Lee - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Blink Twice - Alien Romulus - UK Film Club - Ep 19

00:00.00
Brian Penn
ah you online and um yeah it was very strange but we're there now it's the important thing but then again though I mean how many how many of these shows go without some sort of technical hitch you know a oh okay all right okay

00:12.66
ukfilmreview
Well, also tonight I'm actually, I'm quite far behind. like I'm normally well ready, and but tonight i've I've literally jumped on and I'm still loading up the IMDB pages and stuff. So yeah, but no, I'm all good. I'm all good. It was more just my um ah youngest wouldn't go to sleep. She was like,

00:32.26
Brian Penn
Something considerate.

00:32.35
ukfilmreview
yeah

00:34.65
Brian Penn
Did she know that you had to be online?

00:34.93
ukfilmreview
yeah yeah she said that she said daddy i know you want to go do your podcast but what i'm gonna do is i'm gonna sit here and i'm gonna just swirl around my bed like a whirlwind um yeah yeah um and she doesn't even listen to the show so you know not a fan not a fan no she's she said you guys waffle on way too much you know

00:36.76
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:40.66
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah

00:45.68
Brian Penn
um yeah Joy's a parenthood, eh? Oh, you're joking, really? You can't even rely on your own children to be fans of your own show. What is it coming to?

01:01.94
Brian Penn
Well, that is true. We do. probably

01:03.25
ukfilmreview
Yeah, you don't get to the films in the first 60 seconds, so I switch off and that's actually quite indicative of a lot of the listeners.

01:07.53
Brian Penn
here so Short span of attention, really. I mean, that's what being a child is, but what excuse do the adults have for me?

01:13.62
ukfilmreview
and

01:17.10
ukfilmreview
exactly and if you are one of the ones who has made it past the first 60 seconds well done um and love to have you here.

01:17.98
Brian Penn
yeah

01:24.12
ukfilmreview
ah This is UK Film Club with me and Brian um who is chief film critic ah for our theatrical releases and

01:32.25
Brian Penn
um

01:36.07
ukfilmreview
On our show, and we normally review ah theatrical releases, so that's films that are at the cinema, streaming pic, indie films, and then nostalgia pic.

01:46.53
ukfilmreview
In this show, we won't be reviewing any indie films because we already did an absolute jam-packed episode earlier in the month.

01:52.73
Brian Penn
Yeah, whoa, it's supposed to be that, yeah.

01:54.24
ukfilmreview
it There were six indie films in that episode, so go and listen to that and after this one.

01:56.02
Brian Penn
Hmm. Hmm.

02:00.55
ukfilmreview
and yeah So in this show, it's all films that are not independent, they are more your blockbuster studio type films.

02:09.14
Brian Penn
Yeah. Hmm.

02:09.97
ukfilmreview
um And got a good crop here, Brian, quite a good crop, interesting film, some interesting movies here, some original ah stories, and also some

02:14.77
Brian Penn
Oh, yeah. I think so. Yeah. Yeah.

02:20.90
ukfilmreview
franchise continuations and our ah nostalgia pic so that's a film that we look back on is an absolute favorite of mine I must say um although I do actually prefer the second one which we're not reviewing um

02:23.02
Brian Penn
Yeah.

02:26.25
Brian Penn
Hmm.

02:33.68
Brian Penn
Hmm controversial.

02:39.18
ukfilmreview
Yeah, I mean, yeah, we'll get to it.

02:39.65
Brian Penn
man

02:41.22
ukfilmreview
But it is, um I was talking to my wife, she said, Oh, no, I like the first one. I was like, no No, the second one is where it's at.

02:45.83
Brian Penn
Yeah.

02:46.62
ukfilmreview
But and I know you're not a big fan, are you of second films?

02:46.90
Brian Penn
Yeah.

02:49.67
ukfilmreview
Normally, Brian, you normally say it gets worse, right?

02:50.32
Brian Penn
No, not normally. Yeah. I know. I know my default position with sequels generally is that they're never is quite as good, but you know, there's the rule can always be broken in my own mind, but it's just that.

03:01.91
Brian Penn
You don't have the, um, the impacts of seeing something for the first time, but I mean, we're going to go on to talk about, um, we've got one or two sequels to look at here, haven't we? So, you know, we can examine that in a bit more detail, can't we?

03:11.15
ukfilmreview
We have, yeah.

03:15.13
ukfilmreview
Not first though, because first, actually, ironically, the film was called Blink Twice.

03:16.77
Brian Penn
Um, Oh no.

03:21.16
Brian Penn
Oh yeah.

03:22.17
ukfilmreview
and So we're gonna we're gonna review that, um and this is from Zoe Kravitz. So Blink Twice, over to you, Brian.

03:26.94
Brian Penn
Hmm. Okay then, so this stars Channing Tatum, Naomi Aki, Alia Shawkat, and a host of really nice cameos to look out for here. um So we have Frida and Jess. They are waitresses looking for a break. They meet reach rich tech billionaire, Slater King, at a fundraising gala. Slater invites both women to join him on his private island. They think they fit the jackpot. A free holiday in an island paradise, rubbing shoulders with Slater's showbiz friends.

03:59.43
Brian Penn
but not everything is what it seems. Their mobile phones are confiscated when they enter the island, but luxurious meals and mysterious cocktails are a temporary distraction. Soon they experience memory loss and are troubled by workers with the same snake tattoo, and they seem to recognize Frieda and cause her red rabbit. But what exactly is happening here? That's all I dare tell you. You could easily reveal too much of the plot in this film, and I don't want to do that. You need to appreciate the full impact and I have to say it's good, it's very good.

04:32.13
ukfilmreview
Is it? It sounds really good. It sounds like a really good idea.

04:38.83
Brian Penn
Yeah, absolutely. um Some reviewers have compared it ah to get out the Jordan Peele film with Daniel Kaluuya. I don't think it's quite as good as that. It's certainly in the same ballpark, but it represents a new generation of horror movies, which, let's be honest, used to be a fairly blunt instrument. You know, you knew what you were getting with a horror movie, but um And so they were pretty pretty obvious.

05:01.72
Brian Penn
This is more of a psychological thriller. Maybe we should call it psych horror. um But do you know like that?

05:07.16
ukfilmreview
Nice, love it.

05:09.19
Brian Penn
Do you like that?

05:09.66
ukfilmreview
I do.

05:09.71
Brian Penn
I was i was thinking about that way and I thought, yeah, sub genre maybe. Anyway, ah there's a disclaimer at the beginning of the film warning people with mental health issues. And I think it's always worth pointing out when you were reviewing a film like this, where they go to the the extent that they put a disclaimer at the beginning.

05:26.30
Brian Penn
So yeah, it does have that element to it. but it But it is a very good film, and it's well worth seeing.

05:33.13
ukfilmreview
Cause Zuri Kravitz has kind of been quite popular in the last, I'd say last five, 10 years as a as a star, you know, she's been as a cast member.

05:38.39
Brian Penn
Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.

05:42.66
ukfilmreview
So is this her first film, do you know? Is this, or is this, I'm just gonna have a quick look.

05:45.61
Brian Penn
I think it's a first feature, isn't it? I'm not sure.

05:50.18
ukfilmreview
Cause I've always been very impressed by her in terms of her acting abilities, but I never knew that she had a kind of a penchant for, direct yeah, director of only one film.

05:52.70
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

05:59.71
Brian Penn
Yeah, course was a plusful yeah,

05:59.89
ukfilmreview
um And yeah, obviously it's an original idea. it's a It's not a safe bet, is it? You're trying to tell a story like this.

06:07.17
Brian Penn
no

06:08.62
ukfilmreview
And and I think, you know, after you seem quite positive about it in terms of your review, I think I've seen some good reviews for Blink twice. So yeah, it it seems that one of those films that's, it'll probably go under the radar, do you think?

06:20.51
Brian Penn
yeah I think that's probably the danger for a film like this is that it's not going to get the attention it really deserves. You know, you ah I mean, Channing Tatum is a, is a kind of a, he's a star.

06:32.39
ukfilmreview
He's a draw, yeah, I think people will ah see him and go, okay, well, what's that film?

06:34.13
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's got that going for it, but you know, the, you know, it's in terms of getting attention and getting space, it's got limited opportunities.

06:46.09
Brian Penn
I think Naomi Aki's very good in the role as well as Frida, you know, it all works. It all fits together really well. And Channing Tatum really i i argue it's these best parts so far that You know, you look at films that he normally makes, that he doesn't make anything mildly challenging, really, that this kind of operates on a different level.

