Explore every episode of the podcast Groovy Movies
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The end of an Odyssey (spoiler-free!) | 21 Jul 2026 | 01:06:04 | |
What better way to conclude the odyssey that has been the official run of Groovy Movies than with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey? But where does his most challenging - and already most successful - film to date sit in our Nolan ranking? Plus, as we bring the podcast to a close, we look back at how the film industry has fared over the five years we’ve been recording. ---- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| The Christopher Nolan Hallmarks pt 2 | 06 Jul 2026 | 01:29:52 | |
Part two of our Christopher Nolan recap takes us from Inception - the movie that made his name as an “IP” director - all the way to the present day and our hellish scramble to get IMAX tickets for The Odyssey. If you haven’t got yours yet, what are you waiting for? On our next and final episode, we’ll be concluding our 5-year run of Groovy Movies with a special episode discussing this most major cinematic event. References The Film Data Scientist (not the film stats guy, as we called him) Patrick H Williams on How IMAX made Nolan a better director Atonement Dunkirk scene, directed by Joe Wright Watch Mussolini: Son of the Century, directed by Joe Wright on Sky or Apple TV If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| The Christopher Nolan Hallmarks pt 1 | 08 Jun 2026 | 01:27:50 | |
In anticipation of The Odyssey's release, we’re traversing the course of Christopher Nolan’s career and plotting his signature hallmarks along the way. Plus: the box office-shattering success of Backrooms and Obsession, and the AI movie showing at Tribeca Film Festival. References Christian Zilko’s IndieWire article The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| The cinematic ascent of A24 and its latest hit, The Drama | 12 May 2026 | 01:01:37 | |
We take a deep dive into indie cinema’s biggest success story: production company A24. Plus, we discuss its latest hit, the non-rom-com The Drama. References If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| Clever Girls and Space Men ft. Hannah McGregor | 14 Apr 2026 | 01:14:00 | |
This week we’re learning lessons from blockbusters: the latest, Project Hail Mary, and a classic, Jurassic Park. With the help of Hannah McGregor, the author of the brilliant “Clever Girl” and co-host of the podcast, Material Girls (do go and subscribe), we decipher the messages about care, chaos and lady monsters which lay under the wobbly surface (get it? that's a Jurassic Park reference) of these popcorn movies. References Buy Clever Girl by Hannah McGregor here Kodak’s Verita film, used on Euphoria season 3 John Travolta’s novel on Good Reads If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| Should we scrap award ceremonies? | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:53:03 | |
After another lacklustre awards season and a decline in viewers, is it time to reinvent the awards ceremony or just retire it altogether? Then we get up to speed on the latest in the Warner Bros. takeover psychodrama (and future hopes for Star Trek nerds the world over), before reviewing two recent films that take big, beautifully flawed swings: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride and Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt. References Peter Bradshaw’s Sirāt review for The Guardian If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| Wuthering Heights: can Jacob Elordi grow a beard? | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:52:46 | |
Finally, Valentine’s Day weekend has finally come to pass, which could only mean one thing: we’ve been to see Wuthering Heights - sorry, “Wuthering Heights” that is. Was it as erotic as the test screen audience reported? And can Jacob Elordi really not grow a beard? We search for answers. ----------- If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Produced and edited by Lily Austin and James Brailsford Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| Star Wars 101 | 10 Feb 2026 | 01:21:23 | |
We’re back and it is our 101st episode! And we’re marking the milestone with an area of special interest for James, and mostly special disinterest for Lily: Star Wars (or at least until she watched the burlesque show “The Empire Strips Back.” We take a whistlestop tour through the three sagas to consider how one of the great trilogies became such a mess. But could this year’s 50th anniversary of A New Hope offer a new hope? References The Empire Strips Back burlesque show The Phantom Menace BTS documentary ----------- Original theme music by James Brailsford Logo design by Alfie Garland If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review! Follow us: Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd Email us: groovymoviespod@gmail.com Website: groovymoviespod.co.uk | |||
