106. Best Film & TV Books of 2021 & Harry Potter Reunion Special

Two-time FCAC Very Special Guest Ted Jessup and I revisit 1974's Panavision international espionage and Nazi-hunting thriller 'The Odessa File' and make plenty of stops along the way to discuss 'The Rainmaker', 'Deliverance' 'The Seven-Ups', 'Anaconda', 'Coming Home', 'Heat', 'The Assassin', and much more!

12 Marras 202055min

Gomorrah (Italian: Gomorra - La serie) is an Italian crime drama television series created by Roberto Saviano for Sky Atlantic. Based on Saviano's book of the same name,[1] the show premiered on Sky Atlantic in Italy on 6 May 2014, and has run for four seasons. The title of the show is a play on the name of the Neapolitan crime syndicate, Camorra. The 2008 film of the same name is loosely based on the same book, but unrelated to the TV series.[2]. The fifth season will be the last.[3] The show, largely filmed in the Scampia neighbourhood of Naples,[4] tells the story of Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D'Amore), a member of the Savastano clan, headed by Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino), a high-ranking member. Ciro aims to navigate the dangers of the criminal world, while also fighting a brutal civil war.[5] The Savastano family also consists of his wife Immacolata (Maria Pia Calzone) and son, Gennaro (Salvatore Esposito). The show also features rival crime boss Salvatore Conte (Marco Palvetti), while introducing the characters Annalisa Magliocca (Cristina Donadio), Patrizia Santore (Cristiana Dell'Anna), Giuseppe Avitabile (Gianfranco Gallo) and Enzo "Sangueblù" Villa (Arturo Muselli) in the show's later seasons. The series has gained critical acclaim for its characterization, pacing, atmosphere, acting, directing, and writing.[6][7] It has also become a ratings hit for Sky, regularly featuring as one of the network's most-watched cable shows.[8][9] The series has been sold in 190 countries worldwide.[10][11] It premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky Atlantic on 4 August 2014, and in the United States on SundanceTV on 24 August 2016.[6] The spin-off film The Immortal, which is both a prequel and a sequel to the events after the series' third season, was released on December 5, 2019.[12][13]

26 Syys 202045min

The Bureau (original title: Le Bureau des Légendes) is a French political thriller television series created by Éric Rochant and produced by TOP - The Oligarchs Productions and Canal+, which revolves around the lives of agents of the DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), France's principal external security service. Originally aired in France from 27 April 2015, it was launched in the United States and Canada on iTunes on 1 June 2016 as part of a new international "Episodic Cinema" label, quickly reaching the Top Five.[1][2] In the United Kingdom, the series was released exclusively by Amazon Prime on 17 June 2016.[3][4] The first season received positive reviews in both France and other countries, and won several awards. The second season has been universally acclaimed, and has even been seen by some as the best television ever produced in France.[5] The third and fourth seasons, respectively aired in France beginning 22 May 2017[6] and 22 October 2018,[7] have met with further acclaim, with praise for the show's acting, pacing, plot and realism.[8]

10 Syys 202035min

It's been a long time coming, and finally, its time to devote an entire episode to singing the praises of 'Columbo'!  In this Very Special Episode of the pod, Jason is once again joined by TV historian and pop-cultural eminence grise Richard Brown as they discuss the classic Columbo episode 'Try and Catch Me', starring Ruth Gordon and work their way through 20 Questions About Columbo as submitted by Full Cast and Crew SuperListeners Cindy and Mike.

2 Elo 20201h 44min

Jason is joined by stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster Sean Donnelly for a deep-dive into M. Night Shayamalan's 'Signs', which Sean and Jason agree is a film that now feels like an old-fashioned Hollywood movie of the sort we just don't get anymore. Jason and Sean also talk about Sean's new UFO podcast, his appearances on Letterman, Conan, and Colbert, the state of stand-up comedy in the midst of a 4 month stage blackout mid-pandemic, the roles Sean gets typecast with when he auditions, and so much more!   Sean's website is here. M. Night's Wiki page is here. Signs wiki is here.

