Episodes
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
#20 - Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jensen - Shrek (2001)
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
SOME-BODY once told us to get making some waffles and rewatch Shrek. We’re so glad we did, as the amount of adult jokes in this film that flew over our heads as kids makes it worth a rewatch almost 20 years later.
On the surface, Shrek really should not have worked as a film. It (literally) shits on the classic fairytale genre, is full of (somehow not dated?) pop culture references, and at last minute had the whole of Shreks lines re-recorded with a Scottish accent. Yet directors Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jensen knew exactly what they were doing, as the final result was not only hilarious and wildy entertaining, but went on to win the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (beating out Pixar’s Monsters Inc by the way). Also, the internet is actually obsessed with it. Google Shrek meme and you’re met with a mix of hilarious and worrying results (Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life being the latter). Though in all honestly, Shrek and the inhabitants of Duloc wouldn’t want it any other way.
Joining us all the way from NYC for this one is Dylan. He’s back by popular demand after laying down the pizza law on our Nightcrawler ep (Joes Pizza in Greenwich if you’re asking). Here D switches out crispy crusts for some crispy commentary on our green friend and all things Duloc.
We also have a short of the week, Commute by Scott Lazer. This ones based in NYC, in case there wasn’t already enough New Yorker attitude on this episode.
Link in bio. Enjoy.
Thursday May 21, 2020
#19 - Gareth Edwards - Monsters (2010)
Thursday May 21, 2020
Thursday May 21, 2020
When it comes to special effects, you need hundreds of specialist people to create them, right? Well, if you’re Gareth Edwards, all you need is your bedroom and a laptop from 2009. In one of the most inspiring “budget to magic on screen” ratios we’ve seen on YNFYF, Gareth Edwards both wrote, shot and created ALL the special effects seen in his directorial debut, Monsters. This is independent filmmaking at its most essential; most of the actors were members of the public, and the film was shot on the fly in South America. Not only that, but fast forward to present day and Gareth here directed what’s probably your favourite Star Wars in recent years, Rogue One.
Sunday Apr 05, 2020
#18 - Tommy Wiseau - The Room (2003)
Sunday Apr 05, 2020
Sunday Apr 05, 2020
Have you ever thrown your hands up in the air and just shouted “YOU’RE TEARING ME APART LISA!” No? Then fear not, because Tommy Wiseau has you covered, and also has a whole host of other bizarre and hilarious things covered in his directorial debut (really his only film) The Room.
Made in 2003 for a staggering 6 million dollars, The Room has cultivated such a cult following, that it still plays in cinemas to this very day. It makes you wonder, how many other films can claim that? Only a handful of classics. But it also makes you wonder, how many other films can claim to ask about your sex life? Well…there’s only one.
The Room holds the award for the best/worst film of all time, intended to be a dramatic story, that ended up being a full on accidental comedy. Crew members have even tried it come forward and claim they directed it. But once you watch The Room, you understand there really is only one person who could have made such a film…
We also have our SOTW, Don’t Sell The Tiger, directed by Ben Wylson and written and produced by Joanne Oatts and Mark Winter. This ones a good one, so get your Vimeo fingertips going.
We also hope everyone is doing well during this troubling time, and that you’re all safe. Hopefully this episode (and all other quarantined eps) will distract you from the everyday quarantine life. Luckily, we’ve found a way of still being able to podcast, because films still need to be talked about! (And are probably being watched now more than ever, at home, not in the cinema, but thats another thing,,,)
Enjoy!
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
#17 - Special Episode - A Decade of Filmmaking
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
“Wait, you’re giving us the usual first films, but then throwing in a few one one-off special episodes every now and then, about topics you feel you can add some value to and have a good chat about for our listening pleasure?” Uh, yeah. That is literally what we are doing. That’s weird you know that.
So for our first special episode, we decided to shoot for the stars YNFYF style, and corner ourselves into the biggest corner you’ve ever heard by tackling the unconquerable challenge of reviewing the decade. Which was actually unconquerable.
So to break this down into GSCE bitesize chunks, we decided to split this episode into a few key big broad topics from the decade, that we felt we could have some fun with and add some meaning to; the rise of streaming, originals vs reboots, indie film, camera tech and debating the impact of Superhero films this decade.
We also each reveal our 10 favourite films of the decade, which in itself was also an unconquerable task (as you will hear when Louis has a breakdown choosing his favourite).
As usual, strap those headphones in and get ready to remember how silly you looked wearing 3D headphones in 2010 when you went to see Avatar.
Happy listening.
