It's a bonus episode! For this week's offering, we're keeping this brisk and breezy with a semi-review-sort-of-mehness of 'The Witcher' Season 4 with Liam Not Chris Hemsworth replacing Henry Not Superman Cavill in the title role, while bemoaning the fact that most fantasy TV series look cheap and shit.
The main course, however, is Yorgos Lanthimos' sci-fi remake comedy 'Bugonia' with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons squaring off in a 'Misery' meets 'They Live' scenario with aliens, honey, billionaires, and uncomfortable endings.
Good stuff. Do it up.
Yes, I'm sorry, I'm very very late with this but I swear, I'm going to make it up to you. How, you might ask?
Well, for one, I'm giving you a VERY VERY VERY early review of 'Saipan', the much-anticipated sports drama about the infamous 2002 Saipan incident between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy, now immortalised in celluloid with Eanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan taking on the roles. The movie's not out until New Year's Day, man. That's how far ahead of it you're getting. Yeah.
Elsewhere, I cracked open the Screenland Suggestion Box with contributions from you - that's right, you specifically - about this and that and other stuff.
Yes, I'm dropping this on Bank Holiday Sunday. But you know what? Better late than never. Do it up!!!!!!!
We did it, Joe.
Well, sort of. The bathroom renovations are still ongoing. But! We've managed to get a couple of hours free of hammers and noise to bring in Zara Hedderman, music journalist and creator of The Bad Arts on Substack, who has picked 'Something's Gotta Give', the romantic comedy starring the late, great Diane Keaton. No joke, folks - she picked this three weeks ago.
Elsewhere, we're discussing Cancel Culture (boring) and Luca Guadagnino's 'After The Hunt' with Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri, Ethan Hawke returns for 'Black Phone 2', Colin Farrell does a Fast Show character in 'Ballad Of A Small Player' and brief musings on Aziz Ansari at the Riyadh Comedy Festival mixed with a review of 'Good Fortune', featuring the best casting of the past five years in Keanu Reeves as a well-meaning but slightly dim guardian angel.
Less talk, more synthohol. Do it up!
OK, so no guest this week - why, you're probably wondering?
Real simple. My upstairs bathroom is getting renovated and nobody wants to record a podcast when there's a small army of builders coming in and out of your house with power drills, hammers, and whatever else they've got going on.
So, with that in mind, I'm flying solo this week but the good news is there's some genuine crackers and one pile of dogshit to get through. Up for discussion with myself this week is the long-awaited and not-really-anticipated 'TRON: Ares', Kathryn Bigelow's laugh-a-minute apocalyptic thriller 'A House of Dynamite', the high-concept horror that's got everyone talking 'Good Boy', and rounding it all off with a kitchen-sink drama-biopic 'I Swear'.
Next week, I swear, the bathroom will be finished and we'll back to normal with guests. Until then, it's just me. If that bugs you, I am truly sorry but I've got to live like this all the time. You can switch this off at any time. It's always on with me.
Ten episodes later, I'm only just now figuring out how to write these synopses a little better. At least I'm not using a gallon of water to get ChatGPT to do it or some shit.
Anyway, this week, I'm talking about Dwayne Johnson and the sexual tension between him and an Oscar nomination for 'The Smashing Machine', go off one about the NFL in Croke Park off the back of 'HIM' and if that wasn't enough, Jim Sheridan's back with another take on the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier with 'Re-Creation'.
And because this show is about doing too much all at once, Dave Hanratty of the famous NO ENCORE Podcast is our guest this week. His pick? Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom. Three seasons of it, folks. That show got three seasons. Wild shit. What even was that show? We get into it.
Enjoying the show? Leave a rating, leave a comment, tell a friend, pet a dog, and be nice to strangers.
They say it couldn't be done, they said we were crazy for trying, but we're back.
On this week's episode, Jenn Gannon (@thejenngannon) drops by to render the final and complete judgment on '...And Just Like That' and the legacy of 'Sex and the City' as a cultural entity and marker.
Elsewhere, I'm reviewing Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another', potentially slandering Sean Penn about his tight shirts, reviewing 'The Dead of Winter' and asking why genre is such a dirty word for some actors, and potentially breaking an embargo with an early review of Netflix's hotly-anticipated new series, 'House of Guinness'.
