Shows
The Unbreakable Movie ChainResident Evil (2002)Don't forget your flamethrowers, it's time to enter The Hive...
This episode, we're discussing Paul W. S. Anderson's adaptation of the ground-breaking video game phenomenon, Resident Evil. We cover the thrill of playing horror video games, the genius of amnesia and Michelle Rodriguez having an absolute blast.
“It takes a while for her to turn into a zombie because she's fucking nails.” - Ed
“We know he's different from the other men, because he's got a blue shirt on” - Gould
“Fuck you, you gorgeous, talented bitch” - Gould
2024-08-161h 11The Unbreakable Movie ChainOTC: Dune 2, Civil War, Monkey ManHello and welcome to this first Off The Chain episode of The Unbreakable Movie Chain. This time out we chat Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune 2, Alex Garland’s horrifying Civil War and Dev Patel’s kick-ass directorial debut Monkey Man.
Also, there’ve been two scary nun movies (one good, one bad) and two lesbians-on-the-road crime movies (one good, one bad) for us to delve into!
But wait, there’s more!! We have two barking-mad Nicolas Cage home-watches to recommend.
Trailer zone
Maxxxine
The Fall Guy
Kingdom...2024-07-2138 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Fifth Element (1997)Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Mila Jovovic? That’s right, Ed’s showing his age by banging on about Captain Planet again as we try to make sense of Luc Besson’s whacky sci-fi adventure The Fifth Element. Featuring the human torso, classic farce and Chris Tucker being far, far too much.
Also
Treasure hunting in CEX
Sick day films
Hate-watching Eli Roth movies
“It’s not nourishing, it’s a packet of McDonald’s chips.” - Gould
“His films are very stylish, but they’re just the surface.” - Ed
“I love the androgyny of it...2024-07-161h 39The Unbreakable Movie ChainUnbreakable (2000)Get ready for a twist! This week we’re covering our first M. Night Shyamalan movie: 2000’s real-world superhero flick, Unbreakable. All seems to be going well until Ed starts picking at the threads. Featuring shattered bones, shoddy parenting and vaguely-defined superpowers!
“None of it makes a drop of sense.” - Ed
“M. Night Shyamalan has got a gift when it comes to working with child actors.” - Gould
“David Dunn might be the single dumbest protagonist I’ve ever encountered in anything.” - Ed
Also
American Fiction, The...2024-05-061h 33The Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Fast and the Furious (2001)Brum brum brum. Fasten your seat belts, we’re off drag-racing around Southern California with one of the stupidest movies we’ve ever had the pleasure to absolutely rinse over a couple of pints. That’s right, it’s the The Fast and The Furious. Featuring: Cars, babes, and other things fourteen year old boys like to stare at.
“Vin Diesel is this juvenile petrolhead Fagin with all these boring car nerd children.” - Gould
“I didn’t expect to be as bored as I was.” - Ed
“Surely they could have come up with a d...2024-02-201h 21The Unbreakable Movie ChainPleasantville (1999)Take the phone off the hook and the plastic off the couch! This week we’re opening up our cosy, black and white existence to the seductive danger of colour. That’s right, we’re covering one of Ed’s all time favourites… Pleasantville. Featuring: the warm greeting, proper nutrition and, of course, safe sex.
Also:
Poor Things
The joys of the National Trust
Did Gould’s Mum enjoy Saltburn?
“Watching it through this time, I got really emotional.” - Gould
“Joan Allen delivers arguably the greatest masturbation scene in cinema history.”...2024-02-071h 22The Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Wizard of Oz (1939)The Wizard of Oz (1939)
I don’t think we’re in our cupboards anymore! This week, we’re strapping on our ruby slippers and hitting the yellow brick road to find out if there really is no place like home. That’s right, it’s time for a certified classic… we’re watching The Wizard of Oz! Featuring apple fights, homesickness, and “I want” songs!