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
#16 - Sam Mendes - American Beauty (1999)
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
American Beauty is one of those films every always agrees is “pretty damn good”. You’d be hard pushed to find someone who doesn’t like it, and isn’t wowed by the fact this DEBUT FILM won Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars. Imagine that? Well, if you’re Sam Mendes, you don’t have to.
Released in 1999, American Beauty follows average middle aged guy Lester Burnham and his mid-life crisis, as it unravels to affect those around him. Not only is this film full of stand out performances, every single department is firing on all cylinders. From Conrad Halls cinematography (which it won an Oscar for) Thomas Newmans haunting score (which it won an Oscar for) and Alan Balls amazing script (which…you guessed it). It’s one of the most knockout debuts we’ve had the pleasure of exploring on YNFYF, and if you expected Louis to relax on taking apart movie titles with the word American in, you’d be wrong!
We also cover all the Oscars chat and our predictions, as well as dropping a Kong Skull island reference for good measure
Theres also no short of the week this week, as we had plenty to get through!
As always, enjoy.
Sunday Jan 12, 2020
#15 - Patty Jenkins - Monster (2003)
Sunday Jan 12, 2020
Sunday Jan 12, 2020
Happy New Year from YNFYF! We’re kicking off 2020 with a look back at another decade, 2003, when an unknown Patty Jenkins somehow managed to get Charlize Theron to play Aileen Wuornos, a prolific female serial killer who lived in Florida. With a virtually unrecognisable Charlize Theron in the main role, as well as a high level of craft and storytelling, this debut is moving, tough watch that cemented Patty as a force to be reckoned with. We had to wait a whole 14 years before another cinema experience from Patty, this time in the form of a superhero film called Wonder Woman. Worlds away from Monster, this was well worth the wait. In-between she directed popular TV shows, such as The Killing. We’re big fans of Patty and are looking forward to her next film Wonder Woman 1984 (which is out this year…). But thats not all! We have our very good friend of the pod and fellow cinephile Ella on this weeks episode. Not only does she expertly break down this dense, tricky movie into such lovely conversation we can all enjoy, but she’s vowed to see more films in the actual cinema this year. You know, that place you go to other than your sofa to watch movies? We’re holding you to your New Years resolution Ella. Expect to hear her back on the pod in the future, telling us about all those films she saw at that place called “the cinema”. On our SOTW we cover greg by Will Denis. A New York subway based short that follows a man who loses his phone on the train tracks. Loads of film fun to come this year. Enjoy.
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
#14 - Richard Curtis - Love Actually (2003)
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
If you thought you could escape Christmas without watching Love Actually, you’d ACTUALLY be mistaken. Because no one can get to Christmas Day without at least shedding a tear that Emma Thompson never gets given that necklace. Every. Single. Year. Merry Christmas!
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Curtis directed Four Weddings and Notting Hill, his films all feel like they’re part of the same universe. It wasn’t until Love Actually that he took the plunge, and decided to weave together ten different love stories in the lead up to Christmas. Wait, did he create his own cinematic universe, the RCCU (Richard Curtis Cinematic Universe) before Marvel? We’ll let you be the judge.
Our SOTW this week is Brian and Charles directed Jim Archer, a 12 minute short that follows a man who lives alone in the countryside, and builds a robot to keep him company. Madness ensues from then on.
We’re having a doubly special episode as we’re joined by by none other than Jeune Femme and 30 somethings having breakdowns on film expert, Julia. If you’re yet to listen to Jeune Femme, catch her laying down some gems on that episode, then jump back to Love Actually for more gems (but the festive kind). And then, next year, she might even lay down MORE gems on UNCUT GEMS. There’s a little glimpse at the future 🌟.
So Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us at the YNFYF pod. And thanks immensely for all the support in our sacred year of birth, 2019.
Next year looks like even more firsts, some one off specials, a whole new array of guests and complete domination of the film podcast industry. Wait, what?
Happy listening.
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
#13 - Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler (2014)
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
Our motto is that if you want to record a podcast, you gotta do the research to sound like you know what you’re talking about. And while we’re at it, your performance review is coming up. You’ve shown some real initiative downloading our episodes, as well as having an enthusiastic attitude to our posts. But if you ever miss an episode again, make no mistake. We will terminate you.
Of course we won’t! Because we’re too busy laughing at all the self-help management talk in Dan Gilroys stand out debut film, Nightcrawler (2014). We’re also too busy spending some of it completely frightened at Jake Gyllenhaals unforgettable performance as Lou Bloom, a man who becomes obsessed with capturing the horrific accidents and murders in Los Angeles for local news networks. We also have to shout out to Riz Ahmed, who also nailed it with his performance as Rick (the interview scene with “hire rick” is a particular pod favourite moment). In our SOTW section, we’ll be covering Rachel Stubbings short, Mum of the Year, which we all had a good laugh at indeed.
