2024 in Review - January to June

This week on Uncut, we’re stepping away from the chaos of Korean revenge thrillers to celebrate the life, work, and enduring legacy of Pier Paolo Pasolini—one of cinema’s most provocative and overlooked visionaries. Join host Rob and special guests Graham, Clotilde and Aidan as we explore Pasolini’s groundbreaking films, including The Gospel According to Matthew, Theorem, and The Canterbury Tales.We dive into the shock of his tragic murder (which Rob had no idea about until recently), why we deliberately avoided Salò, and how Pasolini is way more than just the “Salò guy” that history has reduced him to for many. Pasolini was so much more: a poet, a polemicist, and a filmmaker who dared to challenge the status quo.💥 Support us on Patreon! Get exclusive articles, podcasts, and more—including Rob’s upcoming deep dives into Asian Cinema.🎧 Check out our other podcasts:Pop Screen: https://open.spotify.com/show/3anLjmE81KodvWgZ5j0zLtAll Of Us Are Lost: https://open.spotify.com/show/38tY9NnngQExasZ8m4ucCQ

It’s time for another episode of Uncut, and this time, we’re diving into a world of awful people doing awful things to one another. That’s right—we’re talking about Korean revenge thrillers.A huge deal in their day, this marks the third time we’ve covered this brutal subgenre, following our previous Na Hong-jin and Park Chan-wook episodes. Returning for another deep dive into Korean cinema, Rob is joined by Ygraine (Gore Things / What a Scream) - a consistent of those previous episodes - to explore three increasingly intense films:🔪 The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil🔪 Bedevilled🔪 I Saw the DevilThis episode is especially stabby, and we discuss some very dark and mature themes, so consider this a warning if you’re sensitive to such topics. Then again, if you are, you’re probably not listening to this podcast.💥 Support us on Patreon! Get exclusive articles, podcasts, and more—including Rob’s upcoming Fantastic Asia pieces for March.🎧 Check out our sibling podcasts:Pop Screen: https://open.spotify.com/show/3anLjmE81KodvWgZ5j0zLtAll Of Us Are Lost: https://open.spotify.com/show/38tY9NnngQExasZ8m4ucCQ

Uncut is BACK! January was brutal (enough said!), but we're back with a big one: a deep dive into the work of Mike Flanagan.Rob and guests (Sarah, Mike, James, and Andy) tackle three of Flanagan's films: Hush, Gerald's Game, and Doctor Sleep. We'll be discussing everything from Stephen King adaptations and jump scares to that infamous degloving scene. And, because it's Flanagan, we couldn't skip his TV work – so this one's a little longer, but hey, we're making up for lost time, right?MUSIC:Sofasound - FunkgrooveXander - Reading NightEnjoying Uncut? Support us on Patreon for exclusive goodies, including the return of Fantastic Asia articles!And don't forget our sibling podcasts:Pop Screen: https://open.spotify.com/show/3anLjmE81KodvWgZ5j0zLtAll of Us Are Lost: https://open.spotify.com/show/38tY9NnngQExasZ8m4ucCQ

Oh man, it's that time of the year again. You may think it is late to do the annual review podcast, but like to think you can't review something while it is still happening. So open up your Letterboxd watchlist, get your comfiest slippers on, sit back and relax, as pop screen and uncut form into one monolithic podcast to give you the run down on all the cool movies that happened between January and June 2024. To undertake the first part of this epic feast, join hosts Graham and Rob, as they are joined by Andy, Kat, Faye, Simon, Robyn, Aidan, Ygraine (her picks anyway) and Mike. If you liked this, support the show, and check out the patreon for all manner of goodies. We'll be back to normal serivce, in due course, with a Mike Flanagan double.

A bonus from our Patreon is one the feed. This month Last Night is taking something of a different form. Join rob and contributions from voices both familiar and new as they talk about some of our favourite alternative Christmas movies. A big thank you to Kat Hughes, Mal Jutley, Producer Rob, Andy Connor, Graham Williamson, Gav Smith, Mo Moshaty, Ygraine Hackett-Cantebrana and Vincent Gaine. And what about you? What's your favourite alternative Christmas movie or TV special? Until next time, when Rob will be taking the reigns again for January, thank you for your support, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's to everything 2025 has in store.

This week on Uncut is a totally unchristmassy christmas special, well, it's the one nearest the big day anyway. Rob is joined by hosts of sister podcast, Kat and Andy, All of Us Are Lost, for out second look at the work of Guillermo Del Toro. The first movie we discuss is his much maligned, even by the guy himself, English language, Mimic. Then we jump into one of the earliest Marvel success stories, years before the MCU, with Blade II. Then we wrap things up with all the things young Guillermo loved in a new shiny box, Pacific Rim. We also talk about questionable adoptions, Wesley Snipes diva tendencies, Andy over analysing things, like how does that three armed robot work, and also, just what is the deal with Charlie Hunnam? If you enjoy all that, please, give us a rating and review wherever you find us and check out our patreon for all sorts of new content - we have plans for 2025. And it's then when we'll meet again for our epic 2025 review show with out other sister podcast, Pop Screen.