A word of warning. One of us quite strongly took against this film, while we wouldn’t normally warn you of this, we are aware of how important The Wiza...2024-01-251h 30The Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Bad and the Beautiful (1952)“If you dream, dream big”. This week we’re taking one last look at the studio system, this time it’s Vincente Minnelli’s multiple Oscar-winner The Bad and the Beautiful, from 1952 – a tale of Hollywood ambition and betrayal starring Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner. Featuring eavesdropped phone calls, drunken starlets and OSCARS!!
Also:
Festive comfort watches
Bleak crime drama
The Boy and the Heron
“He’s a big success as a producer, and we know this because he’s grown a moustache.” - Ed
“There’s someth...2024-01-091h 18The Unbreakable Movie ChainBONUS: 2024 PreviewHo ho ho! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Now that the festivities are out of the way, it’s time to pull the Movie Chain crystal ball out of the attic, and gaze upon the wonders that 2024 promises to inflict upon the movie-going public. Turns out there’s a lot to get excited for, including new offerings from Bong Joon-Ho, Jonathan Glazer and Yorgos Lanthimos.
But first we have to cut a path through a thicket of sequels, prequels, reboots, spin-offs and other cash-ins from the Franchise Nightmare Universe. We do just that, so you...2023-12-2655 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainBarton Fink (1991)Checking in? This episode we're feeling the heat and peeling back the wallpaper to take a look at the Coen Brothers' early masterpiece, Barton Fink. What's in the box? It may look like a long one, but the last 15 minutes of this ep are dedicated to a spoilery Saltburn stand-off.
Also:
Napoleon, The Peasants and some tough truths about 2001: A Space Odyssey.
"The Common Man is a choir of Fishmongers" - Gould
"That's what his job is, is to suffer" - Ed
"I'll just be a...2023-12-191h 43The Unbreakable Movie ChainMulholland Drive (2001)"Howdy!" We’ve cleaned off the Alabama mud from our last time out, and we’re heading to the bright lights of The City of Angels to take in David Lynch’s fevered Hollywood nightmare, Mulholland Drive. Armed with Lynch’s own clues/red herrings. Informed by the wild theories of internet obsessives. We do our very best to get to the bottom of this enigmatic puzzle box of a movie… one that placed 8th on the BFI’s greatest movies of all time. Featuring – ominous conversations, unexplained keys, crippling identity crises and a sinister cowboy.
“Notice the...2023-12-051h 30The Unbreakable Movie ChainMy Cousin Vinny (1992)Welcome to Alabama, land of guns, grits and the electric chair. Don’t accidentally confess to any murders while you’re here, or it’s death row for you... and if you don’t have a fast-talking New York lawyer for a cousin, you’re a goner. That’s the predicament we find ourselves in this week as we take a look at cult 90s courtroom comedy My Cousin Vinny. Featuring mud, inappropriate courtroom attire and Barry off Friends!
Also:
The Exorcist, The Shining, American Werewolf in London and other Halloween treats
Gould’s Shocktober Chal...2023-11-211h 35The Unbreakable Movie ChainPet Sematary (1989)Sometimes dead is better. For this week’s episode we’re continuing our dalliance with the undead as we peak from behind our hands (at least, the more squeamish of us did) at the 1989 version of Stephen King’s most horrifying novel… Pet Sematary. Featuring terrible parenting, inevitable roadkill and the most adorable zombie in cinema history.
Also
Killers of the Flower Moon
The joys of film festivals
Gould has an idea for a cosy mystery
“The cat comes back with big yellow eyes, which means it’s evil now.” - Ed
“The pet sematary loo...2023-11-071h 18The Unbreakable Movie ChainBONUS: Top 10 Movie MonstersWhat’s your favourite movie monster? This week we’re shamelessly jumping on the Halloween bandwagon to bring you a special bonus episode… counting down our all time favourite movie monsters. Will we agree on what constitutes a monster? Gould can barely agree with herself!
