The Film 89 Podcast

Film89.co.uk
  • 4.9 (34)
  • TV & Film
  • Monthly

The movie and television discussion podcast from the writers at Film89.co.uk. Each episode we’ll discuss in-depth a different topic relating to film and television. We give in-depth reviews of the latest films as well as detailed retrospectives of older, classic films and even audio commentaries. We also regularly give the rundown of our favourite films/shows in different categories and answer your listener questions.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 162 - Forbidden Planet (1956).

    On Episode 162 of The Film ’89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined once again by regular guest-host Stephen Simpson as they delve into a topic that’s been mentioned briefly on past episodes, but never tackled in-depth on Film ’89, that of 1950s science fiction, as they celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of the landmark films of that era, Forbidden Planet. A moderate success upon its initial release in 1956, Forbidden Planet would go on to become one of the most beloved and influential science fiction films of all time. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry cited Forbidden Planet as a significant influence on the show he’d create 10 years after Forbidden Planet hit cinema screens, and a wealth of filmmakers, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, James Cameron, Ridley Scott and many more, would cite Forbidden Planet as being influential on their filmmaking careers. Starring Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis and Walter Pidgeon and featuring pioneering visual and practical effects as well as one of cinema’s earliest electronic scores, the impact and enduring legacy of Forbidden Planet cannot be denied, making it a film more than worthy of the usual in-depth Film ’89 treatment.  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. Check out Steve Amos’ new book, Owing God A Death, available now via Amazon; https://amzn.eu/d/0bm2ANvD

  2. Oct 21

    Episode 161 - 2026 Halloween Horror Special - Carrie (1976).

    It’s that time of year again because Episode 161 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is our 2026 Halloween Horror Special. Returning co-hosts John Arminio and Stephen Simpson are joined by a third guest-host making her Film ’89 debut. Co-founder and co-host of the brilliant Horror Movie Survival Guide Podcast, she’s also a filmmaker, actor, writer and, fittingly for the subject of this episode, an expert on both horror films and legendary author Stephen King, it’s the brilliant Julia Marchese. The film that’s been chosen this Halloween season, for its 50th anniversary, is Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 book, the first he ever published, Carrie. Both book and film tell the story of Carrie White, an introverted high school girl from an abusive religious household who has telekinetic powers. After a cruel prank pulled by one of her bullies on prom night, Carrie decides to take revenge. One of the all-time classics of horror cinema, De Palma’s breakout film would propel author King to superstardom, earn its star and co-star, Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, Best Actress/Supporting Actress Academy Award nominations, and spawn numerous remakes and sequels. As well as their in-depth analysis and discussion of the book and 1976 film, Skye, Stephen, John and Julia also discuss Mike Flanagan’s new television adaptation, which has received considerable acclaim, as well as other Stephen King adaptations and where Carrie ranks among them.  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.  Check out Steve Amos’ new book, Owing God A Death, available now via Amazon; https://amzn.eu/d/0bm2ANvD

  3. Oct 7

    Episode 160 - Big Trouble in Little China (1986).

    On Episode 160 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil, Skye and Leighton return to one of their favourite filmmakers, John Carpenter, to cover one of the films most requested by our listeners, Carpenter’s 1986 action-adventure-comedy-fantasy cult classic, Big Trouble in Little China, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Based on an original idea and initially intended to be a western, but later turned into a magic-infused martial arts adventure, Big Trouble in Little China stars Carpenter regular Kurt Russell, along with Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall and a superbly villainous turn from legendary character actor James Hong. An action-adventure the likes of which could only come out of the 1980s, Big Trouble in Little China was poorly marketed by a studio that simply didn’t get the film’s unique blend of martial arts, mysticism, and comedy, and it was a box office failure. Fortunately, it found a second life on home video, where it was a considerable success and has gone on to become a beloved cult classic and a film very much worthy of the in-depth Film ’89 treatment.  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

  4. Sep 28

    Episode 159 - Swingers (1996).

    On Episode 159 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, we’re joined by three returning co-hosts; from New York, Boston and, quite fitting for the topic of this episode, Los Angeles, it’s Bill Scurry, Kyle Reardon and Jacob Rivera. The guys are wearing their best baggy bowling shirts and key-chains as they travel back in time 30 years to discuss a film as emblematic of the ‘90s independent film movement as any. Written by its star, Jon Favreau, and directed by Doug Liman, it’s the cult classic comedy from 1996, Swingers. Categorising Swingers as just a comedy doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a film about relationships, heartbreak, and the importance of friendship and has far more substance to it than your average comedy. Made on a shoestring budget and very much a product of guerrilla filmmaking, Swingers was not a success in cinemas on its initial release, but would find a second life on home video and become an oft-quoted cult classic that’s more than worthy of the usual in-depth Film ‘89 treatment for its 30th anniversary.  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

  5. Sep 13

    Episode 158 - The Hitcher (1986).

