Episode 207 - Ghost Stories (2017)

A Skeptic's Guide to Things That Go Bump in the Night For our latest episode of the Reel Britannia podcast, we are turning down the lights and hiding safely behind the sofa for a properly unsettling slice of modern cinema: 2017's Ghost Stories.   Directed and penned by the brilliant duo of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman—adapting their own smash-hit stage play—the film follows Professor Phillip Goodman (Nyman), a professional skeptic who makes his living debunking fraudulent psychics and supposed supernatural phenomena. However, his rigid worldview is thrown into chaos when he is tasked with investigating three chilling, stubbornly unexplained cases. As he crosses paths with a terrified night watchman (Paul Whitehouse), an unhinged teenager (Alex Lawther), and a wealthy, arrogant businessman (Martin Freeman), Goodman soon finds that the truth might be far more terrifying than a simple trick of the light. A masterful love letter to the classic British anthology horrors of Amicus and Ealing, the film beautifully balances creeping psychological dread with some genuinely spectacular frights. The Reel Britannia team will be braving the shadows to unpack the picture in our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style, chatting about the phenomenal cast and how perfectly the directors translated the claustrophobia of the stage to the big screen. This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever you download their podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia You can also follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. If you fancy a few more cinematic thrills, special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon. We'd love to invite listeners to support the podcast and enjoy our additional dives into the archives of British film. #GhostStories #AndyNyman #MartinFreeman #PaulWhitehouse #BritishHorror #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #HorrorAnthology

Taking the City to the Cleaners For our next outing on the Reel Britannia podcast, we are grabbing our mops and buckets for a wonderfully inventive slice of 1963 British comedy, Ladies Who Do.   Directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards and penned by the writing duo of Michael Pertwee and John Bignall, the film follows a formidable crew of London charwomen—led by the irrepressible Mrs. Rubin (Miriam Karlin) and the commanding Mrs. Higgins (Peggy Mount)—who spend their evenings scrubbing the offices of the City's financial elite. When they stumble across lucrative stock market tips discarded in the wastepaper baskets, they team up with an eccentric, cigar-chomping retired Colonel (Robert Morley) to play the ruthless property developers at their own game. It's not long before they cross paths with the unscrupulous James Ryder, played with delightful sleaze by Steptoe and Son's Harry H. Corbett. Boasting an absolute powerhouse ensemble of beloved British character actors, including Dandy Nichols and Jon Pertwee, the film is a gloriously charming class-war caper and a fascinating time capsule of a rapidly changing London. The Reel Britannia team will be sweeping through the film in our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style, marvelling at Morley's effortless buffoonery and the sheer screen presence of our leading ladies. This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever you download your podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia You can also follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. If you're enjoying the show, remember that special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon, inviting listeners to support the podcast and enjoy even more of our classic film discussions. #LadiesWhoDo #RobertMorley #PeggyMount #HarryHCorbett #BritishComedy #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #ClassicFilm #1960sCinema

Jogging On with the Ultimate Angry Young Man For episode 205 of the Reel Britannia podcast, we're lacing up our running shoes and taking a rather defiant jog into the heart of the British New Wave with Tony Richardson's 1962 classic, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.   Adapted by Alan Sillitoe from his own celebrated short story, the film introduces us to Colin Smith, played with smouldering brilliance by Tom Courtenay in his breakout role. After a minor scrape with the law, Colin is packed off to a bleak youth offenders' institution. There, the establishment's pompous Governor (a perfectly cast Michael Redgrave) discovers Colin's undeniable talent for cross-country running and decides to exploit the lad's athletic prowess for the institution's glory. What follows is a brilliant, beautifully shot exploration of class, rebellion, and personal freedom. This week, Scott is joined by Steven to figure out exactly where this gritty masterpiece sits within the broader landscape of sixties British cinema. We'll be debating whether Colin is the ultimate cinematic 'angry young man' or if the film is attempting something a little more complex beneath the surface. Expect our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style as we unpack the mud, the miles, and that iconic two-fingered salute to authority. This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever you download your podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia You can also follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. If you'd like to go the extra mile with us, special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon, inviting you to support the podcast and enjoy additional film discussions. #TheLonelinessOfTheLongDistanceRunner #TomCourtenay #TonyRichardson #BritishNewWave #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #AngryYoungMan #MichaelRedgrave

