The Talkies Film Podcast

How do you go out in style? In our final episode we discuss some of our favourite cinematic endings, the best way to develop a character arc, and the ways we’d ideally like to die...

Films: Point Break (1991) & Magnolia (1999)

Farewell friends, and thank you for listening!

Let us know what you've thought of the series on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

Ever wonder what true happiness is? Is it about contentment? Taking risks? Finding purpose? We look from Las Vegas to Belfast to work out what films can tell us about the art of being happy.

Films: Casino (1995) & Good Vibrations (2012)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What is good dialogue? Can a talented actor turn a bad line good? Could dialogue in some ways be the enemy of cinema? We pick apart subtext and winning lines and examine our own lives to ask whether we always say what we really mean.

Film picks: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) & Fargo (1996)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What does an editor really do? How is the energy of a film crafted? And what is bad editing? We discuss two very different films and explore how an editor’s role is, in many ways, an art form.

Film picks: The Godfather (1972) & Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What can animation achieve that other films couldn’t dream of? And given the limitless possibilities, what are the ingredients of a truly great animation? We discuss meticulous attention to detail, the creation of dream worlds, and the art of making objects seem human.

Film picks:  Spirited Away (2001) & The Quay Brothers' Animated Shorts

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What makes a film truly terrifying? Is there any merit to jump-scares? We discuss the many types of horror and relive childhood traumas…

Film picks: The Others (2001) & Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

How intertwined should a film and its soundtrack be? Should it be memorable or blend into the background? We discuss two films and talk about the soundtracks which have inspired our own music tastes over the years.

Film picks: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) & Swiss Army Man (2016)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

How do clothes help tell a story? Should costume be noticed? This week we explore this underrated component of filmmaking and discuss our own wardrobes.

Film picks: The Shape of Water (2017) & A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

How accurate is romance on screen as compared to reality? What makes a couple last? This week we discuss two films about relationships with very different ideas of romance.

Film picks: Before Sunrise (1995) & Fight Club (1999)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

Is great cinematography when shots stand out or should it be functional and not distract from story? Can you tell when a film's shot by the same person? And why does Mike hate handheld so much?

Film picks: Assassination of Jesse James & American Honey

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

How subjective is comedy? Where does a sense of humour come from, and can it change over time? Are farts always funny? This week we talk about two films with different takes on comedy and delve into what makes us chuckle.

Film picks: Withnail and I (1987) & Blazing Saddles (1974)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What are the ingredients of a good friendship? Can friends become family, or vice versa? This week we discuss two films which explore how we forge meaningful connections with others.

Film picks: 20th Century Women (2016) & The Station Agent (2003)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What makes a good teacher? And what's the best way to learn? This week we discuss two films that explore student/mentor roles and talk about our favourite past teachers, cults, and everything in between.

Film picks: Dead Poets Society (1989) & Holy Smoke (1999)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody

What is entertainment? Does this mean different things to different people? We discuss how films created for escapism and thrills have affected the world as we know it.

Film picks: Never Been Kissed (1999) & The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

This week we discuss two short films from last week’s Iris Prize LGBT+ 2020 Film Festival and explore where queer representation in cinema works well, what more can be done, and what the downsides may be of framing the quality of a film purely on its content.

FILM PICKS: Go Home Polish (2018) & Drifting (2020)

Available on demand now on All 4 / irisprize.org until the end of October

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What can documentaries achieve that fiction can't? This week we discuss the art of shaping real life into narrative and what makes this film genre unique.

Film picks: The Act of Killing (2012) & Honeyland (2019)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

Are we obsessed? In our seventh episode we explore obsessive characters in film and talk about how passion has affected our own lives, for better or worse. 

Film picks: The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) & High Fidelity (2000)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

How would we like to be in our later years?  In our sixth episode we explore how films portray the elderly and discuss whether there is a good or bad way to grow old.

Film choices: The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013) & The Old Man and the Gun (2018)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

What is directing? This week we talk about how to recognise a good director and Mike unpacks his progression as a filmmaker.

Film choices: There Will Be Blood (2007) & In Fabric (2018)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

In our fourth episode we talk dream logic, childhood nightmares and appreciating films that take risks.

Film choices: Return To Oz (1985) & Holy Motors (2012)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

This week we discuss films about writers, adaptations, and what the written word can do that film can’t (and vice versa).  Plus we explore our own (very different) writing practices and the ways in which we find inspiration.

Film choices: The Great Beauty (2013) & Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

In our second episode we unpack the key ingredients of a hero, both on and off screen, and talk about the people who've had the biggest impact on our lives. 

Film choices: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) & Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.

In our very first episode we pick two of the best directorial debuts we've seen.  unpacking our own formative creative years and delving into our ancestry.

Film choices: Red Road (2006) & Hunger (2008).

Let us know what you think on Twitter: @mhfilm and @lucysmithwriter

Music composed by Sebastian Moody.