07:05.62
Brian Penn
And it it's a departure for him, in my opinion. So that makes people even more curious what he should do.

07:11.95
ukfilmreview
He's very um been penned into the comedy circuit for a while, hasn't it he?

07:16.07
Brian Penn
Yeah.

07:16.19
ukfilmreview
He'd been kind of that sort of light relief.

07:18.32
Brian Penn
Yeah.

07:19.98
ukfilmreview
I know he did things like Magic Mike and stuff like that, but yeah, largely he kind of comes in as a sort of a funny guy and he is very good at it.

07:25.23
Brian Penn
Yeah.

07:26.07
ukfilmreview
I must say he's good at the comedy, but it's interesting you're saying that actually something like this where he's playing a more of a mysterious kind of dark character, it works.

07:26.36
Brian Penn
yeah and

07:30.81
Brian Penn
yeah yes i mean like Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean, Slater King is, ah is a complex character, and he gets under the skin that character really well. And when you see the film, you realize that there are, it's multi layered. And Channing Tatum, I think has done himself a favor by proving that he can act. You know, but I'm not saying that he can't act at all. But some actors will pick roles that are good for the careers that make money. They don't take chances, do they? And I would argue that much of what Channing takes him done so far is froth, really. You know, but this is kind of proper acting, in my opinion. So, yeah, it's very good. I liked it a lot. I was surprised myself how much I liked it. You know, because you go into a film, you think to yourself, well, you know, it's going to be a bit in there for me, but it was really good and it surprised me. So it's well worth giving giving it a whirl.

08:26.63
ukfilmreview
there you go blink twice currently in cinemas if you're listening to this as of it coming out um but yeah let us know what you think i we didn't have any listener reviews of this so I won't be reading any of those out but yeah if you have seen it

08:38.68
Brian Penn
Mm hmm.

08:43.49
ukfilmreview
get in touch. We are moving on to a franchise, one of the biggest franchises of all time and we're staying in that kind of dark genre.

08:45.66
Brian Penn
Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

08:54.46
ukfilmreview
and This is going to be a review by Brian of Alien Romulus.

09:00.32
Brian Penn
Okay, then. So this is directed by Fiddy Alvarez starring Callie Sweeney. David Johnson and Archie Renaud. So we find ourselves in deeper space where a Wayland-Yutani space probe finds the wreckage of Nostromo,

09:18.59
Brian Penn
which you may remember was the ship from the original Alien movie. A group of young space colonists led by Raine and her brother Andy decide to investigate the abandoned craft. They find organic material which they take back to their own vessel. They begin to examine the material which sets off a terrifying chain of events.

09:38.50
Brian Penn
Again, like Blinks Weiss, I won't say anymore, because I don't like to be too much of a spoiler here, but this is all very well done. But it inevitably lifts a lot of ideas from earlier alien movies that grapple with the reality of a perfect organism, which is really treading the past. But to be fair, where else would it go? ah There are some nice touches that remind us of the story's origins. I always felt there was a 50-50 split between sci-fi and horror.

10:05.16
Brian Penn
But this seems to me at least to have crossed over to the latter that it is pure horror now. Again, no bad thing necessarily. But I liked the original split between horror and sci-fi. But it seems to have jettisoned the aspects of sci-fi more in favor of shocking the viewer, which it does do incredibly well. But I wouldn't say it's breaking new ground necessarily. It will please fans, I think.

10:32.36
Brian Penn
um anyone new to the to the franchise will enjoy it. But again, there's no real substitute again, we touched on it earlier, didn't we about sequels and how they match up to the original. They're never going to be as good as the first idea because you don't have the impact of seeing it for the first time. But having said all that, it is very good. It's very efficient. clinical is a word that I I'm tempted to use on a film like this, because it it is well done. But I don't think it has the ah the impacts and the energy of earlier alien films, that's all. But it will certainly do very well at the box office. It will run for some time. And fair play to them. They've done the job and done it well.

11:21.32
ukfilmreview
Yeah, it's interesting with the Alien movies, isn't it? Because I've seen most of them. I think there's a couple maybe I didn't sort of catch. But i we reviewed the first Alien last month on Film Club and it stands out still as ah as in it's a tremendous film.

11:32.64
Brian Penn
Yeah.

11:38.31
ukfilmreview
It's still tremendous.

11:38.42
Brian Penn
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

11:39.78
ukfilmreview
And when I spoke to other people, most, I would say actually everyone says either that's their favorite or the second one is their favorite. um And that's it.

11:47.84
Brian Penn
yeah

11:49.00
ukfilmreview
There's no other, like no other film comes into chat.

11:50.74
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know.

11:52.11
ukfilmreview
I remember watching Prometheus and I remember just being incredibly confused. um I think

11:56.69
Brian Penn
Yeah.

11:57.80
ukfilmreview
can't really remember three. I remember not liking it that much um and I think it's this kind of dwindling return that we're getting from these movies.

12:00.16
Brian Penn
Yeah. but

12:04.09
Brian Penn
Yeah.

12:05.94
ukfilmreview
With something like this it doesn't stand out as a film that I'll probably make time for. I know that sounds a bit bad but I think it's a franchise that I because I haven't seen it lift off at any point since the first couple of films.

12:12.69
Brian Penn
that and Yeah. Yeah.

12:18.77
ukfilmreview
I just don't feel that bothered by it.

12:21.22
Brian Penn
Yeah. But I think it says a lot, a lot there, though, Chris, where you say, right, the first and second films were great. I'd agree with you there. But then you kind of tail off a little bit when you say you talk about the third one and fourth one, you don't really remember it.

12:32.78
Brian Penn
Doesn't that really say a lot though about the the impacts of sequels when when they they're just redoing what you've already seen? And even when you do watch it, nothing really stands out for it because you've already seen it and they're using up their best ideas in the earlier films. And that doesn't mean to say that it's not gonna be commercially successful, but is it gonna be critically successful? Maybe that doesn't matter. so you know But I think you when you look at what you get from it,

13:01.85
Brian Penn
as you say the lower diminishing returns, you're you're getting less from it. And it's probably of more benefit to a new audience who are just getting into alien the first time. But what we always direct them back to the first or second film? like

13:14.72
ukfilmreview
Yeah, that always makes me wonder with like modern audiences, whether the gap in quality would be a problem. Because obviously from our point of view, we still have the storytelling and we have no problem.

13:27.68
ukfilmreview
yeah And actually the film that's on The Stylotropic actually suffers a lot from this in terms of the look and feel of it. that If you weren't around when those films came out, you would think, what is this?

13:34.22
Brian Penn
Yeah.

13:38.54
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know.

13:38.61
ukfilmreview
ah But I still think with

13:39.10
Brian Penn
Yeah.

13:41.83
ukfilmreview
these absolute legendary movies like Alien um that it is kind of like it's still so good that I still think modern audiences will watch this and go wow that's brilliant and because it's not necessarily about the look and feel it is about the storytelling and how well it's been done and with the first Alien film

13:57.28
Brian Penn
Yeah.

14:03.72
ukfilmreview
And second one, it's like how it made me feel like when I left the movie, I was just absolutely like, yeah, oh my God, I've been transported, whereas with the other ones, I didn't feel that at all, I didn't connect.

14:06.20
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

14:09.91
Brian Penn
and Yeah. know no Yeah.

14:12.75
ukfilmreview
So it would be interesting if anyone's listening that has come to the Alien franchise fresh, which does happen quite a lot now, because obviously we're quite old and but other people are not so old, um they come and and watch these movies and and then they go and explore the back catalogue.

14:18.72
Brian Penn
Yeah, of course. Yeah. oh yeah

14:25.72
Brian Penn
Yeah.

14:28.51
Brian Penn
Yeah.

14:28.59
ukfilmreview
But um yeah, this feels like that sort of movie.

14:30.47
Brian Penn
But. Well, you see, I would recommend anyone news to the genre too. to start with with the first film, but I think it's a tendency to just to see get into what you see in front of you first, then you go back.

14:44.37
Brian Penn
And really, you should do it the other way around. You should treat it like a box set, shouldn't you, really?

14:48.84
ukfilmreview
Hmm.

14:49.41
Brian Penn
I don't Yeah.

14:50.03
ukfilmreview
I also, there's a lot of things as well in these sort of movies where they are, they're already confusing, right? Cause it's sci-fi and everything, but then they're making callbacks often to other things that have happened in previous movies and they're referencing characters or or stuff that I think, yeah, definitely watching them in order is the, is the best way to go, if you can make time for it.

