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Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode guide us through the expanding universe of the moving image revealing fascinating links and hidden gems from cinema and TV to streaming and beyond.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Vampires

    With Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu - a remake of the 1922 adaptation of Dracula - hitting UK cinemas in the new year, Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones take a look at one of cinema's most enduring monsters, the vampire. Mark talks to friend of the show and vampire expert, Kim Newman, about the evolution of vampires over the last century. They discuss everything from Bela Lugosi’s career defining performance as Count Dracula to the Twilight series. Meanwhile, Ellen meets host and producer of The Evolution of Horror podcast, Mike Muncer. They go deep on teen vampire films and the everlasting appeal of cult classic The Lost Boys. Ellen also speaks to Jane Schoenbrun, director of the new film, I Saw the TV Glow. They discuss their shared love of TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its influence on Jane’s film about outsider teens who are obsessed with a fantasy TV show. Producer: Queenie Qureshi-Wales A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    43 min

  2. 18 OCT

    Archaeology

    To mark the tenth anniversary of BBC sitcom Detectorists, Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones dig into archaeologists and treasure hunters on screen. Mark speaks first to stand-up comedian and actor Alexei Sayle about his small, but pivotal, role in the third Indiana Jones film The Last Crusade. Mark then talks to Italian director Alice Rohrwacher, whose recent film La Chimera is the story of a down-at-heel tomb raider, played by Josh O’Connor, looting Etruscan artefacts in 1980s Italy. Meanwhile, Ellen speaks to French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop about her new film Dahomey - a docudrama that follows 26 looted treasures from the 19th century Kingdom of Dahomey, as they make their return trip from Paris to present-day Benin. And she talks to Mackenzie Crook, creator and star of Detectorists, about how an episode of Time Team inspired the series - about a pair of Essex metal detectorists hunting for long-buried treasures from the past. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    43 min

  3. 11 OCT

    Saturday Night Live

    Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at the impact of Saturday Night Live, or SNL, as the long-running US sketch show prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Just how important is SNL in the history of American comedy? And why have we never quite understood it over here? Ellen speaks to actor and former SNL writer Paula Pell about how it felt to get a job on the show after growing up as an obsessed fan - and whether the hectic schedule of Saturday Night Live is always conducive to the best comedy. And she talks to US comedian and podcaster Ashley Ray about SNL's enduring influence on American humour, and its relevance for audiences as it enters its 50th season. Meanwhile, Mark discusses the cinema that has emerged from the series - from big hitters like The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World to box office flops MacGruber and A Night at the Roxbury - with author and Empire magazine editor Nick de Semlyen. And he gets the inside track on working with SNL's legendary super-producer Lorne Michaels - and on bringing the music of Queen to a whole new generation - from Wayne's World's director Penelope Spheeris. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    43 min

  4. 4 OCT

    Prisons

    As The Shawshank Redemption turns 30, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore life behind bars as seen on screen, investigating how film and TV have shaped our ideas about the prison system. Why do prisons make such good settings for cinema? Ellen investigates the relationship between prison exploitation and prison reform, talking to director S Craig Zahler about his ultra-violent 2017 film Brawl In Cell Block 99 and the movies that inspired it, from Birdman of Alcatraz to Riot in Cell Block 11. And she speaks to Dr Kalima Young about the impact of Netflix's hit series about a women's prison, Orange Is The New Black. Meanwhile, Mark talks to writer and broadcast Richard Weight about the enduring relevance of the classic British sitcom Porridge. And he speaks to 'the daddy' of prison dramas - Ray Winstone - about the impact of his breakout role as a borstal boy in the controversial, banned TV play Scum. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    42 min

  5. 9 AUG

    Shock Value

    Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones ask if we still go to the movies to be shocked. As Caligula: The Ultimate Cut hits cinemas, Mark talks to stars of the notorious cult classic, Dame Helen Mirren and Malcolm McDowell. They discuss the film's long journey to the new version, and what it was really like on set of one of independent cinemas most controversial productions. Ellen examines what shock value means in the digital age and how shocking cinema has evolved over cinema's history. She speaks to film critic Virginie Selavy about how critical and audience perception of 'shocking' content has evolved from Tod Browning's Freaks to the cinema of Lar Von Trier, and if audiences really are harder to shock. Ellen then talks to comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait about his transgressive films, which are favourites of John Waters, and how an increasingly bizarre political landscape has affected his filmmaking. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    42 min

  6. 2 AUG

    Mermaids

    Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode take a deep ‘dive' into the world of water to mark the 40th anniversary this summer of the joyous romantic comedy Splash hitting our screens. Splash features Tom Hanks' leading man debut as he meets and falls for mermaid Daryl Hannah in New York, before they finally swim off into the sunset together. From The Little Mermaid through Miranda to The Lure, mermaids have a long rich history in the movies. Mark talks to director Agnieszka Smoczyńska about her 1980s set Polish mermaid musical The Lure. They discuss cinema's fascination with the mermaid myth. Ellen looks back into cinema history to explore the films of Esther Williams - nicknamed the Million Dollar Mermaid - a swimmer turned actress whose ‘aquamusicals' in the 40s and 50s featured elaborate synchronised swimming sequences and made waves at the box office. She speaks to synchronised swimming choreographer Mēsha Kussman and friend of the show Lillian Crawford about the enduring appeal and surprising legacy of the aquamusical. Producer: Queenie Qureshi-Wales A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    43 min

  7. 26 JUL

    Pop Idols

    Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at how popstars - and their fans - have been depicted in film and TV over the years. Mark speaks to record producer and documentary director Jeremy Dylan about some of the most memorable pop idols on screen, from A Hard Day’s Night to Spice World. And he talks to legendary songwriter Paul Williams about his dual role as both star actor and music composer on Brian DePalma’s prescient 1974 pop fable Phantom of the Paradise. Meanwhile, Ellen looks at portrayals of pop fans on screen with critic Kayleigh Donaldson, and screenwriter Janine Nabers, who co-created the recent Beyonce-inspired satirical comedy-horror TV miniseries Swarm. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    42 min

  8. 19 JUL

    Do the Right Thing

    Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode take a deep dive into Spike Lee’s incendiary 1989 drama about simmering racial tension in and around a Brooklyn pizzeria. We celebrate 35 years of a film that announced itself like a beat box on full blast. Set within a single inner city block in Brooklyn, New York City on the hottest day of the summer, the movie depicts racial tensions that simmer, as things look set to explode. Ellen speaks to the film's director Spike Lee to find out how this extraordinary, legacy-defining film originated, and his reaction to its initial mixed reception. And we hear from film critic and Spike Lee biographer, Kaleem Aftab - to discuss the impact of the film, and the United States that it depicts. Meanwhile, Mark meets upcoming film director, Dionne Edwards to find out how the title sequence of Do the Right Thing inspired her own opening scene in the movie, Pretty Red Dress. Long time Spike Lee collaborator and cinematographer on Do The Right Thing, Ernest Dickerson, joins Mark to share his classical and dramatic visual influences, and how his use of colour palette and lighting rigs created such a scorching viewing experience. Producer: Mae-Li Evans A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

    42 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode guide us through the expanding universe of the moving image revealing fascinating links and hidden gems from cinema and TV to streaming and beyond.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2024
  • Show Website
    Screenshot

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