Join co-hosts Andy J Ritchie and Donnchadh Tiernan as we watch and discuss 2 films decided by the toss of a coin.
Episodes
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
This week, we discuss two films featuring cross-cultural relationships involving Arab immigrants.
The first is The Visitor (2007), starring Richard Jenkins as a lonely middle-aged man who befriends a younger Palestinian-Syrian djembe drum player. Jenkins received a Best Actor nomination at the 81st Academy Awards.
The second is Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974), a drama from New German Cinema director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film, often considered his greatest work, was critically acclaimed and won 2 awards at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.
Timestamps
What we’ve been watching (00:00:50) – The Shield season five, Déjà vu, Deadwood season two, Sex Education season one
The Visitor (00:18:00)
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (00:44:15)
Coin toss (01:10:30)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
This week, we discuss two films directed by Robert Altman in the 1970s.
The first is California Split (1974), starring Elliott Gould and George Segal as a pair of sleazy gamblers who head to Reno to try to win big.
The second is Nashville (1975), a huge ensemble piece focused on the American country music capital. The film is often considered to be Altman’s best work and received 5 Academy Award nominations.
Timestamps
What we’ve been watching (00:00:52) – The Bear season two, The Creator, One Piece season one
California Split (00:21:15)
Nashville (00:48:00)
Coin toss (01:17:05)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Sunday Oct 01, 2023
Sunday Oct 01, 2023
This week, we discuss two classic Hollywood films from the 1960s starring Jack Lemmon.
The first is The Odd Couple (1968), a comedy film directed by Gene Saks, produced by Howard W. Koch and written by Neil Simon, based on his 1965 play. It stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as two divorced men – neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison – who decide to live together.
The second is The Apartment (1960), a romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. At the 33rd Academy Awards, the film was nominated for ten awards, and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Sunday Sep 24, 2023
Sunday Sep 24, 2023
This week, we discuss two classic Japanese films from the 1950s.
The first is Tokyo Story (1953), a drama directed by Yasujirō Ozu, about an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their adult children. Tokyo Story is widely regarded as Ozu's masterpiece and one of the greatest films in the history of cinema. It was voted the 3rd greatest film of all time in the 2012 edition of a poll of film directors by Sight and Sound magazine.
The second is Sansho the Bailiff (1954), a period film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It follows two aristocratic children who are sold into slavery. Sansho the Bailiff bears many of Mizoguchi's hallmarks, such as portrayals of poverty and elaborately choreographed long takes. Today, the film is often ranked alongside Ugetsu (1953) as one of Mizoguchi's finest works.
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
In this week’s episode, we discuss the 4 big films of the summer: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links
https://www.justwatch.com
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
This week, we discuss two films based on novels by English novelist Robert Harris.
The first is An Officer and a Spy (2019), a historical drama film directed by Roman Polanski about the Dreyfus affair, with a screenplay by Polanski and Robert Harris based on Harris's 2013 novel of the same name. It received twelve nominations for the 45th César Awards, the most nominations of any eligible film, and eventually won the awards for Best Adaptation, Best Costume Design and Best Director.
The second is Munich: The Edge of War (2021), a German-British period spy thriller film directed by Christian Schwochow, from a screenplay by Ben Power. It is based upon the 2017 novel Munich by Robert Harris. The film stars Jeremy Irons, George MacKay and Jannis Niewöhner.
Timestamps
What we’ve been watching (00:00:51) – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse, Succession season 4, Ted Lasso season 3
An Officer and a Spy (00:22:45)
Munich: The Edge of War (00:56:10)
Coin toss (01:34:39)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Saturday May 20, 2023
Saturday May 20, 2023
This week, we discuss two films connected to American author Dennis Lehane.
The first is Live by Night (2016), an American crime drama set in the 1920s. The film, an adaptation of Lehane’s novel, stars Ben Affleck, who also served as screenwriter and director on the project. It was a huge flop upon release, netting a meagre $22.7 million from a $90 million budget.
The second is Mona Lisa (1986), a British crime drama co-written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film stars Bob Hoskins, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as George, a hapless ex-con tasked with driving around a high-class prostitute.
Timestamps
Live by Night (00:12:50)
Mona Lisa (00:45:20)
Coin toss (01:23:50)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
In this week’s episode, we talk about what we’ve been watching before heading into a discussion of the 32nd film in the MCU, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
What We’ve Been Watching
Donnchadh – Deliverance, Evil Dead Rise, Beef
Andy – Calibre, Hustle, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links
https://www.justwatch.com
Thursday May 04, 2023
Thursday May 04, 2023
This week, we discuss two classic films from American auteur directors.
The first is Blow Out (1981), a neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma and starring John Travolta. Quentin Tarantino praises De Palma as the "greatest director of his generation" and cites Blow Out as one of his three favourite films that he would take to a desert island.
The second is The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), a neo-noir crime film written and directed by John Cassavetes and starring Ben Gazzara. The film received mixed reviews upon its initial release, but has developed a cult following since.
Timestamps
Blow Out (00:00:57)
Killing of a Chinese Bookie (00:46:30)
Coin toss (01:13:45)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - https://youtu.be/KdP2CY6Kar8
John Travolta Swordfish Outtake - https://youtu.be/r0x3Wf0NE-I
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
In this week’s episode, we talk about what we’ve been watching and discuss some listener feedback.
What We’ve Been Watching
Donnchadh – Dirty Harry, Smile, The Guilty, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Moneyball, Last Kingdom season five
Andy – The Day Shall Come, Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Air, The Beasts (As Bestas)
Links
Instagram -
@callitfriendopodcast
@munnywales
@andyjayritchie
Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links
https://www.justwatch.com