Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Harris Dickinson, Strays, Lie With Me & Blue Beetle

Episode Date: August 18, 2023

This week sees Mark holding down the fort with fellow professional film watcher Robbie Collin.   In a special twist, both Mark and Robbie sit down for a brilliant conversation with British-acting-legend-in-the-making Harris Dickinson to discuss his sunny, new, kitchen-sink drama, ‘Scrapper’.  They also debate the merits of ‘Strays’, an R-rated comedy featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Will Ferrell, who play a motley crew of stray dogs, who team up to get revenge on one of their owners; ‘Lie With Me’, a thoughtful French film about an author who, on returning to his hometown for the first time in decades, meets the son of his first love; and ‘Blue Beetle’, DC’s latest offering, which sees an alien scarab choose a young, college graduate to be its symbiotic host, bestowing him with a suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers.   Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!):  06:46 Lie With Me Review  15:44 Box Office Top 10  33:33 Harris Dickinson Interview  52:47 Strays Review  58:32 Laughter Lift  01:02:44 Blue Beetle Review  01:09:08 What's On    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 Sony Music Entertainment production.     Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts    To advertise on this show contact: [e-mail]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, esteemed podcast listeners, Simon Mayer. A Mark Kermode 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 Superstar and friend of the show Edith Bowman hosts this one.

Indeed, Edith will take you behind the scenes. 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 the 16th. Hello and welcome to Caramood and Meals' take with your regular portion of Caramood, but hold the meal. Yes, Simon Stone, the cruise was sitting in the host's chair opposite

mark this week, is me, Robbie Colin, second critical beef patty and a sort of podcasting big Mac. I think we'll wind this metaphor up now if we're going to do it. I'm arranged. I want you to run with it. All right, so what's the lettuce? I don't know. What's the ketchup? Simon pool. We should point out that we're doing all of this with Hannah wearing a pair of, I think do you call them weeny boppers? What are the things?

Deelyboppers. Deelyboppers, because we're recording it that there's apparently there's a football match going to be going on, which we're very excited about, but neither you nor I know anything about football. So every time we look over to the control box, we just see these two mad flags. So that'll be fun. Yeah, there's two St. George's Crosses flapping away. How do you feel about that with your nationalities? Because you came in with your laptop in a tartan

case. I did, yes. I mean, do I feel threatened? I feel triggered by myself. No, it's just wondering how you've just, definitely, have sort of BNP style nationalism going on behind the glass here. No, no, I'm fine. I can, you know, I've managed at my whole life. I can manage another two hours of it now. So I start waving a manks flag and make this really, really as niche as possible. This is actually the first time I've been back opposite you since we did the whale back in February this year, I think. Wow. We had the two, the double critics. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, it's a pleasure to be opposite you again. Absolutely. And it's, I mean, essentially, this is just what we do before screenings anyway. It's not our way as two critics. One to another. I've actually been up on the Isle of Aaron for the last week. How's that been? It's been delightful.

It's been bizarrely sunny. Yes, you've come in boldly wearing a pair of very short shorts. Yes, what did you describe these shorts as? A brave decision. A brave decision, which I do because I compliment. Yes, you should have been a little intended as one, but that's how I'm wearing it. But you always cut a sartorial sway.

I mean, you quite often turn up to screenings wearing something that's slightly statementy about it. You don't dress down. Again, I'm not sure if this is a compliment. No, it is a compliment. I just always wear the same thing. I wear a black t-shirt and black shirt, that's it. I always look the same. But it's like you will walk into a screening room and it's, oh, Robbie is wearing a kind of an open goal. Most know, snappily dressed, most snappily dressed critic is equivalent of what most muscular, so it's something I'm happy to embrace as part of my image. Tell us what we're reviewing today, because I've seen one of these films. Okay. Since I got back from Scotland. So you've seen

lie with me, which, well, we'll discuss it very shortly. Then Strays, which is a series of dogs and a lot of swearing. And Blue Beetle, which is the new superhero movie about which I knew nothing until I sat down to see it. All of that coming up in the, in take one. And we'll also not be reviewing, but talking around Scrapper, which is out next week. And the star of that film, Harris Dickinson, will be joining us in the studio later on.

Then later we've also got your extra takes, at least another 19 minutes of connoisseur-level cinematic napping and squabbling. We have the weekend watch list weekend not list, five of which are great and 308. Two bonus reviews of T.I.M. and the future tense. And in take it or leave it, you decide we're watching Aberdeen 83 once in a lifetime, which tells us the story of the Don's extraordinary spell. At the top of European football 40 years ago, a time that I know both of us treasure exactly as much as the other. Yeah, because the one of the weird things is when I was choosing this because we get all the suggestions. And I thought, oh, well, this will be great because Robbie will have stuff to say about this because... Oh, yeah, that's right. Robbie knows about football is about as much as I do. Yeah, I'm afraid so I grew up in Edinburgh

where you're expected to support either Hartam and Lothian or Hibbaranian. I suppose neither, which was this kind of massive ostracizing thing throughout my whole childhood. So I knew nothing. The one thing I knew about Aberdeen was the playground chant at the time, which is Aberdeen, Aberdeen,

Cany, Kikka, Jelly Bean. Now, leaving aside the logistical difficulty of kicking a jelly bean on grass when you're wearing boots with studs on, clearly this chant came in after the glory period, which the film refers to. But sorry, I mean, this is a genuine question. Is that a dismissive? Is it they can't kick, or is it a good, or a bad thing. Is that a dismissive? Is it they can't kick or is it a good,

is it a good, no you're a bad thing. It's a diss, it's a diss, that they can't kick a jelly bean. It's Aberdeen Aberdeen, can he kick a jelly bean? Right. And then there's something else to do with, in one other team, someone can't kick anything at all.

And then the team, if you choice, is the best of all or something like that. That's her runs. But it was the Aberdeen Jelly Bean Association that stuck with me. Does it end with somebody going home in an ambulance, which is her, those chance usually end? Inevitably, either in the lyrics or in reality. I grew up in...

There we are. So thank you Simon for trying that. So repeat that so that the audience can hear it. Aberdeen Aberdeen, canny kick a jelly bean. Rangers, canny kick a ball. Hearts are the best of all. You know, I want to congratulate you on just embracing a racial stereotypes.

I grew up in Barnett and the Barnett football team, I think with the Barnett bees, and I never saw a football match but a very good friend of mine, Nick Kennedy was a big Barnett B's supporter and apparently they were meant to be. But then I said to somebody, they were in a league because I was talking to somebody who understands football and I didn't know this. You may have just seen the shutters kind of automatically stand there when you said the

way to speak. We have just seen the shutters kind of automatically just out there when you said the word. So when I, when I was a kid, there was league one, two, was it three, one, two, three, and four. And now it's a premier, the premier, there's definitely a premier. The premieres, I know that much. Championship is two, but it sounds better than two. And then three and four. And I think that, I think Barnett were in, anyway, I said to somebody, where are they? Still, I don't think they're a league team at all. But I thought they were. I don't know. If there are any Barnett, Barnett, B I said to somebody, where are they? Still, I don't think they're elite team at all. But I thought they were.

I don't know. If there are any Barnett, Barnett, these fans out there, let me know. But apparently it was quite a big deal. Right. And that's the end of the last one. Let's just take your one, there we go. And sorry, in addition to that,

we've also got potentials more. Yes. Both Mark and I will be tacking this feature to this. Yes. This feels like balancing the scales for once. Ah, no, I don't like this top. One frame back is inspired by Streis. We've asked for your top film dogs,

and you can support us via Apple Podcasts or head to extratakes.com for a non-fruit related devices. And if you're already a Vanguardista, as always, we salute you. All right, let's move to review. Let's talk about a new film that's coming at this week. Light me. Light with me. Light with me.

Which crucially is a different thing because I assume that lie with me, the English, it has a pun, a deliberate pun in the title, as in lie or tell a lie. Yes, because the French title is a rect, a recti-mesange, which has stopped with your lies or stopped with your stories, which again has got this interesting double meaning. Precisely. So, um, directly by and forgive my pronunciations, Olivia Peong adapted from a best selling and apparently somewhat autobiographical novel by Philip Personne, which I haven't read, have you? Nope, okay.