| A Very Kubrick Christmas | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:52:26 | |
What could be more festive than a masked orgy? Or an axe-wielding husband? Or a smart device going rogue in space? We finish this series with a Christmas special for those looking for an alternative movie recommendation during the holidays, by counting down our top 5 Kubrick Christmas movies. ----------- | |||
| The best and worst of 2025 | 16 Dec 2025 | 00:59:10 | |
The end of the year is drawing in, you have precisely 15 days to catch the best movies of 2025 and/or swerve the worst. This mission, should you choose to accept it, can be aided by this very podcast. Enjoy. References ----------- | |||
| Is this the death of cinema? | 09 Dec 2025 | 00:57:02 | |
We discuss the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal and whether or not this spells the end of cinema. Then we look at a lesser reported Netflix controversy - the streamer muscling in on The Hallmark Channel's turf, the festive rom-com. And to save this episode from too much doom and gloom, we finish with a fantastic new release, Harry Lighton's Pillion, starring Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling (i.e. Dudley Dursley). References ----------- | |||
| Knives Out returns | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:50:11 | |
You may not have clocked it, given the lack of fanfare, but the third installment of Knives Out was released last week. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will only be in cinemas for 2 weeks, before moving to Netflix, but is it worth catching on the big screen? We also discuss WGA and SAG renegotiations which will be taking place in 2026. Is another strike on the cards? References ----------- | |||
| RE-RELEASE: What turns a bad movie into a cult classic? | 25 Nov 2025 | 01:01:50 | |
This we’re revisiting one of our most popular early episodes, where we did the unthinkable and willingly watched the worst films ever made (allegedly). The hit list includes Howard the Duck, Mommie Dearest and, of course, The Room, along with our own submission, the apex of Roger Moore’s career, North Sea Hijack, in an attempt to figure out what it takes to achieve cult bad status. References ----------- | |||
| RE-RELEASE: Heat (1995) dir. by Michael Mann | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:38:22 | |
As Michael Mann’s Heat 2 inches closer to becoming a cinematic reality, we’re revisiting one of our earliest conversations about the great Al Pacino-Robert De Niro head-to-head, with special appearances from a young Natalie Portman and a wiggy Val Kilmer. ----------- | |||
| Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love: The modern melodrama? Ft. The Ministry of Film | 11 Nov 2025 | 01:00:42 | |
It is all about melodrama this week. First we discuss Lynne Ramsay's spectacular new movie, Die My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. Then we have a highlight from our guest appearance on The Ministry of Film podcast, where we talk about Brief Encounter, ahead of its re-release as part of the BFI's season "Too Much: Melodrama on Film". ----------- | |||
| What is it about heist movies? Plus: the perpetual seductiveness of Rocky Horror | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:54:25 | |
Kelly Reichardt’s genre-defying heist movie, The Mastermind, is in cinemas, so we’re taking the opportunity to discuss our favourite capers. We also pay tribute to the longest running cinema release of all time (from 1975 to present day), The Rocky Horror Picture Show, on its 50th anniversary. References ----------- | |||
| Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: Why do we keep digging it up? | 21 Oct 2025 | 00:53:50 | |
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein hit cinemas this past weekend for a brief stint before moving to Netflix. We discuss his adaptation and why filmmakers keep returning to Mary Shelley’s classic story. We also look at the rumours circulating around a few big screen delays (namely the troubled Michael Jackson biopic) and, the 30 years in the waiting, Heat 2 - is it finally going into production? References World of Reel’s article on The Daniels’ film delay Guillermo del Toro on fatherhood and Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein exhibition at The Old Selfridges Hotel World of Reel’s latest article on Michael Mann’s Heat 2 ----------- | |||
| A tribute to Diane Keaton and what’s happened to Bond’s guns? | 14 Oct 2025 | 01:03:40 | |
