Reel Britannia

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 080 – Withnail and I (1987) Scott and Steven are joined this week in the Balaban Sound Studio by Anthony (Glass Onion – On John Lennon podcast) for this week’s review…the finest comedy known to humanity featuring mistaken holidays, Camberwell carrots and youths weeping in butchers shops. Two out-of-work actors -- the anxious, luckless Marwood (Paul McGann) and his acerbic, alcoholic friend, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) -- spend their days drifting between their squalid flat, the unemployment office and the pub. When they take a holiday "by mistake" at the country house of Withnail's flamboyantly gay uncle, Monty (Richard Griffiths), they encounter the unpleasant side of the English countryside: tedium, terrifying locals and torrential rain. “Look at my tongue, it's wearing a yellow sock.” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owlta

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven to chat about unskilled soldiery, Scottish accents and shipwrecked spirits. Join us we take a look at the Ealing Comedy classic, Whisky Galore – featuring John Gregson, James Robertson Justice and Gordon Jackson During World War II, the tiny Scottish island of Todday runs out of whisky. When the freighter S.S. Cabinet Minister runs aground nearby during a heavy fog, the islanders are delighted to learn that its cargo consists of 50,000 cases of whisky. When officious English commanding officer Captain Waggett (Basil Radford) demands return of the liquor, shopkeeper Joseph Macroon (Wylie Watson) and his daughters Peggy (Joan Greenwood) and Catriona (Gabrielle Blunt) spearhead an island rebellion. “It's a well known fact that some men were born two drinks below par.” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven for a look at the last in their season on the movies that led up to the kitchen sink dramas of the late 50s and early 60s Join us we take a look at Basil Dearden’s superb Sapphire from 1959 featuring the legendary Earl Cameron alongside Nigel Patrick and Michael Craig. A tense murder mystery set in the aftermath of the Notting Hill race riots, the movie also features support from Bernard Miles, Yvonne Mitchell and Paul Massie. A pregnant college student named Sapphire Robbins (Yvonne Buckingham) is murdered in London's Hampstead Heath. When police superintendent Robert Hazard (Nigel Patrick) discovers that the victim was a light-skinned black woman passing as white, it upends his initial assumptions. Hazard and his openly racist assistant (Michael Craig) explore the city's racially tense underground jazz scene as they interview suspects, including

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Tony to chat about coppers, crime and Carry Ons Join us as we go back to 1960 and take a look at the fourth Carry On movie, Carry On Constable. Featuring the usual faces and first appearance in the franchise for Sid James. “Would you care to have a look at my shubunkin?” A local police force is left short-staffed by a flu epidemic. Enter four bungling trainee policemen to fill the gap! Sergeant Wilkins has to try to turn them into real police overnight, but in the meantime criminals can breathe a sigh of relief while the innocent had better watch out... You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we’d love to chat with you email: reelbritannia@gmail.com Thanks for listening Scott and Tony

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Steven and Antony from the Glass Onion: On John Lennon  podcast to chat about Kubrick, Mason and Sellers and a movie based on a very controversial novel Join us we take a look at Stanley Kubrick’s ‘ Lolita’ starring Sue Lyon, James Mason, Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers. Is it a British movie?...You decide.   With a screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love to the screen. Humbert Humbert (James Mason) is a European professor who relocates to an American suburb, renting a room from lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenage daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte's sudden death, Humbert has Lolita all to himself -- or does he? “I want you to live with me and die with me and everything

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. In the latest episode, Scott is joined by Tony to chat about Prime Ministers, political upheaval and poetic license in film making. Join us for the most recent movie release we have reviewed so far on the show as we take a look at Darkest Hour (2017) featuring an Oscar winning performance from Gary Oldman. During World War II, as Adolf Hitler's powerful Wehrmacht rampages across Europe, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), is forced to resign, recommending Sir Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as his replacement. But even in his early days as the country's leader, Churchill is under pressure to commence peace negotiations with Hitler or to fight head-on the seemingly invincible Nazi regime, whatever the cost. However difficult and dangerous his decision may be, Churchill has no choice but to shine in the country's darkest hour. “Will you stop interrupting

