Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Andy Serkis, Luther: The Fallen Sun, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, Scream VI, & Champions

Episode Date: March 10, 2023

Andy Serkis tells Simon about playing his darkest role yet, and why he decided to take on the challenge. Mark reviews the new horror/slasher take on a child’s classic ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ which follows a bloodthirsty Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet as they terrorise their former friend Christopher Robin; ‘Champions’ - a heartwarming new comedy/drama starring Woody Harrelson about a former minor-league basketball coach who is court ordered to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities; ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ which sees Idris Elba reprise his role as detective John Luther, this time for the big screen, & ‘Scream VI’ - survivors of the Ghostface murders find themselves in fresh danger when a new killer is on the loose. Time Codes (relevant only when you are part of the Vanguard): 11:57 Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Review 21:07 Box Office Top 10 33:36 Andy Serkis Interview 49:34 Luther: The Fallen Sun 54:49 Laughter Lift 56:25 Champions Review 01:03:23 What’s On 01:04:22 Scream VI Review You can contact the show by emailing [e-mail] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Somethin’ Else & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Metrolinx and cross-links are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Cross-town LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert as trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals. Be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so be alert be aware and stay safe Yeah, Mark, are you gonna leave your jacket on all day? I'm cold, but why are you cold? Because it's cold. It's not cold. Okay, were you wearing a fleece? Where's the hoodie?

Yeah, it's a fleece and I've got a twin-peaks t-shirt. So why didn't you bring a jumper? I've got a jumper under the twin-peaks t-shirt. This is novel. The jumper is underneath the t-shirt. I'm just, I'm not gonna take this off. So you can see. I never heard of that before.

It's a thermal. It's not a jumper, it's a thermal. Oh, okay. It's like a thermal vest. I got it when I went to Trump's side. Look, that's a very sensible thing to be wearing. Hang on. This is coming off now so that you're not all gonna,

is it, everyone's complaining how much noise it makes. This is a thermal thing under the t-shirt. I see. Well, if it's under the t-shirt. I see. Well, if it keeps everybody happy in trombs though, then if you buy undergarments in Scandinavia, kind of think this is the real deal. This is going to keep me warm. I got long johns, I haven't got them on, but I've got long johns and I got these. And actually this thermal undergarment is very good. And it's, because it's thin, but it's got so many,

is it togs, would you call it however it is? Togs is a duvet. Yeah, no, it's the other one, it's like, anyway, when I went to Tromso, I discovered that if you have this, if you have an underlayer of this, whatever this stuff is, I don't know whether it make it out of, then you can stay warm and you don't freeze. So if you've gone to a Tromso Love party, but you're wearing undergarments, that makes you slightly less welcome.

I didn't go to a Tromso Love party. Ask me how I am. I was going to ask you about how you were. I've got this really weird thing that one half your head is. Yes. One side of my face and head is really painful. So where this headphone is, it's really so. And the other half is perfectly fine. And I went to see, I went to, you know, a chemist to say, look, I've got this weird thing, this information.

They said, yes, it's a, they think it's an inflamed nerve. And they gave me these, they said, there's nothing you can do about it. It'll just uninflame itself. But it's literally, I'm like Harvey two face, I'm Harvey Dent, I've got one side of my face feels like it's been kicked by a horse. The other side of it feels perfectly normal

but I can say, look, I'll get no sympathy because I don't look odd. But it's really, really strange. It's like I've got two people in my head. I mean, I actually feel like that quite a lot of time. I need to talk to that therapist again. But have you ever had that? It's just like, you've had lots of weird things though.

Never had half my face falling off though. Apparently it's one nerve path. It comes from under my hair and it goes down and it goes past my ear and around there. And it literally, it's like, it's on for not literally. It's a stupid use of the word literally. Anyway, you can feel sorry for half of my face. Okay. Okay, remind me if I'm not sounding sorry enough for half your face. Which half is it again? This half is absolutely the production team, none of whom asked me how I

was when we came in. Well, it's because you don't know. I'm fine, thanks Simon, half my face is on fire. He was waiting to be asked, and now he's put it in the pocket. It's a song by felt called My Faces On Fire. I could re-record it as half my face is on fire. Could you wear all your thermals for our special live show at the Union Chapel in North London

on Tuesday the 23rd of May. Do you think you can do that? Yeah, I can. I mean, I've got to wear clothes over the top of it. So my guess is by the 23rd of May, the cold weather will have finished and we'll be in Barney Spring. Is Barney Spring coming that quickly? Well, we're in spring now. I mean, it's not that Barney. There's snow outside. I know. But March April, May, that spring, we're pushing into summer, in fact. So it's going to be fabulous. When we finish here, I'm getting on a train to Manchester. I'm trying to plug up our podcast show. Oh, sorry. The audience union chapels. Just a 23rd of May. And where there'll be no snow, but I'll be wearing thermals. Yes. Are you really looking

forward? And do you think you're wrong? Because the other side of your face needs to be catching up with the decent side of your face. Well, that will put a smile on both sides of my face. Tell me what we're doing at the union chat. Well, we have got a clue because it's such a long way away. We don't know what we're doing in this program, particularly. But it will sell out.

It will. Well, who knows? Well, we do because the last one sold out in about four seconds. I did get an email this morning from myself. Did you? Yeah. And it's selling you tickets. Yeah. I didn did get an email this morning from myself. Did you? Yeah. And it's selling you tickets. Yeah.

I didn't get the email. Lars, live show, pre-sale alert. As a valued member of our mailing list, Simon, we would love to offer you early access to tickets that are upcoming live show at the Union Chapel on Tuesday, 23rd of May. This is very good. You better get the tickets, because if you're not there,

it's going to be a very short show. That's right. It says we're returning to the podcast show's live week. We have a jam-packed show planned. We do not have a jam-packed show. We, the Tense is wrong. We will have a jam-packed show with a very special guest. We have no idea about and some of your favorite features from the take.

Oh, good. So be a live pretentious moire. Oh, good. Which is intake too. Get your tickets here. We take. Oh, good. So be a live pretentious moire. Oh, good. Which is intake to get your tickets here. We look forward to welcoming you once more in May, Mark and Simon. Oh, okay. So it's the both of us keep up to date with Kermit and Mayo. Follow now. How can they know that they anyway? Do you need shall I get you tickets for our show? Can you how many do you want? Can you get me

one on stage? One on stage. Okay, that's a six-and-thruppin's. Is that all right? Tuppensfarthing to everybody else. Is it a guinea? That's right. That's what it is. Anyway, it will be great. There will be great guests who will probably want to play the organ. They then play the organ, then we'll have to remove it because we can't pay the copyright. And it'll be all very frustrating. But if you're there, you will have actually experienced it in all its gloriness. You need to have a great venue, though.

May the 23rd. I don't remember it being cold. It's a Tuesday. Well, it won't be cold. It'll spring. It'll be warm in there. No. But when did we last do the gig there?

Oh, a long time ago. Last May. Last May. Yes. Okay, fine. Don't be fine. What's coming up? I'm going to be reviewing a whole bunch of stuff. Let me just go back to that part and the script which says what I'm going to be doing. Page one. It's like, I know. I know. I got it there.

Okay, fine. Champions, when you're... Well, Simon, I'm going to be reviewing champions. We need to be blood and honey. Screams six. And Luther the Fallen Sun, with our special guest, Simon, I'm going to be reviewing champions. We need to put blood and honey, scream six, and Luther the fallen son with our special guest, who is Andy Serkis, who has fabulous hair, and I do commit a bit of a faux pas in the interview. You suggest it's a wig. Yes, which he is very, very quick to commit me. I mean, he obviously is fantastic. He's got magnificent hair, though. He

does, but when you see the ludicrousness of his hair in this film, I think I'm entitled to think it's a wig. It is hair that says, I'm evil. Evil hair. There is such a hair as evil hair. He's got evil hair. Yeah. There's calm hair, establishment hair. What the hair is there? Menacing hair. Definitely menacing hair. But this is for the with no fans here here here. Very good. He's got serial killer hair. That's what he has basically. That's not a spoiler. That would be the easiest way to find a serial killer. Wouldn't it just who's got hair? Him that looks at these circus.

