Explore every episode of the podcast The Fansplainers Film Cast

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David experience Hope for the first time! Yes, this week they take a look at Korean director Na Hong-jin’s first film in ten years, the sci-fi action thriller monster movie Hope. A small town near the border of Korea’s DMZ finds itself under attack from a mysterious monster. […]

Hello, movie maniacs! After many failed attempts to see The Odyssey the way it was meant to be seen – in 70mm Imax – there is some good news. Despite some setbacks – a cancellation due to scheduling conflicts, an endless sea of people who also wanted to see the movie and were taking all […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week David and Mary are preoccupied by the surprise hit Obsession, written and directed by YouTube sketch comedian Curry Barker. You might even call it a fixation. It’s become a meme machine, is still in theatres after a May release and has made over $500 million on its $750, 000 budget. […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week David and Mary watch the little known film Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This latest iteration of everyone’s favourite webhead featuring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal and Sadie Sink is breaking all the box offices. Maybe audiences aren’t tired of well-made superhero movies? But what do Mary and Dave think? Well, […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David tried to see The Odyssey, but that was a no-go with Imax showings sold out until the end of August. So then they thought they should see the movie Obsession and talk about the YouTube-ification of horror films, but no – the projector crapped out that night. […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David watched Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl. Gillespie has directed a couple of films that Mary and David love – I, Tonya and the Fright Night remake – so they were really looking forward to this film. They talked about the gross hate campaign directed at yet another female-led superhero […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David watched Andrew Stanton’s newest entry in the Toy Story franchise – Toy Story 5 – featuring the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack and Great Lee. The Toy Story films one to three are obviously deathless classics and, while the fourth film took a […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David watched Stephen Spielberg’s newest film Disclosure Day starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colin Firth. People are very excited about Spielberg’s return to a deeply-loved theme, but what did David and Mary make of the film? Did they have a close encounter or did they diss closure? […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David watched The Mandalorian and Grogu – a title that just rolls off the tongue! Disney’s first film entry in the Star Wars franchise in seven years! Well, one thing’s for sure: it’s impossible for it to be worse than The Rise of Skywalker! Mary and David discuss […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and David watched The Sheep Detectives – a wonderful blend of live action and animation that is funny, heartfelt and exciting with a very good mystery at the centre of the film. It’s one of those well-written film that attracts a lot of talented people to be part of […]

Hello, movie maniacs! If you find yourself in times of trouble, Mother Mary may be the soothing blast of surreality you need. The newest film from David Lowery – the talented writer-director who has managed to straddle the line between personal and commercial films with some success. Starring Anne Hathaway as pop diva Mother Mary […]

Hello, movie maniacs! On this episode, Dave and Mary talk about James L. Brooks newest (and maybe last?) film Ella McCay – an existential crisis/family trauma movie presented in the guise of a rom-com. Brooks’ films are famously meandering, and trade realistic dialogue for sparkling wit. Ella McCay is no exception. The question is…do you […]

Hello, movie maniacs! On this episode, Dave and Mary talk about Project Hail Mary. They discuss the careers of the directing team Lord and Miller, as well as the career of screenwriter Drew Goddard. And they talk an awful lot about the movie itself! They also talk about the revival of movie trailers – just […]

Hello, movie maniacs! Mary is away this week, taking in the sun and fun at Disneyworld in Orlando, FLA. So Dave has invited his movie-mad friend Sean Condon to drop by and discuss movies, movies, movies. Dave has a theory about the wonderful Elaine May’s career as a film director. Could she have made more […]

Hello, movie maniacs! Lists, lists, lists, lists! Movies movin’ up and down again! That’s right! Mary and David sat down and they both hashed out a list of their Top Ten favourite films of 2025. What films made their lists and where do they rank, and how did Mary’s list differ from David’s? All very […]

Hello, movie maniacs! Please note this week’s episode jumped the queue and references the episode we had previously recorded. We were just so excited to support this movie! On this episode of The Fansplainers, Dave and Mary gush extensively about the wonderful film Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie. They thought it was really […]

