Shows
Groovy MoviesGuillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: Why do we keep digging it up?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? ReferencesWorld of Reel’s article on The Daniels’ film delayGuillermo del Toro on fatherhood and FrankensteinGuillermo del Toro’s Fr...
2025-10-2153 minGroovy MoviesA tribute to Diane Keaton and what’s happened to Bond’s guns?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. ReferencesThen Again, Diane Keaton’s memoirHarris Dickinson interview for BFIThe Nickel cinema-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOriginal music by James Brailsf...
2025-10-141h 03Groovy MoviesThe trials of adapting “unfilmable” booksFrom 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.-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOriginal music by James BrailsfordInstagram TikTokLetterboxdEmail us
2025-10-0755 minGroovy MoviesOne Battle After Another: Does Paul Thomas Anderson finally have a box office hit?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. ReferencesMaggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride trailerToken Homo’s queer horror season at Genesis cinemaHorror season at CultplexLong-ass movies at Prince Charles Cinema-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOr...
2025-09-301h 06Groovy MoviesRIP Robert RedfordWe 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.ReferencesWorld of Reel’s MIA movies articleScience Museum’s IMAX 70mm season-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOriginal music by James BrailsfordInstagram TikT...
2025-09-2353 minGroovy MoviesDisney's boy troubleDisney is struggling to appeal to Gen Z men, according at a Variety article. Is original IP the answer?This past weekend saw the release of The Golden Spurtle, a documentary about the world porridge-making contest. We discuss this and other delightfully absurd documentaries that have nothing to do with missing girls. And James delivers a Nolan progress report following the The Odyssey's shoot wrap. ReferencesChristopher Nolan loves pepperoni pizzaA trojan horse spoiler from The OdysseyFor news on the Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through...
2025-09-1657 minGroovy MoviesEmerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights controversyIs 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.ReferencesEmerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights trailerWorld of Reel’s story on the Wuthering Heights test screeningCineworld’s 4DX Rewind-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edite...
2025-09-0954 minGroovy MoviesWhy you haven’t heard of summer’s biggest box office hitWe 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.ReferencesJames’ Letterboxd (be sure to follow Groovy Movies’ too!)The Projected Picture TrustBradford PicturevilleOur cinema recommendationWidescreen Weekend Film Festival-----------If you love what we do, please...
2025-09-021h 11Groovy MoviesFollowing (1998): Christopher Nolan's first filmWho 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 Nolan on Following-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave...
2025-04-2452 minGroovy MoviesSeven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)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.ReferencesMaking-of featurette with Ruth Lee raving about corsetsAn American Cinematographer article on shooting Seven Brides by George Folsey-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review...
2025-04-1742 minGroovy MoviesFatal Attraction (1987)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 The original endingYou 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 -----------If you...
2025-04-1146 minGroovy MoviesIn The Heat Of The Night (1967)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. ReferencesMaking of featuretteSidney Poitier on In The Heat Of The Night‘In the Heat of the Night: The Double Bind’, essay by K...
2025-04-0436 minGroovy MoviesSeven Samurai (1954)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 watchBFI PlayerCheck out this website for links to cinema screenings of Seven SamuraiReferencesCheck out the...
2025-03-2738 min
Groovy MoviesIn The Mood For Love (2000)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 anniversaryBeautifully...
2025-03-2039 min
Groovy MoviesAnora (2024)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. ReferencesSean Baker and Mikey Madison break down a scene...
2025-03-1349 min
Groovy MoviesThe Oscars and The Brutalist (2024)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. -----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOriginal music by James BrailsfordInstagram TikTok
2025-03-0648 min
Groovy MoviesSe7en (1995)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. ReferencesSeven’s scriptSeven’s cinematography by David E. Williams for theasc.comBehind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Se7en' by Mike McGranaghan for ranker.com-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and...
2025-02-2042 min
Groovy MoviesBabygirl (2024)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.ReferencesVanity Fair piece on Babygirl by David CanfieldHalina Reijn on Bridging Hollywood’s “Orgasm Gap” by Scott RoxboroughCinematographer Jasper Wolf on working on Babygirl-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a revie...
2025-02-1335 min
Groovy MoviesJuno (2007)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 Jaison Reitman...
2025-02-0638 min
Groovy MoviesNosferatu (1922 & 2024)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.References Watch Nosferatu (1922) hereYoga Hosers (2016) trailerShadow of a vampire (2000) trailer-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James Brai...
2025-01-3040 min
Groovy MoviesEraserhead (1977)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.ReferencesDavid Lynch’s documentary, Eraserhead StoriesInterviews with the Eraserhead cast‘The Epic Influence of David Lynch's Eraserhead, from Kubrick to Star Wars’ by Garin Pirnia for EsquireInterview with Lynch from Chris Rodley’s 1997 book Lynch on Lynch-----------If you love what we do, pl...
2025-01-2347 min
Groovy MoviesThe Fall (2006)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. ReferencesBehind-the-scenes documentary 'Wanderlust and Nostalgia'Tarsem Singh on the making of The Fall by Christina Newland for Little White LiesAn oral history of The Fall by Leila Jordan for IndieWire
2025-01-1633 minGroovy MoviesDonnie Darko (2001)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.ReferencesPages from the fictional book "The Philosophy of Time Travel" by Roberta Sparrow aka Grandma DeathDonnie Darko’s BTS production video diary An oral history of Donnie Darko-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and...