14:55.88
Brian Penn
yeah

15:02.17
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

15:08.57
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, and that there I think we know that even though sequels can be standalone films, and they often are, but there is a recurring theme, there's a common thread running through every, every sequel, every sequel that's made, you know, even with, with um even with Fast and Furious, there's still a, there's still the vaguest of threads still running through every single one of those 10 films.

15:28.63
ukfilmreview
Hmm.

15:33.57
Brian Penn
And it still makes even though you can see them individually. it would make sense to watch them from the start, then you appreciate how the storyline such as it is, you know, as developed site, there isn't much of a storyline in past theories.

15:47.24
Brian Penn
But you know, I'm getting out though, you know, in principle, there's a common thread there that you should appreciate and you can kind only do that if you watch it from the beginning.

15:48.27
ukfilmreview
Oh yeah, yeah.

15:54.59
Brian Penn
So yeah, they're still good. look It's very good. This is very solid, good filmmaking, there's nothing wrong with it. But you know, um we we must point these these things out, mustn't we?

16:06.71
Brian Penn
As we say,

16:06.76
ukfilmreview
Yeah, and if you watch Alien Romulus, I know we've read a review out on a previous episode, but if you've seen it, do still send in your reviews, that's absolutely fine.

16:15.47
Brian Penn
Hmm.

16:16.21
ukfilmreview
Let us know what you thought of it. Carrying on with ah franchises and, well, we no one thought this was gonna be a franchise, but maybe it will become one.

16:19.57
Brian Penn
Hmm.

16:25.01
Brian Penn
no

16:26.55
ukfilmreview
um Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

16:30.65
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

16:32.16
ukfilmreview
I mean, now we really are throwing back to the old school. Go on, Brian.

16:35.15
Brian Penn
Yeah, nice 96 the the original was my. I made a point of actually watching the first film before I saw the new one, just to sort of refresh my memory, because I hadn't seen it for many, many years. But you know, we, ah so we've got who original stars that come back, or most of them anyway, Michael Keaton, Winona Reiner, Catherine O'Hara, plus Justin Theroux, and some more really good cameos as well to look out for. So the story picks up with Lydia Deets hosting a supernatural chat show

17:07.36
Brian Penn
During filming, she has visions of Beetlejuice in the audience. Her father, Charles, later dies on the way to her funeral. Sliming TV producer Rory proposes to Lydia. She accepts, which enrages daughter Astrid, who seeks comfort with Jeremy, a ghost with a murky past. He convinces Astrid that she can see her father again, her late father again, if his life can be restored, that Astrid is in danger and Lydia will have to call on Beetlejuice once again.

17:38.29
Brian Penn
Now I really like this film, I really like it. Like I was trying to say, I prefer it to the original. Now I'm not saying that it's better, that's another conversation entirely. But there's just a more dynamic storyline, the visuals are a lot stronger. I really liked it, it was more challenging on a sort of a cerebral level. What I thought was interesting, when I came out, I was coming out of the cinema, I overheard some people talking and seeing it with me at the same show.

18:05.96
Brian Penn
They said, oh, the storyline's too complicated. I thought, what's wrong with that, really? What's wrong with being challenged a little bit?

18:10.71
ukfilmreview
Nothing.

18:13.36
Brian Penn
You know, I think with a film like Beaslejuice is that, you know, you just assume the visuals are going to do all the hard work for you, but there is a more, compared to the first film, there is a more involved storyline here and it's more, there's a lot more to get to grips with, but I enjoyed it more because of that.

18:30.72
Brian Penn
But, you know, a very good film. I'm not sure why he's waited so long. so to remake the film or not remake it but to make a sequel and it is a proper sequel because the story's moved on you know Lydia's grown up you know um so you know it there is a continuum there so it's it's not a remake it's a it's a sequel but I enjoyed it and I to be fair the that long gap

18:42.04
ukfilmreview
Yeah.

19:01.58
Brian Penn
allows them to take account of technological advances in filmmaking where the special effects are bound to be better. And you realize how basic special effects are on the first film, but I don't think it relies on it quite as much, but a very enjoyable film.

19:14.87
Brian Penn
I liked it.

19:15.83
ukfilmreview
Hmm, we have a couple of listener reviews, so let's see what you make of these, Brian. So Oliver Guild gives the film three stars. and'm I'm just taking a snippet from his really talking about Michael Keaton. He says, the juice is exactly what you'd expect this time around. If not a little perfunctory, he's as wacky and mischievous as ever. And it's a joy to watch Keaton have fun in a role he clearly loves. But he is a little uneven at times, oscillating between full throttle cartoon clown and somber, charmless Joker.

19:46.99
Brian Penn
Hmm.

19:47.34
ukfilmreview
Helming all the craziness is Tim Burton, and luckily he's in his element here. Nothing else looks or feels like a Tim Burton film except a Tim Burton film. And there is a genuine thrill in watching a master director at work.

20:00.53
ukfilmreview
I mean, it I mean, that bit is sort of an interesting couple of aspects of the movie. So one is Keaton's performance as Beetlejuice. How did you find that, Brian?

20:10.99
Brian Penn
Yeah, look, I mean, he yeah obviously knows the part very well. I think that was a good review, by the way.

20:16.31
ukfilmreview
Mm.

20:16.39
Brian Penn
um Michael King knows the part very well, and he's having a ball with it. You know, when you know an actor, he's just loving what they're doing. um I mean, the reviewer there mentioned the ah the extremes, you know, about one minute, it's very earnest and dull, and the next minute, he's almost comic strip.

20:34.49
Brian Penn
There are elements sort of Beetlejuice That is a feels like a comic strip. That's the, that's the intention, but it still hits the mark though. And it can still be very funny at times. And, um, that's, that's fair enough. That's what you expect. Um, I think the, um, that it is a typical Tim Burton film. Yeah, of course it is. And it adds that mark of quality about it. So yeah, I do. I'd they agree with the that review. Um, it's all good. It all works. You know, they, they, he's updated the story.

21:06.78
Brian Penn
And he's worked a lot harder updating it.

21:06.96
ukfilmreview
a

21:09.19
Brian Penn
You know, you see some sequels, they don't, they make less of an effort with some sequels to update the story and to appreciate the fact that it's, it's moved forward what 36 years or yeah, it's 36 years, isn't it?

21:16.06
ukfilmreview
Mmm. Right here.

21:23.22
Brian Penn
Um, so he's done that really well. So yeah, I, I taken board all of those points and and broadly agree, but the the comic strip elements of Beetlejuice are ah deliberate and they're meant to be there.

21:35.50
Brian Penn
So I think that those kind of, where the characters go into extremes is it's intended, that it's deliberate.

21:41.88
ukfilmreview
Yeah, I think you and in Oliver's review he mentioned it being a timber and film and yeah, you can't get away from the aesthetic that that man has created for himself in terms of filmmaking.

21:50.56
Brian Penn
Yeah.

21:52.61
ukfilmreview
um This movie absolutely resonates on that level. um We had another review, Alexa Day also gives the film three stars.

21:58.04
Brian Penn
Hmm. Hmm.

21:59.89
ukfilmreview
um This film could be summed up in a sentence. It did not need to be made. It was ah yeah it was fun.

22:05.60
Brian Penn
well yeah

22:07.90
ukfilmreview
The visuals and the cinematography were fantastic. Burton really nailed that aspect. He encapsulated the same feel of the afterlife from the original expanding universe while still keeping all his signature style atypical and creepy.

22:20.03
ukfilmreview
However, the writing and the storytelling storytelling sorry seriously failed to keep up with what made the original film so enjoyable. with many subplots they added in all falling flat with no real depth or dimension added throughout.

22:28.15
Brian Penn
um

22:31.78
Brian Penn
well

22:34.84
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, I mean, um, I wouldn't totally agree with that. Obviously. Um, I liked the, um, the subplots and I'm not sure they felt totally flat to be honest, but, but I mean, that was their view of it.

22:46.41
Brian Penn
And that's fair. Fair enough. Um, when they say that it shouldn't have been made, well, there's an argument to be made for every sequel. You could say the same thing about every sequel, couldn't you?