Also
Which actor pops up no fewer than three times during this discussion?
Gould has a bet with herself.
Confusion over aliens and inter-dimensional entities
“I think you’ve set yourself some bonkers criteria.” - Ed
“He is so charismatic… he’s very, very sexy!” - Gould
2023-10-3140 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainFrankenstein (1931)It’s alive!! This week we’re getting down and dirty with the resurrection men to retrieve bodies for reanimation, then sitting back to watch the horror unfold in James Whale’s 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein. We all know that Frankenstein’s the doctor and his creation’s the creature, right? But which one’s the monster? We try to untangle this conundrum while examining the film as an early example of queer cinema, before tackling the real burning question… why on earth did they rename him Henry???
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Gould somehow found time in her Shocktober challenge to c...2023-10-241h 17The Unbreakable Movie ChainBONUS: Big Summer RoundupWhat did you watch this summer? We’ve been on our holidays and we came back with so much to talk about that we decided to put our highlights (and lowlights) in a special bonus episode. Kicking off with a long overdue discussion of the summer’s biggest hits, Barbie and Oppenheimer, we then take a whistlestop tour of the best, the worst, and the weirdest films we watched over the summer. Featuring subway breakdowns, comedy familicide, shuttlecock football.
“There was a brief period in the middle where I was quite cross with the film.” - Gould2023-10-1742 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainJurassic Park (1993)Hold onto your butts! This week we’re off on prehistoric safari through Jurassic Park – featuring Laura Dern’s lopsided running, Samuel L Jackson’s severed arm and Jeff Goldblum’s bare chest. Will we be consumed by our nostalgia for childhood dino-thrills? Only one way to find out!
Also
Giving up on bad movies
Gould’s controversial thoughts on Scorsese
Past Lives and Scrapper
“I don’t know how to love something critically, I only know how to gush.” - Gould
“Yul Brynner is a clever girl.” - Ed
“Do you mean Mu...2023-10-101h 16The Unbreakable Movie ChainBONUS: Top 10 Animated MoviesAnother bonus episode for you, and this time we’re letting our imaginations go wild as we run through our all time favourite animated movies. These movies have everything: talking animals, dancing skeletons, soaring dragons… and Satan’s beautiful singing voice.
“There are a lot of really wonderful, wonderful, wonderful films that are not on my list.” - Ed
“With animation you’ve got the scope to tell the biggest stories in the world.” - Gould
“There’s arguably not been a better Batman movie.” - Ed
CONTENT WARNING – You’ll...2023-10-0355 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainLittle Women (2019)Wait, what happens to Beth? In the latest episode we tackle Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel (or, more accurately, pair of novels) Little Women. Featuring marriage refusals, narrative whiplash and Beth’s Death.
Also
Asteroid City leaves us cold.
The horrors of a Festen/The Hunt double bill.
Ed tries to sell Gould on Christopher Nolan.
“It’s nice to know what I’ll be complaining about when I’m 50.” - Ed
“That’s the thing everybody knows about Little Women.” - Gould
“I wanted her to a...2023-09-261h 17The Unbreakable Movie ChainBONUS: Top 10 Screen PerformancesIn this, our first ever bonus episode, we run through our top ten favourite screen performances. Including a crossdressing musician, a sweary scotsman and a mountainous magic man.
“There’s the overblown romance of one of the relationships and this is the quiet, subtle romance that touches my heart” - Gould
“If he doesn’t end up on my top 10 list when we do villains, then something’s gone wrong for a lot of other people in a lot of other movies.” - Ed
“You almost make me want to go and watch it, but...2023-09-1956 minThe Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Virgin Suicides (1999)Which character’s which? On this episode of The Unbreakable Movie Chain we get lost in Sofia Copolla’s hazy, dreamlike debut feature The Virgin Suicides. Featuring sack-like prom dresses, questionable parenting, and Josh Hartnett’s Lego hair.