All at Sea with a Slightly Different Crew For episode 204 of the Reel Britannia podcast, we are taking to the high seas and hoisting the mainsail for the 1964 nautical romp, Carry On Jack.   The story follows the earnest but hopelessly inept Albert Poop-Decker (the brilliant Bernard Cribbins), who takes a commission as a midshipman on the frigate Venus. Naturally, things go pear-shaped before he even leaves the tavern, leading to a frantic voyage involving a stolen identity, a remarkably resourceful young woman named Sally (Juliet Mills), and the decidedly cowardly Captain Fearless (Kenneth Williams). Directed by series stalwart Gerald Thomas, the film features a lively score composed by Eric Rogers and marks Talbot Rothwell's second Carry On script following his debut with Carry On Cabby. But what makes Jack a particularly fascinating watch is who isn't on deck. Scott is joined by Steven, Tony, and Mark to debate a crucial question for the franchise's history: does the film suffer from a lack of familiar faces like Sid James and Joan Sims, or do Cribbins and Mills make a thoroughly welcome addition to the family? Along with spotting Jim Dale (making another welcome appearance after Cabby) and enjoying Charles Hawtrey as the hapless Walter Sweetley, we'll be unpacking the picture in our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style. This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever listeners download their podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia Listeners can also follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. If you're enjoying our cinematic voyages, please note that special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon, inviting listeners to support the podcast and enjoy additional film discussions. #CarryOnJack #BernardCribbins #JulietMills #KennethWilliams #BritishComedy #BritishCinema #CarryOnFilms #ReelBritannia #Podcast

A Licence to Confuse and a Swinging Sixties Spectacle For episode 203 of the Reel Britannia podcast, we are tumbling down a deeply psychedelic cinematic rabbit hole with the delightfully baffling 1967 spoof, Casino Royale.   The premise, should you choose to try and follow it, sees the original, legendary Sir James Bond (David Niven) coaxed out of a genteel retirement to take down the nefarious syndicate SMERSH. His tactical masterstroke? Confusing the enemy by renaming every single active agent—male or female—James Bond. Naturally, absolute chaos ensues.   Produced by Charles K. Feldman and steered by a famously sprawling committee of writers and directors, the film boasts a dizzying, star-studded cast that includes Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Woody Allen, and Orson Welles. But the real question we're asking this week is where exactly this extravagant behemoth fits into the 007 canon. Scott is joined by Steven, Tony, and Mark to figure out if the film is strictly for the die-hard fans, an odd little cinematic curio, a completely disjointed mess, or simply a wonderfully unhinged snapshot of the swinging sixties. Expect our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style as we try to make sense of the glorious excess of it all.   This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever listeners download their podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia Listeners can also keep up with our latest ramblings and follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod.   If you're enjoying the show, do bear in mind that special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon, inviting listeners to support the podcast and enjoy even more of our late-night film discussions. #CasinoRoyale #JamesBond #DavidNiven #PeterSellers #SwingingSixties #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #007 #ClassicFilm