22:54.35
ukfilmreview
and

22:56.32
Brian Penn
It shouldn't have been made because in an ideal ideal world, there would only be one version of every film. You know, we've always had sequels. There have always been franchises in the movies. You know, James Bond is a franchise that started very early on, you know, um which is fair enough. But the bottom line is that they're there to make money, and they all almost always do. Otherwise, they wouldn't keep on making sequels. and But very rarely to do they break new ground, but they still they're still valid. I mean, how would real fans of Beetlejuice

23:33.85
Brian Penn
take it. You know, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan. ah but I find both films very enjoyable for what they are. I find it difficult to be too critical, ah because it's not a genre that I'm particularly into because I'm a mainstream film fan and I watch everything.

23:50.62
Brian Penn
So I tend not to get into niches, but you see some people that understand it better will have a more critical way.

23:58.25
ukfilmreview
Hmm.

23:59.00
Brian Penn
You know, so I mean, I, to be honest, I mean, I would have given it a four actually. paul um It would have been between a three and a four for me. But you know, it depends what your expectations are when you see a film like this.

24:12.53
Brian Penn
And how much of a fan you are to begin with, you know.

24:12.77
ukfilmreview
Yeah. Yeah.

24:15.79
ukfilmreview
Yeah, I think there's definitely an element of what you're going into this film with in terms of your ah expectation of a movie that is coming out so far after the original because, you know, there will be a, there'll be there people that will say, you know, it is a cash grab and it is a almost a bit desperate, but you're bringing back these actors to just, you know, reprieve a role that, you know, why are we not hearing a new story?

24:19.62
Brian Penn
Yeah.

24:26.21
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

24:38.89
ukfilmreview
but then there's also that element of, okay, yeah, but maybe there's something here that's still relevant or something new that they're actually using these characters to explore because they were very good characters and it works well.

24:48.76
Brian Penn
Hmm.

24:49.95
ukfilmreview
um But also, you know, Alexa Day, thank you for the review. all opinions are valid. you We're very happy to have all opinions here.

24:59.24
Brian Penn
Absolutely. Yeah.

25:00.15
ukfilmreview
um And this is what's great about Film Club.

25:00.70
Brian Penn
Yeah.

25:02.03
ukfilmreview
It's great that it's starting to turn into this where we're getting these ah you these reviews.

25:04.03
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

25:05.76
ukfilmreview
And also, yeah um and Alexis's review goes on to talk about lots of other aspects of the movie. I only picked out the very first section of the review. um Talk about the first film.

25:14.56
Brian Penn
Hmm.

25:15.35
ukfilmreview
We did have a listener review of that, which I think is obviously interesting.

25:17.86
Brian Penn
Oh.

25:19.30
ukfilmreview
um Their name is Saturn, apparently.

25:19.34
Brian Penn
Yeah.

25:21.94
ukfilmreview
I'm not sure whether, ah what gender or any gender that you might be.

25:22.22
Brian Penn
Oh, okay.

25:25.66
Brian Penn
Yeah.

25:26.18
ukfilmreview
um This is from 1988 Speed Tool Juice, ah which they gave five stars.

25:31.48
Brian Penn
Hmm.

25:32.03
ukfilmreview
I'm not sure I'd give the original five. I was scared. I was scared by it as a child, quite a lot.

25:36.18
Brian Penn
Yeah. Well, you were just young.

25:37.89
ukfilmreview
It's still, i that's the year I was born.

25:38.62
Brian Penn
So when you at the time, oh, there you go.

25:40.64
ukfilmreview
I was still, yeah, I was,

25:42.00
Brian Penn
You could get much younger than that. Could you really?

25:43.80
ukfilmreview
yeah i watched it in the womb um but yeah interesting to see obviously a five star review of the original beta 2 so i won't read the the full review out because it's It's quite long, but then so yeah talking about Burton's style again.

26:01.90
ukfilmreview
Burton's signature style, a mix of whimsical and the creepy, makes the film an oddly satisfying ride from start to finish. Oh, and let's not forget the music. Danny Elfman's score is iconic as ever, but it's the use of Harry Belafonte's deal during the dinner scene.

26:11.04
Brian Penn
and oh sir Yeah, yeah no that's a great scene though, isn't it?

26:17.10
ukfilmreview
yeah Yeah, that takes the cake.

26:17.76
Brian Penn
That is a great scene.

26:18.91
ukfilmreview
I mean, because I think even the trailer they used it, the the first trailer, they put it on there.

26:19.34
Brian Penn
yeah

26:23.79
ukfilmreview
And that's the stuff that sticks out to me.

26:24.70
Brian Penn
yeah

26:26.52
ukfilmreview
When I remember the film, there's that scene.

26:26.98
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

26:28.82
ukfilmreview
ah And there's yeah a bit where he's are in the waiting room and stuff. But yeah, there's there are certain parts of Beatrice that are absolutely iconic and I can see why they've decided to sort of bring it back because they've got a built-in audience who already want to see what they're going to do with it and then they've got a new audience who are like oh what's all this like yeah what's going on so yeah I do get it um

26:36.49
Brian Penn
Yeah.

26:42.59
Brian Penn
Yeah.

26:45.92
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know. Yeah. Yeah.

26:49.62
ukfilmreview
But yeah, let us know anyone else if you've watched Beatlejuice, Beatlejuice.

26:51.53
Brian Penn
Yeah.

26:54.67
ukfilmreview
I know our critic didn't like it. He saw it at the um Venice Film Festival and gave it one star. So I think he you know what it's like at these festivals.

27:02.98
Brian Penn
and That's a bit harsh, really. Just a bit harsh.

27:07.59
ukfilmreview
like Sometimes you've been there, you've been curing that for two hours, then you get in and you're like, oh, God.

27:11.78
Brian Penn
Yeah.

27:13.30
ukfilmreview
yeah So maybe he was having a bad day.

27:15.40
Brian Penn
Yeah.

27:16.27
ukfilmreview
ah

27:16.35
Brian Penn
Yeah, could be, could be.

27:17.73
ukfilmreview
yeah I will be talking to you actually Jack soon about his Venice trip and some of the films he saw I think are also going to be at the BFI so that'll be interesting to catch up with him.

27:25.65
Brian Penn
and Excellent. Yeah.

27:28.65
ukfilmreview
But yeah, just moving on now to a film starring Kate Winslet called Lee. I had not heard anything about this until you told me Brian.

27:37.67
Brian Penn
a

27:38.50
ukfilmreview
So over to you on Lee.

27:38.92
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, let me be a bit of a trailblazer then. Right. Okay. So Lee, directed by Alan Keiras, starring Kate Winslet, Andy Sandberg, Peter Skarsgard, Andrea Reisborough, and Josh O'Connor. The narrative picks up in 1938 as Hitler tightens his grip on mainland Europe. Lee Miller is a former model carving out a new career for herself as a photographer. Vogue magazine in London are sufficiently impressed to offer her a commission.

28:07.56
Brian Penn
and it's her Audrey Rook with us. It's supportive, but doubts that Miller's style will be appreciated by the readers. The film periodically flips forward to an older Miller in conversation with her son, Anthony. When war breaks out, she is determined to reach the battlefront. Her lover, Richard Penrose, pleads with her not to go. But she enlists in the US forces and meets fellow photographer, David E. Sherman. They are kindred spirits and together witness the final months of the conflict.

28:35.67
Brian Penn
Now this, Chris, is proper filmmaking, in my opinion.

28:39.26
ukfilmreview
of

28:40.41
Brian Penn
A true story when you when you where you invest in the characters, a compelling storyline that engages you if you let it engage you. know It seems to me so far out of place when it's compared to other films currently being made.

28:55.46
Brian Penn
It's very old-fashioned. I'm thrilled that films like this are still being made and are still going on theatrical release. you know um It's a marvelous film. you know it's it the You have this great panoramic view sort of the conflict and what it does. And Lee Miller's story is largely unknown to the masses, I would say. It's only in the last few years that her story's been told. And I think great stories like this are there waiting to be discovered and waiting to be made into a film like this. This is great filmmaking. this is why

29:35.10
Brian Penn
to quote a cliche, this is why we go to the cinema, to watch a film like this. But I just wonder how it sits with the current mix of films that we have and what people expect about the movies. But it's a great film.

29:51.84
ukfilmreview
Hmm, is it film of the month?

29:55.45
Brian Penn
It's Film of the Month.

29:56.76
ukfilmreview
I had a feeling the way you were talking about is always in love.

29:57.99
Brian Penn
I know.

29:59.76
ukfilmreview
He's in love here, so...

30:00.72
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know. I know. This is it. This is it. I kind of give the game away. I've got to try and be a bit more neutral and keep you guessing with film.

