Cult Connections Ian Graham

Rita Tushingham burst onto the film scene with her debut role in A Taste Of Honey and established herself as an iconic face of the British New Wave. Ian is joined by film historian Melanie Williams to review three of her early roles. 

A Taste Of Honey (1961). Directed by Tony Richardson. Written by Shelagh Delaney. Starring Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens, Murray Melvin and Paul Danquah. 

Girl With Green Eyes (1964). Directed by Desmond Davis. Written by Edna O'Brien. Starring Rita Tushingham, Peter Finch and Lynn Redgrave. 

The Knack...and How To Get It (1965). Directed by Richard Lester. Written by Charles Wood from the play by Ann Jellicoe. Starring Rita Tushingham, Michael Crawford, Ray Brooks and Donal Donnelly

Melanie Williams is Professor of Film and Television Studies at the University of East Anglia. A historian of British cinema, her recent books include a BFI Film Classic on A Taste of Honey (2023), Transformation and Tradition in 1960s British Cinema (with Richard Farmer, Laura Mayne and Duncan Petrie, 2019), and Female Stars of British Cinema: The Women in Question (2017). She is currently writing a book about the British filmmaker Muriel Box.

Is this the darkest Star Wars has ever gone? Ian and Punk continue their review of The Bad Batch.

The Kommissar X  series was a distinctly 60s blend of action, travel, outlandish plots, lovely ladies and suave but tough heroes. I'm joined by Holger Haase to discuss it's pulp fiction origins and three of the films. 

Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill aka Kommissar X - Jagd auf Unbekannt (1966). Directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Starring Tony Kendall, Brad Harris and Maria Perschy

Death Trip aka Kommissar X - Drei grune Hunde (1967). Directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber. Starring Tony Kendall, Brad Harris, Olga Schoberova and Christa Linda. 

Kill Panther Kill aka Kommissar X - Drei blue Panther. Directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Starring Tony Kendall, Brad Harris, Corny Collins and Franco Fantasia 

It's the debut of the iconic robot companion K9 but does his first story do justice to this lovable character. 

The Invisible Enemy (1977). Directed by Derrick Goodwin. Written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Starring Tom Baker, Louise Jamieson, Michael Sheard, Frederick Jaeger and John Leeson as K9

Diana Dors was  a unique figure in British film as her blend of glamour, personality and acting talent woved both the tabloids and cinemagoing public alike. Ian is joined by Dors biographer  Anna Cale to discuss her life, legacy and, of course, three of her best films. 

Tread Softly Stranger (1958). Directed by Gordon Parry. Written by George Minter and Denis O'Dell from the play by Jack Popplewell. Starring Diana Dors, George Baker and Terence Morgan

Value for Money (1955). Directed by Ken Annakin. Written by R.F. Delderfield and William Fairchild from the book by Derrick Boothroyd. Starring Diana Dors, John Gregson and Susan Stephen. 

Yield To The Night (1956). Directed by J. Lee Thompson. Written by Joan Henry and John cresswell. Based on the book by Joan Henrty. Starring Diana Dors, Yvonne Mitchell and Michael Craig. 

Anna Cale is an arts and culture writer who specialises in classic film and television. She has written for a number of publications and websites, including Little White Lies, Film Stories and the British Film Institute, and has also appeared on Radio 4 and Channel 5. Her writing subjects are wide ranging, but she has an interest in British cinema of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, and in particular showcasing the role of strong female voices in film culture.

In the first of a new occasional series Ian is joined by Mark Plant to celebrate the iconic British filmaker Michael Winner. This episode we cover his cinematic swansong Parting Shots. But is it a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner or a Dogs Breakfast

Parting Shots (1998). Directed by Michael Winner. Written by Winner and Nick Mead. Starring 
Chris Rea, Felicity Kendall, Diana Rigg, Bob Hoskins, Ben Kingsley, Oliver Reed