Episode 151: Episode 151 - Aliens (1986).

On Episode 151 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve and Skye are joined by a trio of guest-hosts that may be the greatest ever assembled for a single episode of the podcast as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Cameron’s Aliens. The sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi-horror masterpiece, Alien, Cameron’s film wouldn’t be a retread, but an evolution of the story of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), as well as expanding what we know about the life-cycle of the deadly species she encountered in the first film. Featuring a superlative ensemble cast, an electrifying pace and endlessly quotable dialogue, as well as incredible special effects and a landmark score from composer James Horner, Aliens is rightly considered not just one of the greatest sequels ever made, but one of the greatest movies, period. So join our battle-hardened crew as they dive into the making of this incredible film and give their in-depth analysis of Aliens for its 40th anniversary. 

The story of Episode 150 of The Film ’89 Podcast is one of ‘the episode that nearly wasn’t’. It was to be a gift to our listeners as Steve, Neil and Skye finally covered a film that has become the one most requested by our listeners to get the Film ’89 treatment, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The initial recording went well until, at the end, it quickly became apparent that Neil’s audio hadn’t recorded. In the days that followed, no fix could be found, and it was looking likely that the episode was lost. Then tragedy struck on Wednesday, May 6th, when news broke of the passing of our dear friend, regular guest-host and prolific film poster artist, Tony Stella. The impact of Tony’s sudden and tragic passing has been one that we have struggled to come to terms with, but when he was last on Film ’89, Tony made plans to join us when we finally got around to covering Raiders, one of his favourite films. Alas, in the weeks leading up to recording Raiders, Tony’s workload meant he had to pass on the episode. Following the tragedy that ensued, the Film ’89 team felt that every effort should be made to salvage the episode as a small but fitting tribute to the man who would have loved discussing one of his favourite films. In true hero fashion, Neil stepped up to the mic and, from memory and some notes cribbed from the remaining audio of Steve and Skye, re-recorded his audio 4 days after the initial recording. This was then painstakingly edited into the original audio of the other two hosts, and we hope the final product meets our usual standards. The film itself needs no introduction; we’ll let the episode cover that. Tony Stella was, in our opinion, the greatest living film poster artist, who, in his passing, leaves a hole that cannot be filled. More than that, he was a loving father and our very dear friend. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family, friends, and our thanks go out to the thousands of people who have given tribute to both the great man and his incredible legacy of phenomenal artwork. Tony, this one’s for you, you’ll always be classy. 

Just as they did on Episode 147, so they are doing so again on Episode 149 as the Film ‘89 team travel back in time to 1966, this time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of both a film and television show that, for a brief two-year period, was a worldwide phenomenon. Starring Adam West and Burt Ward, the television show is of course, Batman, and it would then transition to the big screen with 1966’s Batman: The Movie. Skye and returning co-hosts John Arminio and Martin Kessler, explore what made the show such a hit and take a deep dive into a film that pits the Dynamic Duo against not one, but four of their most heinous super-criminal nemeses, The Penguin, The Joker, Catwoman and The Riddler. For those weaned on darker takes on the character from the likes of Frank Miller, Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, this take on Batman will seem like a garish, high camp, and therefore barely recognisable iteration, but sixty years on, the show and movie still have a huge and loyal following. So slide down the Bat-poles, set atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed and join us in a celebration of ‘60s Batman.

On Episode 148 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, we’re back talking Star Trek as we continue our coverage of the original crew’s big screen adventures. Having already covered the first three films for each of their 40th anniversaries, it’s now the turn of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which brought an end to the “Genesis Trilogy” consisting of the second, third and fourth Trek films, where the story in each film follows directly into the next. Following the death and destruction of The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock, returning director and star, Leonard Nimoy, wanted a lighter tone as well as a strong ecological message, that of whale preservation, and both of these aspects, coupled with our crew playing fish out of water in a San Francisco 300 years in their past, helped the film become the most financially successful Star Trek film of them all and a firm favourite among fans. So join Skye and returning co-hosts John Arminio, Bill Scurry and Adam Rackoff in a celebration of the 40th anniversary of one of the very best Star Trek adventures. 

On Episode 147 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Skye and returning guest-host Stephen Simpson are celebrating the 60th anniversary of and also taking an in-depth look at the making of director John Frankenheimer’s epic, nearly 3-hour-long motor racing drama, Grand Prix. Starring James Garner, Yves Montand, Eva Marie Saint, Toshiro Mifune and a huge international supporting cast, Frankenheimer’s movie is a marvel of technical filmmaking that captures the thrills and danger of Formula 1 as few other films have. Filmed alongside the 1966/67 F1 season with unprecedented cooperation from the drivers and teams of the era, Grand Prix is arguably the finest big-screen representation of motor racing ever made, and a time capsule of a period when the sport was on the cusp of changes that would alter it forever.