30:05.87
ukfilmreview
oh Well, um um sometimes it's happened and it's the first film we review on the show and it's kind of like, oh, people might just think, oh, I'll just go watch that then.

30:10.26
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. Yeah. Forget the rest. Yeah. But no, this is film in a month without a shot of a doubt for me because of the strength of storytelling. um It's real people, real lives. No, it's not in places. It's not a pleasant watch because it is about war. And this is about a woman who was on the front line.

30:30.67
Brian Penn
with nothing more than a camera, don't yeah putting herself in danger so that the world could see well what's going what's happening. you know And that's a bright that's brave in itself, really. So a great film. It's got to be seen. It's got to be seen.

30:48.93
ukfilmreview
ah be saying i mean um Like I said, I hadn't really heard about it and this definitely feels like I'm going to start calling them a Brian special because

30:56.45
Brian Penn
Oh, OK. Yeah, I like that. Yeah, that'll do.

30:58.24
ukfilmreview
you have this ability to find these films that are going to probably go under the radar and that it's often about an original story, about characters, and actually more, well, probably about half-time, it's about a real person here, a story from someone here that we've, in history, and then I was having a story.

30:58.75
Brian Penn
yeah

31:01.56
Brian Penn
yeah and i went

31:07.08
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah Yeah.

31:16.36
ukfilmreview
And this is that sort of film where it's kind of like, I'm so glad that we get to talk about it and tell people about it and hopefully people will sort of seek it out because

31:21.07
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

31:25.43
ukfilmreview
I would not have heard about Lee in this sort of film. All right, it's got ah Kate Winslet in. So I'm like, oh, yeah, because I know she's very good. I do like Kate Winslet. I think she's a fabulous actor.

31:34.05
Brian Penn
Yeah, she's great in this role.

31:35.62
ukfilmreview
But sometimes yeah and with my life, the chaos that it is, I don't always have time to seek these films out.

31:38.20
Brian Penn
Yeah, cool.

31:40.46
ukfilmreview
So yeah, it's definitely going on my must watch list.

31:40.83
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah but absolutely.

31:43.54
ukfilmreview
And current I mean, war films typically are worthy, but um is this a worthy of a cinema trip?

31:51.96
Brian Penn
I think it is. Yeah, I would say it is very much so. You know, the you you know, you you don't see a lot of on conflict, but what you do see needs to be seen on the big screen. So But you you could say aside from that, it works on the small screen as well.

32:07.28
Brian Penn
But the impact is going to be there if you sit if you sit at the cinema.

32:07.42
ukfilmreview
Hmm No, I can imagine it's not going to get the bums on seats that it needs to stick around

32:10.96
Brian Penn
So I think it's worth a cinema trip and it won't be on for long. It won't be on for very long.

32:17.80
Brian Penn
and No, no, but which is why why I ah look upon it as ah an old fashioned movie, that this is the sort of film that would be made 40 50 years ago and would pack cinemas out.

32:30.54
Brian Penn
but I think the typical movie-going audience today has become used to a different diet of films, a different type of film. And it's reassuring they're still being made, that there's still a bit going on general release.

32:42.75
Brian Penn
But a film like this, if it's going to survive at all, would be on the small screen. So I think it's great to see this type of film at the cinema. And please go and watch it.

32:53.39
Brian Penn
Give it a chance, I would say.

32:55.64
ukfilmreview
I mean, we don't often beg, but yeah, please go watch it.

32:57.45
Brian Penn
Yeah, give give it give it a chance. You never know.

33:01.08
ukfilmreview
So that's Lee, and that's the final review of the theatrical releases. So all of those should be currently available at cinemas near you if you are in the UK.

33:09.51
Brian Penn
Yep.

33:11.30
ukfilmreview
If you're not in the UK, if you're one of our listeners around the globe, hello. um

33:14.82
Brian Penn
Yeah. Where have you been?

33:16.45
ukfilmreview
Where have you been? Yeah, or how have you been? and And I hope always well, wherever you are.

33:18.31
Brian Penn
Yeah.

33:21.32
ukfilmreview
um We are moving on now to our streaming pick. So this is a film that is available on a streaming service now. I would also caveat that that streaming service in the UK.

33:33.58
Brian Penn
um

33:33.84
ukfilmreview
We have heard from some people that said there they can't watch it because maybe the provider is different where you are.

33:36.65
Brian Penn
Uh, hmm.

33:39.49
ukfilmreview
um The movie that we're reviewing on this episode is available on Disney Plus and it stars Daisy Ridley.

33:44.37
Brian Penn
Hmm.

33:46.43
ukfilmreview
It's called Young Woman and the Sea. Now, I'm going to say that again because

33:48.91
Brian Penn
Hmm.

33:52.86
ukfilmreview
i've read it Every time I've told someone I've watched this film, I've said the film title wrong.

33:55.31
Brian Penn
Hmm.

33:57.63
Brian Penn
Yeah.

33:57.75
ukfilmreview
um i've said like I've called it like the young woman in the sea.

33:59.03
Brian Penn
Yeah.

34:01.72
Brian Penn
but yeah

34:03.17
ukfilmreview
I've called it woman in the sea.

34:03.40
Brian Penn
and

34:04.79
ukfilmreview
ah yeah A woman in the sea, I said at one point.

34:07.28
Brian Penn
Yeah, that's true as well.

34:08.31
ukfilmreview
um So just just to reiterate, young woman and the sea is is the title that we're going with.

34:09.28
Brian Penn
That's right.

34:14.36
ukfilmreview
As I said, it stars Daisy Ridley. And again, a film about a real person

34:16.19
Brian Penn
and

34:19.76
ukfilmreview
um And this was set in 1926, so that sort of era, at a time when women, and in particular with regards to sport, were not seen at all as equals, and that's still obviously an issue even today. um And it's the story of a competitive swimmer called Gertrude Edderley.

34:44.31
ukfilmreview
um And I thought this was absolutely brilliant. I really enjoyed this.

34:49.97
Brian Penn
Yeah.

34:50.80
ukfilmreview
It is on the nose a little bit with the because it's a Disney film. I think they are sort of, you know, the script is fairly kind of non-combative, shall we say. It's it's not, you know, it's not really getting too gritty with the the the characters and stuff.

35:01.30
Brian Penn
Yeah.

35:03.74
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

35:05.40
ukfilmreview
But I really liked the storyline because she's got a sister, Meg, and the two of them, very they overcome a lot of challenges to become swimmers at a time when yeah Women weren't even allowed to sort of show too much skin on the on the beaches and things like that.

35:20.17
Brian Penn
Yeah. Hmm.

35:21.57
ukfilmreview
And there was no female clubs for them to join. And they had to kind of basically pave the way yeah for themselves to get yeah into the pool.

35:24.32
Brian Penn
Yeah.

35:32.10
ukfilmreview
With the help of their mother, who is absolutely ferocious. She is so good.

35:37.17
Brian Penn
Yeah,

35:38.14
ukfilmreview
She absolutely steals every scene that she's in.

35:40.50
Brian Penn
yeah she's good.

35:41.39
ukfilmreview
this this formidable woman that just kind of keeps kicking ass and taking your names um and ah yeah her relationship with the dad is brilliant because the dad is just kind of like put trying to put his foot down but realizes he's never going to win he's never going to win um but yeah I thought it was a really great story and it is a very contemporary idea it's a lot of

35:45.67
Brian Penn
Yeah. um

35:51.08
Brian Penn
I know. Yeah. I know. No, aye that's right. Hmm.

36:02.54
ukfilmreview
talk in the media and the news about the disparaging kind of elements between men's sports and women's sports and and pay and access and all this stuff.

36:10.94
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

36:15.16
ukfilmreview
So it's great when these sort of stories are brought up and they do have that kind of modern relevance to an audience.

36:17.36
Brian Penn
Hmm.

36:20.84
ukfilmreview
But what did you think of Young Woman and the Sea?

36:24.03
Brian Penn
yeah i love this film for the same reasons that i loved the film lee it's a real story about real people i'll say it again overcoming adversity and sexism you know in the 1920s as well you know the like yeah it does feel obviously like a walk disney film because it's very very safe as you say the scripts is quite bland and quite safe it doesn't take any chances but um you just gotta love all all the characters in this film so much you root for them you know, that t truly overcame measles as a child. She was partially deaf and swimming probably wasn't the healthiest thing for us to do, but she did. And as you say, her mother um really pushed her forward and she became a championship swimmer. She ah competed at the Olympics and two years later in 1926, she, as you say, she swam the English channel and and she did it um two hours

37:24.33
Brian Penn
quicker than the fastest man had done it at that time. So, you know, it makes the mark there for the the right of women to compete in sport. And this, this happened a long time ago, you know, it's not a recent equality is not a recent phenomenon, is it really, you know, but there were people around years ago, and back in the 1920s, 100 years ago, who were breaking that glass ceiling. And it's, it's nothing new. And then you realize that progress is being made.