Also an extra takes so much more. I mean, so much more and so much more value minute by minute as you go through all the extra takes. Okay. What? No, no, yes, I'm saying okay. More reviews. Great. Double everything. Yeah. Pretentious. Why? Currently is the people 11 mark is 8.5. 8.5. It's the same thing. No, it's not. I'm staying on 8.5. The film is not called 8.5. Is it? But it's 8.5. Yeah, but there's a film called 8.5. I'm on 8.5. I'm not called 8.5, is it? But it's 8.5. Yeah, but there's a film called eight and a half. I'm on eight and a half. I'm staying on eight and a half.

Turing the box is ad free on Tuesdays alongside all our other extra content on the take channel. Vanguard Easter's, if this is you, this won't appear in the Curbid and Mayo's take feed. It has its own feed within the channel. Obviously on the take. Sounds like we're on the take. Always. If you're already a Vanguard Easter sounds like we're on the take. Always. If you're already a Vanguardista, but you can support us via Apple Podcasts or head to extra takes.com for non-fruit related devices.

If you're already a Vanguardista, as ever, we salute you. Here we go. Dear Amos Bouchin-Volovant, this is from Jessica who knows about these things. Mark is quite correct that in some places, an entree means a main course. These places are, to my knowledge, mostly in the United States. In France, the order is a peritif in which a mousse bouche may be served. Entree, plat principal, formage, dessert, café, digestif. So his plat principal is the main dish?

Yeah. Usually shortened to entree, plat, and then dessert in the Anglicised version. I assume the American usage of Entrez is down to a mis-translation. I hope this helps. I mean, you would still... I still love the show, Steve. Bonjour, Azre-San, from Jessica. Jessica, maybe. But I don't... I mean, how often do you sit down to an operative, an Entrez, a Platte principal, a Frommage, a D a desire, a café, and then digestive? Well, it does, it does enable me to remember one of my favorite Goon Show jokes, aperitif, net hangs, I have my own.

Very good. Simon and Mark, this is Ian, on the topic of films with subtitles. My three favorite films seen in 2022 all had partial subtitles. Okay. Coda for ASL American Sign Language. I didn't watch this on Apple TV plus until February loved it and then saw it in its post-Oscars win cinema, rerun and bellfast. One of my favorite films ever. Yeah. More on ASL later by the way when we get to talking about Creed 3.

The Valle for Spanish. This is a film more people need to see. It's not your typical rom-com. It has important things to say about multiculturalism, family, immigrant experiences, the job-based class divided, people driving the service economy, high profile success, and the loneliness that anyone can experience irrespective of their background, success, and current status in society.

It's funny and poignant. It's on Disney Plus in many territories who loo in the USA and stars with a Z in Latin America and is highly recommended. Also, the quiet girl for Irish, a sublime film that has been covered on the podcast. It has subtitles he's in, bring them on, and there's more on subtitles later. I do think that battle has been won. Excellent. And I think that I hope that we don't ever go back to the point in which we say, is it got subtitles? I'm not interested.

Chris Stewart in York, dear Godfather Part One and Parts Two and Three. MTL and second time emailer ex-colonial commoner PhD and winner of both the bowling and batting trophies in the East to Womba under 10's cricket squad of 1981. I think there's a movie to me about that. Listening to your questions, Schmesschens this week, you wondered aloud about the a better name for non-godly godparent figures. Yes. To various young people in our lives, says Chris, the equality and diversity manager, her indoors, is known as the Fairly Odd Mother, and I am the Harry Goat Father.

And I submit these photos to the Nation. The Fairly Odd Mother and the Harry Goat Father. So there will be variations. So yes, you can, you know, with a bit of creativity as displayed by Chris in York. Fairly odd mother, that's transferable. Hairy goat father might not work if you're not a particularly hairy father, but there are versions. If you have other non-godly godparent names, we would like to hear about them. And you can let him get in touch really

correspondence at kubernetes.com. Right. So there's the movies to be seen and here's one of them. You remember that we had an email, I think it was last week, from somebody who said, my son-in-law did the sound for Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey. And I said, yes, I've heard of the film because Alan Jones was talking about it. He did the sound design. Yeah, I've done it in his kitchen, I think. So, Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey did the sound design. Yeah, we've done in his kitchen, I think. So we need to put blood and honey.

The sound design, tip top, terrific. Absolutely great. Good. Wonderful sound design, everything else. So this is an indie horror comedy written, produced, directed by Riesfrake Waterfield, who has made lots of very low-budget things. But I think this is the first theatrical release. This film exists because the book, Winnie the Pooh, 1926 came out of copyright on the

first of, in America, in January, the first 2022. So suddenly, you're able to do whatever you want. Although what you're not able to do is, in fringe, Disney's copyright by doing anything, like, because Disney's got certain things in their cartoons, you have to be careful about that. The story which is set up in the animated and narrated opening is rather good. So the beginning of the film is kind of exciting. Christopher Robin as a child found and befriended a group of mysterious hybrid animals in 100 acre woods. Here is the best part of winning the peopleet Blood and Honey. Okay. Deep in the 100 Acre Woods, a young boy named Christopher

Robin came across some most unusual headlessened creatures. Cross breeds, who some would describe as abomination. The creatures introduce themselves as hour, rabbit, eaw, piglet, and most importantly, Winnie the Pooh, with an Ievity of youth Christopher ignored the dangers and befriended them all. That's good, right? It's not Charlie McAsy, but it's kind of interesting, okay? So then what happens is, he grows up. Remember we've had the long discussion about when he takes poo out to the corner, 100 I can't even explain,

that he has to go now, but it's okay because he'll always be here. So he goes off to college. But then when Chris Robin goes off to college to go and study to become a doctor, the friends, they don't have food anymore because nobody's bringing them food. And they start to starve and they turn to cannibalism and after a while they eat eel and then they realize this is all in the beginning. And then they are so uphauled by what they have done that they resort to their feral state. They

renounce speaking, they declare war on all humanity in general and Christopher Robin in particular and you think, okay, that's a great setup. I like that. That's a dark twisted fairy tale. I can get on board with that. Then we pick up, Christopher Robin now grown up, now a doctor, although now talking like somebody who's completely unrelated to the posh kid that we saw at the beginning, comes back with his fiance,

or maybe you are I think fiance, they come back to the woods. He keeps saying, oh, my childhood friends are here, and she says, no, no, you make it all up, and then they get there, and then they're stalked and slashed by the creatures which have been waiting for them. The creatures who have been waiting for them,

instantly are poo and piglets, who are literally two blokes, one of them wearing a bare mask and one of them wearing a pig mask. The bear has human hair. They were like kind of hybrid animals. Well, no, they're just bloke. I mean, they're meant to be hybrid animals, but they they just bloke in masks. The reason they don't talk

it's any is because they can't really get the masks to do anything and the masks are the thing. So this was made on 10 days on a budget of a hundred million. It had a lot of interest because of the title. 100 million. No, I don't mean 100 million. I mean, a hundred thousand. I'm so sorry. No, I don't mean 100 million, I mean 100,000. I'm so sorry. How much is this house supposed to come out? 100,000 pounds. It was made on a very low budget. Sorry, that's me reading my own notes

and not really seeing what I'm doing. And there was a lot of interest because the title, like cocaine bear, you go, when do the poop, blood and honey love the title? Cocaine bear, great. Cocaine bear, was it as good as the trailer and the title? No, but it's still lots of fun. When do the poop, blood and honey love the title. Cocaine bear, great. Cocaine bear was it as good as the trailer and the title? No, but it's still lots of fun. Winnie the poo blood and honey, that is literally the only good thing about the movie.

The rest of it is that a group of young women turn up at a house by the hunter-daker wood and then they just get stalked and killed by a bloke wearing a poo mask and a bloke wearing a pig mask. So it's basically a sub, sub, sub, sub, sub Texas chainsaw maskers slogged, but set in ash down forest, although at the beginning, when they're driving there, they meet a hill Billy who's speaking with an American accent. And I said to somebody off, what was that about? It said must be for the American trailer, so they don't think it's British.