Following the news of Diane Keaton’s death, we pay tribute to the rarest of things, a true Hollywood original. We also take you through the latest box office flops, Harris Dickinson’s thoughtful directorial debut, Urchin, and discuss the latest James Bond-Amazon controversy. References ----------- | |||
| The trials of adapting “unfilmable” books | 07 Oct 2025 | 00:55:23 | |
From A Clockwork Orange to Cloud Atlas, via the many attempts at Don Quixote, we consider the challenge of adapting books deemed “unfilmable” and why directors can’t resist the challenge. ----------- | |||
| One Battle After Another: Does Paul Thomas Anderson finally have a box office hit? | 30 Sep 2025 | 01:06:12 | |
The wait is finally over. Our (best attempt at spoiler-free!) thoughts on Paul Thomas Anderson’s play for a blockbuster and an early look at the other films tipped for greatness this awards season. ----------- | |||
| RIP Robert Redford | 23 Sep 2025 | 00:53:22 | |
We pay tribute to the late, great Robert Redford with some recommendations from his illustrious filmography and discuss the phenomenon of MIA movies - films which completed shooting but never made it to the big screen. ----------- | |||
| Disney's boy trouble | 16 Sep 2025 | 00:57:23 | |
Disney is struggling to appeal to Gen Z men, according at a Variety article. Is original IP the answer? ----------- | |||
| Emerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights controversy | 09 Sep 2025 | 00:54:25 | |
Is a screen adaptation obliged to be faithful to the book? We wade into the controversy around Emerald Fennel’s forthcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation, review Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing and discuss our highlights from the Venice Film Festival - namely the premiere of Megadoc, the behind-the-scenes documentary about Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. ----------- | |||
| Why you haven’t heard of summer’s biggest box office hit | 02 Sep 2025 | 01:11:56 | |
We return just as it comes to the end of “popcorn season” - but is that term still relevant? From lukewarm hits like F1 and Superman, to surprise ones like Weapons and KPop Demon Hunters, we compare notes about the summer’s struggling box office. References James’ Letterboxd (be sure to follow Groovy Movies’ too!) Our cinema recommendation Widescreen Weekend Film Festival ----------- | |||
| Following (1998): Christopher Nolan's first film | 24 Apr 2025 | 00:52:52 | |
Who better to wrap the season finale with than Christopher Nolan? But it would be too easy to go for Tenet or Inception, we’re going back to where things all began, with his very first film. Made for just £6000 (!) but with all the hallmarks of his later movies, it’s a great one to watch to see where it all began. References The Vine’s top 10 movies made on a shoestring ----------- | |||
| Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:42:02 | |
What better way to celebrate Lily’s imminent nuptials than by watching a family musical based on a Roman legend about sexual assault? If you haven’t seen it, think Hollywood’s golden era with catchy tunes, luminous Metroscope (a rival to technicolor) and yes, some problematic gender politics. Enjoy. References Making-of featurette with Ruth Lee raving about corsets An American Cinematographer article on shooting Seven Brides by George Folsey ----------- | |||
| Fatal Attraction (1987) | 11 Apr 2025 | 00:46:41 | |
We’re feeling nostalgic for sexy sex scenes and the villainisation of single women. Enter, Fatal attraction. Prepare for spoilers as we discuss the controversy around the axing of the original ending and look back on an era where it was possible for a film to be dubbed “the zeitgeist movie of the decade.” References You Must Remember This podcast’s ‘Erotic 90s’ series ‘Fatal Attraction’ Oral History: Rejected Stars and a Foul Rabbit’, by Bruce Fretts for The NY Times ----------- | |||
| In The Heat Of The Night (1967) | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:36:32 | |
If you’re in the mood for a time capsule of 1967, In The Heat Of The Night is the movie for you. We discuss how this iconic civil rights infused detective drama-cum-social thriller should have won Sidney Poitier an oscar - if only he hadn’t already won one 3 years before - and the pros and cons of deploying the camera’s zoom function. References Sidney Poitier on In The Heat Of The Night ‘In the Heat of the Night: The Double Bind’, essay by K. Austin Collins ----------- | |||
| Seven Samurai (1954) | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:38:01 | |