On Episode 146 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil and Skye are traveling back in time 35 years to discuss a film that represented something of a transition from the typical ‘80s action film to the genre’s ‘90s iteration. Based on a script by Shane Black that Warner Bros. were willing to pay a then record setting fee of $1.75 million for, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tony Scott, The Last Boy Scout starred Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans and a great supporting cast. Willis, following two recent box office failures in The Bonfire of the Vanities and Hudson Hawk, was in need of a hit and a Shane Black scripted action vehicle must have seemed like a sure thing at the time. Unfortunately, the production was no smooth ride and Black’s script changed significantly during the shoot. This, coupled with tensions on set between the principles as well as between Scott and producer Joel Silver, resulted in a film fraught with problems which may have in some way contributed to it’s studio failing to market the film as well as it should have. The Last Boy Scout failed to ignite the box office but would go on to become a much loved relic of early ‘90s action cinema and in retrospect is a film that really should have fared better given it’s gritty, noir inspired tone and razor sharp script and is a film that the hosts of tonight’s episode love, and have much to say about. 

On Episode 145 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Steve, Skye and returning guest host, filmmaker Kyle Reardon, celebrate the 70th anniversary of legendary director John Ford’s epic 1956 western, The Searchers. Directed by one of the most revered and influential filmmakers ever to step behind a camera, and starring one of cinema’s true icons, John Wayne, in one of his most complex roles, The Searchers tells the tale of civil war veteran, Ethan Edwards, a man wrestling with his own dark side, and his adopted nephew Martin (Jeffrey Hunter) and their years long search for Ethan’s niece, Debbie, taken from her family by a Comanche Chief after a raid on Ethan’s brother’s homestead. Shot in stunning Vista Vision and featuring some of the most astonishing cinematography ever seen in a motion picture, Ford’s film was is arguably the peak of a staggering career that spanned seven decades and a film that’s become widely regarded as one of the greatest American films of not just the 20th century, but all time. 

On Episode 144 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, both Neil and Skye are mistaken for Paul Allen as they discuss director Mary Harron’s 2000 adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel, American Psycho. Set in Manhattan during the Wall Street boom of 1989, American Psycho follows the life of a wealthy young investment banker named Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). Bateman narrates his everyday activities, from his charmed yuppie recreational life of pampering and fine dining among the Wall Street elite of New York to his forays into murder by night. The guys discuss the film’s complex plot, one that can have any number of varying interpretations as to both the reliability of the film’s narrator and the questions raised as to whether Patrick Bateman is a crazed serial killer or if this is all just an elaborate fantasy concocted as a means of dealing with the banality of the world he lives in. Featuring a superb supporting cast, brilliant direction and a killer soundtrack, American Psycho is arguably more of a bleakly dark satire than it is a serial killer thriller, and is certainly a film more than worthy of the Film ’89 treatment.

On Episode 143 of The Film ‘89 Podcast it’s that time of year again. Towards the end of every year since 2022, Film ‘89 has celebrated the 60th anniversary of a James Bond film. In 2022 we started with Dr. No, in 2023 we covered From Russia With Love and last year we covered Goldfinger. Now Skye and one of the greatest film poster artists working in the business today, Tony Stella, return to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the fourth James Bond film, Thunderball, which had its world premiere in Tokyo, Japan on December 9th 1965. Thunderball came out at the very peak of Bondmania. Sean Connery was approaching mega star status and the books and films were as popular as they would ever be. Made on a budget that was more than the combined budgets of the previous three films, Thunderball was a hugely ambitious film with complex underwater action sequences the likes of which audiences had never seen before and it would go on to become the most successful Bond film ever, and based on ticket sales alone, it still is. So get on your wetsuit, pick up your spear-gun and join Skye and Tony as they take the deep dive on what they feel is one of the most underrated of all James Bond films.

On Episode 142 of The Film ‘89 Podcast, Neil, Skye and regular co-host, Jacob Rivera are celebrating the 30th anniversary of an all time classic from 1995, David Fincher’s serial killer thriller, Seven, starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey. Based on an original screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, Seven would go on to become one of the most successful films of 1995, a year replete with incredible films and this one in particular, is now considered a genre defining classic, notorious for it’s bleak tone and THAT gut-punch ending. Featuring phenomenal performances from its leads, stunning cinematography, a wonderfully atmospheric score, and the very epitome of assured, precise direction from Fincher, Seven is surely one of the greatest films of all time and one worthy of the deluxe Film ’89 treatment.