As always, your comments, your ratings, and your subscriptions are much appreciated and always welcomed. In fact, I spent a good chunk of the opening of this episode highlighting one such comment that HIGHLIGHTED the fact that I say "you know that sort of way?"way too much.
That's entirely too many ways and entirely too much highlighting. But whatever! We get into it!
Good show! Do it up!
It's that time again, Screenlanders.
We're back with another episode, this time discussing 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' with Colin Jaysis Farrell In All In Anyways and Margot Robbie, as well as a rundown on Cillian Murphy's bearded visage in 'Steve', an intense drama about the realities of working in a reform school when you yourself probably need help too.
Elsewhere, comedian and co-host of Shite Talk History Jason Brennan is our guest this week and chose the cult comedy series 'Nirvanna The Band Show' as his discussion topic. Super Mario RPG, Sonic the Hedgehog, Donkey Kong 3, Adventures of Lo-Lo 1 and 2, King's Knight, Dig Dug, Chew Man Fu, Harvest Moon, League Puzzle Pokémon, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, Castlevania, Fatal Fury, Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
ActRaiser, Blazing Lazers, Bases Loaded, Mega Turrican
Cybernator, Rolling Thunder, Dynastic Hero
Bubble Bobble, Double Dribble, Double Dragon, F-Zero, F-Zero X and.... Donkey Kong Jr. Math! Ninja Gaiden 1! Ninja Gaiden 2! Ninja Gaiden 3! Cruisin' USA!
OK, enough of that. Time for the running order.
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Reviewed
10:12 - Steve, Reviewed
23:52 - Jason Brennan on Nirvanna The Band The Show
58:44 - Outro
How does a screening for 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues', a continually frantic journalist, Stephen King's pessimistic worldview, and Jude Law's fashion choices in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' all connect together?
Because it's this episode of SCREENLAND, that's how. First out of the gate are reviews of 'The Long Walk', the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King's (or Richard Bachman, if you're of a vintage) first-written novel about a totalitarian regime that forces people to walk for miles until all but one survives. Fun! After that, it's 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' and you'll wish to participate in The Long Walk rather than sit through that.
After all that, Anthony Remedy (Insta: @anthonyremedy / @no_filler) visits to discuss the sensationally stylish, desperately dangerous, 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and all of the fashion and murder that oozes from it.
RUNNING ORDER
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' Review
03:10 - 'The Long Walk' Review
06:15 - Anthony Remedy on 'The Talented Mr Ripley'
57:10 - Outro
That's right, folks - it's time for the inaugural SCREENLAND Suggestion Box episode!
After many days and weeks of waiting, we've turned over the suggestion box and your copious notes and messages have flooded out onto the editing floor for us to pick through. In this auspicious episode, we discuss the possibility of a biopic on Noel Browne, why 'Independence Day: Resurgence' is not a guilty pleasure, reappraising 'John Carter', and unearthing a terrible animated movie about surfing penguins that featurd the voice-talents of WWE superstars Triple H, John Cena, and commentator Michael Cole.
RUNNING ORDER
00:00 - Intro
01:21 - High-Concept Action Movies of the '90s
09:50 - Which Irish Person Should Get A Biopic?
21:23 - Favourite "Bad" Movies
30:15 - Filmmaker Reappraisals / Reappraising 'John Carter'
33:35 - 'Babe: Pig In The City' and Tom Waits
37:18 - Outro
Due to technical circumstances involving an idiot who can't turn off AutoFocus on a camera, a dog who won't stop his tail wagging or throwing soft toys at guests, and a workload that is steadily rising, this week's episode is now presented solely for your audio pleasure. Your eyeballs will just have to forego the pleasure. On this week's episode, the long-gestating spinoff to 'The Office (US)' arrives with Domhnall Gleeson leading a failing newspaper in the Midwest with a gang of misfits that includes a former White Lotus manager and Tim Key, of all people.
Elsewhere, Ethan Coen's mostly meh noir 'Honey Don't!' gets reviewed and dismissed as middling fare and author and journalist Aoife Barry lands on our shores to talk about Norwegian dramedy 'The Worst Person In The World', a movie about the impossible reality of living with yourself in a world that is slowly decaying, interspersed with emotional blackmail and the smooth Yacht Rock sounds of Christopher Cross.