Not. Tells a story of a successful novelist, Stefan Belkore, who returns to his rural home town for the first time in decades. He has been invited there to serve as a brand ambassador for the town's cognac distillery. And when he gets there, he discovers that one of the people in the company is Lucas, who turns out to be the son of Thomas, with whom he was in love as a teenager. And that's not only a plots boiler, I think that's the setup. The drama then divides between the present day in which Thomas his son wants to know what Stefan meant to his father, and their earlier years when Stefan and Thomas first made

a connection, and Thomas insisted that they keep it a secret. Here's a clip. that they keep it a secret, his equipment. Ça veut dire quoi ? Rien aussi. C'est jusqu'à honte. Tu es en demi ? Non. Si on me voit ensemble, on va se demander. Tu vois bien quoi ? Qu'est-ce qu'on va se demander ? Vas-y, dis-le ! C'est toi qui vais me chercher moi, je tiens rien de me demander.

Pourquoi tu m'as choisi un repos ? Pourquoi tu es avec moi ? Je suis pas avec toi ! Donc, c'est ce qui est vraiment happening. Il s'est dit, «What are you doing here ? » Il s'est dit, «Well, you know, I'm here to's saying, what are you doing here? And he said, well, you know, I'm here to see you. Why are you here? You can't be here. I can't be seen with you, but you chose me. Why did you choose me? I did not choose you and I'm not with you. So that's the central dynamic is that one of them wants to embrace the relationship and the other one is trying to kind of deny the relationship whilst it's still happening. There is a quote on the publicity, which is from a little white lies that says,

fans of Call Me By Your Name and Portrait of a Lady On Fire should enjoy Olivia Peon's compelling drama, Lie With Me. Now, I loved Portrait of a Lady On Fire. I was massively underwhelmed by Call Me By Your Name. So in a way, that's actually the perfect assessment because on the one hand, there are things about this that I can appreciate. I mean, I think it's solidly acted.

It's the performances are fine. It's very handsome to look at, and it's clearly heartfelt. On the other hand, it's like, oh, it's that film. Yeah, you know that film? It's that film. It's contrived. It is not a little predictable. and I haven't read the novel, but there's nothing in watching the film that makes me think, you know, I really need to read that

novel because it sounds like it's full of incredibly important truth. Now this is not to say that it's a bad for me, it isn't, as I said, there are two sides of this. One of them is Portrait Relady on Fire and the other one is called me by your name. Is it called me your name or coming by my, coming by your name? I just spent a lot of it thinking it just feels like a ton of other things that I've seen before and it is, I mean, it's interesting whenever posters do that thing about quoting other films and going, if you like this and you like this, then you're like, you know, if you like cheese and you like peas, you'll love new Squeezy GCPs. And this is a bit squeezy, cheesy peas, isn't it? It's like, yeah, okay, it's that film.

And I was underwhelmed, how about you? Yeah, I mean, I think less underwhelmed than you. I think it's a very handsomely made. It is handsomely made. It came across in the clip there, is that the author, the older author, so in the present these sequences, he wears these very stylish,

horn-rimmed glasses, which give him the ear of someone who's great at looking at things and perceiving and seeing. And this is a huge part of his character because he's titled as this author who really understands love, and he can write about love like no other French author alive. And in which I don't believe. And in the past sequences, he wears these, the younger version of him, wears these rimless glasses, which are very, very reflective. And they feel like he's kind of a shielded down against the outside world.

So there's all these, in the costuming, there's all these lovely little touches. It's shop beautifully. I think that my issue is, the premise made me think of Francois Ouzon, who's a French director that I love very, very much. This is nothing like an Ouzon film at all. It's very, very well-behaved, even pretty tasteful.

You know, the really, you know, chewy sex scenes, not with standing. It's all staged very aesthetically pleasingly. It's all very beautiful to watch. And there's no kind of teasing. There's no trickery aside from arguably this shift of understanding towards the end, which you've alluded to do with the the sun's true understanding of who this author is. Can I say something on the ozone connection? Yes, here's the key difference. Ozone's movies keep you on your toes because you never know where they're going. Even when you think you do, remember the first first time I saw, you see the C regard,

which is the first thing I ever saw of it. And I thought this was, and I thought, he's a horror director. The thing where, and then, oh no, no, there's a musical. And then, oh,

Zon's movies have that habit that they might suddenly break you. They might suddenly do something dangerous. I never, never felt that that was the case here. Yes. And I think a lot of the surrounding drama is very much, as scaffolding, it's just there to pin the central relationship.

Lovely countryside. I think the country's lovely. And I think the central relationship between the author and the son is really tenderly and tenderly played. There's a lot of nuance there. But yes, it is, as you say, it's Guizy GZPs, the movie. Put that on the poster. So that was lie with me and still to come on this week's show? Strays, dogs and swearing, and blue beetle. And of course our conversation

with the star of beach rats, triangle of sadness and now scrapper, Harris Dickinson. We'll be back before you can see behind every exquisite thing that existed. There was something tragic. Happy Nord Christmas. Protect yourself while 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 back guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box. Highest team podcast listeners, Simon Mayo. I'm Mark Kermot 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 hosted 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 Mel the Staunton. Other guests on the new series include the Crowns research team, the directors, executive producers Suzanne Mackie and specialists such as Voice Coach William Connaker and propsmaster Owen Harrison. Cast members including Jonathan Price,

Selim Doar, Khalid Abdullah, Dominic West, and Elizabeth DeBickey. 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 the 16th. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

available wherever you get your podcasts. We have an email here from Lucy very short saying, thought this was sweet. And the following clip is attached. After you, I think, bloke with the smirking faces in it. You know, big eyebrows. He was in that baby film as well, and the musical with the Australian woman,

big quiff. Hit him, not her. Mark him out. Who's that? And there, he was sended into the... So that's from the change, right? This is from the change, the Bridget Christie Show. I love that you've achieved this status in film criticism, where you're a no- regular punchline on sitcoms. I mean, I look on in pure envy for us to think of it. No, this is incredible. I knew this had happened because Ellene Jones,

who I also worked with, had said, oh, your name turned up in this thing. And I said, oh, good or bad, you went, no, neither. Just turn it. The thick of it is where the big hands thing comes from. And in fact, weirdly enough, a child too has started watching the thick of it because, you know, kids do that thing about,

oh, there's something they've heard. Anyway, dad, you're in, you know, so, yeah. So anyway, yeah, so the big hands, but I don't know that my, I mean, I'm starting to wonder whether my hands are actually massive in real life or whether it is, how big are your hands? Should we have a hand off? Let's see.

I don't know, I thought I had big hands, but there's a certain girth to the thing goes. Okay, but it's about the same size, but my hand is chunkier, but it's, so okay, so therefore my hands are massive. Yeah, anyway, yes, as they said, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's, being a punchline is, uh, is a form of, uh, I don't know, success or something. Yeah. But also, it's just because, you know, if you said to somebody, name somebody

with a quiff, I mean, it's a small pond, isn't it? I mean, it's moracy, although not anymore, apparently. Um, and, and me. There you go. Yeah. But you, this must happen to you though. We must, if people say like, who's the Scottish film critic, you'd say Robbie Collin, wouldn't you? Or who's the tall film critic? That would happen.

Someone did say to me recently, you must be the most successful Scottish film critic, which, as you say, is a bit like a... Did I cover the most muscular. It's a full-spot, it's a terrible idea. Thank you. All right, shall we do the box office, top 10? Yes, absolutely. Okay, so 10 in the UK and in the US, not charted,

is Gadda to the Catholic continues. This is a new Hindi language release. Can we do the two that aren't in the top 10 first? Yes, yes. Is that what we do the three. There's three. Yes. So we have the first is cataclet, the brave Baluga. Well, let's do these two together.