2 Heinä 20201h 10min

Get Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry,[3] Britt Ekland, John Osborne and Bryan Mosley. The screenplay was adapted by Hodges from Ted Lewis's 1970 novel Jack's Return Home. Producer Michael Klinger optioned the book and made a deal for the ailing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio to finance and release the film, bringing in Hodges and Caine. Caine became a co-producer of the film. Get Carter was Hodges's first feature film as director, as well as being the screen debut of Alun Armstrong. MGM was reducing its European operations and the film became the last project approved before it closed its Borehamwood studios. The film is set in north-east England and was filmed in and around Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and County Durham. The story follows a London gangster, the eponymous Jack Carter (Caine), who travels back to his home town to discover more about his brother Frank's supposedly accidental death. Suspecting foul play, and with vengeance on his mind, he investigates and interrogates, regaining a feel for the city and its hardened-criminal element. [4] Caine and Hodges had ambitions to produce a more gritty and realistic portrayal of violence and criminal behaviour than had previously been seen in a British film. Caine incorporated his knowledge of real criminal acquaintances into his characterisation of Carter. Hodges and cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky drew heavily on their backgrounds in documentary film. Combined with Hodges' research into the contemporary criminal underworld of Newcastle (in particular the one-armed bandit murder) and the use of hundreds of local bystanders as extras, produced a naturalistic feel in many scenes. The shoot was incident-free and progressed speedily, despite a one-day strike by the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians. The production went from novel to finished film in eight months, with location shooting lasting 40 days. Get Carter suffered in its promotion, firstly from MGM's problems and secondly owing to the declining British film industry of the period, which relied increasingly on US investment. Initial UK critical reaction to the film was mixed, with British reviewers grudgingly appreciative of the film's technical excellence but dismayed by the complex plot, violence and amorality, in particular Carter's apparent lack of remorse at his actions.[1] Despite this the film did good business in the UK and produced a respectable profit. US critics were generally more enthusiastic and praised the film but it was poorly promoted in the US by United Artists and languished on the drive in circuit while MGM focused its resources on producing a blaxploitation version of the same novel, Hit Man. On its release Get Carter received no awards and did not seem likely to be well remembered. It was not available on home media until 1993 but always maintained a cult following. Endorsements from a new generation of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie led to a critical reappraisal which saw it recognized as one of the best British movies.[5] In 1999, Get Carter was ranked 16th on the BFI Top 100 British films of the 20th century; five years later, a survey of British film critics in Total Film magazine chose it as the greatest British film.[6] Get Carter was remade in 2000 by Warner Bros. under the same title, with Sylvester Stallone starring as Jack Carter, with Caine in a supporting role. This remake was not well received by critics in the US and was not given a UK theatrical release.

11 Kesä 20201h 35min

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a 1969 spy film and the sixth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It is based on the 1963 novel by Ian Fleming. Following Sean Connery's decision to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby, to play the part of James Bond. During the making of the film, Lazenby announced that he would play the role of Bond only once. In the film, Bond faces Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who is planning to hold the world ransom by the threat of sterilising the world's food supply through a group of brainwashed "angels of death". Along the way Bond meets, falls in love with, and eventually marries Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg). It is the only Bond film to have been directed by Peter R. Hunt, who had served as a film editor and second unit director on previous films in the series. Hunt, along with producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, decided to produce a more realistic film that would follow the novel closely. It was shot in Switzerland, England, and Portugal from October 1968 to May 1969. Although its cinema release was not as lucrative as its predecessor You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service was still one of the top performing films of the year.[2] Critical reviews upon release were mixed, but the film's reputation has improved greatly over time and is now regarded as one of the strongest entries in the series.   PODCAST NOTES Link to Frazer's graphic novel 'Stay Alive'. Link to Frazer's personal website. Watch 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' Buy the James Bond comics here. Watch the Hulu George Lazenby documentary here. Watch a classic 1982 episode of 'This Week In Baseball' here.

28 Touko 20201h 16min

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer and based on the television series Star Trek. It is the second film in the Star Trek film series, and is a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). The plot features Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against the genetically engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), a character who first appeared in the 1967 Star Trek episode "Space Seed". When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film is the beginning of a story arc that continues with the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and concludes with the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). After the lackluster critical response to the first film, series creator Gene Roddenberry was forced out of the sequel's production. Executive producer Harve Bennett wrote the film's original outline, which Jack B. Sowards developed into a full script. Meyer completed its final script in twelve days, without accepting a writing credit. Meyer's approach evoked the swashbuckling atmosphere of the original series, a theme reinforced by James Horner's musical score. Leonard Nimoy had not intended to have a role in the sequel, but was enticed back on the promise that his character would be given a dramatic death scene. Negative test audience reaction to Spock's death led to significant revisions of the ending over Meyer's objections. The production team used various cost-cutting techniques to keep within budget, including utilizing miniature models from past projects and reusing sets, effects footage, and costumes from the first film. Among the film's technical achievements is being the first feature film to contain a sequence created entirely with computer graphics. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released in North America on June 4, 1982, by Paramount Pictures. It was a box office success, earning US$97 million (equivalent to about $257M in 2019) worldwide and setting a world record for its first-day box office gross. Critical reaction to the film was positive; reviewers highlighted Khan's character, the film's pacing, and the character interactions as strong elements. Negative reactions focused on weak special effects and some of the acting. The Wrath of Khan is considered by many to be the best film in the Star Trek series, and is often credited with renewing substantial interest in the franchise.

21 Touko 20201h 26min