GFF 2024: George MacKay on The Beast

This time, we're talking about one of Anahit's favourite films of all, Tarsem Singh's 2006 opus and Tumblr's Favourite Film™, The Fall. It's back, it's in 4K, and it's grrrreat. Elsewhere, we talk about the less successful but still-ambitious In Camera, and look back on some of filmmaking's biggest swings. Terrence Malick, Tommy Wiseau, big piles of white powder and on-retainer helicopter pilots – finally, a conversation with something for everyone. TIMESTAMPS: What We've Been Watching: The Third Man, Lee, Twilight (2:10) In Camera review (9:50) The Fall review (23:10) Filmmaking follies: The Room, Days of Heaven, The Blues Brothers (37:40) Recorded at EHFM's Ground Floor HQ in Leith. Get a coffee and see radio/audio in action, @groundfloor__ Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected] Intro/outro music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We're talking about obsession on this week's podcast after falling for the curious Quebecois courtroom drama/tech thriller Red Rooms. We also delve into a film that crosses two circles on The CineSkinny's Venn diagram of interests: folk horror and creepy puppets. That film is the 70s-set British horror film Starve Acre. We also receive a missive from Anahit, who's attending Venice Film Festival, where the weather is hot. Will that be the same case for the films, though? Note: this episode has a post-credits scene. TIMESTAMPS: Venice Film Festival: Babygirl, Queer and The Brutalist (2:38) Starve Acre review (7:27) Red Rooms review (24:23) Films about obsession: American Psycho, Peeping Tom and The Vanishing (41:49) Recorded at EHFM's Ground Floor HQ in Leith. Go there, get a coffee and see radio/audio in action, @groundfloor__ Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected] Intro/outro music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

On the latest episode of The CineSkinny, we take a look at the blistering Kneecap, an irresistible piece of myth-making from the firebrand Belfast rap trio of the same name. The film follows best friends, drug dealers and wannabe rappers Liam and Naoise (also known as Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap) as they avoid the Belfast ‘peelers’ and a group of ex-paramilitaries out to get them before teaming up with local music teacher JJ, who helps hone their sound as their producer, DJ Próvai. The film’s got wildly inventive visuals, a razor-sharp political message and enough drug-fulled energy to power the sun.  Elsewhere on the show, we hear about Alien: Romulus, the 79th film in the Alien franchise (at least it feels like it), which helped kick off this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival. And inspired by the rebellious antics of Kneecap, we discuss our favourite rebels in cinema, from Nae Pasaran to the hot fox in Disney’s Robin Hood. TIMESTAMPS: What we've been watching: Longlegs and lots of Fringe shows (1:57) Alien: Romulus review (12:00) Kneecap review (19:41) Our favourite rebellions in film: Nae Pasaran, School of Rock, A Fistful of Dynamite, Robin Hood and Andor (45:55) Recorded at EHFM's Ground Floor HQ in Leith. Go there, get a coffee and see radio/audio in action, @groundfloor__ Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected] Intro/outro music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Edinburgh Festivals are back, baby, and there's none more relevant to this podcast than the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Ahead of opening night, Peter, Ellie, Anahit and Jamie discuss Nathan Silver's Between The Temples, Alice Lowe's Timestalker, and Maryam Moqadam and Behtash Sanaeeha's My Favourite Cake.  Because it's Festival time, we also make some Fringe recommendations, forget people's names repeatedly (pre-emptive apologies to Carol Kane) and come up with daring new ways of counting up to five. It's wild, it's feral, and it's only getting hotter, it's The Cineskinny. TIMESTAMPS: Edinburgh Film Festival first thoughts (1:35) Between The Temples review (6:45) Timestalker review (23:00) My Favourite Cake review (33:20) Our Edinburgh Fringe picks (45:55) EIFF, 15-21 Aug, programme and tickets: https://www.edfilmfest.org/ Recorded at Codebase, Peter's apologies for any weirdness on the audio. EHFM's Ground Floor HQ is now open, go get a coffee and see radio/audio in action, @groundfloor__ Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected] Intro/outro music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

On this week’s podcast, the gang review two great new films with very different perspectives on the trans experience – Levan Akin’s Crossing, and Jane Schonebrun’s I Saw The TV Glow. Jamie gives his first thoughts on the EIFF programme, we all pitch in on The Bear season three (crossfade one more time, I dare you, I double dare you mother-), plus a few more bits and bobs. Massive shout-out to EHFM, on our final visit to their venerable Summerhall studio. Next time you hear us, we’ll be in another studio (probably the new EHFM one, timelines permitting). ehfm.live, the only good radio station. GFT’s CROSSING COFFEE AFTERNOON WITH OTTOMAN COFFEEHOUSE: https://www.glasgowfilm.org/movie/crossing TIMESTAMPS: What We've Been Watching - The Bear, Maxxxine, Problemista (1:20) Crossing review (13:20) I Saw The TV Glow review (25:10) Edinburgh Film Festival first thoughts (44:30) Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected]; recorded at EHFM, Summerhall – ehfm.live Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

