Today on Girls On Film Anna Smith has a fascinating discussion about Todd Haynes’ May December with its screenwriter, Samy Burch. Samy talks to Anna about the journey she went on with this screenplay from writing it as a spec script to hopefully gain representation, to it catching the attention of one of the film’s stars Natalie Portman as a producer, and so meeting the legendary director Todd Haynes (Carol, Far from Heaven). Samy talks about the real-life story that inspired the screenplay, the layers of ‘power and manipulation’ in both Moore and Portman’s performances, and the role that gender plays in media coverage of these kinds of stories. 

May December tells the story of Gracie, played by Julianne Moore, and Joe, played by Riverdale’s Charles Melton, as they live family life in the shadow of their infamous first encounter: the couple’s 20-year relationship began when Gracie was 36 and Joe was just 13-years-old. Now, two decades later, Natalie Portman plays actress Elizabeth who travels to Georgia to study the couple for a role in an upcoming film. Gracie and Joe are forced to revisit their past from new perspectives, as they question the love story they've told themselves and the world. 

You can watch May December now in cinemas in the UK, and on Sky Cinema on the 8 December 2023.

Other films mentioned in this episode include: 
Persona, Ingmar Bergman, 1966
3 Women, Robert Altman, 1977
Coyote vs. Acme, Dave Green

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production. 

Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Lydia Scott
Audio editor: Nic Wassell
Intern: Charlotte Matheson

House band: MX Tyrants

This episode is in partnership with Sky Cinema.

With thanks to AmyLouise Godby.

© HLA Agency

Ep 163: May December’s Samy Burch on screenwriting & working with Natalie Portman & Julianne Moore

Actor Charles Melton chats about working with Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in the drama "May / December"

Charles Melton - May December

Ayooo we're still on the weird sex train that Saltburn left us on last week, but instead of the wage gap we're talking the age gap with MAY DECEMBER! Netflix Book Club number 189 is a good one, join the usual suspects @dennisrooney7 and @_miketoohey as they chop up one of the most subtle of the subtles. Follow the pod on instagram to see what movies we'll be talking about soon @netflixbookclubpodcast. Next week we talk Once Upon a Time in Hollywood!

189 - May December

In both a spiritual sequel to the Cornetto Trilogy (stylized genre comedy) and a spiritual sequel to the Frozen short film episode of the pob (Tierney wants silly vibes but Matt and Collin take the assignment WAY too seriously), the Rommies reconvene for the next episode of their Unconventional Trilogy run. Listen in as they ostensibly discuss Matthew Vaughn’s second entry in his Kingsman franchise, but mostly just use that as a jumping off point to discuss the more important topic at hand: (Daddy) Pedro Pascal.

Episode 95 Kingsman 2 The Golden Circle

The eagerly-awaited sequel to Silence of the Lambs arrived ten years later, and became the third biggest movie opening of all time... but does it live up to the hype? Tonight, we review Ridley Scott's 2001 movie "Hannibal."

CineMcCollough March of the Cannibal #2 - Hannibal (2024-03-09)

You can get your copy here https://zxasqw.com/products/children-of-men-blu-rayregion-free-2006

Dive into the dystopian world of "Children of Men" on Blu-ray. This sci-fi thriller, starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine, offers breathtaking visuals and a gripping storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Witness Alfonso Cuarón’s masterful direction and the film’s legendary single-shot sequences.

Explore themes of hope, immigration, and government control in a future where humanity faces extinction. Don’t miss out on this visually stunning masterpiece. Link in the description for your copy with free shipping available.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:01 Dystopian Nightmare
00:00:06 Opening Scene
00:00:13 Main Characters
00:00:26 Legendary Single-Shot Sequences
00:00:29 Director’s Vision
00:00:33 Intense Car Ambush
00:00:41 Cinematography Fun Fact
00:00:48 Positive Reviews
00:00:56 Average Rating
00:01:02 Heavy Themes
00:01:10 Viewer Opinions
00:01:18 Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
00:01:26 Call to Action
00:01:34 Conclusion