Digging Up Trouble Behind Enemy Lines For episode 202 of the Reel Britannia podcast, we're trading our civvies for khaki and marching straight into the chaotic world of a genuine British comedy icon. This time around, the team is discussing the 1958 Norman Wisdom classic, The Square Peg.   Directed by John Paddy Carstairs and written by Jack Davies, the film follows the hapless road mender Norman Pitkin (Wisdom, naturally) and his perpetually flustered boss Mr Grimsdale (Edward Chapman) as they find themselves unexpectedly drafted into the Pioneer Corps. Before long, the pair are parachuted into occupied France, where Pitkin discovers he is the spitting image of a ruthless Nazi commandant, General Schreiber. What follows is a brilliantly executed dual-role performance that perfectly showcases Wisdom's immense gift for physical comedy and timing.   Supported by a wonderful cast that includes Honor Blackman and the glorious Hattie Jacques, it's a masterclass in slapstick that cemented Wisdom's place as a box office giant. The Reel Britannia team will be unpacking the film in our familiar warm, conversational, and lightly irreverent style, chatting about the ingenuity of the doppelgänger setup and the sheer, exhausting energy of Pitkin's war effort.   This episode, along with the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue, is available wherever listeners download their podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia Listeners can also follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. If you fancy even more film chat, special bonus episodes are available through the Reel Britannia Patreon. We'd love to invite listeners to support the podcast and enjoy our additional dives into the archives of British cinema. #TheSquarePeg #NormanWisdom #BritishComedy #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #EdwardChapman #ClassicComedy

Dublin soul, magnificent music and enough creative differences to sink a small record label. This episode was recorded a couple of weeks ago, before the terribly sad news of Glen Hansard's death earlier this week. We remember him with great affection as Outspan Foster, one of the unforgettable faces and voices at the heart of The Commitments. Dublin has the music. Jimmy Rabbitte has the ambition. What he does not yet have is a band, any money, or the faintest idea how to keep a roomful of volatile musicians from throttling one another. This time on Reel Britannia, Scott is joined by Maurice in Melbourne, Kerry in Boston and Tom from just down the road for Alan Parker's joyous, foul-mouthed and gloriously chaotic 1991 musical comedy. Based on Roddy Doyle's novel, The Commitments follows Jimmy's attempt to bring soul music to the working-class streets of Dublin by assembling a group whose talent is matched only by its ability to argue. The team discusses the film's extraordinary cast, including Robert Arkins, Andrew Strong, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Bronagh Gallagher, Colm Meaney and Glen Hansard. There is also plenty of admiration for the thunderous soundtrack, the sharp dialogue and Parker's knack for making the whole enterprise feel as though it might either conquer the world or collapse before the next rehearsal. So pull on your sharpest suit, warm up the brass section and try not to mention creative differences. The Commitments are ready to play, although whether they will all still be speaking by the encore is another question.   This and all previous episodes are available wherever you download your podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia   #ReelBritannia #TheCommitments #AlanParker #RoddyDoyle #GlenHansard #IrishCinema #BritishFilmPodcast #FilmPodcast  

Fletch Gets Out. Getting Back In Is the Tricky Bit. For its landmark 200th episode, Reel Britannia is heading behind bars for Porridge – The Movie, the 1979 big-screen outing for one of Britain's best-loved television comedies. Ronnie Barker returns as the wily Norman Stanley Fletcher, still doing his best to serve his sentence with the minimum possible effort. Alongside him is Richard Beckinsale as the good-natured Lennie Godber, while Fulton Mackay's fearsome Mr Mackay and Brian Wilde's endlessly flustered Mr Barrowclough attempt to maintain something vaguely resembling order at Slade Prison. Peter Vaughan also appears as the quietly terrifying Harry "Grouty" Grout. When Fletcher is persuaded to help organise a football match between the prisoners and a celebrity team, he naturally suspects that something is amiss. Before long, he and Godber are caught up in an escape plan that leaves them facing an unusual problem: not how to get out of prison, but how to get back in before anyone notices. Directed by Dick Clement and written by Clement with Ian La Frenais, the film retains the warmth, sharp dialogue and beautifully observed characters of the original series. It is also one of those rare British sitcom spin-offs that feels like a proper film rather than an extended episode with a slightly larger catering budget. Join the Reel Britannia team as they celebrate episode 200 in their familiar warm, conversational and lightly irreverent style.   This episode and the complete Reel Britannia back catalogue are available wherever you download your podcasts and at: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/reelbritannia   Follow the podcast on X at @rbritanniapod. Special bonus episodes are also available through the Reel Britannia Patreon, where your support unlocks even more British film discussion.   #Porridge #PorridgeTheMovie #RonnieBarker #RichardBeckinsale #FultonMackay #BrianWilde #BritishComedy #BritishCinema #ReelBritannia #Podcast #Episode200