The victims, and they are all just victims, spent a lot of time, one of them spends a lot of time in a hot tub. Another one has her shirt removed for no reason at all just before she gets killed. There's one bit when, I mean, the only last in it, are due to how bad it is. There's a bit when there's a murder, and then someone has written on the windows, get out. And one of the characters says, the person that wrote get out is the person who did the murder. You get, yeah, I know they've written it on the windows, get out. And one of the characters says, the person that wrote, get out is the person who did the murder. You get, yeah, I know, they've written it on the blood of the thing. And then, and another bit, halfway through, one of the characters goes,

oh, I've got a gun. Really? You didn't remember, and it's not just any gun. It's a gun that's the size of a head. What you didn't remember, and also, where, why have you got a gun? Where did that gun come from? The Christopher Robin character, all he does is say, over and over again, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this?

Why are you doing this poo poo poo? Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? You can, please stop talking. Most importantly, it has nothing to do with Winnie the Pooh. And I don't mean that in a bad way. It like, you know, oh, how stupid. The idea of taking a fairy tale and corrupting it and making it twisted is kind of interesting.

That's why the beginning is interesting. Oh, they're feral creatures. Then he goes away and then they starve and they have to eat. But then after that, it's just a big bloat with a bare mask and a slightly smaller bloat with a piglet mask. And then somebody gets, you know, hit with an axe and somebody gets hit with a, and all the gaur effects are kind of quite poorly done, quite basically done, although very good sound design. It's not funny, except the bits that are funny

because they're so bad, the script, an AI wouldn't write a script this poor. So I sat there watching it, hearing the audience like watch it with only laughing at the ineptitude of it. Anyway, it's a shame, but it's rubbish. Apparently, it's so far taken close to four million. On a hundred million. That's a bad, that's a bad, that's a bad,

it's taken close to four million. So as a result of it, there is a sequel on the way. And there's also an expanded universe in stallments doing Bambi and Peter Pan. Well, I did it. It's like Sharknado. There's a title and nothing else. It's rubbish.

It's rubbish. And it's also... Also, it's... It's actually an offensive rubbish. I mean, the thing about... I need to rip this woman shirt off before I kill her. It's like, I'll grow up. Right.

But there's more coming. I doubt the more that comes, we'll see the inside of a cinema. You were kind of excited. But you would think, I know you say it's how to copyright. But Winnie the Pooh and Bambee, all the you think, if you're going to do a twisted fairy tale, fine, it's almost as though the Winnie the Pooh name comes out of that with, so enhanced. And if the Bambi movie was good, it would come out enhanced, but actually it just sounds like it's trashing the estate. Well, it's not, it's not because there's a short film at the beginning, that five minutes

of the setup, which is good. And then after that, it is literally a big bloke dressed like leather face from Texas Jane sort, but wearing a poo head. But it's not a poo head. It's a bare head that moves very slightly so that you can do a little bit of ET thing. And then a person in a piglet head and then it's just like, yes, but there's no logic to it that ties it back to the story, except for Christopher Robin going, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? Poo!

Poo! Why are you doing this? The most annoying way. So, he had it come in then. He said, Christopher Robin. It's after all that. It's also he's changed his accent like an affectature. I know, which is really, really, really annoying.

Because when he's at the beginning, he's all like this and he's kind of, anyway, yeah, he's obviously falling in with the wrong sort of college, basically, and he's come out all rough. You know the thing? It's because it's a different actor and it's a different person. It's, you know, it's, I'm sorry, it's, it's, it's depressingly poor, but great sound is like.

Great sound is very important. What else are we going to be reviewing later on? We're going to be reviewing champions, which is the new to be reviewing later on? We're going to be reviewing Champions, which is the new film by Bobby Farley. We're going to be reviewing. He says he scrolls down. Oh, something, and Luther, fallen son with our special guest.

Andy Circus. Very hersute Andy Circus. And Scream 6. It's time for the ads. Unless you're in the Vanguard in which case, we'll be back before you can say Python Wrangler. In the case, we'll be back before you can say Python Wrangler. MUSIC MUSIC

Hi, esteemed podcast listeners, Simon Mayo. I'm Mark Kermod here. I'm excited to let you know that the new season of the Crown and the Crown, the official podcast, returns on 16th of November to accompany the sixth and final season of the Netflix epic Royal Drama series. Very exciting, especially because SuperSub and Friend of the Show Edith Bowman hosts this one. Indeed, Edith will take you behind the scenes, dive into conversation with the talented cast and crew,

from writer and creator Peter Morgan to the crowns, Queen Elizabeth, in Melda Staunton. Other guests on the new series include the Crowns research team, the directors, executive producers, who's Anne Machie and specialists such as Voice Coach William Connaker and propsmaster Owen Harrison. Cast members including Jonathan Price, Selim Dor, Khalid Abdullah, Dominic West and Elizabeth The Bikki. You can also catch up with the story so far by searching the Crown, the official podcast, wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe now and get the new series of the Crown, the official podcast first on November 16th. Available wherever you get your podcast, subscribe now and get the new series of the Crown, the official podcast first on November 16th.

Available wherever you get your podcasts. Happy Nord Christmas. Protect yourself whilst Christmas shopping online and access all the Christmas films from around the globe. Plus, when you shop online you'll have to give websites your card details and other sensitive data like your personal addresses. Those websites should already have their own encryption built into their payment systems, but to be on the safe side, you can use a VPN to ensure that all data coming to and from your device is encrypted. Even if you're using an unsafe Wi-Fi,

you'll still be able to shop securely with a VPN. And you can access Christmas films only available overseas by using streaming services not available in the UK. To take our huge discount of your NordVPN plan, go to NordVPN.com slash take. Our link will also give you four extra months for free on the two-year plan. There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money bank guarantee

the link is in the podcast episode description box. This episode is brought to you by Mooby, a curated streaming service dedicated to elevating great cinema from around the globe. From myConnect directors to emerging otters, there's always something new to discover, for example. Well, for example, the new Aki Karri's Mackey film Fallen Leaves, which won the jury prize at Cannes, that's in cinemas at the moment. If you see that and think I want to know more about Aki Karri's Mackey, you can go to

Mooby the streaming service and there is a retrospective of his films called How to Be a Human. They are also going to be theatrically releasing In January Priscilla, which is a new Sophia Coppola film, which I am really looking forward to since I have an Elvis obsession. You can try Mooby Free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash Kermit and Mayo. That's M-U-B-I dot com slash Kermit and Mayo for a whole month of great cinema for free. Okay, we're back with our look at the charts. It's our top 10 countdown at 93.

I mean, we don't normally drop that low. Wow. And electric malady. Which I thought was a really intriguing film, a documentary about a young man suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Which is, you know, you asked, does the documentary come to a kind of conclusion? The only conclusion is that this young man is definitely suffering from something. And there are now, um, doctors who, who do believe that there is substance in, uh,

in the, in the idea of electromagnetic hypersensitivity. I've quite an informative. Oh, okay. Go ahead. Because I'm, as I said, I, I'm not a doctor. So I'm just a film critic. David says, do you ask Istanbul and not Constantinople. A long time Vanguard listener, multiple emailer,

maybe you'll even read this one out. I listen with interest to your review of electric malady and Mark's good sense at not commenting on medical matters. In the genuine sympathy, clearly felt for someone who was suffering, but it did make me think. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity has been pretty thoroughly debunked by some clever experiments to show that people who make the claim that they are sensitive are unable to tell if a device they are near is on, off, or just an empty case. And that is a plot point in a medical soil, a crucial plot point in medical soil,

precisely that. Or when a device in the next room is on or off. Coupled with the fact that there's no currently understood mechanism for this radiation to interact with our fleshy cells, the intensities and frequencies that exist out in our world means that the syndrome in and of itself probably doesn't exist. However, this does not mean that the symptoms that people who feel they have this do not exist. They are clearly suffering and their suffering should be taken seriously no matter the cause.