Hello, movie maniacs! This week Mary and Dave celebrate the return of Sam Raimi to being…er…Sam Raimi with the very enjoyable Send Help! They discuss Raimi’s filmography, explore his distinctive directing style as well as his visceral film language, and contrast his career to that of the Coen Brothers. They praise the ridiculously talented Rachel […]

Hello, film fanciers! Mary and Dave continue their conversation about Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s fabulous Later franchise – this time talking about Nia DaCosta’s snappy, terrifying, joyous and beautiful second chapter of the 28 Years Later trilogy. Mary and Dave have loved these new iterations of the series and think you will too. Not […]

Hello, film fanciers! We think that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland (with Nia DaCosta) have created an amazing series of films that both revel in and transcend the horror genre. So this week, we celebrate the release of 28 Days Later: The Bone Temple with the first part of a long and involved conversation about […]

Hello, cinema sickos! Mary and Dave ring in the new year by not continuing their McQuarrying series but instead discussing Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet – the story of Agnes Hathaway’s courtship and marriage to William Shakespeare, and the movie all the old folks are flocking to theatres to see! Even if you don’t know what Metamucil […]

Our McQuarrying series will not be appearing this week because Dave and Mary went to see the new Safdie Brother film Marty Supreme – the usual Safdie chaos with a twist of Timothée Chalamet playing a young man who gets into a lot of trouble with his balls! Not sure what to think of Marty […]

Hello, film fanatics! McQuarrying has been postponed for the Christmas break. This week Mary and David have a spiritual tussle over Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man. Can this iteration of the Knives Out franchise possibly be as good as the first two instalments or will trilogy derangement syndrome take another victim? Let Mary and […]

Hello, movie maniacs! McQuarrying has been postponed again because David and Mary went to the theatres to see a couple of good old fashioned action flicks. They watched Dan Trachtenberg’s further extrapolations of the world of Predator with Predator: Badlands and Edgar Wright’s re-imagining of the “classic” 80’s Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle The Running Man. In […]

Hello, movie maniacs! McQuarrying has been postponed this week because David and Mary went to the theatres to see a couple of good old fashioned action flicks. They watched Dan Trachtenberg’s further extrapolations of the world of Predator with Predator: Badlands and Edgar Wright’s re-imagining of the “classic” 80’s Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle The Running Man. […]

Hello, cinema sickos! Guess what? No McQuarrying this week because Mary and Dave wanted to go to the movies! On this episode they discuss Lynne Ramsey’s alienated woman psychodrama Die My Love with Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, as well as Guillermo Del Toro’s grand, gothic guiltfest Frankenstein with Oscar Isaac, Jacob Ilordi and Mia […]

Hello, movie maniacs! McQuarrying is on hiatus for another week as Mary and Dave take a deep dive into a frozen lake to discuss Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2. The Grabber returns to haunt Finney and Gwen as the supernatural becomes super real. Was this the movie of Mary and Dave’s dreams? Well, let them […]

Hello, reel ravers! This week, Mary and Dave take a pause on McQuarrying and talk about Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film One Battle After Another in a discursive conversation that takes in conspiracy theories, the works of Thomas Pynchon, WWI political shenanigans, a spirited defense of Leonardo DiCaprio, a brief Beach Boys aside, a heartfelt […]

Hello, movie maniacs! Mary and David continue McQuarrying this week as Christopher McQuarrie is freed from director jail and given the reins of Paramount’s newest cash cow franchise Jack Reacher with a star hot off the hit film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. He may not be as tall as the titular hero, but could […]

Hello, movie maniacs! McQuarrying is back, baby! And Mary and Dave prove it by discussing Valkyrie, the 2008 film directed by Bryan Singer, written by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise and a host of British goodies playing German baddies who turn out to be German goodies. How could a film with Tom Cruise out […]

Hello, film freaks! McQuarrying is being postponed another week – sorry Valkyrie fans! – as David and Mary discuss the first two films of Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “lesbian B-movie trilogy” Drive-Away Dolls and Honey Don’t. Hot lesbian babes, cool cars, spicy quips, steamy sex, graphic murder, inhuman depravity, genre exercises, and Henry James! […]

This week Mary and David explore more Cruise/McQuarrie films in their ongoing series McQuarrying and review the new War of the Worlds starring a heavily sedated Ice Cube. It's a film everybody's talking about... ...negatively so let Mary and David fansplain it for you.

