film ends as Billy and Sidney launch into another basketball argument and return to the court where they first met to play a one-on-one game, this time as friends. | |||
| Episode 170 - Nosferatu (1922) | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:48:23 | |
This week we're heading to Transylvania to talk Werewolves, The Bubonic Plague, Rats and how to make a film in 1922. It's The OG NOSFERATU! --- The film is available in full for free on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVV7UutK0Xk --- If you fancy a shout out every week and a chance to get your own subject episode then you can join us at https://www.patreon.com/100thingsfilm for just £1 a month. --- We are walking 25 miles in one day for Teesside Hospice in the memory of listener James Allen If you can spare a few quid please donate at: justgiving.com/page/100thingspod or 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk --- Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (German: Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens) is a 1922 silent German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife (Greta Schröder) of his estate agent (Gustav von Wangenheim) and brings the plague to their town. Nosferatu was produced by Prana Film and is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Various names and other details were changed from the novel, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok. Although those changes are often represented as a defense against copyright infringement accusations, the original German intertitles acknowledged Dracula as the source. Film historian David Kalat states in his commentary track that since the film was "a low-budget film made by Germans for German audiences... setting it in Germany with German-named characters makes the story more tangible and immediate for German-speaking viewers". the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema and the horror genre. Critic and historian Kim Newman declared it as a film that set the template for the genre of horror film. | |||