The phrase, it's all in your head to dismiss things is a particular bug bear of mine. Yes, it is all in your head, just like every pain you've ever had. Every memory, the love you feel for your family, the entirety of you, mental illness is just as real as physical illness and while society is making large strides towards accepting that, we aren't there yet. Just because something is in your head does not mean that it is not a real problem that needs help, and it was refreshing to discuss the film and the person at its center

in a compassionate way. Thank you for that. Up with the BHFs, down with governments who don't seem to understand how negotiation works. So David, so what's interesting about that is, it is possible to both say, as I think was obvious from last weekend now, this week is, electromagnetic hypersensitivity has been debunked, which is not to say that the people who say they're suffering from it are not suffering and therefore

need to be. Yes. And I believe that that's what the documentary says. But as I said, I would just say once again, if you're not medical, don't make a call on this. Shut it. Yeah, shut it. Number 11, number 29 in America, is close.

I found very touching. This is the second feature from Lucas Don, who made a girl. And it's a story of childhood friendship bonds broken. And it's about two very young childhood friends who suddenly find themselves in a position that one of them finds awkward. And he turns his back on his friend and then he lives to regret it for the rest of the movie. I thought it was really beautifully done. We played a clip last week and you were commenting on how it's the clip of the two boys running through this field of flowers and the music is superb. And you were commenting on how it's the clip of the two boys running through this field of flowers and the music is superb and you were commenting on how

beautiful it was. I think it has, it's a brilliant evocation of childhood friendship and of the loss of childhood friendship. Paul Madden on an email, third time email, a medium term listener, I think and of course a van Goddys to Toatsworth the price of the subscription in brackets. Thanks to many of your reviews of movies not in the English language. I have expanded my usual viewings and it has opened a whole new world for me. The first thing to say is that close is beautifully shot

and stunningly beautiful. From the colors in Remi's room to the wide range of colorful fields of chrysanthemum fields, I think, that the boys run through, you could pause the film every few seconds and print an image to hang in a gallery, not to mention the myriad expressions etched on many of the actor's faces.

Secondly, I knew I was seeing a film that these people were actors, but there was something about how young the boys were. Yet they were communicating so much and not by words, complex emotions, in a turmoil, regret, disdain, and pure innocent love slash friendship that I felt I was watching a documentary. Very good. Finally, the supporting actors, mainly the parents and Leo's brother were used just enough,

inputted at just the right time within the movie, and were modern and emotionally available a combination that might have been enough to have changed things. As a gay man in his mid-40s, this movie was a punch to the stomach. I reflected on my friendships when I was of similar age to Remy and Leo. At the time, I was battling with the notion that I might be different and how I managed my life to avoid situations, protecting my friends from having to deal with homophobia, from being associated with a friend who wasn't like everyone else, gay by association. And the isolation, loneliness and solitary walking, the list goes on, goes with it. Thankfully, in a far better place now, this movie was incredibly impactful.

In short, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and probably my favorite movie of the year. Paul, thank you very much. Paul, thank you. That's a lovely email. I'm going to forgive you for the use of the word impactful. Why does he need forgiveness for that? This is not really a word. Is it? Why is it not a word? It's not really a word in what sense is it not a word? It's just not really a word.

You can't just establish a fact by keep repeating the same thing. You can. I don't think that word is not really a word. Is it impactful? It's not really a word. It's definitely in the if it's in. If I can look it up, it's a word. But it's that is a really is impactful. It's not really a word. It's definitely in the, if it's in, if I could look it up, it's a word. But that is a really lovely email. And I think that speaks to what it is about the film that gets under your skin, is that it has this real

smirk of truthfulness, but without ever having to have any of the characters explain to you what's going on. And I think, you see so much in the faces of the boys. And I don't think it's beautiful, but impactful isn't it? Quite impactful. Number 10, heaven in hell. That's a Polish movie that I haven't seen. It wasn't press-screened if anyone has. Please let us know. Number nine is epic tales. Epic fails. Number eight here. number six in America avatar the way of water see previous programs I did so I've interviewed Keanu Reeves for the new John Wick film is that John Wick John four chapter John Wick chapter four chapter four and I was thinking can I crowbar into this interview my way of watching Avatar with John Wicking

between and it just didn't come up. Okay. I'm telling you that you watched it, but either side of it there was Bruce Wimmy people. I didn't. I didn't. Number seven here number nine in the state's Magic Mike's last dance. The real disappointment in the Magic Mike canon, which is a shame because I like the

Magic Mike franchise and I'm all for a bit of male stripping, but like the film's rubbish. Number six here, number four in the state's demon slayer, Kimetsu no Iber to the swordsmith village. Again, animation that I haven't seen be interested to see if anybody has, it's Japanese animation, please let us know if you've seen it. Number five in the UK, what's love got to do with it? Which I kind of like, it's, you know, it's hearts in the right place, it's a bit, you know, it's a bit here and a bit there, but I think it's, it's charming when it needs to be charming, and it's, yeah, it's kind of fun. And number four here, number three in the states is Cocaine Bear.

And I refer you to my previous comments about Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey, or Shark Exorcist, or any of those things. It's one thing to come up with a title that you go, yeah, that sounds great. It's another thing to come up with a film which doesn't make you absolutely go, but the rest of it was total rubbish. We need a poo blood and honey. It's all in the title, nothing else. Cocaine Bear, okay.

It's not as good as the title or the trailer, but it's still good fun. Colm Murphy says, Sarah Mark, I hope you're well. Heritage-ish. Listen, the first time emailer, I've just come back from seeing cocaine bear, a predictably shoddy and gory film with clumsy character arcs,

highly implausible plot beats. And very uneven acting. My wife and I enjoy events. Go, go, go. However, we were most amused by a vignette before the actual film began, namely the BBC rating screen that appears before every film.

I'm sure there were various regulatory requirements to consider, but I did find it amusing to be forewarned of drug references in a film called co-game. Frankly, I would have been worried if there weren't any. Love the show and the new format. Keep up the good fight. That's very good. Thank you, Tom. Number three here, eight in the states, pushing boots to the last wish, discussed. Everyone likes it,

apart from art. No, and Robbie, it was quite impactful. I'm not everyone. Not all word. UK number two and number two in the states, at Man and the Wasp, quantum, a year. Well, I have to confess, it's not dropping as fast as I said, it was going to. So I'm wrong. I thought it was terrible. But number one, by a very long way, is Creed 3. Yes, it's not just number one. It's very number one. It is very number one.

In fact, I think looking at this chart, it's outsold everything else put together. Friend on this email. I was listening to your show last week and your excellent interview with Michael B. Jordan reminded me of my friend and fellow witter-tainy short foray into Hollywood last year.

Okay. We both worked for a boxing broadcaster Michael B. Jordan reminded me of my friend and fellow Witter Taney's short foray into Hollywood last year. Okay. We both worked for a boxing broadcaster and Chris was on the set of Creed III, shaperoning all our talent as they made up the broadcaster team in the film. One day he was approached to see if he would be an extra,

complete with one line playing Tony Ballu's character, pretty Ricky Conlon's Cut Man. A Cut Man is... He's the person who puts the dabby on your cut. Yeah, and yeah, looks after you in between the rounds. Yes, yes, yes. Chris was born to play this role. He looks like a cut man, speaks like a cut man,

and dresses like a cut man. This was his time. So if he walks like a cut man, speaks like a cut man, and dresses like a cut man, chances are, he's a cut man. Sure enough, Michael B. Jordan agreed, and within 24 hours, he had been measured up and cast. Chris was exceptionally proud of himself and fired out WhatsApp's left-rightened center explaining how this was the beginning of a long and glittering career in Hollywood.

On turning up on set the next day, he was told he had to do a quick, tickly test, a mere formality, just to check that he was COVID-free before entering the fray. He wasn't. And his Hollywood career brutally cut short in its prime. So he was, in the end, a cut man, he was cut, he was a cut man. And Michael B. Jordan and his interview was, it did talk about directing his first movie under lockdown and COVID restrictions and how incredibly complicated it was. And unfortunately, Chris the cut man, ain't the cut man, but everything else. You didn't make the cut.

Is the number one movie? That must have cut. That's it. I'm all out of cut jokes now. I thought it was very interesting in your interview with Michael B. Jordan when he was talking about the challenge of being in the movie and directing the movie. And I think that one of the most remarkable things is when they get into the fight scene, they do do that thing about suddenly removing all the extraneous stuff, which is if the fight is happening in some kind of mythical landscape. But I think that works very well. That is a very good directorial call.