This week Mary and Dave continue their new series McQuarrying with a review of Zach Creggers newest film Weapons. Instant classic or sophomore slump? Let Mary and Dave fansplain it for you!

This week Mary and Dave are taking a well-deserved break from their new series McQuarrying - after a whole two shows - to discuss James Gunn's newest iteration of Superman.

This week Mary and Dave continue their new series McQuarrying - an overview of Christopher McQuarrie's movies with Tom Cruise - by going forward into the past to ask, "Who is Keyser Söze?"

This week Mary and Dave start off their new series McQuarrying by watching Christopher McQuarrie's directorial debut The Way of the Gun, a neo-noir with its 1990s irony-laced heart very much on its sleeve. It should have been a fun, smart crime thriller, but it isn't. Why? Well, let Dave and Mary fansplain it for you.

This week Mary and Dave explore Wes Anderson's latest quirkfest The Phoenician Scheme and quietly dab their eyes watching Mike Flanagan's third Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck.

This week: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Part four of the McQuadrilogy gets its final reckoning from Dave and Mary who wrap up the series with the latest and maybe last instalment. The world is on the brink of disaster as Ethan Hunt has an Entity crisis!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as they celebrate the upcoming release of Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part 1, part three of the McQuadrilogy and a nightmare for train spotters!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as they celebrate the upcoming release of Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible - Fallout, part two of the McQuadrilogy as Christopher McQuarrie flouts the rules and returns as director.

Horse Mysteries big wig, Lezah Williamson, and Listening Party/Fansplainers MVP Mary Dedrick are a couple of good sports and gamely go through a list of topics drawn from Sneaky Dragon Episode 700. We think they had fun, but they're pretty cagey.

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as they celebrate the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the beginning of the McQuadrilogy as Christopher McQuarrie joins the IMF team!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as they celebrate the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, a film some would call the best Mission Impossible!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as the celebrate the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible III, it all starts here!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as the celebrate the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Mission: Impossible II, the tricky one!

Join Dave and his daughter Mary as the celebrate the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning by discussing all the Mission Impossible films in order. This week: Number 1! It's going to be a fun journey!

This week Ian and David discuss Extra Ordinary! Ian and David cracked open their Time-Life Books of the Occult to discuss ghosts, demons, virgins, ritual murder and sacrificing goats for this week’s film Extra Ordinary – a charming Irish supernatural rom-com. Come for the awkward romance. Stay for the exploding goats! Thanks for listening.

Ciao, cinemaphiles! This week Ian and David discuss The Karate Kid! There was much painting of fences and waxing of cars this week as Ian and David emerged with tennis elbow and a torn meniscus in each shoulder to get out on the mat and fansplain this movie with one awesome leg sweep! Thanks for […]

Ciao, cinemaphiles! This week Ian and Dave get weird – like crawling into someone’s head weird, like erasing your ex-girlfriend from your brain weird, like buying a house on fire weird. Yes, on this episode we take a look at Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things – his loose – to say the least […]

Ciao, cinemaphiles! This week Ian and Dave tackle that most tricky and terrifying of filmic beasts: THE THIRD MOVIE!!! That’s right. They talk about the latest installment of the Bill and Ted movie franchise: Bill and Ted Face the Music. It’s been almost thirty years in the making. Was it worth it? Well, let Ian […]

Ciao, cinemaphiles! Sorry we’re late we our newest episode! It’s kind of a long story and you’ll have to listen to Sneaky Dragon Episode 455 to hear all the gory details. Suffice to say, our most recent episode was lost Unfortunately, Ian’s busy schedule prevented us from re-recording the episode, but fortunately, Dave’s wife Lezah […]