Just as Orson Welles finally bowed out in 1985, we must do the same. This time round Antony and Ghosty pick up Orson’s film career from his acting gig in the sublime ‘The Third Man’, a couple of returns to Shakespeare territory and a trio of absolute masterworks of his own making, namely ‘Touch of Evil’, ‘The Trial’ and ‘F For Fake’ (plus a couple of other films along the way). Finally we look at interviews, his fall from grace into TV commercials, more comparisons with Marlon Brando...

We continue our Orson Welles journey, accompanied by uberfan David ‘Ghosty’ Wills, with discussion of the big daddy of all films, 1941’s Citizen Kane. Was this both a blessing and a curse for Orson’s career? We also discuss Welles’s forays into wartime politics and the films ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’,, ‘The Stranger’, ‘The Lady From Shanghai’ and ‘Macbeth’.   The final part will be out at the end of the month   We hope you enjoy the show!   'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast...

Following on from our Marlon Brando and Michael Caine deep dives in the last few years, this time Orson Welles gets the Film Gold treatment. David ‘Ghosty’ Wills joins Antony for a 3-parter looking at the great man’s life, work and legacy. First up we discuss Orson’s early life and the start of his theatre and radio careers, both of which Ghosty feels are somewhat undervalued when compared to his more famous film work. Part 1 ends with the famous ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast in 1938,...

We are delighted to bring you another swapcast with former Film Gold guest and my podcasting ‘spiritual brother’, Julian Charles of ‘The Mind Renewed’. On the docket this time is a true classic from the master, Stanley Kubrick. It’s a film that works beautifully on the level of pure comedy but is absolutely packed with layers of meaning, both overt and subtle, and is a showcase for the remarkable and unique talents of Peter Sellers. Julian and Antony talk about Kubrick, Sellers, the rest of...

Antony and returning guest Luke Thompson of ‘Luke’s English Podcast’ tackle William Friedkin's underrated 1977 thriller, starring Roy Scheider. This film wasn't a success in its day but has been reassessed over the decades and could now be considered a 'hidden masterpiece'. The plot is very simple but the film is marvellously evocative, and the production of the film is a story in itself...   Hope you enjoy it!   'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast platforms.   Feedback to...

One of the films that ushered in the new century, Requiem For A Dream is a virtuoso powerhouse from director Darren Aronofsky, featuring a remarkable lead performance by Ellen Burstyn. Although primarily dealing with drug addiction, it hits all kinds of other points of social and emotional impact, such as the power of television, the pain of loss, the fragility of dreams and the human need for love and attention. For the first time on this podcast, Antony flies solo, expanding on the notes...

The story of HMS Bounty and the mutiny that took place aboard it is a compelling narrative that has not surprisingly been the subject of many film adaptations and other creative endeavours. In this discussion from 2020 that originally went out on the Stinking Pause podcast, regular Film Gold collaborator Scott Phipps is joined by myself and Steven Byford for a long and expansive discussion of the 1962 film version of the story and its troubled production, as well as the other film versions...

Antony joins frequent collaborator Scott Phipps to take a deep dive (sans canoe) into a true 1970s classic, as part of ‘The Stinking Pause’ 10th anniversary celebrations. The making of this film is almost as mind-blowing as the movie itself. Insurance, who needs it?   Enjoy!   The Cahulawassee River valley in Northern Georgia is one of the last natural pristine areas of the state, which will soon change with the imminent building of a dam on the river, which in turn will flood much of the...

Michael Caine, born as Maurice Micklewhite, has been acting for 70 years and been a star for nearly 60. This 2-part joint presentation of the ‘Film Gold’ and ‘The Stinking Pause’ podcasts celebrates the life and career of a true cinematic icon as he approaches his 90th birthday. In this first part, Antony Rotunno and Scott Phipps look at Caine’s upbringing and give an overview of his career before beginning to count down their top 10 Caine performances (10-6) and also discussing Caine...

Originally recorded for 'The Mind Renewed' podcast and hosted by Julian Charles, this is a four-way discussion, also including Mark Campbell and Frank Johnson, about the 1978 conspiracy thriller Capricorn One, starring Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Branda Vaccaro and Hal Holbrook and written and directed by Peter Hyams. About to embark upon the first crewed mission to Mars, three NASA astronauts (played by James Brolin, Sam Waterston and OJ Simpson) find themselves suddenly removed from...

We continue the boxing theme with a look at the black-and-white 'anti-Rocky', starring the dynamite team of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Based on the book by Jake La Motta and Pete Savage, this filmic masterpiece looks at La Motta's life and struggles in and out of the ring as well as the punishment he dishes out to those around him. In this film, boxing is the backdrop but 'the ring' is everywhere in the traps that are imposed on us and which we also set for ourselves. This episode...

