The Prestige
Join Rob & Sam, two life-long friends, one a veteran of the film industry, the other a Cambridge-educated writer on books, movies and graphic novels. Each week they talk about a film and some of the ideas it throws up.
Recent Episodes:
4.24 — THE CRAFT (1996) & Bullying - Our next film in the high school genre is the 1996 horror/comedy/supernatural drama THE CRAFT. After some largely positive reviews, we talk about how this is ultimately a film about knowing your place, while also being a feminist revenge fantasy,… 4.23 — DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993) & Coming of Age - The next film in our ‘high school’ season is Richard Linklater’s DAZED AND CONFUSED, from 1993. After perhaps contrasting reviews, we go on to talk about fragmented teenaged memories, gender, and why rites of passage are important on screen. Next… 4.22 — DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989) and Poetry - Our film this week is the 1989 Peter Weir film (and Robin Williams vehicle) DEAD POETS SOCIETY. After our usual reviews, we talk about the aesthetics of this film and its evocative nature, how this film is not like either… 4.21 — THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985) and Endings (or Not) - This week sees the start of our mini-season of high school movies, beginning with the seminal John Hughes film THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). After some reviews, we talk about how character depth is important to a film about stereotypes, why… 4.20 — WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014) and Reality - Our focus on the vampire genre ends, suitably enough, with a movie that parodies many of the tropes that have formed this season: 2014’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. After a couple of short reviews of the film, we… 4.19 – TWILIGHT (2008) and Female Autonomy - This week we take on the cultural and cinematic behemoth that is 2008’s TWILIGHT. After some…contrasting reviews, we have a surprisingly enjoyable (and extended: strap in, listeners!) time talking about genre mash-ups, missed moments of poignancy, the traumas of High… 4.18 — BLADE (1998) and The Oppressed - This week we take on the classic vampire/superhero/martial arts (what even is it?) film, BLADE (1998). After some glowing reviews, we talk about subcultures in the 90s, before getting onto liminality, race, class, and the various oppressed groups explored in… 4.17 – VAMPIRE’S KISS (1988) and Parasitism - This week’s film is the 1988 vehicle for a young Nicolas Cage: VAMPIRE’S KISS. After some mixed reviews (this episode is basically one of us trying to persuade the other of the merits of this film…), and a little discussion… 4.16 — GANJA & HESS and Ecstasy - This week we look at the 1973 film GANJA & HESS. After some pretty favourable reviews, we talk about the thoroughly confusing nature of the film, the idea of cinema as an immersive experience, and the different versions of the… 4.15 – BLACK SABBATH (1963) and Control - This week’s film is the 1963 anthology film BLACK SABBATH. In the course of our reviews, we talk about the two very different versions of the film (Italian and American), before going on to discuss the idea of cinematographic and…