Right. So it's Andy Circus time, Mark, which is a very good thing. According to a well-known website beginning with W and rhyming with Picapedia. And I didn't know this one. I did the interview. Andy is the eighth highest grossing actor all time. What? I mean, maybe that's just been added and you know, you can't always trust the internet.

But anyway. Wow. Well, if that's the case, then I have to say that's encouraging because he ought to be in the top 10 in terms of the quality that he brings to any project. He is in a movie called Luther the Fallen Sun, and you'll hear our conversation. The other side of a clip, which is rather action packed. So if you want to see it, rather than just here,

you can find it on YouTube. But for everybody else, here we go. What do you say? You know where it is. Man! Shoot me! Hey! Oh, man! Go, go, go! Go, go, go, go. Let's go. Stop! Back. Back.

Look at me. Look at me. Back. Back. Back. Back. Back. Back. Back.

Back. Back. Back. Back. Back. Back. Back. It's over now. All right. It's over now. Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, and it's very nice to see you again. It's a lot of sea. Do you know when the last time you're on the show?

No, I've got it in there. When was it? Because I, we seem to talk about you all the time on the program, but you haven't been on since 2017. Oh, you kidding. When it was Caesar. When you were Caesar for War of the Planet, we talked about you when Breathe came out,

Claire Foyer and Andrew Gaffo came on, so they were talking about you. And I think we've talked about you in relation to Andor, but anyway, it's very nice to have you on in your own right. Introduces to Luther, the fallen son. Luther, the fallen son, is a very epic kind of movie with the incredible Idris Elba, of course, playing, reprising his role as the cop who you don't know what is going to do. He's going to do next and he lives in the moment. He's a sort of cross between the vigilante, a very good, quick cop, but has his own means of the way he deals with things,

cop, but you know, has his own means of the way he deals with things, which is one of the things that upsets the character that I play David Roby. He's a very lonely, screwed up guy basically, who has created wealth from the tech industry and is unable at all to connect with other human beings, and the way he does that is by observing them, by surveilling them and then manipulating them and having some sort of control over them. And then he has a bizarre sense of theatricality which is bound up with the power of the internet and a way of using the dark web to create a safe space

as he would call it, for his nefarious activities, where he feels at home, where he feels that he is providing a service, of course in his mind, he's created his own reality. So throughout the course of, he commits murders, and as a way of, I suppose, making this theatricality come to life for his followers. He's a sort of small term demagogue, I guess. He controls other people's minds using the internet. Basically, the story is Luther, who starts off in prison actually, is in prison, has to find a way of getting to him

because he, Luther is the cop who can see through people who understands the motivations of people and he wants to bring this guy down. You have played dark characters before. Indeed, you played Ian Brady. Indeed. In Longford. I just wonder when you, when you play the Embraidery. Indeed. In Longford. I just wonder when you got the script and when it was pitched to you, what

was it that made you want to play such a nasty piece of work? Well, it's interesting because actually when I first read it, I didn't want to do it for that reason because I thought, you know, why go down this path of having to spend time with an individual that ultimately you have no time for and don't like or you know find his means in modus operandi, you know kind of repellent. But then as an actor, it hoves you to investigate characters like this. Mostly, the debate for me that really appealed to me about taking the role was, was the character, I mean, literally when I read the script I did want to bin it, and I have said, as I've said

before, it's true, it really made me want to have a shower because it was just like, I don't know if I can go there with this. But actually, the job, when I stood back and thought, what is this? Well, here's an opportunity to create, this is an entertainment, it's a big blockbuster movie. But within that, there's the opportunity to talk about the internet, to talk about the fact

that we are desensitized to horror. We watch true crime, we imbibe horror, we slow down on the motorway to see what's happened in that car crash. And it's that part of humanity, we, we, we, in bi-porrow, we slow down on the motorway to see what's happened in that car crash. And it's that part of humanity, which you can either go, well, that's not me, I don't do that. Or we can accept that it is, at some point in our lives, we may have had dark thoughts about doing things. And, and, but, you know, the idea that you can watch on the news every night, some or hear about some horrific thing,

and that you can then just turn and carry on making a pastor. It's like, what is that part of the human psyche that wants to be close to horror? And, or if you're a, say a war photographer who spends their life watching, you know, horrendous things happen unfold in front of you, and you don't go towards to help, you take a picture of it instead.

What is it in the human condition? That allows you to do that. And so that kind of contextualizing for me is what made me want to play the role. And did having, having played Ian Brady make you want to do this role more or less? I just wanted to have him play, played the real thing,

and having read the book that he wrote, and having gone into a very dark place for that. I'm surprised that you actually didn't just want to run away. Yeah, well absolutely, because there are some similarities, but I think with this character, I think it was, I mean, because he also was a moral relativist, you know, to a big degree and created his own reality and braided. But with this character, I think it's, I think it's the platform actually, a big blockbuster movie, which, which, you know, this is sort of removed from the villainy of the sort that you see in a Bond movie, for instance, you know. And it was, for me, the challenge was trading that fine line as in a piece of entertainment, by trying, having the ability in the platform to say something, I think, that was worthy of an investigation.

On a platform, which is going to speak to lots and lots of people, and hopefully a lot of people will watch this movie. Is it one of those roles that's difficult to not take home with you? Or is it really just, you know, you put on the uniform, you put on the wig and you... What was the wig actually? Was it? I was in my own home. I do, I do. Well, it's extraordinary.

Cynthia Riva actually said that on day three, God, they've got a new marvellous wig. I said, actually, Cynthia, I've spent hours in my gut. Okay, well, but you, so you spend a while becoming this character, is it difficult to then kind of take him off again? Yes and no. I mean, you do, you do kind of, you, you live within the skin, you kind of, you've created the psychology of the character, you, you know, you've got to be able to get into it. And there is a period of decompression every day and at the end of the job. But I think as I've got older as an actor and actually acting is a part of the other forms of expression

that I've become involved in such as directing and running a company and having a family and being a parent and all of those. So you, and the more you do, the more access you have to the tools that enable you to be able to shape shift, I suppose, in a slightly more healthy manner. My, personally, I have always struggled with movies which, and TV series, which are about serial killers, and try and avoid them as much as possible.

I watch this because of you. And also because Idris is a fantastic performer. But I found halfway through the movie, I was reframing it. Maybe it was just a way of coping with what I was looking at. And I reframed it as a Batman film. And Idris was Batman, and you were the Joker. And Cynthia, who you mentioned before, I mean, I'm stretching it a bit here, was commission the Gordon.

You know, that kind of thing. But am I a million miles off in that? There was something Marvel or comic book about this movie and the way it's been filmed. I think that's absolutely right. It does. And it's using that level of storytelling, which is why, again, which is why I find playing a character like this in that sort of environment, where it is elevated. It is like a cartoon.

It comes from graphic novels. You know, Luther is a graphic novel character. And so it has its DNA in that. And we're sitting in front of a looop of poster. Yeah. And the way looop is standing on the rooftop. Yeah, it's like Batman. It is. It is. And London is Gotham. It is. It's to a certain extent. London has that feel in the movie. It is elevated in the way it's shot with Jamie Payne's directed it, it wants to feel like it has that platform to stand on and scale. So it isn't the kind of the small backstreet dark,

scandinoire, that sort of feel, it's much more epic than that. So having the characters that have the level of complexity of those smaller dramas on a bit in a bigger frame, I think is what gives it its resonance. Had you worked with Idris before? No. Because he's a producer on the movie as well and you produce and direct yourself. But what's he like to act with? He's utterly phenomenal and so present. And of course course being the someone who's lived with this character for such a long time And he's lived with him for 10 years and and played him

You know, he's inside the skin of it. So it's actually bizarre being on on state on set rather with someone who You because he's so because he's in the moment decision-making as the character sort of chimes in perfectly with his own decision making as an actor. It's seamless and so it's very alluring to watch and be with because he's completely in the moment in prison. And having been a producer and director yourself does that make you a different actor to work with? Yes and no, I mean I tend to try and forget all of that stuff, because you come off set

and then I'm working around animal farm at the moment and I'd be going home at night and having reviews with the animal farm animators at the end of a day's work on Luther. So, you sort of, again, you sort of, you have to compartmentalize, I think. Many times you said to us on the program that there's, in your head, there's no difference between motion capture and acting, you know, that they should be considered exactly the same.