This episode is extra special as joining us all the way from Brooklyn, as well as having us convinced he is actually the real Bruce Wayne, it’s Dylan! A special friend of the NYFYF community, he holds it down for our American market, whilst also advising us that if we ever go public on the stock exchange, he’ll make sure to “take care of all the details”. Dylan practically schooled us all on American history and its media landscape, which sounded twice as cool through his thick take-no-bullshit Brooklyn accent. If you ever find yourself in New York, he’ll take you down to the guys at Joes Pizza in Greenwich, demanding you eat a slice whilst educating you on what a real slice of pizza is. (also shout out to Joes Pizza in Greenwich. We know the score).
Happy listening.
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
#12 - Paul Weitz - American Pie (1999)
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
It’s been claimed by those film nerds that 1999 was one of the best years for original movies. We got given Fight Club. The Matrix. American Beauty. The Sixth Sense. Eyes Wide Shut. The Blair Witch Project. The Iron Giant. Nottinghill. Being John Malkovich. Toy Story 2. The Green Mile. Just to name a few. And then one movie came along that penetrated culture (and pies) with its outrageousness. That film is American Pie.
The directorial debut of Paul Weitz (his brother Chris Weitz is an uncredited director) saw this movie reboot and retool the teen comedy genre, skyrocketing it to a truly global status. Made on a budget of $10 million, and going on to reap over $250 million at the box office - as well as ruining everyones favourite homemade pie - it’s clear that the film did something right. Tune in to find out.
Our SOTW is Hillside DIY by Ben Ericsson. A fun little homemade film about skating that is a welcome change from all the pie chat.
Enjoy.
Friday Nov 01, 2019
#11 - George A. Romero - Night of The Living Dead (1968)
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Friday Nov 01, 2019
If you ever find yourself needing to look up synonyms for the word “zombie”, the first suggestion will in fact be “George A Romero”. Thats because our friend George virtually invented the zombie genre with his 1968 groundbreaking first film, “Night of The Living Dead”.
This first film didn’t just launch a career though, it launched an entire GENRE. Popular modern entertainment like The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later, and even everyones favourite ITV2 re-run Shaun of the Dead, all wouldn’t exist without the path George blazed. And ironically, he did it all without a single utterance of the word zombie. He just used ham for guts and chocolate sauce for blood instead.
George went on to create every single possible film title that could come from his original like “Dawn of The Dead”, “Day of The Dead”, “Land of The Dead”, “Diary of The Dead”, and “Survival of The Dead”. Thats commitment and we very much like that here on YNFYF.
The good news on this ep is Louis is back, bringing fan-favourite wheezey laughs and such deep insightful critique you’d wonder why a major news publication hasn’t yet hired him to review BBC mini-series. The bad news is Sparrow was unavailable for this episode, and we very much felt the hole created by his absence. We mention it many, many, many times. He’s back on next weeks film.
Also, In our short of the week section, Benas gets deep discovering the meaning of life as we cover “My Boy” by Charlotte Reagan.
Anyway, that’s enough from us. Happy listening.
Sunday Oct 20, 2019
#10 - Steve McQueen - Hunger (2008)
Sunday Oct 20, 2019
Sunday Oct 20, 2019
Imagine, if only for a second, you are the worlds biggest movie star. Your accepted nickname is “King of Cool”. You do your own stunts, could have almost been a professional racing driver and your name even sounds like an expensive brand of perfume. Now forget all that, because we just realised we’re actually talking about the wrong Steve McQueen.
Thats right, we’re talking about the British director Steve McQueen, whose credits include Shame, 12 Years A Slave and Widows. And perhaps a little known gem that you may never have heard of….Hunger (2007). The film follows Irish republican Bobby Sands, as he leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike. We go from McQueens illustrious career as an award winning artist to….his illustrious career as a filmmaker.
Before you knew him as Magneto, or that actor who got fully naked on camera, this was Micheal Fassbenders exceptional break out role. And he gives Christian Bales weight-loss a run for its money.
We also have the record for the longest Who Dat Quote guess. You can blame Benas for choosing the most obscure film title ever (but it was also a genius move). We also have two shorts of the week, Nursery Rhymes by Tom Noakes and Floor 9.5 by Toby Meakins. Both great shorts respectively.
So come join us for Steve McQueens Hunger (not Bullitt, though that is a great film in its own right).
Happy listening.
