Episode 99: The Netflix Christmas Universe

Things get festive at Nerdfest HQ, as Louise returns with tidings of comfort and joy … and the Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe… It’s a thing!

Our ‘Film Buff or Film Bluff’ quiz includes eclectic puzzlers about horror villains, Les Miserables, whether Gromit and K-9 are related, and Wilson ‘Kingpin’ Fisk (for no reason, no reason at all).

All that, and we tackle a listener question about the best fourth film in a series.

So settle down with some mince pies and a selection box, and travel with us to a non-specific fictional European country through the medium of your favourite podcast player: https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/cc19c79596feb7ed863acd163459251a

Episode 98: Jon Ranks Tom Hanks

Its a bumper recommendations special this episode, as we talk about legacy sequel “Ghostbusters AfterlIfe”, Apple’s Tom-Hanks-with-a-robot movie “Finch”, magical dark nostalgia treat “Last Night In Soho”, the new TV incarnation of “Chucky” and the “Hawkeye” comics which the new Disney+ series draws heavily from.

And Jon takes it upon himself to personally rate Tom Hanks’ career.

Sorry, Tom.

Add us to your favourite pod-player here: pod.link/1322410403

Episode 97: Live 24/7

Is anything real? Should we accept this reality? These are the questions on Hazel’s mind as she faces up to her umpteenth Shameful Gap: The Truman Show.

Before that, there’s more reality twisting in our Buff or Bluff quiz. Andy gets creative by dreaming up a plot for a Mubi-worthy movie, whilst Kerris gets her teeth into some trivia about ‘The Lost Boys’. Peter offers 3 creepy and kooky facts about ‘The Addams Family’, and Hazel celebrates the return of live improv by inventing an improvised scene.

And finally, Jon stays on brand by coming up with some monstrous facts about Frankenstein-related movies.

https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/4d3d496da5f2b0ab093b62086ee22bfa

Episode 96: Halloween (Not that one, the other one!)

 Spooky greetings! Join the Nerdfest gang as we celebrate Halloween with our unique bag of tricks and treats.

Have you played ‘Squid Game’ yet? Peter has, and lives to tell the tale with his review of the Netflix sleeper hit. Hazel navigates the desert to bring you her review of sci fantasy epic ‘Dune’. It’s not what she was expecting at all… Andy enthuses about one of the highlights of the BFI film festival, with a review of Celine Sciamma’s beautiful new drama, ‘Petite Maman’

And finally Jon bucks the recommendations format, yet again, by describing his issues with the latest in the Halloween franchise, ‘Halloween Kills.’ But not before an impressive rundown of where each Halloween movie since 1978 falls in the timeline. Honestly, it’s worth listening to the episode just for that….31 Oct 2021 · 53 minutes.

https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/05c33580bb64aab39743b440ad6dcb11

Episode 95: The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down

Kerris returns to the podcast to tell us all about her membership of a most excellent Keanu Reeves movie club, and jumps her Shameful Gap in his back catalogue of the movie “Speed”.

We play Film Buff or Film Bluff (with three stories, one of which is false) on “Speed”, the “Tekken” videogame, plots for films you won’t believe exist and some ridiculously dark stories about the Muppets.

And finally Dan has a quiz about movie teenagers, and the (much older) actors who played them!

Here’s how to catch us in your favourite podcast player: https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/9c81b51ca3dfeb8c4ea9500737d20452

Episode 94: Who, What!?! and Y

Join Jon, Ian, Dan and Peter this week, as the nerds discuss the return of Russell T Davies to ‘Doctor Who’, and delve into some great new recommendations for you.

Peter levels up with Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer as we talk about ‘Free Guy’, now streaming on Disney+. Dan goes to stay at the ‘White Lotus’, while Ian compares classic comic ‘Y: The Last Man’ to its new TV adaptation. And Jon? Well, Jon goes nuts and has a ball as he explores the latest Nic Cage opus, ‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’, (a.k.a “the one where his TESSSSTICULL explodes”)

Add us to your favourite podcast player with one of these links https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/1ac566e85f52b2570cbf795780c1a6a6

Episode 93: Robot Chef Wars

After discussing the exciting contents of trailers released for “Last Night In Soho” and “The Matrix Resurrections” this week, we get down to business with our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz.

This week we discuss cinematic firsts, and the original titles of movies that have been renamed, plus Jon causes a stir with his blend of ‘animal magic’ facts. Andy makes some unusual noises, and Ian has what can be best described as a “random facts explosion” including how a Mandarin dictionary inspired a “Choose your own adventure” series (or did it?), and we learn all about what an “Iron Chef” really is. (Not a robot- disappointingly)

That’s not all – we also have Round 2 of “Answer Smash”, where our nerds have to smash two movie answers together from Hazel’s cryptic clues.

Links to find us in your favourite podcast apps are here: https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/72872e996d837063649468cc00efe356

The following chapter images were all used under license from Freestock.com:

old-books, cute-turtle, movie-clapperboard, female-hand-emerging-crumpled-paper-pile, electronic-music-instruments, businessman-hiding-question-mark

Episode 92: Clash Of The Nerds

After a small hiatus for a nerd wedding, we’re back with an entire feast of TV and film recommendations for you.

Ian Mac drums home the merits of “Count me In”, a new Netflix documentary featuring rock’s greatest drummers. Kerris takes a sip of “Brand New Cherry Flavor”, a mind bending limited series set in early 90s Hollywood. Peter ponders the question, “What If?” And purely coincidentally, he reviews Marvel’s latest TV offering of the same name. Andy enthuses about the Ray Harryhausen exhibition he and Hazel visited on their honeymoon. Which leads the nerds down an animated memory lane of one of the industry’s most influential creators. And Hazel heads comes in from the Cold War to review “The Courier”, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch’s salesman turned MI6 spy.

But that’s not all! Andy has a brilliant cryptic film quiz that gets all the nerds thinking outside of the box.

https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/ca47e17ed6bd88d63c568e4734a4f4b3

Episode 91: XXX Men

We welcome Ian and Kerris back on the pod for an episode overflowing with quizziness. The nerds test each other with Buff or Bluffs about “On-Set Pranks”, “Movie World Records”, “Horror Icons”, “Sony Tech” and a quite astonishing alternative take on the X-Men, and Dan has a bonus quiz about some of the strangest ever ‘notes from the studio’.

If that wasn’t enough, Ian’s been watching great documentaries on pioneering hip hop improvisers “Freestyle Love Supreme” and the darker side of child stardom.

All of that in just one episode, we hope you enjoy it (just don’t Google for Vin Diesel movies!)

https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/89ae4e46c1b349d6b879e63c745e5097

Episode 90: Censor And Sensibility

We got in a bit of trouble from Mary Whitehouse’s ghost after last week’s episode, so this week we have a completely clean show that’s not rude at all*
In fact, Jon takes things so far as to review the film “Censor” which is all about how we can best oppose modernism, and build more vernacular architecture. It’s DEFINITELY not about 1980s video nasties.

In other recommendations, Dan presents genre bending, time twisting, alternative history novel “The Kingdoms”. and sings the praises of documentary “1971: The Year that Music Changed Everything”.

Peter treads a very fine line by explaining “Why Women Kill”, the second season of which is coming soon to Alibi.

Andy generously gets “Another Round” in, a brilliant Oscar winning Danish drama made by Thomas Vinterburg and starring Mads Mikkelsen.

And Hazel reviews the action-packed “Black Widow”, Marvel’s first cinematic release in two years.

*not actually true… not even close!

https://pod.link/1322410403/episode/cf74a09833aed35fcfc7d23584d040fd