Life finds a way to get in the way, meaning that we had to take a little forced break, but we are back with a big name. This time on Uncut, we loop around to directors and it's a big one, Guillermo Del Toro. Rob is joined by James (Reviewing Rodders), Vincent and Ygraine (What a Scream) to look at three of his gothic delights. We have The Devil's Backbone, his most recent movie Pinocchio and we finish on GDT's most famous movie, Pan's Labyrinth. Join us as we discuss the use of fascism, monsters, guilty pleasures and GDT's ambiguity that leads each of these movies into becoming super bleak. Brilliant, but yeah, very bleak. If you like the podcast, check out our PATREON for even more written stuff and podcasts. Some stuff will be making a return in the new year, unfortunately 2024 has been a year alright. Also check out the geek show for an embarrasing of riches, including or sibling podcasts - Pop Screen, and All of Lost Are Lost. We'll be back next time with more GDT and his blocbuster phase. Until then, thanks for listening.

We are having a week off next week, as life finds a way to get in the way, but for now though we are diving into a ball pit of fun... No, sorry, no fun - the other one. Rob is joined by Jonathan and Graham to talk about Eastern Block Sci-fi, and how misunderstood it is and that it's much more than the lazy stereotypes thrown its way. To discuss this, we talk about what is an all-timer for many a person - Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker. From that we head into much less well known territory in the shape of Piotr Szulkin's O-Bi O-Ba: the End of Civilisation. And then, we end on the gift that keeps on giving - the inimitable Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea from Jindřich Polák. I love these episodes as being in the presence of Graham and Jonathan is like a historical and cinematic education. But if you like it, please support us over on patreon for loads more goodies. Follow me as UncutRobcast on Bsky - Instagram - Letterboxd - and Twitter (for now). I may need to take more than one cycle off, but time shall tell, but when we do return it'll be with a two parter on Guillermo Del Toro. Exciting.

Excuse us for the clickbait title, it's just this is our first ever Halloween special and it's got us all giddy. Rob is joined by Kat (Hollywood News), Caitlyn (Scared Sheepless), Faye (I Spit on Your Grades), and Sarah (Asian Movie Pulse) to talk about Halloween horror double bills. But these aren’t any old horror double bills, these are horror double bills that you probably haven’t seen. Now, don’t hunt me down on socials (@uncutrobcast) to shout at me, there is actually a method to our madness. We’ve all picked (and sat in as proxy for Mal who was previously on our Frightfest 2024 special but couldn’t make it on the night) movies with under 50,000 views on Letterboxd. So get ready for some recommendations, and join us in shock for just how many movies are actually under that cut off. Genuinely, it’s very shocking, I mean, Ghost Watch for one – that’s just nuts. If you like the show, consider giving it a rating, review and a share wherever you listen – you can also check out our sister podcasts, Pop Screen and All of Us Are Lost. Plus, there’s our Patreon too and all the goodies we have for you over there. It’s literally bursting at the seams and migrating over to our main site, there’s that much. Until next time with Eastern Block Sci-Fi, thanks for listening! MUSIC CREDITS: [INTRO] Funkgroove - Sofasound [OUTRO] Xander - Reading Night ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Courtesy of Riot Games

We are back. In this first episode of our fourth series, we are breaking all the rules with the actors, directors and genres rules being flung against the nearest wall and it couldn’t be a more appropriate episode to make this change. On this episode we are talking about Kyle Gallner, specifically about his debut lead performance in a movie, The Haunting of Connecticut, his cult classic breakout, Dinner in America, and one of his post-breakout films, The Passenger. Joined by Kay (@GizmoShikari) and Becci (@blsaycewrites), we talk about Kyle Gallner’s early years, his punk credentials and indie spirit and whether or not his label as a scream king is fair. All that and m many others things too, including the Terrifier 3 UK press event of all things.   We've our Summer break and it was during that break that we've decided our season's are going to be shorter, featuring two Frightfest specials in one series is a bit excessive. So instead of the usual 24 episode series, it’ll be downgraded to 15. So a vibe that is less “halcyon days of long TV series” and more the premium air of the streaming years. Does that make sense? Probably not. Now, if you liked this show, check out our two sister podcasts - All of Us Are Lost and Pop Screen. The latter of which gets a bonus episode on our patreon along with all sorts of other goodies too. Check it out and support an indie venture, there’s not too many of us left these days.  Join us next time for our Halloween Special, which promises to be anarchic.