Cataclet, the brave Baluga and puffing rock and the new friends. The reason that we do them together is when Sanjeev and I reviewed them last week, it was interesting that there were two films, aimed at younger audiences, both with a kind of eco-friendly consciousness. One of them was about Baluga's, the other ones about, you know, puffing. a lot of people are talking about the different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of

different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of

different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of different kinds of The difference is if you were a parent and you were taking the children to see this, the blue one is the one that you do what Simon Mayo does, which is have an earpiece in, so you could listen to the football. And the puffing rock is the one when you take the earpiece out, because actually it's really charming, and it's got this lovely narration. But so if you're going to do one of the two of them,

puffing rock is absolutely the one to do. And we also, not charted is lemoncy tap. Yes, and I seeita. Yes, I saw this back at Venice last year and loved it. Yeah, I thought it was completely delightful and really affecting. Yeah, I think it's a really interesting film. The title is, oh, because it literally means the immensity. And essentially, it's a portrait of a marriage breaking up as seen from the point of view of people going through their own kind of adolescent coming of age. And it deals with a, we was talking to Sandi about this, it deals with a bunch of heavy issues as the title suggests, but it does it with not a heavy load to carry. It's all in the sand. You were saying, are you emotionally involved in it?

Yeah, that's absolutely why it works. It works because your emotionally involved, and Penelope agrees, it's absolutely terrific in it. I mean, she's terrific in almost everything, but she's very good in this. She's great. Okay, so at 10, we have Gardar to the Catholic continues. So the Hindi language film, and...

Yes, it's typically not screened to Chris. No, it wasn't press screened. It's a historical action drama. There's another one later on in the chart which is Jailer which is a Tamil language action thriller written directly by Nelson again. This wasn't screened. We've talked about this before. The general reason is that the distributors don't screen them often because they don't get them in time because in order to stop the films being pirated they often don't arrive, you know, full screening.

Like the BBFC will see them the day before they're going out. So that's where, if you have seen either of those two, send us an email. A number nine in the UK and at 12 in the US is elemental. Now this has quietly made just over 15 million in the UK so far, which is miles off inside out, but it's significantly better than Lightyear, which of course, you know, last year was meant to be Pixar's great box office hope.

But the reason is because it is significantly better than Lightyear, which was a terrible film. I mean, Lightyear, I thought was, no, you would be... I know, I thought Lightyear was diabolical, it's Pixar's worst by miles for me. Yes. I think elemental, it's interesting because I think that the central romance in that film, and it is a romance, is incredibly sweetly handled. And I think the film improves a lot as it goes on, and the romance becomes more central to what's going on. I think that you had an issue with this as well, all the fiddly stuff about how Element City works, feels to me like padding. It's like we've created this world in which we want this couple who can't be together to be together.

But because we've now built the world, we have to do some fun stuff with it. And it's not as fun as it is in Disney's Zootropolis, for instance, Zootopia overseas, where you actually feel as if there's, you know, seeing the mice going to work on the, you know, on the time it will train and all this stuff, is really sweet and fun.

And there's a lot of fun visual trickery with issues of scale and things. In this, it's not, it's just a lot of complicated blur, and then finally, when this relationship kind of catches, you're like, okay, now I see what the film is about. I thought, I've said this before, but I don't know whether you heard Simon's interview with the director.

I did, Peter Sohn, yes. Yes, and it really was one of the things that the film improved for me hugely after hearing that interview because he was talking very movingly and very personally. At number eight in the UK and nine in the US is Mission Impossible, Dead Reckoning Part One. Now I have a question that you already much celebrated F. My Hat review of this film.

Now clearly you loved it and I loved it. And I loved it too. You can say I think it's wonderful. In your review for the Observer, you went four stars rather than five. And my question isn't, why didn't you give it five, because I didn't know any more. Because you're not a idiot. There's a morning at critics about why they didn't give a film one rating than another. But what I'm interested in is what your method is for working at star ratings. Okay. Because I did having listened to you talk about the film on the podcast, I thought,

okay, this must be a five from Mark. It wasn't. Okay, well, it's very simple. Firstly, as we all know, Star Ratings are stupid, and we all hate them. And what happened with the observer was that we came to an arrangement, which was that they would be Star Ratings on the website because it drives traffic, but not in the newspaper because the review is the review, okay?

And in terms of a methodology, if there is, I mean, if it's possible to have a methodology, it would be, I really love the film, it makes no sense, and the script is a bit chunky. So it's not a five star film would be Tom Cruise throwing himself off the top of a mountain with a plot that absolutely made brilliant sense and was written by Oscar Wilde. A four star film is Tom Cruise throws himself off the top of a mountain after a lot of people have talked about the entity and said the words, the entity, so many, you know, so that's it, but it's like it's possible to absolutely. And, you know, you do the same, you have to do star ratings for the television. The television, yes, that's right. You do's like it's possible to absolutely. And you know, you do the same,

you do have to do star ratings for the television. Yes, that's right. You do hate it as much as I do. I mean, broadly yes, because you tie yourself in knots, and the thing is, how I approach it is, I don't put the rating on until I've written the review. Me too, because I mean, sometimes you just know, but often you need to read back what you thought

and think, okay, so this reads like this. And sometimes an editor will read it and go, do you know what? This actually reads and my goodness, film PRs here would fall out if they knew these kind of discussions. You know, you'll write something there, so actually that to me that doesn't sound like a three or sounds like a four or vice-families and you'll say, yeah, absolutely. And you know, it doesn't, to me it doesn't matter because what matters is the, the world you use, the world you use. So yes, so I would only really knew 100% at the, at the end of the review.

Part of me loves it because it's nailing your colors to the mast and it's doing it in an extremely visible way, more visible than the text, but it's not doing anything that the text isn't. Except it isn't because, as I have said before, there are movies that you love and movies that you hate, but the movies that are really important are the movies that you can love and hate at the same time. And a star rating cannot do that.

At number seven in the UK and in the US, not charted, is Jailer, which is a Tamil language through that again, not prescute. If anyone's seen it, please let us know. Written and directed by Nelson is all I know about it. At number six in the UK and three in the US is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

called on Mutant Mehem. Now, did you manage to catch up with this? Yes. And? It's fine. I mean, it's, it's, it's, you've seen it, right? I was very pleasantly surprised, because all the other Turtles films are rubbish.

Okay, except the other Turtles films are rubbish. Except the first Turtles film, it was at the time the biggest selling independent movie of a big film. It doesn't mean it's any good, but it was the biggest selling independent movie of all time. It's interesting for that reason, Alon. Have you watched it recently? No, I watched it once when it came out. It's a monstrous film.

And I wrote a song called Turtles Town about to Hollywood when when all those and I when it was absolutely everywhere. And that was turtle town like the John Cooper Clark chicken time. Well, yes, except with a different word. Right. Okay. Yeah. That was that was it. But it's, you know, it was like an homage to that. It was just a I was me being small, you know, but or being stupid with the money in which first year, you want at number five in the UK and six in the US is haunted mansion. This is a new entry. It's made less than a million in the UK. So that's sort of suggest there's no real appetite for this film.

The Eddie Murphy one in 2003 made more than twice as much and it's something we can't. Yes. And that's at 2003 prices. So I don't know. I mean, I just found this such a trudge. I just, you know, it is boring and it's struggled to keep my attention and it's a shame because there are a lot of very good people attached to it from the director to the cast. It's a second run at turning this fairground ride into a film

and I sat through the whole thing thinking, when is this, this, this just stuff, there's just stuff. There's a stuff film. It's not a stuff film. It's so much stuff. But also in terms of what's the plot? Well, the plot is a house, we go to it. And then Owen Wilson is coming, but then he is, but then he isn't, and then there's the thing with the guy with the head, but then he's not there, and it's, and you're going, just which one of these themes are you, and then Jamie Lee Curtis in a bowl, it's like, just pick one, right? Just pick one, don't just throw stuff at the,

and also watching it, I did think, oh, I haven't seen Focus Focus in a while. I enjoyed Focus Focus more than you've seen. Focus Focus is really fun film. Yeah, actually, as the sequel was not too bad either. Oh yes, all these books too. No, number four in the UK and in the US, it's not charted, but only because it's not out yet,

is Gran Turismo, another new entry, which has just scraped a million in its opening weekend. Yeah. It doesn't surprise me that it's not a huge hit, but I do think, well firstly, it's a video game adaptation that isn't, it's based on a hit. But I do think, well firstly, you know, it's a video game adaptation that isn't. It's a, you know, it's based on a true story that I knew nothing, but I didn't know young Maldonard's story at all. No, no, I've not seen a film. I should say. Okay. Even as someone

who plays Gran Turismo. Oh, right. Okay. This was totally new to me. Well, I don't play Gran Turismo, but I didn't know the story of, you know, this guy who was a gamer who then through the program ends up actually, you know, driving race cars. So it's a good story. And Neil Blomkamp is known for science fiction, but in a way, this is a kind of, you know, it's almost a science fiction fantasy because it's about, it's the last starfighter with cars, basically. He goes really, really good at the video game and then you go out on the track and do it. I thought the race sequences were exciting.

