40. William Chen (Cinema In Context) - My Movie DNA

In episode 44, Johnny talks to Auckland film and book lover Kelly Gordon. As well as working at Auckland’s Academy Cinemas - alongside previous guests Cameo England (episode #4), Gorjan Markovski (episode #21), and Stefan Moon (episode #43) - Kelly’s currently a key member of the team at Unity Books, New Zealand’s leading independent book store. Their chat includes lots of insider tips from Auckland’s book and rep cinema landscape, they discuss Jim Jarmusch, Alan Clarke, Danny Boyle and the majesty of Wim Wenders’ 1984 film Paris, Texas, and they talk about running into one of the stars of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, when all they want to do is get out onto a New Zealand road trip…This conversation was recorded face to face in mid-October of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

In episode 43, Johnny talks to Stefan Moon, the General Manager and Programmer at Auckland’s Academy Cinemas.Their chat covers a long, lengthy (and mostly spoiler-free) discussion on Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which they put into context with PTA’s other films, they tiptoe around the Woody Allen situation and whether it’ll ever be a good time to sing the praises of the 1998 animated film Antz, and after 43 episodes, Johnny finally gets to reveal his connection to George Clooney’s Ocean’s 11.This conversation was recorded face to face in early October of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, ⁠⁠⁠⁠500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

In episode 42, Johnny talks to actress Helena Murphy-Reid, a recent guest star on the Lucy Lawless detective series My Life Is Murder. Helena has also starred in the 2024 short film Gun Powder, and appeared in New Zealand's longest-running TV drama, Shortland Street.Their chat covers the trials and tribulations of being an up-and-coming actress in the 21st century, Helena bravely swaps out one of the standard questions - the first My Movie DNA guest to do so - and they talk about gritty coming-of-age dramas like Larry Clark’s Kids and...The Spice Girls Movie.This conversation was recorded face to face in early July of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, ⁠⁠⁠500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema⁠⁠⁠, available wherever you get your podcasts.

In episode 41, Johnny talks to Mahi Maïmou, one of the leading lights of the live comedy scene in Darwin, Australia. Mahi is the movie-hype gal on ABC Radio and is currently programming this year's Darwin International Film Festival. Their chat covers the gamut of Hollywood from Mae West and Bette Davis to Adam Sandler and Kermit the Frog, Mahi gives us a whistlestop tour of every glorious independent cinema in New Zealand, and they talk about whether Pinhead and the Cenobites would make good babysitters for a five-year-old….This conversation was recorded online in late-June of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, ⁠⁠500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema⁠⁠, available wherever you get your podcasts.

In episode 40, Johnny talks to Cinema In Context co-host William Chen. A science-teacher by day, and a pop culture vigilante by night, William has a deep love for animated films, Lego and a galaxy far, far away. Their chat includes the biggest Star Wars nerd-out on My Movie DNA to date, they discuss Wes Anderson, Brad Bird and Jackie Chan, and they talk about whether Tom Cruise took inspiration from Steve Guttenberg for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning’s centerpiece aerial stunt….This conversation was recorded face to face in late-May of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, ⁠500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema⁠, available wherever you get your podcasts.

In episode 39, Johnny talks to fellow record collector and movie nut Helen Howcroft. Helen lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and is a big fan of the Beastie Boys, all things that groove, and gangster movies. Their chat includes an in-depth look at the films of Martin Scorsese, David Lynch and Peter Greenaway, they discuss those weird saloon doors in New Zealand video stores, and they talk about whether it’s morally acceptable to show your child The Adventures Of Milo And Otis.This conversation was recorded online in late-March of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠Loco Looper⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected] out Johnny's new podcast series, 500 Films: A Journey Through Genre Cinema, available wherever you get your podcasts.

In episode 38, Johnny talks to soundtrack nut, Aliens fan, and all-round good guy from Iowa, Joe Foster. Their chat includes a lengthy discussion on Ripley’s return to LV-426, they talk about James Horner, Ed Zwick and Michael Biehn, and they discuss whether wearing a pith helmet somehow makes you able to drink beer faster.This conversation was recorded online in mid-March of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' Loco Looper game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected].

In episode 37, Johnny talks to teacher and podcaster, Jeremy Downing, one third of the podcasting trio Cinema In Context. You may remember, Jeremy’s co-host Sarah Watt was a guest on a recent episode. Their chat includes a quick look at this year’s slate of Oscar nominated films, they talk about everything from J.J. Abrams’ Lost, the passion of musical theatre, and the futility of live action Disney remakes, and the length of this episode is partly explained by Jeremy pressing one of the secret buttons on My Movie DNA: an in-depth discussion on the Alien universe.This conversation was recorded face to face in mid-February of 2025.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' Loco Looper game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected].

It's here, the world's first Emilia Pérez fan podcast!....or maybe not...In a break from the annual tradition, joining Johnny this year on the red carpet is Podzilla & 1978podcaster Jasher Drake, who's turned up a week early at the Dolby Theatre to pounce on unsuspecting celebrities. But fear not, Johnny's usual date for the Academy Awards, the irrepressible Daíbhid MacCann, has sent through his thoughts on who, what and why at this year's ceremony. Daíbhid's whereabouts are currently unknown, but the word on the street is that he's currently in Mexico researching medical operations on the behalf of the local cartel kingpin.We take a look at the recent James Bond Amazon Prime firesale debacle, we discuss sad movies and claymation penises, and we ponder just how one particular film has managed to offend every minority it set out to represent, and bagged 13 nominations in the process. This conversation was recorded online in late February of 2025. Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected].

In episode 35, Johnny talks to film critic, teacher, podcaster Sarah Watt. Sarah can currently be heard as the secret weapon of the 2024 New Zealand film Gut Instinct, providing its perfectly glorious narration. Their chat includes getting to know Ryan Gosling and Quentin Tarantino when you really want to get to know Leonardo DiCaprio and Sydney Sweeney, they discuss Sarah’s long lost cameo in a world famous New Zealand film, and they wonder whether it’s appropriate to choose a life partner based on how they breathe in a cinema (and of course, the answer is a firm yes - it should be top of the list).This conversation was recorded face to face in late December of 2024.Thanks to James Van As who wrote and performed the brilliant podcast music (check out James' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Loco Looper⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ game) and to Willow Van As who designed the amazing artwork and provided general podcast support.You can contact My Movie DNA on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @mymovieDNA or email [email protected].