The Rocky films, for better or worse, have become an instantly recognisable part of popular culture. The original 1976 film, as you will hear, went through a gradual period of evolution but Sylvester Stallone’s script was born in a unique time of ‘realistic’ Hollywood films. The finished product was an unlikely success and a marriage of this gritty realism and crowd-pleasing triumphalism, all against the backdrop of that most primal of sports, boxing. Antony is joined by fellow podcaster...

Taxi Driver's master filmmaking and complex psychology have made it a key film in the classic 'Easy Riders/Raging Bulls' period dominated by the Hollywood of the 70s. Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader were, in Schrader's words, 'all looking for something', and along came this script and story and they embarked on a filmic and personal journey that would become a landmark in American cinema. I'm joined to discuss this film by Jon Davenport, a film student and also...

Film analyst extraordinaire Rob Ager returns to 'Film Gold' podcast to help Antony pick through the many layers of the seminal 'zombie film' from 1968, which also has elements of horror & sci-fi and makes numerous comments on the society of the time  We go through the plot, characters and themes of the film, talk about its influence and throw in a couple of tangents along the way...   Links to Rob's work can be found below and there's also a link to the original uncut video version of...

Alfred Hitchcock, The Master of Suspense, makes his first appearance on the podcast as we take a look at his 1954 ‘limited setting’ classic, starring Hitchcock regulars James Stewart and Grace Kelly in their only on-screen collaboration. Antony is joined by Matt Williamson, who has a highly recommended you tube channel called ‘Pop Goes The 60s’. Antony and Matt work through the plot and dive into the interesting themes around voyeurism, class, surveillance and movie watching (as voyeurism)...

For this episode, we take our first (but surely not last) trip into the surreal, anarchic world of the comedy group known as Monty Python. Luke Thompson, fellow English teacher and podcaster, helps Antony navigate the choppy but hilarious waters of King Arthur's somewhat pointless quest 'on horseback', aided by some eccentric knights, to seek the Holy Grail. We discuss and dissect favourite scenes from the film, look at the multi-layered process of a comedy film that plays with time periods...

The groundbreaking Mike Nichols 'romantic comedy' (if it is that) from 1967, arguably the birth of the 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls' period, sees Antony and the returning Jcrash covering another film starring Dustin Hoffman, with stellar support from Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross. This is a multi-layered movie with a very interesting turn in the second half and layers of symbolism that we do our best to unpack Enjoy! 'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast platforms. Feedback to...

We return to the 1970s for a fantastic film showcasing the formidable talents of two of Britain's finest ever, Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. For this task, I'm ably assisted by Film Gold veteran Scott Phipps (The Stinking Pause, Rainbow Valley, Talking Pictures TV podcast) and his 'Reel Britannia' co-host Steven Byford 'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast platforms. Feedback to [email protected] Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/filmgoldpod Twitter-...

We conclude our 2-part look at the mercurial, infuriating but always compelling actor and cultural figure Marlon Brando. In this part, we look at some key books (including Brando's memoir 'Songs My Mother Taught Me'), documentaries and interviews as well as discussing Brando's turbulent personal life, the less well-known periods of his career and a few other things. There are many sound clips included for your enjoyment and to complement the conversation 'Film Gold' is on all the main...

I'm joined by radio host David 'Ghosty' Wills for this special 2-part look at the person we both consider the most compelling actor in cinema history, as well as a fascinating cultural figure. In this part, we don't get beyond going through our lists of top ten Brando performances, but there is information galore and some of Brando's less-known films are discussed here as well as the classics 'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast platforms. Feedback to...

Antony is rejoined by fellow film podcaster and Jaws superfan Scott Phipps (see Episode 2) for an audio companion to the evergreen classic film from the 1970s along with some bonus material after the film discussing some other aspects of it, such as books, documentaries, sequels and recuts. The film is audible at low volume in the background but if you would like to follow along with your copy of the film (recommended), we give a time stamp at the beginning. We hope you enjoy it, and there...

Rob Ager and Antony complete their discussion of the darkly compelling Australian film in the 'small-town horror' genre, which looks at the shocking real-life events that happened in a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia in the 1990s. Once again, we discuss the film and the real murder case, along with the many wider societal issues surrounding it (see Part 1 description for more details) Links to Rob's prodigious output can be found below 'Film Gold' is on all the main podcast...

Rob Ager, filmmaker and film analyst extraordinaire, joins Antony to discuss an incredibly dark but incredibly compelling and well-made Australian film in the 'small-town horror' genre, which looks at the shocking real-life events that happened in a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia in the 1990s. As well as discussing the film and the real murder case, we discuss the wider issues of psychopathy, generational deprivation and 'social justice'. Part 2 will follow soon. Links to Rob's...