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Our latest episode with Scott and Steven features our thoughts on Norman Wisdom’s second movie, One Good Turn from 1955 Orphanage handyman Norman is, as a former resident himself, very much one of the family at the home. Enjoying a particularly strong bond with the children, he accompanies them to Brighton to see the sea, but manages to lose his trousers on the train journey south. Trying to find somewhere to be less conspicuous only half-dressed, he stumbles across a London-to-Brighton walking race - and manages to win first prize! The trophy he's awarded looks likely to come in handy when one particular boy, Jimmy, is let down by an aunt. To cheer him up Norman promises to buy him any toy he wants - but the electric ride-in model car he's got his eye on would normally be well out of Norman's price range, even at £12. As Norman sets about trying to find the money, news comes through that the ho

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 072 – Carry On Teacher (1959) Our latest episode with Scott and Tony features our thoughts on the third Carry On movie, carry On Teacher featuring the only appearance in the series of Ted Ray. The pupils of Maudlin School lace the staff tea with alcohol, saw through the legs of the grand piano, dowse the headmaster's study with itching powder and stage an elaborate bomb scare - all in the cause of sabotaging their headmaster's application for a new post, so that they can keep him for themselves. “Felicity Wheeler: Are you satisfied with your equipment, Miss Allcock? Sarah Allcock: Well, I've had no complaints so far!”   You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we’d love to chat with you email: reelbritannia@gmail.com Thanks for listening

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 072 – Oh Mr Porter (1937) Our latest episode with Scott and Steven plus special guest, Mark from The Good The Bad And The Odd Podcast features our first Will Hay movie, Oh Mr Porter (1937)   In this classic British comedy, William Porter (Will Hay) is an accident-prone railroad employee whose sister and brother-in-law arrange for him to be made stationmaster at a run-down rail stop in rural Ireland. She wants to give William a chance to make good, hoping this will keep him far, far away. William arrives at Buggleskelly Station to discover that the last five stationmasters all went mad -- and that the ghost of One-Eyed Joe Miller supposedly haunts the building. Will meets his new co-workers, aging Jeremiah (Moore Marriott) and teenaged Albert (Graham Moffatt), and discovers that they supplement their meagre income by boosting baggage from passing trains. William hopes to increase business

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 071 – A Prize Of Arms (1962) Our latest episode with Scott, Steven and special guest, Antony Rotunno of the Glass Onion: On John Lennon podcast, features a criminally underseen crime heist drama starring Stanley Baker – A Prize Of Arms (1962)   Never in the history of crime was so much taken from so many by so few... A gang of criminals acquire an old army truck and try to pass themselves off as military policemen. Their plan is to steal a £250,000 payroll intended for soldiers in the Middle East. Turpin (Stanley Baker) recruits Fenner (Tom Bell) and Swavek (Helmut Schmid) to make up a crack assault team. As the duty guard at the camp raises the barrier, Turpin knows there can be no turning back. His desperate gamble for riches will now be played out to its shattering climax... You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail Listen

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 070 – From Russia With Love (1963) It’s back to the James Bond series of movies as Scott and Steven slowly review their way through the Sean Connery era. In this episode we take a look at the second movie From Russia With Love. Agent 007 is back in the second instalment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organisation known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy.  “You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees. How does it feel old man?” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 069 – The Rebel (1961) Scott and Steven are joined once again by Mark Cain of The Good The Bad And The Odd podcast. Together we venture back to 1961 for one of Tony Hancock’s rare cinematic outings, The Rebel, also featuring Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and George Sanders. Anthony Hancock gives up his office job to become an abstract artist. He has lots of enthusiasm, but little talent, and critics scorn his work. Nevertheless, he impresses an emerging very talented artist. Hancock proceeds to con the art world into thinking he is a genius.  “Your colours are all the wrong shape” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we’d love to chat with you email: reelbritannia@gmail.com Thanks for listening Scott and Steven  

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 068– The Long Good Friday (1980) It’s Easter Weekend so forget Easter Parade and Ben Hur…join Scott and Steven as they chat about the ultimate Easter movie…Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren on top form in The Long Good Friday (1980) In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organisation, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion.  “You don't crucify people! Not on Good Friday! You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbr

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 067 – How I Won The War (1967) A warm welcome this week to our special guest, Antony Rotunno from the splendid Glass Onion – On John Lennon podcast. Antony joins Scott and Steven to chat about Richard Lester’s movie,  How I Won The War, starring Michael Crawford and featuring a certain member of The Fab Four. Captured by German soldiers, British officer Ernest Goodbody (Michael Crawford) details his history as a commanding officer. While he describes himself as a noble and heroic officer, the truth is that he is a bumbling idiot whose own ineptitude and idiocy ends up costing the lives of most of his company. As his own men continue to drop like flies, their ghosts remain on the battlefield, marching along with their commanding officer even after death.  “And I'm not a thief, really. I've never found anything worth keeping.” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple P