37:52.59
Brian Penn
in increments and it's very slow. But this film shows you ah what a force of character she was, what a force of character her mother was as well. So push her forward in this way. My only qualm with the with the film itself is that they seem to play down her achievements at the Olympics i because she won a gold medal in the relay, one of the relays, and see bronzes in the individual events.

38:09.03
ukfilmreview
Yeah.

38:14.80
Brian Penn
But they seem to sort of ignore it, overlook it, they made it look like she she was a failure. To me, this is the way I interpreted it, is that they made it look like a failure at the Olympics, probably more because they wanted to concentrate on her swimming the channel, because that was the that's the the focal point of the story, is her swimming the channel.

38:35.41
ukfilmreview
Yeah, because there's this element throughout the film about the people who have a reason for her to fail, right? There's these like people that have got their hands in certain pies, shall we say, that have got yeah a reason to see her not succeed.

38:42.62
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

38:50.35
ukfilmreview
And there's a bit where she's sort yeah she doesn't do very well at the Olympics because they don't really let her train. and

38:56.24
Brian Penn
yeah yeah yeah no Yeah.

38:57.11
ukfilmreview
she'd say she she does okay, she didn't like lose everything and and then she comes back and then she basically just gives up swimming because she's like oh it's it's not going to happen now but then ah yeah that's like kind of like underdog story where we know all right yeah that's not the end though right you're still going to go because I think what happens is she sees how much of an inspiration that she is to young girls coming up to her and being like oh my god you went to the Olympics for that

39:04.27
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

39:08.62
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

39:17.55
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

39:19.91
ukfilmreview
um

39:20.34
Brian Penn
Yeah.

39:20.92
ukfilmreview
the That's an interesting aspect of the movie that they I think they they wanted to tell that part of the story as well about these men that were trying to keep her down.

39:26.62
Brian Penn
Yeah.

39:29.64
Brian Penn
Yeah.

39:30.58
ukfilmreview
um like you know There's a bit later on, sorry it's a bit of a spoiler, but later on there's a ah guy that kind of hampers her attempt to cross the channel and yeah there's other things like that.

39:34.02
Brian Penn
Yeah.

39:41.47
ukfilmreview
um I love the bit.

39:42.37
Brian Penn
yeah

39:43.28
ukfilmreview
Sorry, just because the script is very safe. But there was a couple of lines that were funny, which one was about it was about that.

39:45.32
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

39:50.44
ukfilmreview
So when they're on the way to the Olympics, and they tell you, they're so concerned, are they just with them not being around the men? Because they don't be around the men, because they're not going to control themselves, basically.

39:56.97
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

40:00.22
ukfilmreview
And they have like a book. And it says, he said something like, oh, yeah, read the book, especially chapter two, what to do if you meet a Frenchman.

40:08.62
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know.

40:10.29
ukfilmreview
I didn't find that out, so it's very cool.

40:12.28
Brian Penn
But yeah.

40:12.42
ukfilmreview
But yeah, that not there's only a few of those lines, but I think it's very warm.

40:13.71
Brian Penn
and Yeah, no, it is.

40:16.61
ukfilmreview
It's a very warm kind of film and easy, you know.

40:20.16
Brian Penn
Yeah, it is. But as I say, it's a bit, it's a bit like Lee, film Lee, you know, that It's, it's a real story. This actually happened. You know, the, you know, they, they've not stuck strictly to what happened because they don't want focal points in the story to stand out. Well, that's fair enough, but you're never going to tell the absolute truth. Um, but it just shows though, when you look at what she did at the Olympics, it heightens her success and what she achieved. Yeah. A time when women were only grudgingly being allowed to compete, you know, they,

40:54.92
Brian Penn
the nice things when things say they still felt women weren't strong enough to compete in in sport you know and they didn't properly enter the ah olympics track and field events until 1928 and it's shocking really but i mean they're pioneers they're the trailblazers you know that the you know what what we have today is the result of what people like trudy eddie did back then you know so they're inspirational characters which makes the film even stronger for me

41:24.97
ukfilmreview
Absolutely. It definitely cap captured that element because it wasn't just Trudy as well. There was like the mum going out of her way to get things done like the like um the husband wouldn't give her the money.

41:32.86
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

41:37.43
Brian Penn
Hmm.

41:39.38
ukfilmreview
So he's she said all right or she goes around him and just start selling like some shoes or something that she made.

41:42.84
Brian Penn
Yeah. I know.

41:45.22
ukfilmreview
and And then she goes to the radio station and all these things that's just like she had to do that.

41:45.26
Brian Penn
Yeah.

41:49.93
ukfilmreview
They had to break the doors down because otherwise it wouldn't happen.

41:51.64
Brian Penn
Yeah.

41:53.35
ukfilmreview
And I think also because in the film Stephen Graham's in the movie he's one of the men who's from the channel and he's a bit of an oddball character but i yeah I felt he was a bit underused I said oh yeah Stephen Graham like you really want him but then I also thought actually that would kind of make the wrong point if we're like over reliant on the male star of the film which he's not really he's only actually a sort of side character um it really is Daisy Ridley's kind of movie um and her sister and the mum

41:58.54
Brian Penn
Yeah.

42:01.70
Brian Penn
Bill Burgess, good character, I'd say. Oh,

42:16.44
Brian Penn
that's right. Yeah.

42:21.66
Brian Penn
Hmm.

42:24.85
ukfilmreview
I think it's one of those movies as well that people could easily miss because it's gone straight to Disney Plus as far as I'm aware.

42:24.95
Brian Penn
Yeah.

42:31.65
Brian Penn
Yeah.

42:32.58
ukfilmreview
It's not a cinematic release.

42:32.81
Brian Penn
Yeah.

42:34.17
ukfilmreview
And if it sort of doesn't catch you straight away in terms of, you oh, it's a woman's from in the channel that I think people will miss out on it. And it's it's it's an easy watch.

42:44.17
Brian Penn
Hmm.

42:44.67
ukfilmreview
This for me is that Sunday afternoon film. It's an easy watch. You can put it on.

42:48.89
Brian Penn
Yeah.

42:49.44
ukfilmreview
whole family can pretty much watch it. um It's there's only mild peril in it to be honest.

42:53.07
Brian Penn
Hmm.

42:54.64
ukfilmreview
And um yeah, it's its I think also they recreated the era really well. I'm always conscious of that when they do these movies and it's a 1920s kind of aesthetic.

43:01.59
Brian Penn
Yeah.

43:03.82
ukfilmreview
I thought they did really well. I thought it actually looked really good. um

43:07.04
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, you can believe it's the night since Wednesdays. But it's it's something you kind of expect now that, you know, period dramas, you know, needs to be right. Because I think we've got an audience that are probably more picky now than they used to be.

43:22.20
Brian Penn
And, you know, the fact that we're, we're film critics, I mean, we're, we're gonna alight on that. But I think they've got better on it you know, about observing period detail and making sure the continuity is right and all that type of thing.

43:34.40
Brian Penn
All the period details spot on, you know, and I'm a bit surprised this didn't go on theatrical release. It does surprise me.

43:40.67
ukfilmreview
It feels like a big cinema film, isn't it?

43:42.48
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

43:43.74
ukfilmreview
Especially over the summer holidays, that would have been a good movie. like Get the families in.

43:46.22
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, but because it has walked this thing and it's, I'm going to use the term clean, but you know what I mean when I say it's clean it, any, any, any one could watch it.

43:53.46
ukfilmreview
Oh yeah.

43:56.40
Brian Penn
You know, you could take your kids to see a film like this. You know, and so it's a, it's a classic Walt Disney film in that way. So, you know, it has broad appeal, but obviously the money men knew what they were doing, presumably when they sent it straight to stream.

44:11.56
ukfilmreview
Yeah, well, let us know if you see it, Young Woman in the Sea. ah If you have struggle yeah remembering the title, just listen to my review on this podcast, because I've had to say it several times.

44:20.68
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah yeah

44:23.32
ukfilmreview
um And yeah, moving on now to our nostalgia pick, an absolute, I mean, you don't get really much more cinematic than this.