I know a couple of younger people who've seen it and really, really enjoyed it. So, okay, not a runaway hit, but I think it's a much better film than it could have been. I think it's an interesting way of doing a video game adaptation, and I think he does know how to direct. I think he does a good job of making the real world and the virtual world interface. So, I think, you know, in that respect, it is a science fiction, maybe even though it's not fiction. Number three in the UK, number four in the US a film which is clearly an enormous,

one might even say prehistoric, shark-sized appetite for. Meg to the trench. Have you seen it? Have you seen it? Okay, great, great. Have you seen it? Have you seen it? Okay, great, great.

I'm taking an extraordinary seven and a half million. Yes. How this has happened, I don't know. Now, let's start with an email from Greg. Go ahead. Greg says, I took my 12-year-old to see Meg too, and we both really enjoyed it. It was utterly preposterous, but a lot of fun. What struck me was the difference

in the critical response to this, and what was in many ways a very similar film, Greg's words, not mine, the latest mission impossible. Both are utterly wild. Wow. Something me and my child both know this. In each the plot, such as it is, only really exists to link together set pieces and stunts. They both exist in the parallel universe with the laws of physics and cause and effect don't quite work the same as the narrows.

And if you pause either part, sorry, and if you pause either part the way through to actually think about what's happening, it would break the illusion and you'd be left spluttering. But I purely that wouldn't. Of course, the stunts in Mission Impossible are a level or two up, which might be by the critics, which might be by the critics were a little more forgiving, but I'm not sure any of the criticisms of Meg do and also apply to Mission Impossible. Of the two, we probably liked Meg too more. It was half an hour shorter, but it felt much shorter still.

With Mission Impossible, much as we liked it, it felt like we'd been innocent and much for two and a half hours. With the Meg, it was more of, wow, was that really two hours? So that's Greg's take. Okay, well, I really enjoyed the Meg too. I mean, the thing with Mission Impossible is a better movie. There's just no question about it, you know? And also, Jason Statham does do his own jet skiing,

but Tom Cruise threw himself off a mountain on a motorbike six times. So I, you know, I really enjoyed the Meg 2. And I had a couple of bits, so we only like it because you like Ben Wheatley. It's like, look, this is how it works. I like Ben Wheatley's films. And so Ben Wheatley, there's a good chance

that if Ben Wheatley makes a film, I'll probably be something in there that I like. I think the problem with the first Meg was it was too well-behaved. I think the problem with this Meg, because you can't up the gore because it still has to have the PG-13 in America, they just up the madness. And the madness is massively up. And I think the pacing of the film is well done. I think the fact that it

kind of, it is like a kind of dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. And you get to the third act and it's like WTF exclamation mark. I thought it was really good fun. I like all the kind of, you know, the Thunderbirds and the, you know, Edgar Rice boroughs and all that stuff and Mothra and, you know, all the stuff that you know that Ben Wheatley loves. But I enjoyed it. I thought it was a much better film than the Meg. And, yeah, you? I thought it was appalling. And look, I'm as in a tank for Ben Wheatley as you are, I think. And I think there's a certain critical insight, and it's not I will like the film because a director has made it.

No. But that you try to read a director's tastes and impulses into whatever it is they have made whether or not those things are there. And I think that you all want tries to do that. One does. One does. And so things like, say,

them certainly are skew line readings and the writing, is this weekly being arch and ironic? Or is it just a bad script? I kind of have to say it's a lot of... Well, we didn't write the script. No, no, no, I know, but that's what I mean. When you read, when you hear Statham delivering those lines, do you think, oh, weatly something about the fun with this?

Or is he just shooting a terrible script? I think he's just shooting a terrible script. I would love to see the giant shark underwater mining thriller that we would make on 1% of this film's budget. I wanted to see the kind of clanky and wobbly sort of doctor who level special effects thing of people going underwater and fighting each other in this weird,

20 days later, let's see. Yeah, exactly, exactly. But with that kind of free fire sort of edge and the chaotic cast-all clashing, I have other issues with this film that I do think we've got time to go into now with the fact that it's a Chinese cool production. I have huge misgivings about working hand-in-hand with a propaganda department of the Chinese state, and this is not something that's just a mech-to issue. This is an enormous Hollywood show. That's a whole show in itself.

But when you take your cues about what you can and can't do in a film from a government body, this is not good news to me. But as I say, it's not just a mech to issue. But no, I wanted to see the film that we would have made with far, far less money and far more freedom. We are actually having talked about this. We now have to, to this extent, we now have to twist through the last two, top of the chart, but I think everyone knows these films already. Number two, massive drumroll, unexpectedly, of course, it is Oppenheimer and number one in both UK and the US, it's Barbie.

I mean, no surprise that Barbie is still hanging onto the number one spot. It was, I think, a record breaking weekend when they both opened. I have seen both of them. I have seen Barbie twice. I've seen Oppenheimer once. I would like to see Oppenheimer again, but I think they're both interesting films. If Killian Murphy doesn't get Oscar-nominated, I will eat Werner Herzog's shoe. But, yeah, I haven't heard from you. What do you think? Yes, no goodness. I love them both. I'm more I have to say, is he one of your kids thinks Oppenheimer is the best film of the year? One of Sanju's kids. Sanju's kids, that was it. Yes. Yes, I'm with them. I think it's I think it's terrific. I think Barbie is incredibly cleverly done. It's the pleasure of seeing

Greta Gerow we're gonna cast stage their own escape from this impossible trap that they've made for themselves is really, really exciting. But I think Oppenheimer is just incredible. And you know, I went into that film the first time, I was seeing it a couple of times and thinking, you know, let's not be crass.

Let's not kind of talk about Oscars on the way out of this thing. Let's just enjoy it for what it is. And then you can literally, I'm sorry. Oh my goodness. Well, Kelly and Murphy must be nominally, he must win. But the score is going since best yet. And must be winning the...

You know, it's very, very... The score is great. And Murphy, it is an Oscar-winning performance, isn't it? I hope so. And that was this week's chart. And we'll be right back with you after these messages. right back with you after these messages. 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 AkiKarri's Mackey film Fallen Leaves, which won the jury prize at Can, that's in cinemas at the moment. And 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 could try Mooby Free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash Kermed and Mayo. really looking forward to since I have an Elvis obsession. with cheese. Yeah, I'm hungry too. So what makes it such a hit? Spoiler, it's made with 100% Canadian beef. Yeah, that's right. Sounds delicious, doesn't it? Just imagine how it tastes. The quarter pounder with cheese only had McDonald's. Let's see. Well, me and your mum used to play this game, you know, we beat people having a conversation and you have it for them. That made a couple little story for them. No, look, look at these throw-grays. But, let's just assume they're a couple.

I'll be the guy you'll be the woman here. My God, this sandwich is bloody delightful. What? Do you think it was in return, Holmes? Well, ten pounds isn't much to me. Pocket changed darling. That was a clip from Scrapper and I'm delighted to see we're joined in the studio by its star Harris Dickinson.

Harris, welcome to the show. Hello, thanks for having me. Before we get started on the interview, can you please explain to the listeners and also ask because we're clueless on this front, given this is happening during the SAIAA for a strike, SAIAAF strike, excuse me, what can we and can we talk about? Yeah, so just to clarify, I am a member of SAG, so obviously support the strike

and stand in solidarity with the strike and everything it against it. But I'm very much allowed to talk about scrapper. It's an equity project, it's a UK independent film. So it's nothing to do with that union. So very much happy to support it and talk about it. Excellent. But we can't talk about the other films that you're talking about. We cannot. Yes, exactly.