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 066 – The Ipcress File (1965) The perfect antidote to Bondmania as Scott and Steven review The Ipcress File. With Michael Caine as the laconic secret agent Harry Palmer set in a world of spies that features more paperwork and freshly ground coffee than fist fights and shoot outs. A classic piece of British cinema from the swinging sixties. Several leading Western scientists have been kidnapped only to reappear a fews days later. Unfortunately, each scientist has been brainwashed and is now completely useless. The British send Agent Harry Palmer to investigate. Palmer is surprised to be selected for such a mission (considering his past) and believes he has been chosen because he is expendable. “You didn’t come here to talk about button mushrooms and birds.” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Tw

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 065 – Dunkirk (1958)   Scott, Steven and Tony have managed to get together once again for a chat about a great British war film - Dunkirk from 1958 directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. Better than the Christopher Nolan movie…? Take a listen and see what we think. A British Corporal in France finds himself responsible for the lives of his men when their officer is killed. He has to get them back to Britain somehow. Meanwhile, British civilians are being dragged into the war with Operation Dynamo, the scheme to get the French and British forces back from the Dunkirk beaches. Some come forward to help, others were less willing. “It may be a phoney war to you, but it's not to all the blokes at sea. Never has been.”   You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 064 – Violent Playground (1958) Another in our series of movies that influenced the British New Wave Cinema movement. Another fine example of the ‘social problem’ movie directed by the master himself, Basil Dearden. Highlighting the dangerous world of the newly-born ‘teenagers’, we present Violent Playground from 1958 starring Stanley Baker, David McCallum and Peter Cushing. Sgt. Truman (Stanley Baker), a policeman who deals with juvenile delinquents, visits the Murphy household after a theft by the young twins, Mary and Patrick. There he meets their older sister, Cathie (Anne Heywood), and soon begins a romantic involvement with her. However, Cathie's brother, Johnnie (David McCallum), is the leader of an infamous local gang, and doesn't like to see his sister with a cop. Gradually, Truman starts to see a link between Johnnie and a string of local arsons. “Every city has its dangerous y

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 063 – Four Lions (2010) Our latest episode with Scott and Steven features our thoughts on the hilarious Four Lions from 2010 directed by Chris Morris.   A group of young Muslim men living in Sheffield decide to wage jihad, and they hatch an inept plan to become suicide bombers. Omar (Riz Ahmed) and Waj (Kayvan Novak) have a brief, disastrous run at a Pakistan training camp, while Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) works on an unlikely scheme to train birds to carry bombs. Their ill-conceived plan culminates at the London Marathon with their bumbling attempts to disrupt the event while dressed in outlandish costumes. “The report makes crystal clear that the police shot the right man, but as far as I'm aware, the wrong man exploded. Is that clear?.” You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod J

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 062 – Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) Scott and Steven are back in the Balaban Sound Studio for this week’s review…a mystery / thriller starring Laurence Olivier, Carol Lynley and Keir Dullea. Also featuring Noel Coward, Martita Hunt and Anna Massey…Bunny Lake is missing…or is she? Ann Lake has recently settled in England with her daughter, Bunny. When she goes to retrieve her daughter after the girl's first day at school, no one has any record of Bunny having been registered. When even the police can find no trace that the girl ever existed, they wonder if the child was only a fantasy of Ann's. When Ann's brother backs up the police's suspicions, she appears to be a mentally-disturbed individual. Are they right? “I have some more African heads in my apartment. Small, pickled ones. Do drop in anytime you care to meet some unsuccessful politicians.” You can find this and all of our previous

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Episode 061 – The Reckoning (1969) Join Scott and Steven as they bring you an underseen British drama from the sixties starring Nicol Williamson and Rachel Roberts. Michael Marler (Nicol Williamson), determined to leave his criminal father and his Irish past behind him, abandoned Liverpool to pursue a more respectable career path. Now he's a wealthy businessman living in London, but his father's death draws a reluctant Michael back to his hometown. When he learns his father was killed in a fight with a young delinquent, Michael teams up with an old flame (Rachel Roberts) and a friend of his father's (Paul Rogers) to avenge the death. You can find this and all of our previous episodes at: Apple Podcasts Libsyn Player FM Podtail Owltail ListenNotes Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod Join us over at our Facebook Group ….we’d love to chat with you email: reelbritannia@gmail.com Thanks for lis