Also
David Fincher’s Zodiac, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, and the indie-horror double whammy of Last Shift and its remake Malum.
Which film franchise has been Gould’s decorating companion?
Ed’s confusion over the literary awards circuit and it’s ability to bend time
“To be perfectly frank, if the film doesn’t care about t...2023-09-121h 09The Unbreakable Movie ChainThe Graduate (1967)Here’s to you, dear listeners! On this week’s Unbreakable Movie Chain, Gould and Ed come of age chatting Mike Nichols’ The Graduate. Taking your date to a strip show while doing the dirty with her mum? We call that a summer well spent.
Also:
Ed went to see the 4k restoration of The Wicker Man.
The omnipresence of the actor Kevin Eldon.
Why wasn’t Sidney Poitier nominated for an Oscar at the 40th Academy Awards? I think we can guess.
“My frustration was with my own rampant disorganisation.” - Ed
“You wanna lick...2023-08-291h 24The Unbreakable Movie ChainPrimary Colors (1994)On this week’s episode, Gould and Ed head out on the campaign trail for Clinton era satire Primary Colors. Featuring sex scandals, apple fritters and John Travolta’s dad-dancing.
Also:
Thoughts on the blood-drenched war epic Sisu and Hereditary director Ari Aster’s latest Beau is Afraid.
Our hosts lose their minds over a single long shot of a diner.
The art of seguing from American politics to Peter Andre and back.
“He has an instinct to over-indulge on the smell of his own farts.” - Ed.
“I just find John Travolta really creep...2023-08-141h 31The Unbreakable Movie ChainD!ck Tracy (1990)Strap on your two-way wrist radios and get ready to hit the streets with Gould and Ed as they face off against cinematic crime – in the form of 1990’s Dick Tracy. Featuring painted backdrops, gratuitous nipples and all the latex in the land!
Also
Did our hosts enjoy their recent trips to the theatre?
Which of us let the side down by sitting in the sun rather than watching Beau is Afraid?
What on Earth are the Oscars for?
“If a whole other team of people did a Dick Tracy film that was completely separate from t...2023-08-141h 16The Unbreakable Movie ChainBeetlejuice (1988)This week on The Unbreakable Movie Chain, Ed and Gould calypso dance through the lurid bureaucracy of the afterlife in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. With sand snakes, roadkill civil servants and bioexorcisms galore!
Also:
The impossibility of getting through a Blue Velvet / Mulholland Drive double bill with brain intact.
Someone thinks Mars Attacks is a snooze.
A brief rant about the state of comedy in modern cinema.
“Even if the film’s terrible there’s gonna be at least one performance that’s worth watching.” - Ed on Michael Keaton.
“It was so nice to watch...2023-08-141h 21The Unbreakable Movie ChainThelma & Louise (1991)In this, the first episode of The Unbreakable Movie Chain, Ed and Gould don their headscarves and shades and gas up the tank for a fun, revenge-fuelled roadtrip with Thelma & Louise. Featuring classic diners, inept cops and getting laid and betrayed by two thirds of Brad Pitt.
Also:
Revelling in the gory splatter-fest that is Evil Dead Rise.
A brief discussion of the merits of fighting Kirk Douglass in your pants one-handed.
Is 1995’s Judge Dredd really one of the stupidest films Ed has ever seen? Yes, and he loves it.
“This is before he went...2023-08-141h 29The Unbreakable Movie ChainWelcome to The Unbreakable Movie Chain!In this special introduction to the pod our co-hosts, Madeline Gould and Ed Howells answer three burning questions – “Who the Hell are they?”, “What the Hell are they doing?”, and “Why on Earth are their voices making the journey from their cupboards to my ears?” SPOILER: The answer to all of these questions has something to do with loving movies and hoping that you do too.
Also -
Films that scare, films that arouse, films that make you laugh, films that make you punch the air
The Spicer Lovejoy hall of fame
Ed shows just how eclectic his m...2023-08-1417 min