Does having worked so much in motion capture make you a different actor? Does it make you a more physical actor? No, no, I think, no, and I think partly because, you know, I started off in the theatre really before I went anywhere near the film or TV camera and my first job was having to go between characters, you know you rehearse, it was a rep, rep-tree theatre and when you were rehearsing one play during the day and performing another at night. So there was an instinctive desire to transform

and find physical ways of expressing a character that were different to the one that you were playing in the evening. And so I think that was an absorbed, so it was that way around really. I think I've always sought a physical change or some sort of physical transformation to help, you know, actors use different tools to get into character, but the physicality has always been important to me in terms of

creating a role. Animal Farm is something you've just mentioned, but it's something that you've been talking about for a while, it's something you wanted to do for a while, how long does this project? How far does it go back? It goes back to when we first formed the Imagineinarium, which is back in 2010, 11 sort of around there. So it's getting on for 12, 13 years. And they, the salon these films take.

A lot of films take, you know, I was just talking to the writers from all quite in the Western Front the other night and they wanted to make that for 16 years, you know. So they do take time these projects. Steel and Steen Spielbergs wanted to make the Fabelman's for years and years and years, but he made ET and jaws instead, you know, so they do take time these projects. Still, Steven Spielberg's wanted to make the fabled ones for years and years and years, but he made ET and jaws and stare, you know. Yeah. But it took lockdown and Covid for him to, yeah. Then make that particular movie. So animal, so where are you in the, in the story of animal farm? We are making it, we're in production in working with Sinisite and Aniventure. We are, in working with CineSight and An event, we are a year in the animation process and probably about another year to go.

So, the risk of getting lost in technology, which moves so fast and will have changed so much since even you started this company, how different is this work that you're doing now on Animal Farm to when you started, because things seem to be changing so far. Absolutely, certainly in the performance capture world, when I think about when I started playing Gollum to Avatar coming out, in the huge journey that that's had in terms of virtual production, and actors on set, capturing their performance once and once only,

as opposed to animators, which is restart started off with Lord of the Rings. My performance being filmed on 35 millimeter film, if you remember that. Thank you Mr Jackson. And then animators copying my movements and then having to go back into motion capture stage and on the blank pass, re-coreograph myself into shots. All of that process is all so changed. But going back to Animal Farm, in actual fact, this is a purely animated movie. So this is me directing animators in Canada for four hours a day by Zoom. And that's another sort of technology. Absolutely. We're going to have another part of our conversation in Take Two, got some great listeners questions, which will come to, but for the moment, Andy

Circus is always a pleasure. Thank you very much. Nice to see you again, Simon. I didn't realise that it was his own hair. He was very, very quick to correct me. He was very, very quick to correct me. Anyway, Andy Serkis, who is in Luther Fullen's son, I think that's as close as I've ever come to saying to an actor that I didn't really like the picture. Yes, can I just say on that, the subject that you said about the eighth highest-grossing actor, it doesn't mean, because I just look this up,

it doesn't mean that he has made the money. It means that the films he's been in have made the money. Is that, did you understand that? Is what it meant? I was just just really wanted. So basically, it is the films he's been in, in this two lists, one of them is leading roles, and the other one is all roles, including cameos and voice acting, in which he is number eight for all the films that he's been in are eight most successful. The top of the list is Stan Lee, who isn't a good artist. He's an actor, but of course he has a cameo and all thing.

However, I still think Andy Serkis should be the eighth highest paid actor in the world, because I think he's brilliant. So Luther the Fallen Sun, which was briefly in cinemas, is now on Netflix directed by Jamie Payne from a script by the Luther show creator Neil Cross shows a huge hit and I confess that I haven't seen a series. So Idris Elba, brilliant in the Y, brilliant second coming, Andy Circus, brilliant in everything,

Cynthia Rivevo, brilliant both acting and singing, Oscar nominations for both best actress and for best song, all the ducks are in place, didn't like the film at all. And here are my reasons, and I get the sense that you're on the same page. Firstly, it makes no sense at all. The case and the speed with which Andy Circus is villain gets Luther put in prison, and then the ease and the speed with which he breaks out of prison. It's just, it's absolute nonsense. Secondly, it's stuck in that old serial killer mastermind trope

that imagines that mass murderers are, in fact, incredibly intelligent and have endless resources and endless help and time to set up massively theatrical set pieces such as the scene in Piccadilly Circus, which only makes sense if you go, well, it's an epic movie. I mean, Andy did use the word epic. He said it's an epic blockbuster. Okay, so, you know, it's not a TV show, so therefore we'll have this whole set piece involving people standing on buildings. Why? Well, because it will look

good on screen. Thirdly, I think it's nasty in a way that has absolutely no bite. Characters wailing at the deaths of loved ones that immediately passed over, and then we move on to the next thing. And I think this, I mean, you know, heaven knows I like senseless violence, but I think it's murky and nasty in a way that it doesn't earn. Forthly, it seems to have been written in the, you know, late 90s, early 90s. Remember there was that period when everyone briefly went on a jag about

oh, online snuff porn? So suddenly there was like, I don't really. I reviewed films when it's like, and there were things like, you know, Mylitly and Fear.com and all this stuff. I mean, films, neither of which I have to say of age very well, but like, oh, I know, a really interesting thing would be,

yeah, online torture, but, you know, but interesting thing would be yeah, online torture, but you know, but it's like, yeah, we did all that. It was 20 years ago, I'm really not bothered. In that interview Andy Circus talks very intelligently about, you know, it's about the power of the internet and the dark web and you know, we've all done this car crash rubber necking in the human condition and he talks a good talk but none of it applies to this film. This film is rubber necking and the human condition. And he talks a good talk,

but none of it applies to this film. This film is nothing to do with the human condition. The character that he's playing is not a real, I mean, as you said yourself, he played Ian Brady brilliantly. That is a real character. This is, it's a comic book character. There's nothing real about it at all.

It's nothing but a fan's full projection. Now, okay, you know, we're decentralized to horror. Are we really? I mean, that's the, that's just the the oldest argument in the book, you know, that we're well, but also if we're decentralized, and why you, and then, then you make this, you make this film, which I think is the nastiest film that I've seen in a, I know, make, you know, as I said in the interview, I try not to watch this kind of stuff. Anyway, but I thought the last 20 minutes, particularly, were especially nasty and vindictive and except without any actual dramatic bite because you don't believe that any of the things are actually happening because it's all...

No, but there's a young girl who's been put through immense trauma. And I just thought, that feeling that Andy had when he got the script and he wanted to throw it away and have a shower, that's what I think he was right the first time. And I reading between the lines, I would say that, I mean, look, I love Andy Circus. He's one of my favorite actors and I think he gives it his very best. And I think the performing hairstyle is the most interesting thing about the film. I think his first response was absolutely right. I think that, you know, the fact that he kept saying, well, it's a blockbuster meat. Well, it isn't. I mean, it was in cinemas very briefly. It didn't bust any blocks. You know, blockbuster means because the queue is so big, it brought you up fine, but didn't happen.

It played some cinemas and then now it's on the small screen. It's not a blockbuster movie. It is an extended TV program. And I think that, you know, a few months ago, when this show first started, I reviewed a sort of pretty horrible straight to streaming services thing about a guy who's got like a gesture character who catches people and then he torches them online.

And he does a whole thing, but on the morality of all these people think they're so tortures them online. And he does a whole thing, but on the morality of all these people think they're so much better than us. It's basically the same thing. I mean, the difference with that was it had a budget of nothing, and it was just nasty trash. This has a budget of quite a lot, and it has stars in it, but it isn't different.

It's slick and empty, very, very out of date. My worst criticism of, I mean, you sort of, you found it kind of objectionable. I just think it's boring. I just think it's very, very, very old and tired. And I, I love Andy Circus. And I think he's the best thing about it. And I don't believe in his character for one minute. You know, we need to do what's that together? We need to step into the laughter lift after that. Okay. If we can't, you know, chuck script away. Never but.