44:34.62
ukfilmreview
I mean, if you think about, if someone says you list the five most yeah popular films of all time,

44:37.34
Brian Penn
Hmm. Hmm.

44:40.84
ukfilmreview
I think this will probably turn up in them or at least the first or second one because I prefer the second one.

44:41.09
Brian Penn
Hmm.

44:46.77
ukfilmreview
If you don't know what I'm talking about, fair enough, um not many people keep up with me these days.

44:52.78
Brian Penn
and

44:53.17
ukfilmreview
I'm in a world of my own but we are talking about of course Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator and the reason why this came up was very thankfully to some of our listeners who sent me reviews because it's the Terminator's 40th anniversary.

45:11.39
ukfilmreview
40 years, Brian.

45:12.61
Brian Penn
No, don't remind me.

45:13.77
ukfilmreview
40 years.

45:13.85
Brian Penn
I remember going out to see it when it first came out.

45:14.78
ukfilmreview
Four decades have happened. um

45:21.09
ukfilmreview
I mean, it and it is an absolute juggernaut of a movie um in terms of how it's affected popular culture, how it's affected cinema.

45:22.20
Brian Penn
yeah

45:26.49
Brian Penn
Yeah.

45:31.65
ukfilmreview
um But what was really funny he was watching this, how little of it I remembered, because as a kid, I religiously watched the second one.

45:38.44
Brian Penn
Hmm.

45:42.08
ukfilmreview
um

45:42.34
Brian Penn
Right.

45:42.97
ukfilmreview
It was in the era, not many people listening this probably know this era, which is when we used to videotape things off the TV.

45:43.58
Brian Penn
Hmm.

45:46.78
Brian Penn
Hmm. Oh, that, that whole thing.

45:50.38
ukfilmreview
You know, you remember that.

45:50.85
Brian Penn
Yeah.

45:51.84
ukfilmreview
and

45:51.94
Brian Penn
I'll be still. Yeah.

45:52.87
ukfilmreview
my My brother had this, the second one on video and we used to watch it just on repeat. We would just get to the end and rewind it.

46:00.48
Brian Penn
Hmm.

46:01.09
ukfilmreview
um And I had seen the first one, but I wasn't that drawn to it. The second one was the one I absolutely loved.

46:08.54
Brian Penn
Yeah.

46:08.58
ukfilmreview
But this first one, having rewatched it recently with my wife, I was like, this is great. I'm so glad because this is like so many of the references in the second one are actually big parts of the first film.

46:16.00
Brian Penn
Yeah,

46:18.81
ukfilmreview
um Yeah, it's I mean, Just before you went back to rewatch this, Brian, how were you a fan of the Terminator films?

46:27.84
Brian Penn
yeah I was. oh I am still am, you know, which is surprising for me because, you know, I think it's probably well documented that I'm not a big fan ah of horror.

46:29.37
ukfilmreview
It's done.

46:38.05
Brian Penn
Not a huge fan of sci-fi, generally speaking, but that's what was all the more remarkable for how much I enjoyed it when it came out, because it always stuck in my mind. And it was one of the films of the aces. Probably one of the films in movie history that stand out as well, because it was so different compared to what we've seen previously. You know, this idea that you've got a cyborg that's a machine that comes from the ah future to hunt down ah a woman who will have a son that would threaten their future dominance, this evil force that's in power in 40 years.

47:17.13
Brian Penn
So what's interesting about it is that it starts out in AD 2029, which is like five years away. But that was like 45 years in the future.

47:25.58
ukfilmreview
Haha.

47:25.98
Brian Penn
And it's so so weird. And when I was watching it, what struck me was that how good it still is, you know, I've often said to you on this podcast, and when we look at our filming the nostalgia slot and we're looking at something from the A6 that how some of them don't age particularly well that they can't creek a bit. I don't think this does. I don't think it does at all. It still it feels so fresh to me. The um special effects you would think would suffer over the passage of 40 years but they still hold up surprisingly well. And the fact that you had Stan Winston in charge of the special effects. It was one of the all time great special effects men.

48:05.42
Brian Penn
who works on Alien and Batman and Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. So they had people that knew what they were doing back then. ah ah you know It's the cyber form that you almost think to yourself, well, they don't need to do a lot of acting. you know Arnie's doing what he does, right? Yeah, he does it really well. And Linda Hamilton's good. She does what she needs to do. them And Michael Bayan and Paul Winfield's in it. But they don't have to do much because The story is so powerful, the way it's told and the visuals are so powerful. It's all about the director, the story and the special effects. They're all working perfect, perfect sort of perfect time together. And it's still effective. It still works. And I don't think many films that are 40 years old that are based on a sci-fi concept that relies so much on special effects that are still good after 40 years. And that's, that's a rare thing.

49:04.46
ukfilmreview
Yeah, I found this, I had dated to maybe a little bit more, say like an alien.

49:08.91
Brian Penn
and Yeah.

49:09.64
ukfilmreview
Like when we watched Alien, I was like, wow, this still really works. I think because it's it's so much more limited in scope yeah with Alien, theyre it's all on the ship and it's all physically filmed there.

49:12.45
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:15.97
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:18.40
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:20.26
ukfilmreview
So like with this, there was bits where they had like,

49:20.43
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:23.73
ukfilmreview
flying things and they had lasers and stuff. And I was like, okay, I looked a little i could imagine a modern audience looking at this going, oh, it doesn't look like a alien Romulus, right?

49:29.88
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:32.52
ukfilmreview
yeah It's gonna look a bit dated.

49:32.60
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:34.71
ukfilmreview
But what I found with it was that because it still had that practical effect element to it,

49:41.34
Brian Penn
Yeah.

49:41.90
ukfilmreview
like with the special effects makeup and things like that that that is something which is really interesting with filmmaking because it often doesn't date as badly as special effects that have been done with the computer do because computer generation you you can tell right all right yeah computers are so much better but with special effects makeup it's like lord of the rings like you watch all of the rings and you go

49:55.58
Brian Penn
Well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

50:04.30
Brian Penn
Yeah.

50:04.33
ukfilmreview
Oh, the first three films looked great because they didn't really use computers for a lot of it.

50:09.11
Brian Penn
yeah

50:09.18
ukfilmreview
um They had the all that special stuff, all that makeup done. And when you watch the newer ones, you you just watch it five years later and you go, oh, okay, well, I look dated now.

50:19.55
Brian Penn
Yeah.

50:19.55
ukfilmreview
I think we're terminated. There was some bits that were computer generated or at least done in a way that has dated, but the vast majority the vast majority of it is a thriller film.

50:25.92
Brian Penn
Yeah.

50:30.39
ukfilmreview
you know It's just him like chasing them and you know there's stunts and it's just off the wall, most of it.

50:32.72
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah yeah

50:37.49
ukfilmreview
um and If you, yeah obviously, even if you've not seen Terminator, you probably know that the general gist of the story because it's just become so you synonymous with popular culture.

50:45.77
Brian Penn
Yeah.

50:48.24
Brian Penn
ingrain isn't not really Yeah.

50:48.68
ukfilmreview
Yeah, everyone everyone's up heard about it.

50:50.01
Brian Penn
Yeah.

50:50.94
ukfilmreview
And yeah, like you say, someone like Schwarzenegger, he's not really putting in any kind of amazing performance, um but it worked well for the role that he's got.

50:57.55
Brian Penn
no

51:01.21
ukfilmreview
Whereas you in the second film, um I did find he he upped his game a little bit. I think he was more, because it made him more human, right?

51:07.58
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

51:09.86
ukfilmreview
and and And I still think Judgment Day is a better movie. um

51:16.27
Brian Penn
Oh, it's a tough one. It's a tough one. I mean, they're both very close in that way. Um, but I don't know. I kind of, um, more, more towards the first one, just a little bit.

51:25.78
ukfilmreview
I think for me, it was ah yeah Robert Patrick playing that T-1000 in the second film.

51:32.23
Brian Penn
Oh, right.

51:33.35
ukfilmreview
He was just so terrifying.

51:33.62
Brian Penn
Yeah. ah I know.

51:35.86
ukfilmreview
so He was absolutely terrifying.

51:37.09
Brian Penn
Yeah.

51:38.23
ukfilmreview
And yeah, no, I think, but they are both very good films.

51:38.86
Brian Penn
Yeah.

51:41.38
ukfilmreview
It's like Alien, right?

51:41.71
Brian Penn
Yeah.

51:41.98
ukfilmreview
I think if you're like Alien or you're like Aliens, it's fine.