Be sure to visit https://zxasqw.com to see all that I have in stock with free shipping available. ~ Pilot Steve

#ChildrenOfMen #SciFiMovies #DystopianFuture #CliveOwen #JulianneMoore #MichaelCaine #AlfonsoCuaron #BluRayCollection #SingleShotScenes #VisuallyStunning #MovieNight #FilmReview #BehindTheScenes #CinematicMasterpiece #MustWatchMovie #FutureWorld #ImmersiveCinema #DystopianFilm #MovieBuff #SciFiFan #FilmLovers #TopRatedMovies #CriticallyAcclaimed #EpicCinema #MovieMagic #CinemaLovers #FilmCommunity #MovieRecommendation #ActionPacked #ThrillingMovie #LegendaryScenes #FilmGeeks #MovieAddict #BestMovies #WatchThis #SciFiThriller #FilmDiscussion #MovieCritique #IncredibleFilms #VisualFeast #FutureCinema #TopSciFi #MovieCollector #FilmFanatics #EpicStorytelling

Children of Men: The Sci-Fi Movie That Will Blow Your Mind! | Quick Picks Reviews

In this episode, Anna Smith welcomes film critic Corrina Antrobus back to Girls On Film to discuss her brand new book, I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms. Anna is also joined by film critic Jo-Ann Titmarsh who shares her highlights direct from the Venice International Film Festival. 

First up, Corrina begins by discussing two Girls On Film romcom favourites - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and She’s Gotta Have It, which both feature in our pod’s intro jingle. She highlights the romcoms that have often been overlooked in the genre, as well as the underlying feminism of the popular, mainstream romcoms which are often dismissed as anti-feminist. Corrina also notes the importance of diverse representation and some of the challenges of finding examples of trans romances in the romcom genre, but that by pushing for change, she has hope that things will change. **Note that there are mild spoilers for classic romcoms in this segment.**

Next up, Jo-Ann shares the exciting buzz of this year’s Venice International Film Festival and discusses her festival favourites. She notes how this year’s fest consists of all-out glamour and fabulous women rocking the red carpet and discusses her film highlights, including her top performances by women including Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and Angelina Jolie. She notes the films to look out for, and ends by discussing the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice.

You can buy Corrina Antrobus’s book I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms at most book retailers including Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith and Amazon.


Films mentioned in this episode:

Wolfs (Jon Watts)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks) - Rent on Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video
She’s Gotta Have It (Spike Lee) - Netflix
Rye Lane (Raine Allen Miller) - DisneyPlus
Palm Springs (Max Barbakow) - Prime Video
While You Were Sleeping (Jon Turteltaub) - DisneyPlus
Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall) - DisneyPlus
Magic Mike XXL (Gregory Jacobs) - Prime Video, Apple TV
Kissing Jessica Stein (Charles Herman-Wurmfeld) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play
But I’m a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit) - Prime Video
Happiest Season (Clea DuVall) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video
A Room Next Door (Pedro Almodovar) - Releases 25 October 2024
Babygirl (Halina Reijn). Releases 10 January 2025
Maria (Pablo Larraín)
I’m Still Here (Walter Salles)
Familiar Touch (Sarah Friedland)
Queer (Luca Guadagnino)
The Wire (created by David Simon) - Sky, NowTV
The Office (US version developed by Greg Daniels) - Netflix, Sky, NowTV, Prime Video
Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu) - DisneyPlus
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - In cinemas
Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - Netflix, Prime Video
Firebrand (Karim Aïnouz) - In cinemas
His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs) - In cinemas
Lee (Ellen Kuras) - In cinemas
The Queen of My Dreams (Fawzia Mirza) - Releases 13 September 2024


Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: 
http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up.

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

Follow us on socials: 

www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ 
www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 
www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod 
www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno

Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production.

Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold
Assistant Producer: Jade Evans
Intern: Anna Swartz
Audio editor: Elliana Jay Hamer
House band: MX Tyrants

© HLA Agency

Ep 182: Romcoms & feminism, from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to Rye Lane + highlights of Venice 2024

Every week we watch a movie that's streaming on Netflix, then we talk about it.

