Stinking Pause Podcast

Episode 204 - Southern Comfort (1981) "I got news for you. He's nuts. I mean really fuckin' nuts." directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/… Join Scott and Antony as as they take a deep dive into Walter Hill’s 1981 atmospheric survival thriller, Southern Comfort. Often hailed as a gripping allegory for the Vietnam War set against the claustrophobic backdrop of the Louisiana bayou, this gritty masterpiece remains a masterclass in escalating tension and primal paranoia.

Barely Believable: The Cheeky Genius of Some Like It Cool (1961) patreon.com/posts/bonus-ep… Long before he was directing Charles Bronson in gritty action thrillers, British filmmaker Michael Winner decided to try his hand at something a little more exposed. The result was the 1961 "nudie-cutie" comedy, Some Like It Cool. With a title blatantly winking at Marilyn Monroe’s cinematic classic, this film was essentially a clever, bare-bottomed loophole. In 1960s Britain, the censors were notoriously strict about on-screen nudity, but they inexplicably gave a free pass to "wholesome, educational" naturist documentaries. Winner saw a golden opportunity, and a wonderfully flimsy piece of low-budget cinema was born. #reelbritannia #movie #britmovie #podcast #michaelwinner #somelikeitcool #bonusepisode #patreon

GREGORY'S GIRL 1981) patreon.com/posts/gregorys… This month we look at Bill Forsyth's breakthrough hit. John Gordon Sinclair is superb as the lanky Gregory but who exactly IS his girl? And what happened to the penguin? And all hail Chic Murray! With Scott Phipps from @rbritanniapod

Episode 193 - Taste Of Fear (1961) directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/… Taste of Fear, released in 1961 and also known in some territories as Scream of Fear, is one of those wonderfully chilly British thrillers that shows just how much tension can be created without a drop of gore. Directed by Seth Holt for Hammer Films, it stands slightly apart from the studio’s more famous horror output of the period. Instead of Gothic castles, vampires and lurid supernatural shocks, this is a sleek, sinister psychological suspense picture, elegant and unsettling in equal measure. It remains one of Hammer’s smartest and most stylish thrillers: tense, clever, beautifully made, and full of quiet menace from the first frame to the last. #podcast #movie #hammer #hammerhorror #britmovie #christopherlee #reelbritannia

Barely Believable: The Cheeky Genius of Some Like It Cool (1961) patreon.com/posts/bonus-ep… Long before he was directing Charles Bronson in gritty action thrillers, British filmmaker Michael Winner decided to try his hand at something a little more exposed. The result was the 1961 "nudie-cutie" comedy, Some Like It Cool. With a title blatantly winking at Marilyn Monroe’s cinematic classic, this film was essentially a clever, bare-bottomed loophole. In 1960s Britain, the censors were notoriously strict about on-screen nudity, but they inexplicably gave a free pass to "wholesome, educational" naturist documentaries. Winner saw a golden opportunity, and a wonderfully flimsy piece of low-budget cinema was born. #reelbritannia #movie #britmovie #podcast #michaelwinner #somelikeitcool #bonusepisode #patreon

"If you must play these filthy games, do them in your homes, and not in my classroom!" Episode 192 - To Sir With Love (1967) directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… Set against the vibrant, swinging backdrop of 1960s London, To Sir, With Love is a timeless feel-good classic that radiates warmth and optimism. The film stars the legendary Sidney Poitier as Mark Thackeray, an unemployed engineer who takes a temporary teaching position at a rough-and-tumble East End school. At first, the situation seems impossible. The students are rowdy, rebellious, and determined to drive their new teacher away just as they did the others. But Thackeray refuses to quit. In a pivotal, triumphant moment, he literally throws the textbooks into the bin and changes the rules. He decides to treat these "delinquents" not as children, but as adults, demanding nothing but mutual respect and dignity. What follows is a delightful transformation. Through honest conversations about life, survival, and personal pride—and a charming class trip to a museum—the friction melts into friendship. The students, including the tough Denham and the spirited Peg, begin to blossom, realizing that Thackeray is the champion they never knew they needed. The film culminates in the iconic end-of-term dance, a scene overflowing with joy and 60s style. When Lulu takes the stage to belt out the soaring title track, it captures the emotional peak of the story perfectly. It is a celebration of growth, gratitude, and the human connection. Ultimately, To Sir, With Love is a shining reminder that patience and kindness can change lives, leaving the audience cheering for the teacher who taught his students how to face the world.