On this week’s show, we’ve been watching films centred on gender-non-conforming characters.  We’re looking at Orlando, My Political Biography, which is a playful essay film about trans identity from Spanish philosopher Paul B. Preciado, and Unicorn, a British drama about the relationship that forms between a straight mechanic from Essex and a drag performer from a conservative Indian family in Manchester.  And off the back of these two films, we're gonna end the show considering some interesting trans and gender-fluid films from film history. TIMESTAMPS: Bad Sisters, Sunset Boulevard, Our Friends in the North and Inside Out 2 (4:09) Orlando, My Political Biography review (16:14) Unicorns review (31:36) Trans cinema: Paris is Burning, Tangerine, The Naked Civil Servant and Tomboy (45:39) Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected]; recorded at EHFM, Summerhall – ehfm.live Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We're back to a full complement this week for a B-movie bonanza. Russell Crowe is back on his anti-demon beat in The Exorcism (bad), Dale Dickey is out for revenge in The G (better), and we all chat about some of our favourite genre movies. Anahit fills us in on Lina Soualem and Hiam Abbas' new documentary Bye Bye Tiberias so we can keep our arthouse credentials, then we fling it all away talking about the Minions and whether or not it's good to eat mud. For your consideration, it's The Cineskinny. TIMESTAMPS: WWBW: Bye Bye Tiberias, Fried Green Tomatoes..., Interview with the Vampire, Minions: Rise of Gru (2:00) The Exorcism review (14:20) The G review (27:15) Films With No Right To Be This Good: House, Pacific Rim, Speed Racer, Detour, The Running Man (40:10) Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected]; recorded at EHFM, Summerhall – ehfm.live Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We’re going to be talking about a really big expensive movie and a tiny indie film on this week's show, but coincidentally they are both about marauding gangs of road warriors fighting over natural resources, so there’s definitely a bit in common there. That big film is George Miller’s bombastic revenge saga Furiosa, and the smaller film is Weston Razooli’s nostalgic kids’ adventure fantasy Riddle of Fire. And as it's Pride month, we pick out some of the best LGBTQ+ films playing at Glasgow Film Theatre and Edinburgh's Cameo throughout June, as well as suggesting some lesser-spotted queer films you should watch at home this month. TIMESTAMPS: What We've Been Watching: The Matrix, Working Girl and Netflix series Scavengers Reign (1:08) Furiosa review (10:27) Riddle of Fire review (23:00) Our pick of the Queer films (in cinemas and at home) for Pride (40:32) Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected]; recorded at EHFM, Summerhall – ehfm.live Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

George Mackay is one of the most interesting young actors from these shores and a firm CineSkinny favourite. We were massive fans of Mackay's recent film, Femme, from last year, and barely an episode goes by on the pod without us mentioning the wonderful Pride. Back in March, we sat down with Mackay while he was visiting Glasgow Film Festival for the UK premiere of The Beast, a heady sci-fi romance spread across three timelines. We chat to him about The Beast, AI, his favourite film roles and having to act in French opposite Léa Seydoux. Have a listen! TIMESTAMPS: Introduction (0:05) How Mackay chooses his roles (1:58) How he got the part of Louis in The Beast (4:55) Working with writer-director Bertrand Bonello (9:15) What Mackay took away from the script (9:58) Learning French for the role (15:05) Working with Léa Seydoux (18:38) The rise of AI (20:30) His favourite of his own films (24:00) If you like The Cineskinny, tell your pals! Leave us a five-star review! Share the episode on socials! Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected] Recorded on location at Glasgow Film Festival Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

This time on The Cineskinny, we go running in the fields of streaming cinema. Anahit reviews Hit Man (good!), Jamie joins her for The Idea of You (bad! and weird!), then the whole gang discusses the good, bad and ugly of the streaming revolution. How many of Netflix's top ten films are actually elaborate pranks on this podcast? More than you'd think! We also discuss the inventive, intriguing and v freaky British debut Hoard ahead of its release in cinemas. It's a fun one this week – come for the serious film chat, stay for Jamie's list of 'older women he likes'.  TIMESTAMPS: What We've Been Watching: Lost, Baby Reindeer, Blue Sky, Triangle of Sadness (1:45) Hoard review (12:35) Hit Man review (22:30) The Idea of You review (28:05) The Great Streaming Glut, aka Where Have All The Good Rom Coms gone? (35:15) Follow the team on Twitter @ptrsmpsn @anahitrooz @jamiedunnesq @lew_rob_, get us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd and TikTok @thecineskinny, email us at [email protected]; recorded at EHFM, Summerhall – ehfm.live Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license