Right. Well, fortunately there's loads to talk about the other films that you're welcome to. Well, you cannot. Yes, okay. Yeah. Right. Well, I'm unfortunately there's loads to talk about when it comes to Scrapper. I think, you know, both of us were struck by the fact that British cinema has this way of depicting working-class lives that, you know, we've become quite used to and Scrapper just does not follow this template whatsoever. So can you introduce us to the world of the film and how your character Jason fits into it? Yeah, so Charlotte Regan and director, I think, made it clear from the beginning that she really wanted to move away from the sort of archetype of British social realism, kitchen sink drama. She really wanted to tell a story about grief and reconnection in a way that felt colourful

and sort of moving away from the tropes of working class stories. And as a result, there's a lot of colour and a lot of humour, a lot of magical realism and then the film, it's almost in parts told from the point of view from a child's point of view, which is interesting because you sort of then get to explore the world in a completely different way, which is interesting, you know. So just for anyone who hasn't seen it, so the setup is 12-year-old girl living at home on her own because her mother is passed away. You're the father who she hasn't met before, who then comes back to look after her, but she does not want to be looked after. She thinks she's doing a perfectly good job on her own.

Exactly. And it almost only comes back as a means of need rather than sort of want because of the the past and of her mum. So it's more just an obligation for him to come back into the picture rather than him wanting to sort of reconnect and then they're sort of faced with the difficulty of having to live together. And the 12-year-old is played by Lola Campbell, who's never acted before, but is honestly a force of nature. She like, she led the film furlessly and sort of we were all at the mercy to her during the whole production, she's amazing.

She's like 13 going on 30, like just, yeah, she's fascinating, yeah. And you'd worked with Charlotte before on a short film. Yeah. Previously, did you know her before that? Or was that the first time you collaborated and did that then lead to you doing scrap with her? Yeah, no, I just did the short film. Yeah. Previously, did you know her before that? Or was that the first time you collaborated and did that then lead to you doing scrap it with her? Yeah, no, I just did the short

film with Charlotte and her producer Theo, but and then I guess it was four or five years past, and then the feature came along and we sort of got involved on that. Which, if Jason's qualities are fiables, do you think, made Mead Charlotte think okay Harris can play this? Oh God. What were the reason he's a bit of a numpty? So I hope none, but the interesting thing with Jason is that I've recognised this sort of young man that was desperately clutching onto his adolescence in a way that so many of my sort of friends I know are still trying to do are people that have escaped to Ibiza or these party places and refuse to accept responsibility of real life

adult world and kind of get stuck in that. I know those people, I've encountered those people numerous times, so it wasn't like a far away thing. But a lot of the challenge with him was actually just letting go of, I am quite a, I think I'm a bit of a control freak, even if I do seem chilled. I like things to be planned. I have a algorithm going on in my head. And I kind of

won't want it any other way, but Jason is just like, you know, he's sort of incompetent at so many things that it's, it's, it's, it's almost refreshing to just let go of control and responsibility and, you know, it was, it was fun. I love you completely unassuming entry into the film where it's almost like Jason's kind of wandered on set by mistake, like, there's a scene, Laura's playing out with her friend, Ali and Ali rather than the film.

And Jason just jumps over the fence in the background and it's like, who is this, that's kind of kind of, kind of passed her by that's wandered into shot? Also, even the way, like, I went back and forth so many times figuring out how to say the line, I'm your dad,

without a sound of like some sort ofers. I'm your dad. I'm your father. I'm back. And it was as a result, the end product is me just being like, I'm your dad, which is like, I'm asking for a bag in the shop, you know, it's like so flippant. But I think that's the only sort of way to do it. And that story isn't a sort of melodramatic turn of events about redemption really. It's sort of an entirely different thing. So it's trying to find that balance between that. Can we talk here? Can we talk here? Because you're sitting here with a very short cut, right? Looking great. The hair of the character. It was a guy. The hair is a big thing. You got a nice hair as well. Thank you very much.

That's what I was supposed for. Well done, thank you. Tell me about Jason's hair. Yeah, do you know what? So it was scripted that he had blonde frosted tips. And I had just come off of another film, and I had really long hair, and I thought, great, I'm going to shave it, and I'm going to die it myself. I'm, I'm gonna shave it and I'm gonna dye it myself,

I'm just gonna do it, because I feel like production might get scared and backtrack and say, oh no, we'll do something else, don't dye it. And so I was away and I shaved it and I dyed it blonde because I thought, if I do it myself, there's no going back. And then I remember sending a picture to Charlotte and she was like, oh, you really did it? I was like, why not? And then I sent a picture to the hair and makeup supervisor and she was like, hmm. Why have you done that?

So, oh, and the food. And then as a result, it ended up looking like a Guinness top. Because it was half blonde, half my own color, because they couldn't, they couldn't physically keep dying it, because it's so bad for your head. So, I mean, yeah, as a result, I look like a point of Guinness, but I kind of, and it kind of suits him. But it fits the character up, so it's perfectly done.

Yeah, because to use the word that you just used, a bit of an empty. Yeah, he's an empty. And the hair can't be an empty, yeah. Definitely tells you a bit of an empty. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah. Are there certain ways of, you work on bigger sets, so say that the films that you did immediately prior

to Scramport, that you have to remember when you come back to a smaller film, oh yeah, that's not how it kind of goes on this kind of production. Hmm, I think it's the other way around. I think I'm most comfortable in the smaller environments. It feels like an easier way to operate and an easier way to get to the best kind of work. When you're sort of on a set like scrapper

and it's a smaller crew and everyone there is sort of, you know, I was talking about this last night, at the BFI we did a screening in the Q&A and someone asked me about the short film environment and the sort of indie feature environment and it was like you get a group of people that actually really want to be there and that have the films best interests at heart and it changes the environment entirely because you've got people that

you know they want to do their best work because they're involved for the right reason because there's not really an economic reason for them being there, because it's not a massive budget. So it completely changes the environment and there's an element of like focus and solidarity that doesn't come with another environment, I think, and it also means you can help out and you're not just sort of, all right, Harris, there's a thing in on set where it's like, there's like, you know, the discussion around actors,

it's like, Harris is going to the toilet. I'm the radio, it's like, Harris is gonna take a break. Okay, we're just gonna move the camera, Harris is gonna go and relax for 20 minutes. It's like, why is there this sort of dialogue around actors like with this weird sort of these animals that need all these breaks and relax, you know, he's gonna go and relax

while we change the camera. And it's like, hang on a minute. Why don't I just stay here so I know what you're doing so that when instead of me coming back and being like, right, what's the setup? I see what you're doing. I see the lens. I have a respect for the sort of each craft and set and I prefer that. What's your technique? I mean, acting to me is like magic. I see it done, but I don't know how it's done. Do you stay in character between shots? Are you a method at what's your what's your technique? I definitely don't think I'm a method. I like to do a lot of work and I like to stay in a certain kind of head space,

but I think for for certain things, it doesn't work to try and stay in it. If there's a more serious moment or a more emotional day, I definitely try to limit the amount of jokes I'm having because it will take me out of it. But I don't think I'm a method. I think I've tried it and it sort of just sends me into turmoil because I'm just focusing too much and you end up being a bit rigid, I think I've tried it and it sort of just sends me into turmoil because I'm just focusing too much and you end up being a bit rigid I think. But yeah, it's difficult because also some days I tend to go in and I'm sort of chatting

to everyone, I'm cracking jokes in between and then other days I find myself needing a bit more what's the word like insular focus or solidarity. A little bit more. Harris's going to the tool. Yeah, I need a bit more of that. For no one knows which J is, which perhaps. Did you develop, on screen, the relationship with your daughter, it seems to be very natural.