When the crooks and the coppers join forces, London's criminal underworld is in very confused hands. For Episode 199, Reel Britannia slips into the sharply dressed, cheerfully crooked world of The Wrong Arm of the Law, a 1963 British crime comedy in which the nation's criminals discover that even dishonesty was better organised in the old days. Peter Sellers stars as Pearly Gates, a suave London gang boss who divides his time between running a fashion house and supervising a criminal organisation with the efficiency of a suburban business. His employees may be thieves, but they enjoy paid holidays, luncheon vouchers and a surprisingly enlightened approach to staff welfare. Crime, it seems, was never so civilised. Trouble arrives when a gang of Australian crooks begins impersonating police officers and helping themselves to the proceeds of other people's robberies. This is regarded as extremely poor form. With both Scotland Yard and the London underworld irritated, Pearly finds himself entering into an unusual alliance with Inspector "Nosey" Parker, played with glorious bluster by Lionel Jeffries. Directed by Cliff Owen and written by a team that includes Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the film surrounds Sellers with a marvellous collection of familiar British faces. Bernard Cribbins brings nervous energy to Pearly's reluctant associate O'Toole, while John Le Mesurier appears with the beautifully weary air of a man who has already filled in far too many forms. The Wrong Arm of the Law is a breezy caper filled with bungling crooks, pompous policemen, double-crosses and a reassuring amount of London location work. It belongs to that wonderful strain of British comedy in which authority is treated with suspicion, crime is conducted by committee, and nobody appears capable of organising anything without first stopping for tea. Join us for Episode 199 of Reel Britannia, as we revisit a British battle between law and disorder — with just a hint of professionalism.   All episodes available on your favourite podcast catcher      Head over to Patreon for special bonus episodes    Follow us on X @rbritanniapod

Hammer opens the door to a nightmare where every shadow has a secret. For the latest episode of Reel Britannia, we step into the chilly corridors and troubled dreams of Nightmare, Hammer's 1964 psychological thriller from director Freddie Francis and writer Jimmy Sangster. This is Hammer without the fangs, capes, castles, or buckets of Kensington Gore. Instead, it gives us something colder and more unsettling: a black-and-white tale of fear, memory, manipulation and madness, where the terror creeps in quietly and then refuses to leave. The story follows Janet, a young woman haunted by disturbing visions connected to her troubled family past. Sent home from school after a frightening episode, she returns to a grand country house where comfort, recovery and reassurance should be waiting. Naturally, this being Hammer, they are not. The house feels too still, the people around her seem a little too careful, and Janet's nightmares begin to blur horribly with waking life. With Jennie Linden, David Knight, Moira Redmond and Brenda Bruce leading the cast, Nightmare is a neat, sinister little puzzle box of a film. Freddie Francis brings his cinematographer's eye to every shadowy hallway and candlelit room, while Jimmy Sangster delivers one of those beautifully twisted Hammer scripts where nothing is quite as straightforward as it first appears. In this episode, we look at how Nightmare fits into Hammer's run of psychological thrillers alongside films such as Paranoiac, Maniac and Hysteria, and why these smaller, moodier pictures deserve just as much affection as the studio's better-known monster movies. We'll talk about its performances, its atmosphere, its clever structure, and that wonderful sense of 1960s British unease that Hammer did so well.   All episodes available on your favourite podcast catcher      Head over to Patreon for special bonus episodes    Follow us on X @rbritanniapod #ReelBritannia #HammerHorror #Nightmare1964 #BritishCinema #HammerFilms #FreddieFrancis #JimmySangster #ClassicHorror #BritishFilm #MoviePodcast