"Well, I... I don't know how to answer you, except to say that I teach you truths. My truths. Yeah, and it is kinda scary, dealing with the truth. Scary, and dangerous..." Coming Soon: To Sir With Love (1967) All episodes available at: directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… #podcast #movie #reelbritannia #britmovie #sidneypoitier

patreon.com/posts/episode-… "I got news for you. He's nuts. I mean really fuckin' nuts." Join Scott and Antony as as they take a deep dive into Walter Hill's 1981 atmospheric survival thriller, Southern Comfort. Often hailed as a gripping allegory for the Vietnam War set against the claustrophobic backdrop of the Louisiana bayou, this gritty masterpiece remains a masterclass in escalating tension and primal paranoia.

Welcome once again to the official @TalkingPicsTV podcast, the podcast that is dedicated to the nations favourite archive TV and movie channel. directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… As usual we have enlisted the help of you, the viewers and once again, you have come up trumps with sending in your thoughts and your reviews of what is coming up on the channel over the next three weeks. In this month's episode we have duchesses, Dracula and a disaster movie. Frankenstein , fraudulent seances and fearless giant killers. We are also joined by our friends from the Reel Britannia podcast @rbritanniapod with their favourites from all the cracking movies and tv shows coming up in March.

"Well, I... I don't know how to answer you, except to say that I teach you truths. My truths. Yeah, and it is kinda scary, dealing with the truth. Scary, and dangerous..." Coming Soon: To Sir With Love (1967) All episodes avilable at: directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… #podcast #movie #reelbritannia #britmovie #sidneypoitier

Putting on my movie review trousers, I joined @scophi to look at one of the hundreds of little-known gems in film history. The ‘weekend warriors’ hit a spot of bother when they underestimate the primitive locals (so nothing like Vietnam…) Enjoy! directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/…

Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies. directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… Directed by Bryan Forbes and based on the novel by Lynne Reid Banks, The L-Shaped Room is a quintessential example of British "kitchen sink" realism. The film tells the poignant story of Jane Fosset (played by Leslie Caron in a BAFTA-winning performance), a young French woman who arrives in London unmarried and pregnant—a precarious social position in the early 1960s.

patreon.com/posts/bonus-ep… Released in 1963, The L-Shaped Room stands as a poignant pillar of the British "kitchen sink realism" movement, offering a stark yet deeply empathetic look at social isolation and the search for belonging. The story follows Jane, a young Frenchwoman portrayed with luminous vulnerability by Leslie Caron, who finds herself pregnant and alone in London. Seeking a place to retreat from the judgmental gaze of society, she moves into a cramped, bug-infested L-shaped attic room in a dilapidated boarding house in Notting Hill.

"You've had eight over the eight, you lovely bit of crumpet, you!" directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/… Directed by Bryan Forbes and based on the novel by Lynne Reid Banks, The L-Shaped Room is a quintessential example of British "kitchen sink" realism. The film tells the poignant story of Jane Fosset (played by Leslie Caron in a BAFTA-winning performance), a young French woman who arrives in London unmarried and pregnant—a precarious social position in the early 1960s. Seeking anonymity, Jane moves into a bug-ridden boarding house in Notting Hill. Her room, grim and L-shaped, becomes the center of her new life among a community of social outcasts. Her neighbors include Mavis, an aging vaudeville performer; Johnny, a black jazz musician facing prevalent racism; and distinctively, Toby (Tom Bell), a struggling, cynical writer. The core of the narrative focuses on the tentative, blossoming romance between Jane and Toby. As they find solace in one another amidst the squalor, Jane grapples with whether to undergo an abortion or keep the child. However, the relationship is built on a fragile foundation of silence; Jane hides her pregnancy from Toby, fearing rejection. When the truth inevitably surfaces, Toby’s struggle to accept another man's child exposes the limitations of his love and the harsh moral judgements of the era. Ultimately, the film is a sensitive character study rather than a traditional romance. It tackles then-taboo subjects—illegitimacy, race, and sexuality—with remarkable nuance. The story concludes on a bittersweet note of independence: Jane chooses to keep her baby but leaves the L-shaped room and Toby behind, departing not as a victim, but as a woman who has found the strength to face the future on her own terms.