    On Episode 158 of The Film ’89 Podcast, we’re joined once again by our very good friend and frequent guest-host, filmmaker and podcast producer, Kyle Reardon, to discuss, for its 40th anniversary, a cult classic film we’ve wanted to cover for some time now, starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh, it’s director Robert Harmon’s multi-genre-straddling cult classic, The Hitcher. Released in 1986, The Hitcher was the brainchild of screenwriter Eric Red, whose initial inspiration for the story of a young man being stalked by a murderous hitchhiker was The Doors’ song, Riders on the Storm. A commercial failure upon its initial theatrical release, The Hitcher was one of several films from the 1980s that died in theatres only to find a second life on home video. Much like John Carpenter's The Thing and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, The Hitcher benefited from positive word of mouth at video stores and became very much a cult classic. Skye and Kyle delve deep into the film, they discuss its refusal to hold the audience’s hand and the huge scope for interpretation as to the motivation of Rutger Hauer’s psychotic John Ryder. Beautifully shot and impeccably directed, with a haunting score by Mark Isham, The Hitcher is a film that’s aged like a fine wine and one ripe for the in-depth Film ‘89 treatment.  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

  6. Sep 7

    Episode 157 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director’s Edition (1979 / 2001).

    This week marks the 60th anniversary of the first-ever episode of Star Trek airing in the US on NBC on September 8th, 1966. The series ran for three seasons but would eventually transition to the big screen in 1979 in the form of director Robert Wise’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Whilst a critical and commercial success, The Motion Picture had something of a rushed production, and due to time constraints, Wise was never fully satisfied with the version released and saw it as an unfinished work in terms of the edit and the visual effects. 22 years later, Paramount allowed Wise to meticulously rebuild the film, re-edit it and redo a considerable amount of the film’s visual effects. That revised cut is now the definitive version of Wise’s film, a film that was first covered on Film ’89 way back in May 2019 on Episode 28. But in a fitting parallel to the film, the editing of that episode was also very much rushed (our editor was about to embark on a long family holiday and rushed the edit), to the point that it’s always been an episode that he was never happy with (aside from the outstanding contribution of our guest hosts, Bill Scurry and John Arminio). So, given the looming 60th anniversary of Star Trek, that original episode has been completely re-edited, the audio quality improved where needed, extraneous content removed, and a significant amount of new material added to extend the runtime by 9 minutes. We feel that a film as beloved as Star Trek: The Motion Picture deserves the same care and attention that we gave later Trek films on Film ’89, and we present to you the episode we should have put out in the first place. As well as an in-depth analysis of Wise’s film, Skye, John and Bill also give the rundown of their all-time favourite Star Trek episodes. So, happy 60th anniversary Star Trek, and we hope you enjoy Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Editor’s Edition!  All content is the property of Film ‘89 and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for review, commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

  7. Aug 7

    Episode 156 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).

    On Episode 156 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye are doing something they’ve not done for several years, they’re reviewing a new comic book movie. What was once a regular thing on Film ‘89 tailed off with the downturn in quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post Avengers: Endgame, with one exception, 2021’s Sony Pictures collaboration, Spider-Man: No Way Home, arguably the last great entry in the MCU. But after 5 long years, Tom Holland is back as everyone’s favourite web-slinging crime fighter in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In the aftermath of No Way Home, Peter Parker has spent the last few years successfully fighting crime and garnering public support and even working alongside the police, but at the expense of his personal life now that everyone’s memories of Peter Parker being Spider-Man have been wiped, including that of his best friend, Ned and girlfriend, MJ. Already a huge commercial success in the first week following its release, Brand New Day just might be the film that reignites Neil and Skye’s love of and enthusiasm for comic book movies. So tune in to hear their in-depth and spoiler-filled review of a film that’s on course to become the most successful film of 2026 and one beloved by audiences and critics alike.

  8. Jul 26

    Episode 155 - 300 (2006).

    Episode 155 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is a full-on history lesson as hosts Martin Kessler and John Arminio take a trip back to 480 BC as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of Zack Snyder’s big screen adaptation of legendary comic book writer Frank Miller’s 300. 300 tells the epic tale of the Battle of Thermopylae, and how an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands in history. Snyder’s hyper-stylised film employed then-cutting-edge filmmaking techniques and remains one of the most faithful comic-book adaptations ever made. In addition to analysing the film, John and Martin delve deep into Greek history and discuss Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, as well as Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 film Troy, loosely based on Homer’s The Iliad.

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About

The movie and television discussion podcast from the writers at Film89.co.uk. Each episode we’ll discuss in-depth a different topic relating to film and television. We give in-depth reviews of the latest films as well as detailed retrospectives of older, classic films and even audio commentaries. We also regularly give the rundown of our favourite films/shows in different categories and answer your listener questions.

Information

  • Creator
    Film89.co.uk
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    162
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Film89.co.uk
  • Show Website
    The Film 89 Podcast

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