Our run of classics continues with Akira Kurosawa’s genre-creating, hero-assembling action/comedy/drama, Seven Samurai. Don’t let the 3.5 hour runtime put you off (or watch at 2x speed - we don’t endorse this), it is considered one of the best films ever made for a reason and we discuss why. See where you can catch it below. Where to watch Check out this website for links to cinema screenings of Seven Samurai References The eventful production story of Seven Samurai by Collier Jennings on collider.com An analysis of the opening minutes of Seven Samurai by Arttective on YouTube ----------- | |||
| In The Mood For Love (2000) | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:39:00 | |
This week we discuss the self-declared cinephile’s favourite, Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love. If you live near London and want to catch it, check out showtimes at The Prince Charles - it’s screening this Sunday (23rd) as it happens. We get into Kar Wai’s eccentric directorial method and the many versions of the film there could have been - but thank the film gods for this one. References “The Troubled Production of In The Mood for Love” production film for 20th anniversary Beautifully formatted New Yorker article about In The Mood For Love ----------- | |||
| Anora (2024) | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:49:32 | |
You may have heard something about Mikey Madison’s shining, star-making performance as Anora? Or perhaps that Sean Baker made Oscar-history by winning four awards at this year's ceremony for said film? Well if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the moment, it’s back in cinemas and will soon be available on streaming. This week we discuss what makes the story so kinetic, shooting on film with a tiny budget and that intimacy coordinator controversy. References Sean Baker and Mikey Madison break down a scene by Vanity Fair Sean Baker’s 30 year journey to Anora by Neon ----------- | |||
| The Oscars and The Brutalist (2024) | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:48:22 | |
As the set comes down from the biggest celebration of the least-viewed cinematic triumphs of the year, we take stock of Sean Bakers success with Anora and attempt to map the blueprints of The Brutalist's anticlimatic awards season. Was it a grand failure or a misunderstood masterpiece? Probably neither but listen to find out. ----------- | |||
| Se7en (1995) | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:42:47 | |
It’s the 30 year anniversary of David Fincher’s Seven, otherwise known as the OG unboxing video. Be prepared for spoilers as we discuss the iconic ending that almost wasn’t and why real serial killers never live up to the hype. References Seven’s cinematography by David E. Williams for theasc.com Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Se7en' by Mike McGranaghan for ranker.com ----------- | |||
| Babygirl (2024) | 13 Feb 2025 | 00:38:24 | |
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like age-gap office affairs and BDSM, so with that in mind, we bring you Halina Reijn’s Babygirl. It may have been snubbed at the Oscars but we shant be overlooking this orgasm-forward, kink-celebrating homage to the 90s erotic thriller. References Vanity Fair piece on Babygirl by David Canfield Halina Reijn on Bridging Hollywood’s “Orgasm Gap” by Scott Roxborough Cinematographer Jasper Wolf on working on Babygirl ----------- | |||
| Juno (2007) | 06 Feb 2025 | 00:38:24 | |
Remember when teen pregnancy was a thing? This week we discuss Juno, the movie that reinvented this particular noughties trend and made stars out of Elliot Page, Michael Cera and the film’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody. We discuss what makes the script so good and why people hated it. There is also space to reminisce about the heyday of director’s commentaries. This movie had an excellent one with Diablo Cody and the film’s director, Jason Reitman. Is there a way to bring them back? References Diablo Cody on Juno and its critics 15 years later by Evan Nicole Brown for The Hollywood Reporter ----------- | |||
| Nosferatu (1922 & 2024) | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:40:18 | |
This week we do a compare-and-contrast between Robert Egger’s Nosferatu and the 1922 German silent film it's based on. We deep-dive into the mad production story of the original, why Bram Stoker owes Nosferatu an apology and somehow pitstop at Yoga Hosers and Robbie William’s new film Better Man along the way. ----------- | |||
| Eraserhead (1977) | 23 Jan 2025 | 00:47:30 | |
In honour of David Lynch who died last week - though serendipitously we recorded the episode a few weeks before - this episode we discuss his feature debut, Eraserhead. A film so freaky, so funny and utterly unique. Just like the man himself. ----------- | |||