Mayday, mayday! This is Pilot Steve, coming in hot with today's Quick Picks Reviews! Feeling lost in the turbulent skies of endless books and DVDs? I've traded my rescue bird for a new mission: saving you from crash-landing into mediocre media and burning your hard-earned cash!

In less time than it takes to taxi a Cessna, I'll give you the cockpit view on what's cleared for takeoff and what's grounded indefinitely. I've made split-second decisions at 1,000 feet, and now I'm using that eagle-eye focus to spot only the high-flyers in the media world.

So, strap in tight, rookies! Whether you're a book barnstormer or a film fanatic, I've got your six. Prepare for reviews so punchy, they'll break the sound barrier! You'll be diving into your next adventure before my landing gear's even up.

Ready to soar past the duds and land on pure gold? Let's fly!

Girls On Film is a film review podcast from a female perspective, hosted by film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith and produced by co-founder Hedda Archbold at HLA Agency

Tony Toscano is a nationally recognized movie critic and film historian who has been reviewing films for over 4 decades. Tony grew up in Southern California, just outside Los Angeles.

While attending Jr. High School, Toscano began writing a weekly movie review column for his school paper. Directly because of his weekly column, Tony was asked to write a film review column for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and a music review column for “The record Collector's Journal.”

Always interested in television and film, it’s no surprise Tony's first job was a disc jockey at his hometown radio station and began to review films and interview celebrities as a regular feature of his radio show and “Talking Pictures” was born.

Moving from Los Angeles to Utah to co-host a morning radio show on Utah's KABE FM 107, his film reviews were heard once a week and became a staple of the popular morning program.

Toscano began taking live calls from listeners and discussing current movies.

In 1996 Tony made the jump from radio and newspapers to television as the film critic on CBS in Salt Lake City, and then to KJZZ TV where he hosted the popular "Movie Review Show" and then his own production, "Talking Pictures."

In 2002 Tony was honored with his first Emmy Award as “Best Discussion Program.” In 2007 Toscano received his 2nd Emmy for hosting Talking Pictures.

Taking his award winning program coast to coast, Toscano has been able to syndicate Talking Pictures to over 65 million households around the USA and in nearly 120 countries worldwide.

In May of 2008 “Talking Pictures” moved to ABC-4 and Utah’s CW-30.

Toscano is also the film reviewer and entertainment guru for ABC-4’s “Good Morning Utah" and “Midday."

Additionally, Tony is heard on a number of radio stations across the US, including I Heart Radio's  top- rated “Morning Zoo with Frankie and Jess” on 97.1 ZHT in Salt Lake City, where his reviews have been heard for nearly 2 decades.

His fellow reviewers regard Tony as "one of the country’s best celebrity interviewers." As his in-depth conversations with such notable stars as George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie, Steven Spielberg, Jeff Goldblum, Gwyneth Paltrow and Denzel Washington show a different and more relaxed side of celebrities.

In 2006 Toscano co-hosted the acclaimed series “Hot Topics” for Atlanta’s ABC affiliate WSB TV.

Working with Utah students in apprenticeships and internship programs, Tony is instrumental in instructing qualified and deserving students in the art of television production.

Tony Toscano is member in good standing of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), a former board member of the Salt Lake City Film Center and the founder of the Utah Film Critics Society.

When not previewing, reviewing or interviewing Tony can be found somewhere in the mountains of Utah stream fishing or at his BBQ.

Hosted by "Lord" Rob McCollough, Jeremy "Jay" Forman, and Patrick "Butch" Brennan... we tackle the tough issues like boxing, movies, sports, music, and Star Trek

Since the world clearly needs another podcast about movies, the Rommies have reunited to revive the 1F Film Festival, in pobcass format! Join them for another iteration of everyone's favorite lo-fi, living room film festival.

New tracks tagged #JulianneMoore