The New Establishment Audio Sessions

This week on Code Noir, CJ François and Jamaal review Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, one of the most ambitious films of the decade.From breathtaking visuals and powerhouse performances to Nolan's interpretation of Homer's ancient epic, we explore whether this cinematic spectacle honours one of history's greatest stories or carves out a bold new path of its own.We discuss the direction, performances, themes, score, action, and where The Odyssey ranks among Nolan's extraordinary filmography. Most importantly, we ask: does this modern adaptation deserve to stand alongside the greatest epic films ever made?Join us as we journey through myth, history, and cinema to find out.🎙️ Code Noir — where film, culture, history, and big ideas collide.

This week on Code Noir, Curtis J François and Jamaal Norman dive into James Cameron’s Aliens — the 1986 sci-fi masterpiece that transformed a horror franchise into a full-scale war film.We explore Ellen Ripley’s evolution into one of cinema’s greatest action heroes, the terrifying world of the Colonial Marines, the corporate horror of Weyland-Yutani, and why the Xenomorph remains one of the most iconic creatures ever put on screen.From intense action sequences to deeply human themes of survival, motherhood, and trauma, Aliens is more than a sequel — it’s a reinvention of what a sequel can be.🎙️ Code Noir — where film, culture, history, and big ideas collide. 👽🚀

Before the MCU. Before X-Men. Before Spider-Man. There was Blade.This week on Code Noir, Curtis J François and Jamaal Norman revisit the groundbreaking 1998 action-horror classic that helped redefine comic-book movies and made Wesley Snipes an icon.We explore the film's influence on modern superhero cinema, its unique vampire mythology, its place in Black genre history, and why Blade remains one of the coolest characters ever created. From the legendary blood-rave opening to Deacon Frost's apocalyptic ambitions, we break down the action, the themes, the style, and the legacy of a film that often doesn't get the credit it deserves.Join us as we ask: Would modern superhero movies exist in the same form without Blade?

This week on Code Noir, CJ and Jamaal talk about Independence Day, the sci-fi blockbuster that defined the summer of 1996 and helped make Will Smith a global superstar.From the iconic White House explosion to President Whitmore's unforgettable speech, we explore how Roland Emmerich's alien invasion epic became one of the most influential blockbusters ever made. We discuss its groundbreaking visual effects, its surprisingly diverse cast of heroes, its vision of global unity, and whether that famous computer virus plan makes any sense at all.Join us as we break down the action, the spectacle, the politics, the patriotism, and the legacy of a film that asked one simple question:What if humanity had to fight for Earth... and Will Smith showed up?🎙️ Code Noir, where film, culture, history, and big ideas collide.

🎙️ Code Noir: Austin Powers – International Man of Mystery (1997)Yeah, baby, yeah!This week on Code Noir, CJ and Jamaal take a trip back to 1997 to revisit Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the shagadelic spy spoof that turned Mike Myers into a comedy superstar and made an entire generation look at James Bond very differently.At first glance, it's a film packed with outrageous characters, ridiculous catchphrases, and some of the most gloriously immature jokes of the 1990s. But beneath the velvet suits, bad teeth, and endless double entendres lies a surprisingly sharp satire of masculinity, celebrity, nostalgia, and the changing social attitudes between the Swinging Sixties and the late 1990s.Join us as we explore:How Austin Powers brilliantly parodied the James Bond franchiseWhy Dr. Evil became one of comedy's most iconic villainsThe film's take on masculinity, sexuality, and political correctnessMike Myers' career-defining performance(s)The influence of 1960s culture on 1990s entertainmentWhether Austin Powers has aged like fine wine... or like week-old fondueAlong the way, we'll discuss the film's most outrageous moments, its lasting impact on comedy, and why many of the spy-movie clichés we laugh at today are thanks in part to Austin Powers exposing just how ridiculous they always were.So grab your velvet suit, prepare your evil laugh, and remember:There really is no pleasing you, Mr Powers.🎧 Code Noir, where we take a deep dive into the films that shaped culture,

We about the 90's film that changed it all. Raised Tarantino to ever higher acclaim, revived careers, changed the way films were written and inspired an entire generation of film-makers and storytellers.this is Curtis and Jamaal going all in on Pulp fiction

In 1991, cinema changed forever.This week on Code Noir, Curtis J François and Jamaal Norman dive into Terminator 2: Judgment Day — the blockbuster that redefined action, revolutionised visual effects, and gave us one of the most unexpected emotional gut-punches in film history.But beneath the explosions, the liquid metal, and the iconic one-liners, T2 is something deeper: a story about control, surveillance, and the terrifying speed of technological progress. It’s a film that asks what happens when the systems we build to protect us become the very thing that destroys us.We break down:How James Cameron and Industrial Light & Magic changed cinema foreverThe T-800’s evolution from villain to protector — and unlikely father figureSarah Connor as one of the most important action heroes ever put on screenThe T-1000 as a perfect, unstoppable symbol of modern policing and controlWhy Miles Dyson might be the moral centre of the entire storySet against a pivotal year in entertainment, alongside The Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, and Boyz n the Hood, Terminator 2 stands as both a technical milestone and a cultural warning.Because in the end, this isn’t just a story about machines rising up.It’s about the choices we make before they do.No fate. No guarantees. Just consequences.

Time to dust off the cobwebsTC and CJ talkHBO MaxThe Other bennett sisterExperditanry forceSNL UKEpsomElectionsDisappointment Manosphere

What would you trade for the perfect life? Fame? Love? Power?And more importantly… who’s writing the contract?This week on Code Noir, CJ and Jamaal dive into Bedazzled (2000) — the glossy, chaotic, and surprisingly philosophical remake of the 1967 British cult classic. Starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley as a devil who knows exactly what you want before you do, the film takes the classic Faustian bargain and drags it straight into the early internet age.We break down the seven wishes, the twisted outcomes, and what they reveal about ego, identity, and the illusion of control in a world obsessed with self-reinvention. From its roots in Swinging London satire to its Y2K transformation into a slick Hollywood morality tale, Bedazzled becomes more than just a comedy — it’s a mirror of a culture learning to sell itself.Along the way, we explore:The evolution of the Devil from sardonic trickster to seductive brandWhy every wish fails (and what that says about us)Early 2000s obsession with image, success, and “having it all”Whether Elliot is the problem… or just the symptomBecause in the end, Bedazzled isn’t really about the Devil.It’s about us — and the deals we keep making with ourselves.No pitchfork required.

Code Noir — SinnersIn this episode of Code Noir, we dive into Sinners, a film that blends horror, history and music to explore themes of power, identity and redemption.Set against the backdrop of the American South, the story goes beyond vampires and supernatural horror to examine deeper questions about cultural exploitation, morality and the cost of survival. Through its characters and unforgettable moments, the film challenges us to consider who the real villains are and whether anyone can truly escape their past.We break down the key scenes, the performances and the symbolism, from the haunting use of music to the film’s portrayal of race and identity. Along the way, we ask whether Sinners is a story about monsters or a reflection of the world that creates them.Join us as we unpack one of the most talked-about and debated films in recent memory.