Does that last out beyond the shots themselves? Did you become friends? Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah, we did. It took a minute. It took a minute. I think, you know, thank God we had rehearsals a couple of weeks before the shoot because I think if we'd have just gone straight into it, you know, Lola wouldn't have rusted me, you know, I'm just this random bloke to her. She doesn't, you know, she doesn't care. So I'm just this random bloke to her. She doesn't care. So in order to get to that level of comfortability,

we had a lot of time together before where we just rehearsed and messed about. And yeah, it was important. I think the mess thing about seeing so the most beautiful ones in the film here, I'm really interested in how Charlotte directed them. I mean, the one we saw on the railway station platform. There must have been a scripted element to that because you've got the other, the couple across on the opposite platform. But then there's one where you're kind of practicing dancing in a tumble-down warehouse. It's just kind of magic coming from nothing. And it's really beautiful to watch. But was Charlotte kind of, did she have a vision

for that or did she just allow it to play her as it did? So you kind of just said, do what you want and that was a bit scary because it's like, oh God, we're just, the camera's just rolling and rolling and that was the last take of the film that we did and that was on in terms of the shoot, that was the last thing we did. And so that, by that point, there was a level of comfortability between us, but also, I still had to antagonise Lola a bit at times to get the best, you know, to have to like shove her a bit or try and do something to get her to get to a point where she feels like she's doing something comfortable and fun and interesting. And it was kind of work like that. But that, yeah, we, that taking particularly, it was like 20 minutes

long and we just messed about and I think they just used bits of it. Did you have to do a father daughter chemistry read at some point before, before either of you were cast? No. No, we didn't. So this was something she just completely trusted you to do do with a good mesh. Yeah, we didn't, no, we just went straight into it. I've taught kids before of Lola's age, so I sort of used to that process of getting them to like, like, you a bit, I mean, getting them to trust you, it's like, I've done it so many times

and not always successfully, but not in an arrogant way, but I was like, okay, this is gonna be a challenge, but I think I can do it. And I think by the end of the film, we got there. So the film won a major prize at the Sundance Film Festival where you'd been before. How much does it matter that it's getting those kind of prizes

and that it's getting very, very good reviews? How much does it matter to the film? I mean, it matters a great deal. This is a debut feature it's a very small UK set thing and I think stories that this need to be seen and as I was talking about the you know the beginning it's like welcoming in a new star within this genre is so important I think it's such a broad film for audiences to sort of enjoy it from so many different backgrounds. So it's never judgmental, it welcomes everyone in and yeah, prizes at Sundance and critical claim,

obviously help push the film on and get it seen as much as possible, right? I think. And do you, is it an active decision to support independent filmmakers? Because, you know, you said in a way, on other productions, that feels like the kind of the strange area. It seems to me that you have a, you have a philosophy, which is it is worth supporting independent film, because this is where the interesting stuff gets done. Absolutely. Yeah, I feel like boundaries are being pushed within this, sort of corner of the industry and stories and filmmakers

that otherwise wouldn't be supported or being supported. So I'm all for it and I hope I always will be. And lending your name to a project presumably helps it get made because I don't know about that. I don't know about that. I don't know. I don't know. I remember, yeah, I can't. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Nicely done. I do think you've played a father before on screen, is that right? No, I haven't. That was a strange thing.

Did you have in your mind a particular parent child's peering in film history or a surrogate parent, surrogate child peering that you thought, okay, this is one where the chemistry is really clicked. If I can do something like this, it's going to work. in film history or a surrogate parent, surrogate child hearing that you thought, okay, this is one where the chemistry is really clicked. If I can do something like this, it's going to work. Yeah, I mean, there wasn't anything that we spoke about. Early on, we spoke about Paris, Texas. Obviously, that storyline has some very small parallels

along the way. But my sister had kids quite young. And my older brother is a dad to three and he's very young. So in terms of what a good parent is, I've seen it and all my siblings are now parents. So I've seen it done very well. And I guess there was a goal to reach towards that for Jason, but at no point do we really see him have the capacity to be a great dad. I mean a great friend maybe and a great sort of tri-up, but he's really clutching on.

And he says to her, we were both very young. He basically says we were kids. The math, if you do the math, he's 30 in the film. He would have been 18 or 19 when he had Georgie, which is obviously very realistic, but wild for me, because to be a father to an 11, 12-year-old is wild. And you're 59, right? 59, yeah, just on the sort of...

Looking good on that. ...customer 60, thank you, mate. I love that he more naturally bonds with Louis' friend as well. And as a peer as well, rather than a sister's friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Some as a mate, it's all these two sides. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's that kind of guy that, even like, I remember at school, there was certain boys that were friends with, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's it. That's that kind of guy that, even like, I remember at school, there was certain boys

that were friends with like my 14 year old mates and they were like 18, 19 still knocking around the corner shop after school. And I'm like, what are you doing? Why are you still hanging outside the chicken shop? Like, shouldn't you be at college or university? Like, what's going on? But there's a touch of that.

And there's a Shay Meadows film, Room for Romeo Brass, which is one of the central things in that is why is Paddy Constantine being friends with these, and the reason is because his life has gone spectacularly wrong. And there is that interesting thing that when he climbs over the gate, he's also a very kid thing to do. It's like, there's a gate.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What is he even climbing over? So too, yeah, yeah. So too. So too. I love that. That says a lot about characters in films. I just watched Buffalo 66 for the first time and like all of his mates in that. I mean, if you think about all of Vincent Gallaud's friends in that film, I mean, they're just, we're just ridiculous. Buffalo 66 makes an appearance in that wet leg song, which is really, really strange. Remember this is the wet leg single,

which is come home with me, I've got Buffalo 66, so it's the same day. Which is a really strange cultural reference of all the things they could have chosen to chose in Buffalo 66. So, what was that song now? Just in the last six months. Oh, oh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the Shares one, isn't it? No, it's not the channel. I asked the shares long. Is it wet dream? I think it's called right? I'd believe anyway Something like that. So if you were describing the film to people listening to this you haven't seen it yet You were pitching it to them. How would you describe it? He said it's not social realist. It's not what is it? Feel like you'll do a better job at this moment You you guys will probably do a better job at this, Mark. You guys will probably do a better job at this, but I think it's a coming of age story about grief and about connection.

We've got the lead character is a force of nature, Lola Campbell. She's the film. I mean, it's her journey and Jason comes in and is a small part of it, but yeah, I'm not good at these things, man. I'm not good at pitching films for audiences. It's not my bag, but... I thought that was pretty good.

Yeah. Coming of age story, but I think it's very good. But I think I'll use that. There you go. There you go. It's just the great thing about doing these interviews. You get free material. It's right.

And vice versa. And if this is just very exciting right there. We should draw a circle. I could talk all day with you too. Oh good, good. Well, that's lovely to hear. Well, much as we'd love to talk all day with you. Unfortunately, we've got to lose you know about Harris. Thank you so much.

I'm sorry. No, no, we just plowed straight on for another five hours. No, no, no, what happens there? I think you leave. We go, God, what's the hard one? Honestly, and the people going, Harris, he's going to the toilet. He needs a bit of rest. He needs a bit of rest. Thanks for having me. Thank you for coming. Thank you. It's a pleasure. I wish you every success with Scrapper, which opens in UK cinemas next week. Next week. Thank you. next week. Next week. Thank you. And that was Harris Dickinson on Scrapper, which is out next week. No, Mark, should we talk about something that's out this week? Strays, which is, well, it's an

adult kid's like, remember sausage party, it looks like an animation, but then it looks like an animation about hot dogs, but it's full of scene verbal humor. And it's in that tradition that goes back to, well Fritz the Cal, I think, was a high part but Jungle Burger. Do you remember Jungle Burger? Yes. Okay, fine, it was just like it's just,

it's animation with a lot of ruge. Or I suppose the head possibly. Yes, possibly Ted or Team America will police. It looks like Thunderbirds, but they're all going America F. Yes. So this looks like a Disney movie, real life scrappy dog with an animated mouth, voiced by Wilferl talks about it.

The beginning says today is gonna be the best day ever. So it's the Barbie opening, which is weird because it's a fraud connection. And he's basically the kind of the K9 version of Errol's character from Elf. And he brings the ball back to his owner, will fall to immediately tells him to fun off. I'm gonna have to do a lot of this during this review.