patreon.com/posts/bonus-ep… Bonus Episode - Checkered Flags and Domestic Snags: The Race for the Rank Carry On Cabby (1963) The 1963 classic Carry On Cabby marks a delightful turning point in the beloved franchise, trading the usual historical parodies for a high-octane battle of the sexes set in the streets of London. The story revolves around Charlie Hawkins, a workaholic taxi fleet owner who treats his cab company, Speedee Taxis, like his firstborn child. Charlie is played with grumpy charm by Sidney James, whose idea of a romantic evening is checking the oil levels in a Hillman Minx. Neglected and tired of being stuck at home while her husband spends every waking hour at the garage, his long-suffering wife Peggy, played by the incomparable Hattie Jacques, decides to take matters into her own hands.

patreon.com/posts/coming-s… Coming soon Episode 191 - The L Shaped Room (1962) Released in 1962, The L-Shaped Room is a cornerstone of the British "kitchen sink realism" movement, offering a poignant and unvarnished look at social isolation in post-war London. Directed by Bryan Forbes, the story follows Jane, a young French woman portrayed by Leslie Caron, who finds herself pregnant and alone in a city that feels increasingly indifferent to her plight. Seeking to escape the judgment of her bourgeois upbringing, she retreats to a bug-infested, run-down boarding house in Notting Hill. Her room is small, oddly shaped, and tucked away at the very top of the building—a physical manifestation of her cramped and precarious social standing. The heart of the film lies in the makeshift family Jane discovers within the peeling walls of the rooming house. She finds herself surrounded by a collection of outcasts who, like her, exist on the margins of polite society. This includes Toby, a struggling and frustrated writer; Mavis, a retired music-hall performer living on her memories; and Johnny, a jazz musician navigating the racial prejudices of the era. As Jane grapples with the complexities of her pregnancy and the looming decisions regarding her future, she enters into a tender but volatile romance with Toby. Their relationship is built on a shared sense of displacement, yet it remains constantly threatened by the secrets Jane keeps and the harsh economic realities of their environment. Ultimately, the film masterfully captures the transition of the early 1960s, balancing the bleakness of poverty with a burgeoning sense of emotional liberation. It explores the stigma of "illegitimacy" and the limited agency granted to women at the time without descending into cheap melodrama. Instead, it remains a grounded character study that asks whether genuine connection can be found in a world designed to keep people in their place.

patreon.com/posts/bonus-ep… Join Scott as he continues his journey through the history of the saucy British sex comedy and his thoughts on a movie that's campy, colourful, and about as erotic as a bowl of lukewarm porridge. The Nudist Story is a delightful relic of a time when the ultimate rebellion was simply forgetting your trousers in the name of "vitality." It is 100% wholesome, 0% clothed, and 1,000% certain to make you appreciate the invention of the padded chair. It remains a fascinating peek into a world where the only thing more rigid than the social etiquette was the commitment to getting an even tan.

Coming soon - kitchen sink drama with Tom Bell and Leslie Caron in 'The L Shaped Room' (1962) directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/…

Cheers Ian 😀

patreon.com/posts/talking-… Once again, the Reel Britannia crew were proud to be part of the official @TalkingPicsTV podcast this month. Why not take a listen as @scophi , Steven, @HalWalker and Mark share their recommendations of the best of what is being screened over the next few weeks on the nation's favourite archive TV and movie channel.