As always, if you've got a comment or a suggestion for next week's show, feel free to contact directly on Instagram at @screenlandpod or @brianmlloyd!
RUNNING ORDER
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Hey, where's the video?!
06:03 - 'Honey Don't!' and a quick overview of 'The Conjuring: Last Rites'
13:58 - 'The Paper' and Domhnall Gleeson's comedic chops
24:26 - Aoife Barry on 'The Worst Person In The World'
58:00 - Outro
This week, we're diving deep into the latest in film with our reviews of two of the most talked-about movies of the year. First up, we tackle Ari Aster's 'Eddington,' a dark and satirical film set during the pandemic. We break down the sinister and at times unsettling approach of the 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar' director and discuss why, while it may not be a "satisfying" film, it's an essential watch for anyone who loves thought-provoking cinema.
Next, we review Mike Flanagan's sentimental and earnest Stephen King adaptation, 'The Life of Chuck.' We explore the film's unique structure, its emotional core, and why we think it might have been even more powerful as a miniseries.
Finally, in a very special segment, we're joined by the brilliant Muireann O'Connell to talk about her love for the classic film 'Grosse Pointe Blank.' Muireann shares some brilliant insights, from the film's legendary soundtrack to how she feels about the '90s cultural revival and her own fascinating career in radio and television.
00:00 - Intro
01:22 - 'Eddington' Reviewed
11:16 - 'The Life of Chuck' Reviewed
16:36 - Yes, I know Eddie barks, no, I can't do anything about it
18:00 - Muireann O'Connell on 'Grosse Pointe Blank'
29:56 - Minnie Driver and the Hollywood Machine
36:34 - Is this a rose-tinted glasses situation?
42:08 - Have you seen 'Superman' yet?!
50:24 - The 'Pride and Prejudice' Debate, Truncated
1:00:01 - 'Grosse Pointe Blank' as a warm, comfort movie
1:02:33 - Outro
#Podcast #FilmReview #MovieReview #AriAster #Eddington #MikeFlanagan #TheLifeOfChuck #StephenKing #GrossePointeBlank #MuireannOConnell #FilmCommentary #FilmAnalysis #90sMovies #NewMovies #Horror #DarkComedy #Drama
In this week's episode, we're breaking down 'Materialists', dissecting xenomorphs with 'Alien: Earth', and talking Limmy and comedy writing with our guest Peter McGann!!
Peter McGann's comedy tour Ah No lands in the Lighthouse in Dun Laoghaire on September 12, Limelight II in Belfast on September 27, the Museum of Comedy in London on October 18th and DeBarra's in Clonakilty on December 12th! Follow Peter on Instagram at @peterjmcgann
RUNNING ORDER
00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Materialists Review
18:53 - Alien Earth Review
32:36 - Marc Maron's Podcast Run
37:20 - Peter McGann
1:04:16 - Outro
On this week's episode of SCREENLAND, host Brian Lloyd tackles the biggest topics in movies, TV, and internet culture.
We kick things off with our honest, spoiler-free reviews of the new horror movie 'Weapons' and the long-awaited sequel 'Freakier Friday'. Plus, a quick dive into the classic '90s series 'Sharpe' starring Sean Bean.
Then, we're joined by Today FM's Shauna O'Reilly to discuss the surprise cultural phenomenon that is Ms. Rachel. As a parent, Shauna gives us an exclusive look at how the children's YouTube channel helped her, revealing Ms. Rachel's incredible integrity and a refreshing DIY approach to content creation.
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on the movies and TV shows you love!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:30 - What is Screenland?!
05:33 - WEAPONS Review
14:38 - FREAKIER FRIDAY Review
24:04 - How sharp is SHARPE?
26:00 - My camera sucks, this is probably out of sync by now, sorry about that
27:03 - Shauna O'Reilly, defender of Ms. Rachel
33:13 - Discovering Ms. Rachel during the pandemic
41:03 - Ms. Rachel's Netflix deal and insane viewing figures
48:09 - Turns out Bosco was maybe genderless?!
52:11 - Having integrity
57:03 - OFF TOPIC, we talked about Shauna's favourite celeb stories of the year so far including 'It Ends With Us' and Katy Perry going to space
1:07:01 - Show's over, go home
