Groovy Movies – Details, episodes & analysis

This week on our season finale we look at three box office and critical successes which you might not know were directed by women. In the hot seat is Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break, Penelope Spheeris’ Wayne’s World and Mary Harron’s American Psycho. We also almost (but not quite) dodge the Blake Lively controversy and talk about the films we’re looking forward to this autumn. See you for season 5!

References
‘Warner Brothers to put a studio in the dessert’, by Brian Welk, indiewire.com
‘How American Psycho became a feminist statement’ by Trey Taylor, dazeddigital.com
Penelope Spheeris on Wayne’s World, Pat Saperstein, Variety.com
‘Point Break is a feminine perspective on toxic masculinity’, laineygossip.com

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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Between the weather and the state of the world, it’s been a pretty sad summer, so we’re sticking with that theme as we look at some of the best sad girls on film holiday. We discuss Charlotte Rampling in Francois Ozon’s Swimming Pool, Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (and Bill Murray too) and Pauline Collins as Lewis Gilbert’s Shirley Valentine.

References
Peter Dinklage discussing the live action remake of Snow White on Marc Maron’s podcast in 2022
‘Todd Haynes’ Joaquin Phoenix Gay Romance Pic Not Moving Forward As Actor Exits Set’, by Anthony D’Alessando for deadline.com 

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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Last week A24’s Civil War was released and we have mixed feelings about it. Will their biggest-budget movie to date prove itself at the box office? And is a movie about war and an American fascist leader really what we want to see right now?

References
‘The Rise and Rise of A24’, The Economist (not credited)
Director Alex Garland speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about Civil War
‘Box Office: ‘Civil War’ Makes $2.9 Million in Previews, Best Ever for an A24 Movie’ by Jordan Moreau for Variety

Film Pharmacy
Perfect Days (2023) dir. by Wim Wenders
Idiocracy (2006) dir. by Mike Judge

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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It takes skill to capture the effortless spontaneity of a really good party scene. Relatively few nail it but when they do, they really do. This week we compile our top 5 party scenes; from teenage house parties to rave afters, with a surreal French restaurant jamboree sandwiched in the middle.

References
The party scene in 10 Things I Hate About You
The afterparty in Human Traffic (1999)
The party scene in Playtime (1967)
The party scene in The Great Beauty
Watch Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock here on BBC iPlayer

An oral history of 10 Things I Hate About You by David Krumholtz for Vulture
A cute 10 Things I Hate About You behind-the-scenes featurette
Retrospective with the Human Traffic cast in by Phil Hoad for The Guardian
Jacques Tati’s ways of working told by two extras from Playtime
Steve McQueen Q&A about Lovers Rock

Film Pharmacy
The Tree of Life (2011) dir. by Terrence Malick 
Tron: Legacy (2010) dir. by Joseph Kosinski
The Color of Pomegrates (1969) dir. by Sergei Parajanov
Modern Times (1936) dir. by Charlie Chaplin

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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We’re going back to the horniest years in Hollywood history for another scandalous pre-coder; Baby Face, the 1933 movie that was so shocking it solidified cinema’s censorship for the next 30 years. 

Watch it for free here. 

References

Will Hays IRL

You Must Remember This’ episode on Will Hays and “Pre-Code” Hollywood  

Wes Anderson Talks Early Hollywood Censorship in ‘TCM Picks’ Video for Barbara Stanwyck’s ‘Baby Face’ by Etan Vlessing for The Hollywood Reporter

How the Catholic Church censored Hollywood's Golden Age by Vox on YouTube

Baby Face: The End Of The Pre-Code Era by Paul J. Bradley for Classic Film Journal

Remembering Hollywood's Hays Code, 40 Years On by Bob Mondello for NPR

‘Tracing Hollywood’s Legacy of Self-Censorship through a Comparative Analysis of the Film Baby Face (1933) in its Censored and Uncensored Forms’ by Morgan B. Lockhart

From femme fatale to cattle rancher: how Barbara Stanwyck bucked convention by Pamela Hutchinson for The Guardian

Barbara Stanwyck: 10 essential films by Lynsey Ford for BFI

Barbara Stanwyck’s NY Times obituary 

Film Pharmacy

Old Boy (2004) dir. by Park Chan-wook

Killer Joe (2012) dir. by William Friedkin

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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

Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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It’s been out for a week but we’re not taking any chances. Here is our painstakingly spoiler-free discussion of Dune: Part Two, plus our thoughts on Madame Web and a sexy addition to the Film Pharmacy.

References
Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two and dialogue v. cinematography for The Times
‘Dune: Part Two’ Star Stellan Skarsgard Laughed Seeing Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha: Butler ‘Really Enjoyed Being Evil’ by Michaela Zee for Variety
Dune: Part Two’s box office success and what it means for the film industry by Anthony D’Alessandro for Deadline

Film Pharmacy
Bound (1996) dir. by the Wachowskis
Black Narcissus (1947) dir. by Powell and Pressburger
Unfaithful (2002) dir. by Adrian Lyne
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) dir. by Gil Junger
Fish Tank (2009) dir. by Andrea Arnold
Love dir. by Gaspar Noe

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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We're  back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale.

Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cinema, Short King, and Least Unbearable Cinematic Experience. The Oscars better watch out. There's a new rodeo in town. 

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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It’s the end of the year and also our series finale so we're bringing both to a close with a deeply intellectual discussion on the ultimate New Years movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Plus, in anticipation of awards season, we list the films we’re most excited to see over the next couple of months.

References
Bridget Jones’s Diary deleted scenes
That scathing New York Times piece on Bridget Jones
20 behind-the-scenes Bridget Jones’s Diary facts

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Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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For our penultimate episode of the series we’re going recommendation-heavy and spoiler-free, with our top picks of festive films, hitting every point on the Grinch-to-Elf Christmas spirit scale. 

References
The Powell and Pressburger season from Oct-Dec 2023 - catch the last few screenings now.
The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror exhibition
Piece for ASC on Jack Cardiff from 1994, The Red Shoe’s cinematographer
Why The Red Shoes looks so good by The Royal Ocean Film Society on YouTube
The cinematography of The Dark Knight by V Renee for nofilmschool.com
The Philosophy of Groundhog Day by Sebastian Martinez Diaz for film-cred.com
Carol by it’s Cinematographer Ed Lachman for ASC

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

Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brailsford
Original music by James Brailsford

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