And then goes back to playing with his own favorite toy, which is his Mr. Happy. That's will not the dog. And the dog says he loves being around me so much, he doesn't even have a job. And he's only, okay, fine. So the owner's trying to get rid of him, and the way he's trying to get rid of him,

is he takes him way out of town to play fetch. The dog calls that, he says, this game is great, it's called fetch and fun, although obviously not. He says, because he throws the ball and says fetch, and then I bring it back to him, and when I turn up, he says, fun. I find it.

So the dog believes that it's named, I have to do this, it believes it's named to be short bag, or dumbents's short bag. Or you remember, remember the dog in the jerk, which was called short head. Sometimes it gets called fun nugget. Anyway, having been taken away, meets up with a little dog called Bug,

voiced by Jamie Foxx, who teaches him the rules of being a stray, which are, well, every you pee on is yours. You can fun whatever you want in Bugs case that's a couch and you're not alone. And then he joins up with two other dogs, Maggie voiced by Ila Fisher, who has a great nose, but has been usurped

by a new handbag dog. The clip we're gonna play isn't very indicative of the film, but it is one of the very few clips that doesn't have fun, short bag, or any of the other words that we can't play on the thing. Here we go. So, Bal, it looked at me like, I wanna cook cake two, so I was like, I'm gonna get her a cupcakes. So, you're for that, right?

So, Jenna said, which I did. But then I thought, wouldn't it be cute if I acted all confused until to my head like, hmmm, I just- Oh my god. Man, she'll got a suck to compete with that. No, it's fine. Bell is young and cute and fun, so of course Jenna loves him more than me right now, and I with that. That is definitely one of the more understated and subtle moments of the film, the rest of which is death is generally about

pee, poo and fun encounters. There's also a great day with a cone in its head called Hunter, who is going to be a police dog, he's now an emotional support dog and he wants to fun Maggie. And they explain to the dog that thinks its name is Shortbag that his owner is actually a very bad man, not a good man. And they all agree to go off on an incredible journey style voyage so that he can get revenge on his owner by biting off his Mr. Happy. That's the plot of the film. There we go. It sounds funny. funny awful. So lots of poo, lots of jokes about we, lots of jokes about Humping. If you look at the BBSC description, which I did, it says strong language, sex references, crude humour and drug misuse. On route, they obviously adventures happen as they are on the way back to buy off the owners, Mr. Happy.

There's a thing about a lost child. There's a thing when they go to a fairground that turns into a war zone. There's a bit when they eat some magic mushrooms and everything becomes hallucinogenic and then they poopy and fun everything around. Here's the problem. I sat on a screening in which there was somebody who was laughing hysterically. So people were finding it funny, as you are now.

OK. I know. I'm finding you're just mad at the thing. Okay, but so there was definitely somebody in the screening who was hooting like a barn owl. And my problem is this, I think that, you know, there's a certain amount of okay, you know, poopy, fun, okay, drugs, bite off, Mr. Happy. I don't know that that sustains a feature. And also, there are so many things about dogs that are funnier than their poo and their

pee and their, their funning, you know, that it's a bit like this, there was an open goal there, but you just went for the, you know, Bonfart Willie thing. So, hey, I mean, it, it, is on the big dog lover. There is a documentary called Stry about street dogs in Turkey, which is wonderful. You've seen it? Yes, yes. And there's one that cats as well. Yeah, which is okay. Yeah, so which is weird, because there's literally those two are companions because they are cats and dogs. I have to, in the pursuit of honesty, there was somebody in the screening

who was laughing like, and I know a couple of people came out of it and went, they thought it was really funny. I just think that my tolerance for the, the poo-y fun jokes is just like, okay, yeah, you've done, oh, you know, he's now on another one, and then there's another, then there's, okay, fun. And then the one on the meat sick. Right. Well, that's trees. I'm very sorry to bring the hilarity to a clause, but no, it's time to step into, I laughed a little. That will definitely

bring the hilarity to a close. BELL RINGS MUSIC Hey Mark! Hey Robby. I took the good lady out for a swanky meal in trendy South London this week. A new restaurant's opened up in Strasom called Karmah. There's no menu. You just get what you deserve. And there are no starters or main courses. It's just desserts.

Ah! Very good. High quality of the usual. High quality of the usual. High quality of the usual. Wait a year, this next one. I'm gonna find one. I should say I had to read this a few times before I even understood it.

Okay, go on. On the way to the restaurant, I spotted an Albino Dalmatian. It was the least I could do for him. Yes, okay. It didn't happen this is. It didn't have fun, okay. Yeah, it didn't have fun, okay.

It didn't have fun, okay. I mean, not funny, but good. Okay. Tell you what though, it's been one of those weeks. Has it? I went to the doctor and said, Dr. Doctor, I've been bitten by a wolf. She said, where? I said, no, just a normal one.

Yeah. Anyway. Just. What's still to come? Blue Beetle. I will be back. After this, unless you're a Vanguardista, in which case we have just one question,

what word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters? Your business has grown fast, from opening your first location to planning an expansion in no time, and with your business platinum card from American Express, you can access spending

power and payment flexibility to fuel your growth. Sarah, the contractor is here with the plans. American Express, don't do business without it. Terms and conditions apply visit mx.ca- slash business platinum. Get holiday ready at Real Canadian Superstore, Will you find more legendary ways to save than any other major grocery? Until December 13th, you'll get a free PC turkey when you spend $300 or more. That's right, free only at your Super Holiday Store. Conditions apply to fly for details.

And the answer is of course... Q. Oh... Of course. Well done. Now we have an email I didn't write it. No, it was email from David and Harpenden, dear A&I, semi-regular emailer, MTE and Van Gardister. I'm sitting here alone, it's Friday night, my son is tucked up in bed on my better half as I've seen Barbie, so I have free reign of the lounge to watch whatever I want. I have a to watch list as long as my arm, but increasingly these days, I find myself stuck

in a state of movie paralysis, unable to choose something to watch. I think it's because with a two-year-old in tour, my free time is precious, and I'm worried about making a mistake and wasting it with a poor choice. Can the good doctors help me reframe my state of mind in some way to get me back on the horse? I love films, and feel a bit glum at the current state of affairs. Well, one way of doing it, there is that thing where suddenly there is so much choice that you can't choose anything. And I mean, people often say, oh yeah, I went to watch

something on Netflix and I spent 20 minutes just scrolling through stuff and then I just watch the news. One way of doing it is to just make a list to yourself of five films that you think you should have watched and then just work through them. So, I mean, sorry to be crashed, but Citizen Kane or Seventh Seal or, you know, just five films that you think should have watched. And then you know that they are... There's stuff that's going to be... Where do you like them or not? You know, they're going to be interesting. And at the end of it, you will have ticked something off. I think that's a very good's gonna be it. Where do you like them or not? You know, they're gonna be interesting. And at the end of it, you will have ticked something off. I think that's a very good way of doing it. I know that you've done this before.

You've suggested movies that people, if they suddenly that what could I watch? You go, okay, well here's five films that would be a good thing to watch. I think that, yes, but I think part of this, David's issue here is to do with his, the particular time of life he's at. He's mentioned that the kid is two years old. Now I had this when it came to end of the day pleasure

viewing, when our kids were much younger. Big part of it, I think, is that you're too exhausted at the end of the day to pay attention to anything worthwhile, so you do just end up watching twaddle or scrolling menus. It may, I think, not be possible right now because of tiredness levels, to, you know, until the kid is slightly older, and then you can kind of reengage wholeheartedly. But I think a big part of it is by some physical media, you know, particularly from boutique labels, make a night of it, you know, set the scene, dim your lights. Get that cruising blue right. Poor a glass of wine, exactly, and stick on cruising. I mean, incidentally, on the subject of cruising very quickly, William Freakin and I did a commentary track for cruising.

I did listen to it a bit the other day. This isn't to do with me. He is brilliant on that commentary. He's absolutely on fire on that commentary track. Oh, I know he's a hell of a racon term. But yes, so if I say it as David, it gets better. If this is a slow, do not worry. I mean, my default thing was I just put on Mary Poppins.