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
#9 - Martin McDonagh - In Bruges (2008)
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
Are you looking for a delightful weekend break? May the pod crew suggest Bruges for you and your loved ones. Straight out of a fairytale, Bruges will offer idyllic views of castles, romantic streets to lose yourself in and an array of dif-YOU'RE AN ANIMATE FUCKING OBJECT.
Sorry. You’re obviously not. You’re a living, breathing, clever soul for choosing to join us in our weekend break in Bruges. Because aside from having some lovely alcoves, its the setting of Martin McDonaghs debut film, In Bruges. It follows hitmen Ray and Ken, who have to await orders from their boss in Bruges, after a jobs gone wrong. As Ray so aptly puts it; “I'm suicidal, me mate tries to kill me, me gun gets nicked and we're still in fucking Bruges.”
This is just one of many quotable lines from this movie, which, we warn, get quoted a lot in this episode. We also apologise in advance for the jealously you will no doubt harbour in hearing our perfect impersonations of accents.
We deep dive into McDonagh, from his career as a successful playwright before transitioning to film, going from strength to strength, having had his latest film Three Billboards nominated for 7 Oscars. We also talk about his Oscar winning short film, Six Shooter, which if you haven’t seen, is a much watch. Link here.
We also have our short of the week, The Brain And You, written and directed by Paul Trillo. This one is a little political, so if that’s your thing, get involved.
So come get lost in the alcoves, see the views from the tower and have yourself a NORMAL PODCAST FOR NORMAL PEOPLE. If you don't get that, it might be time to give In Bruges a re-watch.
Happy listening.
Monday Aug 26, 2019
#8 - Léonor Serraille - Jeune Femme (2017)
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Paris. As soon as someone says it, you can't help but think of romantic strolls around The Eiffel Tower, coffee in a small café and pedalling down streets on a chic bike. What if we told you to forget all that Lonely Planet stuff, and instead journey with a woman who's recently homeless, can't hold down a job or friends, and just left a cat in a graveyard.
This is just the start of Lèonor Serraille's great debut feature, Jeune Femme, and so the pod crew brushed up on their French, dressed in their chicest threads, and dove straight in to pulling apart this film.
But that's not all people. We haven't even mentioned the best bit.
This is an extra-extra-special episode as we're joined by a very good friend of the pod, Julia. Not only is Jeune Femme one of her favourite films, but she also schooled us (like Micheal Jordan shooting a 3-pointer from downtown) with her words of wisdom, love of 30-something characters losing their shit, and her actual ability to pronounce French.
Our short of the week is directed by Cole Escola and is called Lorraine Was On The News
Note on SOTW: We should apologise in advance as far as in depth reviews go, as we found this short so funny, that it's basically the 4 of us just cracking up.
Thanks for listening. Enjoy.
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
#7 - Steven Spielberg - Duel (1971)
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
Hey, remember that film Indiana Jones? Or E.T? Jurassic Park? Minority Report? Close Encounters? How about Schindlers List? Saving Private Ryan? A.I? Catch Me If You Can? Or even Jaws?
Thats great you remember all of those classics.
How about Duel? Remember that one?
Yeah we didn’t think so.
Thats right, just when you thought we’d only do a few little indie films, we’ve taken a Toretto handbrake turn and gone straight to the man who basically IS the movie industry, back to the beginning of his incredibly influential, groundbreaking and frankly (when you actually look at it) astonishing career. He is perhaps, the GOAT. We’ll let you decide…on this podcast episode which is almost 2 hours long. Thats twice the length of any other episode we’ve done. Thats twice the movie goodness, twice the movie magic, and twice the er…twice the time it took to edit. But anyway, we’re here and excited to share our findings on the man himself, Mr Steven Spielberg, and his very first film, Duel (1971) about a man who is harassed by a truck driver. Yes you read that right. It might be the only film devoid of that Spielbergian magic. Even more of a reason to watch it.
We’ve also got an incredible short of the week, The Candidate (2010), by David Karlak. The keen eyed viewer might notice Meghan Markle, displaying her acting chops before she packed it in to became the Duchess of Sussex. Good job its a royally good little film.
Link to The Candidate here.
Happy listening.
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
#6 - Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station (2013)
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
Before ‘Wakanda Forever!’ made over a billion dollars, and before Rocky emerged out of the shadows promising this fight may actually be “my final fight kid”, Ryan Coogler wrote and directed his very first film, Fruitvale station, that premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize. It follows 22 year old Oscar Grant’s final day before being tragically shot by police on New Years Day, 2009. The pod are big fans of Coogler, and dove straight into the immensely deep level of craft and storytelling that make this excellent debut. So if you haven’t seen it, then pause re-watching emotional Rocky moments from Creed, and get ready for a great directorial debut.
