39: Agatha Christie, and an incredible four-film run

Agatha Christie's work may have been adapted for the screen many times, but she wasn't always too happy with it. That all changed with 1974's Murder On The Orient Express, which started a run of four star-studded movies through to the early 1980s. All of which are now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time. Host Simon Brew dons his detective hat, and brings along Christie expert Dr Mark Aldridge to uncover the stories about them. And there's some fresh STUDIOCANAL news to dig into as well...

1964's One Potato, Two Potato is an extraordinary film that flies under many people's radars. Now available on Blu-ray for the first time, this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents looks at a superb slice of Black film history. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by Dr Clive Nwonka, Associate Professor of Film, Culture & Society at University College London. The pair chat about the film, and also bring the similarly underappreciated Pool Of London into the conversation. Plus: Dr Nwonka gives us his double bill choice, and there's a round-up too of the latest news from the world of STUDIOCANAL. If you like this podcast, please leave a nice review and subscribe. Thank you.

After breaking through on Broadway and earning early success with theatre, director Mike Nichols was looking to move to feature films. The second movie he made - and at one stage it was going to be the first - was The Graduate, and over 50 years later, it's enjoying a 4K remaster and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. For this latest episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, regular host Simon Brew (of Film Stories) is joined by Little White Lies editor David Jenkins for a conversation about the film, its legacy, and how the casting could have been very, very different. Plus! David's double bill choice, and some added STUDIOCANAL news...

An absolutely packed episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents here, as we celebrate a birthday, and bring in a couple of bonus guests! The first order of business is Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, Ran, which is celebrating its 40th birthday. Regular host Simon Brew is joined by The Guardian film writer Andrew Pulver to talk about the film, and the influence of Kurosawa on modern Hollywood. And then! In come Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tom Hiddleston, two of the stars of Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck, which heads to UK cinemas on 20th August. Quite the chat with these two here, rounding off an extra special episode...

A very special episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, as multi-Oscar-winning filmmaking legend Francis Ford Coppola spends some time with us. He's talking about the new restoration of Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, the newly-remastered documentary film charting the making of Apocalypse Now. Francis talks candidly about the film, and how Eleanor Coppola went about her work.  Furthermore, co-director of the film Fax Bahr then also joins us, as he reflects on wading through all the material and fashioning it into a film. Plus, how he ended up making the movie in the first place. 

Academy Award-winning director Michel Hazanavicius joins regular host Simon Brew for a special episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast. After winning Oscar for The Artist, Michel spent many years realising the extraordinary The Most Precious Of Cargoes. He tells Simon about the challenge of making the film, and what animation afforded him that live action wouldn't. That, and about the power of Alexandre Desplat's music. Plus, a special double bill as well, and the latest news from STUDIOCANAL...

A British war movie classic comes into focus in the latest episode of the STUDIOCANAL Presents podcast, as The Dam Busters celebrates its 70th birthday.  Host Simon Brew is joined by Dr Matthew Sweet as the pair chat about the film, drawing parallels with work as far and wide as Apocalypse Now, Star Wars, Dunkirk and even a dab of Top Gun Maverick. Also, why a version of the film written by Roald Dahl and directed by Howard Hawks never came to be. Quite the bonus double bill in this episode, too!

Few filmmakers can ever match the output of the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a German filmmaker who died at the age of just 37, with several lifetimes of work to his name. He's in the spotlight in this episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents, with two movies in particular - In A Year Of 13 Moons and Lola - going under our microscope. Regular host Simon Brew, of Film Stories, is joined by film writer and curator Sarah Cleary to examine the work of Fassinder. Plus, a fresh double bill, and the latest STUDIOCANAL news too...

Welcome to the brand new season of STUDIOCANAL Presents, kicking off in style as Paul Merton joins regular host Simon Brew to talk about comedy legend Tony Hancock. In particular, two films that Hancock made at a pivotal point in his career: 1961's The Rebel and 1963's The Punch & Judy Man, both arriving on STUDIOCANAL's Vintage Classics DVD and Blu-ray label.  Wearing terrific socks, which might not come across in the audio, Paul Merton explains just what makes the two films special. Plus, a whole lot more in here too...

In the final episode of STUDIOCANAL Presents for 2024, regular host Simon Brew is joined by film historian and critic Henry K Miller. Between them, they're digging into some of the early work of Alfred Hitchcock. They pick out the highlights from a brand new Blu-ray boxset of Hitchcock films, not least the film that straddled the line between silent cinema and talkies. Plus, there's time too for a double bill recommendation, and the latest STUDIOCANAL news...