51:42.81
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. and

51:45.28
ukfilmreview
They're both great. And with Terminators, I think they're both great. The rest of the franchise has often disappointed, to be honest. So when I've watched three, I didn't like four was okay, the one with Christian Bale.

51:55.34
Brian Penn
and

51:58.92
Brian Penn
Yeah.

51:59.24
ukfilmreview
And then there was Genesis, I think after I'm not sure.

52:02.57
Brian Penn
Yeah.

52:03.40
ukfilmreview
After that, it just it just goes off the rails a little bit. And it's a shame because I do think it's a, you know, it's a storyline that would work well, it could there's lots more stories there.

52:13.76
ukfilmreview
But that first and second film, I think they just work really well.

52:17.25
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

52:17.50
ukfilmreview
They're really good.

52:18.45
Brian Penn
Yeah. Again, first and second films, it's like a recurring theme, isn't it? But we say the first and second ones. Yeah. after that, you know, but no, it's what really surprised me. I mean, when I watched it for this podcast, I hadn't watched it in years, years and years, you know, I lost, I don't know when I last watched it, but it still feels good. You know, and you think with the passage of 40 years, you you think the um special effects are going to be rubbish or going to look rubbish, but they don't, you know, it's, it's obviously going to bear its age in some places.

52:55.87
Brian Penn
You could say that as to its appeal in some ways, but it kind of still works. And I wouldn't have expected it to still hold up like that as well as it does. You know, and you think, what if they were making some of it at once a day with all the um bells and whistles they've got available, you know, and how would it look now?

53:14.87
Brian Penn
But of course, if they did that, it just wouldn't be the same. And you still probably prefer the first one, you know,

53:21.51
ukfilmreview
yeah Yeah, that's an interesting idea, isn't it? like weather read because Let's be honest, the amount of remakes we've had, I can't really name you many where I've gone, oh yeah, the remake's better.

53:33.87
ukfilmreview
like In terms of in the last 10 years, I know there's remakes that came out in like the 80s and stuff that were different, but like um ah they redid Point Break.

53:39.07
Brian Penn
Yeah.

53:42.78
ukfilmreview
And I was like, the first one was perfect. Why would you remake Point Break? It's such a good film.

53:47.28
Brian Penn
And love point. I haven't seen the remakes to be honest, but okay.

53:49.11
ukfilmreview
ah Don't, don't even bother.

53:52.56
Brian Penn
All right. i I won't go there. Right. Okay.

53:54.06
ukfilmreview
It will upset you.

53:54.26
Brian Penn
like Yeah.

53:55.14
ukfilmreview
Because that film is, again, I use the word, but it's iconic. you this There's so many parts, and this, you know, Terminator is absolutely iconic.

53:59.40
Brian Penn
Yes.

54:02.33
ukfilmreview
I don't i don't think you I can be ah ignorant and think that they won't remake it. I'm sure they will. But if they do, they need to find a way to do it where actually you're but making it better.

54:10.09
Brian Penn
Yeah, I think they will. and

54:15.58
ukfilmreview
But I don't know how you would with this sort of film.

54:17.17
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, you sit me see, I'd be fascinated to see if they did remake the first one, just to see what what modern technology film technology could do with it.

54:27.35
ukfilmreview
Mm.

54:27.76
Brian Penn
right But I still have this strange feeling I'll prefer the first one. And maybe that's just sentiment on my part. that And it's just, in my own mind, things were better back then than they are now.

54:38.84
Brian Penn
you know yeah I think it just depends on so many things, doesn't it? But the fact that it's already been done and you think maybe just leave it where it is, why, how can you improve on it? A bit like you were saying, it just had that point break.

54:50.23
Brian Penn
You know, what's the point in remaking that film? Really? All right. They're trying to make money again. That's, that's the ah primary, uh, driver, isn't it? To make it, I didn't remake any film, introduce it to a new audience, but why not just re-release the original film?

55:00.05
ukfilmreview
Hmm.

55:04.72
ukfilmreview
Yeah, put it back at the cinemas.

55:05.69
Brian Penn
And yeah, but why not? Why not just do that? And they do sometimes do that, but that's not going to make us much money. But you know, all those, uh, you're right. Point break is iconic, just in the same way that it's someone I want is, but those brilliant scenes in point break where you you've got, uh, I mean, what was Keanu Reeves character called Johnny Idaho?

55:25.60
Brian Penn
I think wasn't it, you know, where Johnny you saw, I knew it was an American state.

55:27.92
ukfilmreview
Utah, Johnny Utah, yeah. You're close. You were very close.

55:31.05
Brian Penn
I was close, wasn't that I? Yeah. Um, but when they jumped out of the plane and he's going after Patrick Swayze's character and They're grappling and they say, you pulled a parachute, now you pull it.

55:41.61
Brian Penn
And you think, no, you can't do that again.

55:44.08
ukfilmreview
Do you know what?

55:44.71
Brian Penn
It's just, it's pointless really. Um, it was, it was in the remake then. um I never realized that.

55:52.06
ukfilmreview
I can't even remember. um

55:53.24
Brian Penn
so Yeah. See, it's that that's how forgettable it is, isn't it?

55:55.96
ukfilmreview
because I was just looking at some film remakes. I was like, actually, yeah, I will hold my hand that there are some remakes that have been worthwhile, but Point Break is not one of them.

56:04.69
Brian Penn
Yeah.

56:04.76
ukfilmreview
you know ah Well, I'll tell you who is in it, it's Ray Winstone. so

56:08.10
Brian Penn
Oh, you're kidding, really?

56:09.12
ukfilmreview
Yeah, he's in it. But Luke Bracey plays the Utah character. I've never heard of him. Edgar Ramirez plays Bodhi. But yeah, it was one of those films it just, they didn't even try.

56:20.33
ukfilmreview
They just sort of like for like, but not as good.

56:20.88
Brian Penn
Slow. Yeah.

56:23.57
ukfilmreview
And yeah, but like, I'm looking at these remake lists, I was like, okay, because they remade the Planet of the Apes films.

56:24.97
Brian Penn
Slow. but Yeah.

56:30.56
ukfilmreview
And I was like actually that's worthwhile. yeah Those original films came out in the 60s and I like them.

56:34.54
Brian Penn
yeah

56:35.56
ukfilmreview
I think there's a place for them but the remix actually were good and it was like done in a way that felt different but, you know, very cinematic.

56:36.65
Brian Penn
um um Yeah.

56:42.34
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

56:44.53
ukfilmreview
So I'll hold my hands up and say there are ones that are all good.

56:47.35
Brian Penn
Well, the, the, the part of the excellent that came out this year was really good. I was really impressed with it.

56:50.74
ukfilmreview
and

56:52.20
Brian Penn
So they they can sometimes work, but it depends what you do with them and and how you, you progress the story as well. You know, um, and they don't always work, but they, again, they do their job, don't they?

57:07.61
Brian Penn
They introduce that. the the brands to a new audience. And it's it's a license to make more, isn't it?

57:15.01
ukfilmreview
Yeah, I think sometimes it is just a purely economical situation where they go, well, we know this won't might won't lose money. So they do it. um But in terms of it being any kind of value to an audience is different.

57:23.20
Brian Penn
yeah

57:27.93
ukfilmreview
um But yeah, if you're listening and you want to tell us your favorite remix or your least favorite remix, you have to do feel free. um But other than that, That's it for your show. um Obviously we say we've got the other episode out with the indie film reviews, but this has been a jam-packed episode of cinematic releases and other films. um Brian, just to reiterate again, Film with a Month.

57:52.79
Brian Penn
Film of the Month, Lee, starring Kate Winslet.

57:54.27
ukfilmreview
na Yeah, go see it. Let us know what you thought of it. um But other than that, thank you for being with us. If you've got to the end, well done. um More than my daughters do.

58:03.50
Brian Penn
but Yeah.

58:05.43
ukfilmreview
yeah I mean, they are six and three. So just to let them know.

58:07.64
Brian Penn
yeah you go Give them a, give them a bit of latitude just for now.

58:10.82
ukfilmreview
Well, also, they they haven't really got that much going on in their life. So you know whatson what's an hour listening to daddy you talk about films?

58:14.19
Brian Penn
Even more reasons to listen in then. Yeah. Well, yeah, exactly.

58:19.56
ukfilmreview
you know But anyway, um thank you anyway if you're listening and we'll see you again next time.

58:20.60
Brian Penn
hello and Bye for now.