I mean, I watched Mary Poppins about a hundred times where my kids were young and every time it got better. No, let's review something that's out this week. Are Blue Beetle. Yeah, so Blue Beetle is a new DC superhero movie about which I knew absolutely nothing until I'm a sort of listed on the FDA list. So it is directed by Anchem

Angel Manuel Soto and it stars Zolo Maridueiner. And does you know about the Blue Beetle character? I know nothing about Blue Beetle. Okay fine. So basically the story is that our central character Jaime Reyes comes back from Gotham Law School to his hometown. They've changed the hometown from the original source. Back to his family, to discover that his family are in danger of losing their house because the father has been ill and their source of income has dried up and they're in a very bad position also, gentrification of their area is happening. He then finds himself in a position when benevolent industrialist Jenny Cord offers to help him find a job But in fact what happens is he ends up welded to a biotechnical scarab, which is a kind of glowing creature

When they first see it is some says is that the new Tamagotchi that turns him into an armor-plated kind of blue Avenger with a mysterious voice in his head So think Iron Man, but without the ability to step out the suit. It's kind of at a genetic level Meanwhile I think Iron Man, but without the ability to step out of the suit, it's kind of at a genetic level. Meanwhile, Susan Sarandon, who is also one of the chords, wants to use the beetle to develop her own range of kind of robocop law enforcers. But at the moment, we just have our central hero, who has suddenly found himself in the mold of superheroes, attached to something he had no desire to get attached to in the first place.

Here's a clip. What is he talking about? He's talking about this. What? What? Oh, I forgot how bad it looks. I seem worse. Where?

You don't want to know. OK. What the hell is this thing? It's called the scarab. It was given to my dad when I was a kid. It's some kind of a world-destroying weapon. Oh, that's nice. Oh, he says...

Hi. What? And did you know what was going to happen to my brother? When you stuck him with this world-destroying thing? No, I swear to you, I had no idea this would happen. Oh, my God. My father said it can't be activated by just any person. He has to choose you.

So I'm guessing it's chosen you. So that's the setup. He's got the thing Susan Sarand and wants to take the thing out of him, which will kill him. They on the other hand don't want him to die, but what they want is for their family to be saved. And the reason that clip is interesting is

that what the film is, and I don't mean this in a fast and furious kind of way, but what the film is actually about is about family, but not family, but actual family. Here's what surprised me. Firstly, that so much of it is character-based, that you really get to know that, I mean, there's been a lot of stuff

about the fact that it's, you know, first of Tino, superhero, all that, okay? Fine, admirable and great. But it works because you do care about that family, you do care about the way in which the character's in. This is a fantastical movie, you know, with suits and flying and all that stuff, but you are actually interested in the characters.

Second thing is, it's a very smart script. There's a thing when they first see Susan Sarandon and he tries to attract her attention and sister says, we're invisible to people like that. Do you remember End of Violence? Yes, yes. Remember the whole plot in End of Violence is that he becomes invisible by going undercover with the gardeners because nobody notices them. Do you remember that? Yes, yes, right. And it's okay. So when Vim Vendors makes that point, it's the kind of, oh, it's Vim Vendors,

but this is the central point being made here. There is, she says, it's kind of our superpower. And then when that invisibility gets taken away from them, that's when things start to become really dangerous. There's another line, and he says, what do you think Cords going to do when he finds out that a Mexican kid has that kind of military tech inside them and all the way through the script, this stuff is going on, but it's not bolted on. It's not like it's hitting you over the head with it. What it feels like is a genuine family relationship that find themselves in a fantastical superhero

environment. Now, considering how many, there's another bit when one of them says people think crossing the border is hard. You know what's hard the next 20 years? Considering how many superhero movies I've seen recently, when I don't care, I just don't care. This was a bit different because it had, and I mean this is a compliment, it had to me some of the energy of the Robert Rodrigo Spike kids movies. I don't know where you stand on those, but I like them generally. I think that's fine. This had a kind of punky energy to it. It was kind of, it felt like it was slightly left of center in the superhero universe. I said it's a character that I didn't know anything about at all.

The action sequences have got a kind of kinetic slapstick quality to them because obviously the overall tone is broadly comedic. And there's a nice melding of the physical and the virtual in terms of the way that they do that stuff. And there are nods to Japanese Kaiju Flix and also Mexican Lichador movies and wrestling movies. And I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Now bear in mind that part of this may be

that I didn't know anything and I went in with no expectations and it has, I have to say, it's not been a great week in terms of releases. But as I was writing my review of this, because I wrote a review for the episode, the more I wrote about it, the more I thought, you know, this is actually,

this is actually pretty decent, the music by Bobby Krillitch, you know, at Hackson Cloak. And I was surprised, because for all the effects and all the action and all the fantasy stuff, it's got a kind of family round the dinner table vibe to it. And you're giving me a look

which is like, I don't buy this, but. No, I'm interested in buying it. I think, you know, this press screen while I was on hold is what I haven't seen it. And it hasn't been press screened at all before I was like, no, and. press screened while I was on hold, so I haven't seen it. And it hasn't been press screened at all before I was, I know. No. This is, like, thing it's of vendors is the first thing I've heard that has made me want to catch up. Oh, well, there we go. I'm very intrigued. I mean, I honestly thought it was much

more, but they were, they're a bit in it that reminded me of Tetsuo, Iron Man, you know, in terms of the kind of the, the, the melding of the physical and the, of the, of the physical and the bodily and the spiritual. Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised and I enjoyed it and I liked the characters. There we are. I didn't see it coming at all, Blue Beetle. No, time for this week's listener correspondence. You can always email yours to correspondence at canwoodamail.com. and we'll be discussing the movie right after with special guest Connor Atlith from the Dead Eye's podcast. Tickets are on sale now, visit the Cameo Cinemas website for details.

Hi Simon and Mark, this is Geoffrey Badger from Lost Reels, and I'm excited to announce a rare screening of Donald Campbell's Wild Side at the I say London on Thursday, August 31st. The film Mark described as noisy and stable and dangerous, but irresistible, will show from a recently discovered 35 millimeter print thought to be lost and one of only two left in the world. Join us for this extraordinary event,

details at lostreels.co.uk. Whilst, while site is a really interesting case because Channel 4, the film 4, were involved in the restoration of the Donald Campbell's while site, which was the director's cart, because obviously it originally came out in a horrific, horrible cut that was just, they just, you know, as much of the sex scenes as possible and everything else taken out of it. And in the reconstructed version, it was, and the editing of the reconstructed version,

I don't know about this 35-mil print, the editing of the reconstructed version was done by Frank Mazola, who was a brilliant editor. And also, the guy who taught James Dean had a knife fight in Rebel Without A Course. So, man, we have an incredible history. And also great to hear about the 90-minute, so let's film festival. Because I, you know, as we were saying before,

in one of the films that we'll talk about, and you know, one of the films we have talked about, pardon me, because we recorded this show back to front. 84 minutes. Wow, that's a five-star running time. Absolutely. That was Sam Clements, crossing the showing of Clionis Katzi at Edinburgh's cameo cinema.

Oh, Alice Katzi. I've only seen that on a laptop. And that resonance does not come through. Wow, you need to see that. You need to see that, yeah, yeah. Every frame of it, you think I wish I was watching. But that soundtrack is just fantastic. Is this for the glass?

Yes, yes, it's. Oh, yeah, It's got to. That was a joke between my brother and I, one Christmas when we were teenagers, was it kind of girl, Koyanus Katzi, each other across the dinner table. And you can imagine the parents were amused roughly zero times by that. And also, Jeffrey Badger letting us know about screening of at London's ICA at the end of the month of Donald Kamel's World side. You can send your 20 second audio trailer about your event anywhere in the world to correspondents

at canembrodermail.com. And that's the end of take one. This has been a Sony Music Entertainment production. The team was Lily Hambley, Ryan Amira, Gully Tickle, Beth Perkin was the assistant producer and Mickey Movies wrote the guest notes, Hannah Tolbert was the producer, and Simon Poole was the red actor. Mark, what's your film with the week? Blue Beetle. No, my fingers are going to be on the one I've seen so it has to be a lie with me. You can hear more from us in Take Two,

which is available now, and then we'll be back on Wednesday with Take Three. I'd be really interested to know what you think of Blue Beetle. I'd be really interested to know what you think of Blue Beetle. to be the interest to my big, big, big, big, big.