| The Fall (2006) | 16 Jan 2025 | 00:33:44 | |
We go behind-the-scenes of an overlooked gem which is finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to a 4K restoration by Mubi. Tarsem Singh's debut feature The Fall is a globe-trotting feast for the eyes, with a transformative performance by first-time actor, the then six-year-old Catinca Untaru. We strongly recommend catching it on Mubi before listening to the episode. ----------- | |||
| Donnie Darko (2001) | 09 Jan 2025 | 00:41:21 | |
This week we sift through the web lore of one of the original multiverse movies, Donnie Darko. We relish seeing adolescent Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal squabble at the dinner table and ponder why a 23-year-old directing wunderkind never succeeded with a follow-up. ----------- | |||
| The Substance (2024) | 02 Jan 2025 | 00:36:08 | |
To kick off a new series, we’re starting with the biggest film of 2024 - that’s biggest by our personal metrics. Expect a detailed breakdown of the lens required to achieve such a revolting zoom on Dennis Quaid munching prawn heads and a rant about why this is not Demi Moore’s comeback. ----------- | |||
| EMERGENCY BONUS EPISODE: MEGAFLOPOLIS (or: Francis Ford Coppola's Roman Empire) | 13 Oct 2024 | 00:43:08 | |
We had to, it was unavoidable. Francis Ford Coppola's 40-year-long passion project has finally come to fruition and it was important that we discussed it. So here is a bonus episode. Listen as we attempt to decipher how, what and why. Just why? ----------- | |||
| Action Women, schwing (Point Break, American Psycho, Wayne’s World) | 05 Sep 2024 | 00:57:01 | |
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! ----------- | |||
| Sad girls on holiday (Lost in Translation, Swimming Pool, Shirley Valentine) | 22 Aug 2024 | 00:51:35 | |
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. ----------- | |||
| Superior Sequels: What makes part 2 better than part 1? (Inside Out 2, The Terminator 2, The Godfather 2) | 12 Aug 2024 | 00:46:02 | |
From Dune 2 to Deadpool and Wolverine, there have been a surprising number of hit sequels this year. So this week we’re asking the question, what makes that cinematic blue moon of a part 2 that is better than part 1? ----------- | |||
| Fantastic Film Follies: How to finance a flop | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:59:07 | |
Why talk about good films when we could talk about spectacularly bad ones? This week we discuss four infamous films that left their directors and studios in financial and/or reputational ruin. On the chopping block is Francis Ford Coppola’s One From The Heart, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate, Elaine May’s Ishtar and, of course, Tom Hooper’s Cats. Enjoy. ----------- | |||
| 1999: Cinema's best year, ever? | 11 Jul 2024 | 00:39:53 | |
You honestly wouldn’t believe how many great films came out in 1999. The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, The Talented Mr Ripley, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Sixth Sense, Notting Hill, The Mummy, Cruel Intentions, 10 Things I Hate About You. We could go on… ----------- | |||
| One Take Movies: Are they a gimmick? | 27 Jun 2024 | 00:50:14 | |
From the famous speeding train of 1896 to the groundbreaking Russian Ark and iconic Berlin night-out-gone-wrong flick Victoria, this week we take you through the illustrious history of one-take movies - or should it be one-shot movies? ----------- | |||
| The Mummy and it’s children | 13 Jun 2024 | 00:40:02 | |
It’s the 25th anniversary of The Mummy - I know, we can’t believe it either. How time flies. So we’re paying tribute to the first addition to the greatest ancient-history-action-adventure-thriller-franchise of all time and its somewhat uneven sequels and prequels. Topics covered include, of course, sexy mummies, Brendan Frasier at his peak and the incredible discovery of Rachel Weiz. ----------- | |||
| Loves Lies Bleeding: Was Kristen Stewart always this good? | 30 May 2024 | 00:42:18 | |
It turns out a bodybuilding rom-com thriller was the movie we’ve been waiting for. Yes, this week we’re talking about Love Lies Bleeding, Rose Glass’ follow-up to the incredible Saint Maud, starring Kristen Stewart in the role she was made the play. ----------- | |||
| Challengers v. Wimbledon: Sex, Love and Tennis | 16 May 2024 | 00:56:05 | |
Game. Set. Match. (Is that right?) Two of tennis’ greatest novices tackle our most romantic sport in a battle of the ages. Which is the better tennis movie? Up-and-comer, Challengers, or seasoned champion, Wimbledon. But let’s be honest, it’s Zendaya v. Kirsten Dunst - who will win the title of most empowered woman on the court? ----------- | |||