Let's do that, obviously. Okay, let's step into, I never believe I'd say these words. Let's step into the laughter lift. Hey. Hey. Mark, I see the Mandalorian's back. Is it good? Yeah, are you a fan?

Yes. The good ladies, ceramicists, her and all's nice, certainly are. In fact, I Yeah. Are you a fan? Yes. The Good Ladies' ceramicist, Herandals and I certainly are. In fact, I intended to go to a fancy dress party a few months ago as that very Mandalorian with her as Grogu. Why intended Simon, I hear you ask? Why intended? I'm glad you asked.

I have to say, I messed up a bit. She was going straight to the party from her ceramics studio and she texted me just before she left. Don't forget to put on the mask. Well, that's one hour, 40 minutes I won't get back. I don't even like Jim Carey completely. He's the party all together. Anyway, Grogu is very cute. Literally, you led me up that garden path for that joke. Yeah. Okay. Grogu is very, very cute, isn't he? What a lovely little Jedi Foundling. He's cloquely referred to as baby Yoda, but he isn't Yoda, he's merely of the same species. Do you know what actual Yoda's last name is?

I hate to ask. Lady Who? Took me a while. What is the Mandalorian's favorite chocolate snack, by the way? You're right, it's bounty, correct. What do we have still to come, by the way? We have reviews of Scream 6 and Champions all on the way. Back after this, unless you're a Vanguardista in which case, that moustache really suits you

and your service will not be interrupted. With banking packages from Scotiabank, you can put money back in your pocket. That's how Marcus was able to invest in everything he needed to launch his podcast about his pets. Welcome back to PetGasd! Visit Scotiabank.com slash welcome offer. Scotiabank conditions apply. offer, Scotia Bank conditions apply. Right to the emails, correspondents at Curbinamoe.com should you wish to partake. What else is out?

What else should we be going to see? Champions, which is the new movie by Bobby Farley, one half of the Farley brothers, Bobby and Peter Farley. You know, they don't dumb or something about Mary, me, myself, Irene, shallow howl, all that stuff. Peter Farley, struck gold with green book, which, as we've mentioned before, went on to become the driving midst at Miss Daisy. The racist design.

Oh, fantastic. The racist. But of all the years that we've worked together, that's one of your best lines. Thank you. I mean, that's a good thing. I don't mean like big, that feeling. Oh, it kind of still, that's a good thing. I don't mean like big. It kind of still works. It's it genuinely still works. So this is a remake of the 2018

Spanish film, Campionus, which was inspired by the real life story of a basketball team. And so this is so this is based on a movie that's inspired by a real life story. So therefore, sort of far removed from the real life story, but kind of somewhere in the background. So Woody Harrelson, who actually got his, you know, big breaking white man, can't jump and was one of the stars of the Farrellies bowling comedy, Kingpin. He's Marcus Maricopitch. He's an irassable minor league basketball assistant coach. He fights with his superior on the pitch and then off the pitch, he's drunk and he drives into the back of a police car. He gets pulled up in front of a judge who says, well, you're going to have to do 90 days community service coaching adults with intellectual

disabilities and he says, I can't take community service. And she says, well, in that case, you can go to prison. He says, no, no, when I say, I can't take, I mean, I want to give, I want to give community service. So he takes on the 90 days coaching as he's told adults with intellectual disabilities. So he turns up at the club that he has to, he's told at the beginning, you don't have to turn them into into the lake as you just have to make them feel like a team. And the team includes Kevin Ynicci's Johnny who is this animal lover with an aversion to showers who sister Alex played by Caitlin Olson when he has his character is met briefly he's hooked up with her briefly.

Marlon played by Casey Meckoff who's a walking encyclopedia who knows tons and tons of stuff. Darious played by Joshua Felder who is this talented player who's got walking cyclopedia who knows tons and tons of stuff. Darius, played by Joshua Felder, who is this talented player who's got real forgiveness issues because there is a connection between him and the drunk driving charge, which Woody Harrelson's character is him. He refuses to play ball. And then Kostin Tino played by Madison Tevlin,

who is absolutely kick ass in every sense. And then, pardon me, and then a character called Showtime, whose movies that he throws the ball at the basket backwards. And what he says says, has he ever scored? And he says, in all the time, I've known him, he's never even hit the rim, but he's absolutely due to score. Now, you don't have to kind of be incredibly sinny literature

in sports movies to know how this is all going to play out. That obviously what's going to happen is he wants a job at the NBA. He's been given this thing in which he has to work with people that he wouldn't initially want to work with and he's kind of offy about it and he's crass and he's bumbling and you know, and he's rude. And then he starts to realize that there is more to life than what he had expected before and they end up on the road to the special Olympics in which he is inevitably going to be

faced with the possibility, look, perhaps this is where you belong. Here's a clip. Tomorrow we got the gold medal game. So I need you to go back to your room and get a good night's rest. Perfect coach, we'll do it. Alright. Good night. Good night. Good night.

Look at you laying down the law. They respect me. Woo! Let's go, you filthy dog. I mean, it's a very visual clip, so here's the thing with this. You know, the Faroley's humour has often been incredibly blunt and incredibly gross out, and people have often taken against their humour. One of the things that people haven't necessarily in the past, always given an credit for is the fact that they have really, really excelled in diverse casting. In fact, in 2020, they've gotten a award from the Ruderman Foundation in recognition of their advocacy for the inclusive and authentic representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. And I remember

interviewing them many, many years ago, in which we were talking about this. And they said, you know, it's it's extraordinarily quite often in our films. There are people with disability. You wouldn't even know that that's the case. We have just it's always been a big thing for them. I thought this worked really well. I went in thinking, you know, I don't know much about it. And I'm not a huge fan of that particular sports genre movie. But I really liked it. Firstly, the relative newcomers absolutely hold their own against the kind of season professionals. I mean, they're kind of fully rounded characters, they're raucous, they're rude, they're funny, they're, you know, it's really, really entertaining watching and all this kind of, you know, the feel good stuff on the court, basketball court, is that a court? Yeah, I wonder whether it's pitch or anything.

Yeah, so that's really well. Secondly, the relationship between Woody Harrison's character and Alex by Ken Nelson is actually really well done and reminded me of the Rene Russo Kevin Kostner relationship in tin cup. It's kind of, you know, she's absolutely, she's got the measure of them and she, you know, doesn't take any nonsense from him and he's kind of, all the humor in the movie is about him being an idiot. All the butts of the jokes are him

and I thought it was, I thought it was really well done. It's got all that kind of typical, far-rely brothers, you know, quite a droidly chosen needle drops. They make very good use of Chumble Wimbledon's tub thumping, which is actually, they do it as a carpal karaoke thing, and it's actually really funny. I thought it was really charming, and I came out of it, and I spoke to a couple of critics and friends were like, wow, did you expect

that to be? And it was really well done, and a really interesting cast, all funny, lots of very kind of well-timed comedy and fully rounded characters with, you know, sort of warts and all raucous, badly behaved as you saw from that clip, humor. I liked it. I thought it was, I thought it worked really well and it is heartwarming and there aren't that many movies that you can say that of. It's directed by Bobby really well, and it is heartwarming, and there aren't that many movies that you can say that of. It's directed by Bobby Farrowley, and it's called Champions, and I, yeah, I thought it was a real treat.

If you see it, let us know. You think Correspondence at CurmanaMere.com. For what's on, now this is where you email us a voice note about your festival, or special screening, or thing that you want to tell us about from wherever you are in the world. Send it to Correspondence Kermit and Mayo.com. Here we go with this week's Correspondence.

Hello, Saminen Mark. This is Chang from Hong Kong Film Festival, UK, taking place from the 18th to 31st of March. Our program, you highlight the relationship between Hong Kong and the UK, looking at the iconic rean actmen of the Battle of Orgryff by Jorimidella, and bringing to the forefront Pengpong, the first British Chinese film, which is a real hidden gem. The good thing website is hkff.uk. Hope to see you there. I was ching from the Hong Kong Film Festival, which is taking place as you heard in the UK over the next month. Yeah, Battle of Orgriffe is an astonishing thing.