We also cover two shorts in our shorts of the week! The First Men by Stacey Richter and (our pod favourite) Lifehack by Will Dennis. We also shine a light on Cooglers first short, Locks, which is well worth a watch. We also need to clarify, we definitely are not sponsored by Mubi. Just so you know. But Mubi, if you’re reading this, throw us some love for us and our listeners. Please. That is all.
Links to both shorts, and Locks by Ryan Coogler.
Locks directed by Ryan Coogler.
The First Men directed by Benjamin Kegan based on a short story by Stacey Richter
Lifehack directed by Will Dennis
Thanks for listening, enjoy.
(Mubi, DM us and we’ll chat)
Sunday Jun 23, 2019
#5 - Jonah Hill - Mid90's (2018)
Sunday Jun 23, 2019
Sunday Jun 23, 2019
Jonah Hill has gone from screaming at McLovin in Superbad for getting a dodgy fake ID, to working alongside some of the greatest actors and directors currently working. And now, he's going all the way back to the Mid90's, to make his film, Mid90's. Despite our immense lack of skateboarding skills, the trio attempt to kickflip, grind and roll through his directorial debut, which stars mostly unknown actors cruising through 90's Los Angeles to some pretty damn good music. There's much more to it however, so plug in, blow the dust off your Tony Hawk skateboard and try your best to do that pop-shove-it you spent your childhood trying to nail on Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2.
Tuesday May 14, 2019
#4 - Jim Cummings - Thunder Road (2018)
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Well haven’t we got a great episode for you! We dive into a much loved film of the YNFYF community, Thunder Road (2018) by recent producer turned director Jim Cummings. Jim is somewhat of a new breed of filmmaker, tearing down the old walls of Hollywood and democratising filmmaking. We find him exceptionally motivating, as he advises you to grab your own camera, make your own film, and distribute it yourself.
We’re big fans of this film, so the excitement levels are particularly high on this episode. And whats that? A new voice? Our film friend Louis joins us to explore Thunder Road, bringing his own brand of boundless positivity and wheezey laughs that you can’t help but crack a little smile at. He isn’t all laughs and smiles though; his own commentary and insightful thoughts gave us a run for our money, as the four of us pulled apart what makes this debut so great.
We also have a special surprise. This is the first time we can (technically) claim an actual director came on the podcast. Jim Cummings himself, of Thunder Road fame, intro’d his very own episode after we briefly met him at a screening of Thunder Road. We’re very thankful Jim; you keep making the films, we’ll keep buying the popcorn.
Wednesday May 08, 2019
#3 - Damien Chazelle - Guy and Madeline On A Park Bench (2009)
Wednesday May 08, 2019
Wednesday May 08, 2019
Do you feel like dancing? Because we're bobbing away to Damien Chazelles debut feature film Guy and Madeline On A Park bench. If you've ever wondered what La La Land looks like on a low-budget, look no further than this first film. Following a similar story of a guy and a girl (spoiler, Madeline) just trying to work it out to the backing of some catchy jazz tunes, Chazelles first feature solidifies his love for music and filmmaking, whilst showing just what you can do on a low budget. Listen as we break this obscure first film apart, whilst also shouting out to some short films in our shorts of the week section. Happy listening.
Tuesday Apr 30, 2019
#2 - Joseph Gordon Levitt - Don Jon (2013)
Tuesday Apr 30, 2019
Tuesday Apr 30, 2019
Join us on our second ride, as we cut to the heart of Joseph Gordon Levitts directorial debut, Don Jon. Having been in the acting scene for a while, JGL's debut was a refreshing story about a man struggling with porn addiction. But, as we uncover, the movie is about so much more.
The usual Shorts of The Week section covers short films you should be watching - as well as a tangental conversation into whether Bad Times At The El Royale has a story or not.
Happy listening.
Tuesday Apr 23, 2019
#1 - Jordan Peele - Get Out (2017)
Tuesday Apr 23, 2019
Tuesday Apr 23, 2019
Join us in our very first episode, where we explore one of the more recent directorial debuts of our time, Get Out (2017). Written and directed by Jordan Peele, and, unless you missed us shouting out to Jason Blumhouse multiple times, produced by Blumhouse productions. We dive into the bits and bobs of this film with varying degrees of success, but always trying our best to make sure you take away something that you might have missed at the cineplex. Such as the 'plastic' category at The Oscars (you'll understand when you listen).
We'll also be doing our usual 'Vimeo Shorts of The Week' where we pick 1 or 2 shorts from Vimeo that we've all seen, and give them a quick run-down for you to check out.
Enjoy, and happy listening.
PS: It's our first ep, so go easy...