2025-01-0941 minGroovy MoviesThe Substance (2024)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. ReferencesInterview with Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Coralie FargeatA breakdown of the set design of The SubstanceThe kind of headline Lily doesn’t appreciate-----------If you love what we do, please like, su...
2025-01-0236 minGroovy MoviesEMERGENCY BONUS EPISODE: MEGAFLOPOLIS (or: Francis Ford Coppola's Roman Empire)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? ReferencesThat hotel Coppola owns for filmmakersTwelve Against The Gods by William Bolitho Ryall A BTS argument on Bram Stoker’s Dracula between FFC and Gary Oldman"Making a Mess: A History of Megalopolis" by Be Kind Rewind-----------If you love what we do...
2024-10-1343 minGroovy MoviesAction Women, schwing (Point Break, American Psycho, Wayne’s World)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 Tr...
2024-09-0557 minGroovy MoviesSad girls on holiday (Lost in Translation, Swimming Pool, Shirley Valentine)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. ReferencesPeter 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 A...
2024-08-2251 minGroovy MoviesSuperior Sequels: What makes part 2 better than part 1? (Inside Out 2, The Terminator 2, The Godfather 2)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? ReferencesThe Strasberg school’s definition of method actingOn Location with The Godfather: A Discussion with Gordon Willis (director of photography), theasc.comAn oral history of The Terminator 2-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily...
2024-08-1246 minGroovy MoviesFantastic Film Follies: How to finance a flopWhy 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.ReferencesHulk Smash’s takedown of Tom HooperSteven Soderbergh’s Butcher’s Cut of Heaven’s Gate-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave...
2024-07-2459 minGroovy Movies1999: Cinema's best year, ever?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…It’s the 25th anniversary of this auspicious year and cinemas are getting in on the action, with 1999 seasons playing at many theatres. So we’re following suit. We discuss our favourites from this particularly good year, with special attention paid to Trainspotting - not only an excellent film but one...
2024-07-1139 minGroovy MoviesOne Take Movies: Are they a gimmick?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?ReferencesHot takes: a short history of the one-shot movie in 11 attempts by Matthew Thrift for BFIInterview with Medusa Deluxe director Thomas HardimanThe 10 worst Martin Scorsese movies by Joe Williams for Far OutIn One Breath: Alexander Sokurov's Russian Ark (Making of) on YouTube-----------If you love what we...
2024-06-2750 minGroovy MoviesThe Mummy and it’s childrenIt’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. ReferencesAn oral history of the making of The Mummy by Clark Collis for Entertainment WeeklyA video of Nina Wilcox Putnam, the co-author of the 1932 The Mummy screenplay, which was based...
2024-06-1340 minGroovy MoviesLoves Lies Bleeding: Was Kristen Stewart always this good?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. ReferencesInterview with Rose Glass, and stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian‘Rose Glass talks ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, casting Kristen Stewart and working with a much bigger budget’ by Ellie Calnan for Screen DailyCannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Earns Palme d’Or by Pe...
2024-05-3042 minGroovy MoviesChallengers v. Wimbledon: Sex, Love and TennisGame. 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?References‘Challengers’ Heats Up: How Zendaya’s Star Power and a Sexy Love Triangle Could Give Gen Z Its Next Movie Obsession by Selome Hailu and Ramin Setoodeh for Variety ‘Challengers’ Director Luca Guadagnino Explains Origins Of The ‘...
2024-05-1656 minGroovy MoviesThe Zone of Interest & Perfect Days: Why is mundanity powerful?This week we discuss the surprising common ground between Jonathan Glazer’s chilling examination of an Auschwitz commandant and his family, The Zone of Interest and Wim Wenders’ meandering meditation on life as a Tokyo Toilet cleaner, Perfect Days. ReferencesInterview with Jonathan Glazer on The Zone of Interest by David Canfield for Vanity FairThe Making of The Zone of InterestWim Wenders interviewed about Perfect Days for CurzonThe Tokyo Toilet ProjectFilm PharmacyChinatown (1974) dir. by Roman PolanskiSpoorloos (1990) dir. by Geo...
2024-05-0251 minGroovy MoviesCivil War: Will A24's big budget gamble pay off?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 VarietyFilm Pharmacy
2024-04-1840 minGroovy MoviesThe Top 5 Party Scenes in CinemaIt 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.ReferencesThe party scene in 10 Things I Hate About YouThe afterparty in Human Traffic (1999)The party scene in Playtime (1967)The party scene in The Great BeautyWatch Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock here on BBC iPlayerAn oral h...
2024-04-041h 05Groovy MoviesBaby Face: Pre-Code Horniness and the Original Sugar BabyWe’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. ReferencesWill Hays IRLYou 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 ReporterHow the Catholic Church censored Hollywood's Golden Age by Vox on YouTubeBa...
2024-03-2158 minGroovy Movies*Teaser* Next week's episode and an announcement-----------If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!Edited and produced by Lily Austin and James BrailsfordOriginal music by James BrailsfordInstagram TikTokLetterboxdEmail us
2024-03-1400 minGroovy MoviesDune: Part Two (spoiler-free!)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.ReferencesDenis 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 VarietyDune: Part Two’s box office success and what it means for the film industry by Anthony D’Alessandro for De...
2024-03-0742 min