If you have something to tell us about and you'd like to use us to promote your way, that doesn't sound right. Well, we're here to be used. If you want to talk, you're own Kingsie, your own, but flog your, maybe related. If they're flogging, you see. Send it to correspondentsacerminomeo.com and that'll be a very lovely thing. Okay, so I think it's scream six time. Okay, I haven't really been bothering

with them since the first one. Okay, so this is the latest installment from Matt Betnelli, open and Tyler Gillette who were earmarked briefly to make cocaine bear. And then they didn't do it because they were gonna concentrate on the screen franchise instead. And I think actually cocaine bear did well for that because I think that, you know, as it

was, I think we got, we got the, probably the best movie that Cocaine Bear could have been. Yes. Okay. So this is the first film in the franchise not to feature, and he've Campbell's character Sydney, or Sydney is mentioned in dispatches. Oh yeah, Sydney, she's not around anymore, you know, we all wish her well. He mentioned in dispatches. Yeah, she's mentioned in dispatches. Oh yeah, Sydney. She's not around anymore. You know, we all wish her well You mentioned in dispatches. Yeah, she's mentioned in the script. Yes, you've never heard that phrase No, I just the word dispatch in a movie like this. Yeah, no, no, no, it's another

Having been dispatched. No She said there's this has been a lot of this in the press. She said as a woman Oh, this is new Campbell as a woman. I've had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to scream. I felt that the offer that was presented to me, this is for the thing, did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It's been a very difficult decision to move on

to all my scream fans. I love you. You've always been so incredibly supportive to me. I'm forever grateful to you and what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years. Now, when I first reviewed Scream, Wes Craven's Scream, I did, there was an onstage thing and it was with Wes and I think maybe Drew Barrymore and other members of the cast. If I had known then that 25 years later, I would have been reviewing Scream 6.

I think I would have had a much heavier heart. I had interviewed, who I had interviewed with Craven loads of times over the years, you know, I'm big fan of his. We talked about how screen was really smart and really funny and a great celebration of, you know, of horror. But I said, of course, all the work was really done in West Craven's new nightmare. He said, I know, but, you know, how many people saw West Craven's new nightmare, how many people saw scream? Scream really felt like it was a smart kind of post-modern twist, you know, because there was a whole thing about them all talking about the rules of how horror movies worked. And then very rapidly, you got the scary

movie parody, parody, parodying something which was already parodying itself, it was already put. And then you got the sequels and then you got the sequels of the sequels and then you got the sequels of the sequels of the sequels of the sequels and it's like yeah okay this record has absolutely run dry. So in the new film Melissa Brayer, Jasmine Savoy Brown, Mason Goody, General Taker, Courtney Cox back reprising roles from previous installments and jackchamp, any whole bunch of people, tomorrow evening. So, the sisters Samantha and Tara and Chadmoney, they've left Woodsborough, they're now in

New York, they're going to make a new start, but they're not going to make a new start because the ghost face killers killings, I mean, because it's been changing from movie to movie who was doing the ghostface is The thing so it's still because obviously that's how the franchise works and the dialogue is yet more post-modern Cinelliterate riffing on formula horror formula horror sequels and formula horror franchises Wow, let's have a listen. Whatever happened last time, expect the opposite. franchise is only survived by subverting expectations. And rule three, no one is safe. Legacy characters can't and fodder at this point. Usually brought back only to be killed off

in some cheap bid for nostalgia. It's not looking too good for Galen Kirby. Oh, and that's not even the worst part. This is the part where she tells us the worst part. The worst part is, brand-trizes are just continuing episodic installments designed to boost an IP, which means main characters are completely expendable now too. That means it's not just the friend group. Any of us could go at any time, especially Sam and Tara.

So before the screening we were told that there was an embargo on the reviews, but there was a spoiler review in Bargo until Monday. I couldn't spoil this film if I tried, and I'll tell you why, because I neither know nor care who anyone is or what happens to them. The plot is basically, the person who you thought was that person is in fact this other person in a mask. When you thought that they were one thing, they were actually another thing that we only just thought of, but we're going to pretend we thought of it before. And when you thought that murder scene was rubbish, it's because it actually wasn't a murder scene. It was a ruse. And maybe they didn't, or maybe they did,

maybe they didn't. Maybe they aren't the person that you, maybe that person, and when you take the mask, there's, there are points in it when characters are unveiled who we've seen and I'm going I don't even know who that is and I absolutely don't care. Also, anyone can be stabbed multiple times without dying and in the very next scene they will not just be alive but they will be better and up and running around. I had a hernia operation which was done medically supervised very very, very small, and you know, I did a little, I couldn't walk for a couple of days afterwards. I'm pretty certain that a large bread knife being inserted into your body several times will not allow you to bounce back in the next scene with a little bandage.

Also characters might be dead, they might not be dead. You say, was that a bad death scene or was it a stage death scene? Is somebody really who they say they are? Are they somebody else's? the other person? Are they? And I'm going, as for the killer, it's like, it's been so many people now that I just, I don't know, on the upside, there's a scene with a ladder balance between two windows in which characters have to crawl over the ladder. It's just quite well done and tense. On the downside, I didn't care whether they managed to make it to the other end of the ladder because I don't care at all.

I wasn't scared, I wasn't thrilled, I wasn't entertained, I wasn't diverted. I actually found myself going, come on, Kermode. I mean, just, you know, compare it to, you know, is it technically better? Are some of the jokes more? It's like, no, we did all this. We did all this so many years ago, so much better. And I know, okay, if I'm approaching 16,

probably it's a generational thing and maybe some of the people that are gonna enjoy the movie weren't even born when scream came out It's just stop Just stop stop having these smug conversations about oh, yeah Well, there's one bit which two characters go okay, which nightmare in Austria? Oh the first one oh which Friday the 13th all the thing the thing. Oh, there's a joke about that Oh, yeah, and then which version of Candyman,

or the original, or the reboot, both, oh yeah, Game Seas game, you got me, I've been around horror fans my entire life. None of us speak like that. Never have done, never will do, don't know, don't care, couldn't spoil it, because having seen it, I've got absolutely no idea of, or interested in who did what to whom, how

hot when and so on. Stabby, stabby, stabby, stabby, stabby, oh no, it's him. It's scooby, it's scooby, dude. Kate Williams in Wolverhampton has sent us a picture of her ticket for Scream 6. I'm sorry. It says on the ticket, it's a little description of the film. Tells the story of a super smart mouse called Patti and her feline friend Sam as they embark upon an exciting adventure of

poor sum proportions through ancient Greece. I'd watch that. Certificate you. I know that's epic title for sure. The genre. Horror. And they've crossed, so the certificate you and then someone has written 18 in large letters next to it.

And Kate says, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in the room when the staff at the majestic in Bridge North. Through the list. The listing for Scream 6 suggested it was a you certificate story of a super smart mouse and a feline friend. Instead of the latest instalment of the ghost face going to New York or whatever. Anyway, I remember I did a documentary for Channel 4 back in the 90s called Fear in the Dark. And back then there was a teenager that we didn't feed some American teenagers, the British teenager. I think it wanted to give it a slightly American age. And there was this guy talking about the Jason movies, the Friday the 13th franchise.

And he went, you know, in Manhattan, he said, it's like he's on tour. And I'm going to go, yeah, and now it's, it's like everything that was interesting, everything that was interesting about Scream is so not interesting anymore in these, oh yeah, there's a joke as well about film studies being a bit rubbish. That's so clever. Like making a joke about film studies being rubbish.

I don't think it's about to be shut up film of the week. But we'll find out in just a moment because it's the end of take one production management in general around stuff was Lily Hamley. Cameras also by Lily. He seems to run the entire show. Lily is dressed as a leopard today. Yes.

In entirely appropriately because it's keeping her warm. Videos by Ryan Amira Studio engineer Josh Gibbs, guest researcher Sophie Yvonne. Flynn Rodden was the assistant producer, guest booker as well. Johnny Socials was on the socials, Hannah Tulbert was the producer and Simon Pull was the redactor. Mark, what is your film of the week? Champions. Thank you for listening. Extra takes with the bonus review. In fact, bonus reviews. A bunch of recommendations, even more stuff. Also, some Andy

Circus questions, some list of questions from Andy Circus. Talking about films other than the boring one. Available right now. Take three questions, questions available to drop next week. Thank you for listening.