We're back for part 2 of our Kathryn Bigelow theatrical retrospective! Things get a little heated on this episode with divided opinions between Steven, Benjamin and Sean as we discuss a more drama-focused and historically themed selection of movies from our beloved Bigelow, including; The Weight of Water (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), The Hur…

In this episode of our 2024 Kathryn Bigelow Marathon we are finally touching base with arguably the biggest success in her career, The Hurt Locker. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about whether this movie is Bigelow unfiltered, how her views on masculinity and genre have evolved over time and how her professional relations…

In this episode of the show we are once more catching up with our ongoing Spike Lee project and this time we are talking about his 2013 remake of the cult classic Oldboy. Over the course of our chat you will hear us talk about the many possible reasons why Spike Lee would end up attracted to this project, how his vision may have differed from what …

In this episode of our sprawling Spike Lee Retrospective we are talking about Miracle at St. Anna. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us wonder if this movie signifies a shift in Spike Lee's interests, how it could be seen as Lee's The Longest Day and whether it functions as a pre-eminent war drama capable of standing toe to toe with…

In this episode of the show we conclude our September journey through John Wayne's post=Western career by talking about Brannigan. Over the course of our chat you will hear us talk about how after resisting for so long, The Duke decided to lean into the Dirty Harry craze, how getting him out of the country might have given him an opportunity to act…

It's Steven's choice for our latest director deep-dive and this time he has picked Kathryn Bigelow! With numerous accolades to her name, a filmography that runs the gamut from iconic cult horror to Oscar winning war drama, and one of the finest action directors of a generation, Bigelow has long been a high ranking filmmaker for the three of us at F…

In this episode of the show we are discussing the 1968 Hellfighters starring John Wayne. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us wonder about John Wayne trying to find new avenues for himself in an increasingly post-western movie landscape, sticking to an all-American hero in a red onesie, and going out on location for a change to put …

In this special bonus episode we are joined by our great friend Hillary to talk about John Wayne and his two westerns, True Grit and Rooster Cogburn. Over the course of our chat you will hear us talk about John Wayne making movies of the old while the world was moving on, whether True Grit is even a western and if Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper ad…

In this episode of the show we are beginning our September with the Old Duke, a short survey of movies John Wayne made when he got older. This week we talk about McQ, a movie where The Duke tried to catch up to the stoic silent cop movies like Dirty Harry and Bullitt. In our conversation you will hear us talk about movies being written around John …

In this episode of our 2024 Spike Lee Retrospective we are touching base with Inside Man. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk at length about Spike Lee in the mid-2000s, Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor playing good cop-bad cop, Clive Owen's brief moment in the limelight and the idea of bringing New York together as a me…

In this episode of the show we are once again reconnecting with Spike Lee as we are talking about She Hate Me. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us try to deconstruct this movie and identify its beating heart within in its complex structure. So, we talk about paranoid corporate thrillers, sex comedies, Frank Capra movies and everyth…

Steven, Benjamin and Sean conclude their look at science fiction subgenres with an examination of the bizarre fascination with placing the noun ‘punk’ after various technological descriptors to create a subgenre within a subgenre for seemingly no other reason than superficial aesthetics. While Sean and Benjamin can barely contain their disdain for …

In this episode of the show we are marking Jakub's 40th birthday by talking about one of his favourite movies, James Cameron's True Lies. Over the course of our sprawling conversation you will hear us talk about how one of the highest-grossing movies of its year is somehow forgotten and whether its troubled hi-def release has had something to do wi…

In this episode of our ongoing 2024 Kathryn Bigelow Marathon we are talking about her submarine movie K-19: The Widowmaker. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk - after we dispense with attempting Russian accents, that is - about Bigelow making a turn towards prestige filmmaking, the parameters of a submarine movie and the conv…

In this episode of the show we are wrapping up our August deliberations about Ben Stiller in 1998 with a conversation about Jake Kasdan's Zero Effect. Over the course of our chat you will hear us bicker over whether this movie is a great gem or if it indeed has zero effect on the viewer, whether Jake Kasdan is a glorified nepo-baby and if Bill Pull…

For the second time this year, the Film Utopia Podcast breaks from its traditional show format of legacy movie coverage to discuss Alien: Romulus, the latest film in the long-running Alien franchise. Hot on the heels of an impressive opening weekend, the Fede Alvarez helmed entry is certainly making waves; both financially and critically. But opini…

In this very special episode of our show we have the immense pleasure to interview Neil LaBute, the writer and director of many great films, one of which happens to be Your Friends & Neighbors. We talk to him about the ins and outs of making an indie film in the 90s, the importance of rehearsing and the little annoyances of trying to get a movie ma…

In this episode of the show we are continuing our August conversations about Ben Stiller in 1998 and we are talking about the mostly forgotten gem written and directed by Neil LaBute, Your Friends & Neighbors. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the many ways in which this movie fits (or does not) in the 90s indie Hollyw…

On the penultimate episode of our science fiction subgenres series, we discuss all things alien invasion, contact with other worlds and alien abduction stories in movies; including some literary influences to the world of cinema. Join us as we talk our way through the early days of the genre in the 1950s and 1960s with the likes of The Day the Eart…

Here's a short teaser of our brand new Patreon-exclusive episode of Uncut Gems Tie-ins, a monthly series where we take a classic movie and connect it to a film discussed on our main show. In this podcast we are tying into our August conversations about movies Ben Stiller made in 1998 with a chat about his arguably biggest hit of the time, There's S…

In this episode of the show we are joined by two great guests, Hillary and Tony, to talk about Permanent Midnight, the first of four conversations about Ben Stiller movies from 1998. Over the course of our chat you will hear us talk about the way this movie handles the theme of addiction, how it could have leaned into one of its potentially interes…

In this episode of our ongoing 2024 Spike-a-Thon we are finally getting to his 2002 joint 25th Hour. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the many reasons why Spike Lee would have gravitated to David Benioff's book, how this movie tries to grapple with the looming spectre of 9/11 and how it speaks to all New Yorkers with …

In this episode of the show we are joined by our great buddy Jak to talk about Spike Lee's Bamboozled. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Spike Lee embracing consumer-based filmmaking tools, the film's complex satire on Hollywood and how it has been mostly misunderstood and hidden from view. We also talk about making ra…

In this episode of the show we are concluding our month-long male therapy session as we talk about Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Ferrara's stylistic and thematic relationship with Martin Scorsese, the movie being a journey towards spiritual catharsis, and rogue filmmaking. We also tal…

For part 5 of our Science Fiction Subgenres Series, Steven, Benjamin & Sean dive into the world of oppressive societies, shady governments and brutalist aesthetics with Dystopian set movies. We're calling it Utopia/Dystopia, though, despite struggling to identify a Utopia set narrative that isn't a dystopia in disguise! Join us as we talk all thing…

In this episode of the 2024 Kathryn Bigelow Marathon we are joined by our good buddy Jak to talk about The Weight of Water. Over the course of our conversation, which is arguably more interesting than the movie itself, you will hear us talk about possible reasons why this film came to exist in the first place, what may have drawn Bigelow to the pro…

In this episode of the show we are continuing our July debate about Men in Crisis as we take on a real humdinger of a movie, Steve McQueen's Shame. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie is equally something everyone should see and something everyone will wish to never see again, how Steve McQueen's meticulou…

Here's a short teaser of our brand new Patreon-exclusive episode of Uncut Gems Tie-ins, a monthly series where we take a classic movie and connect it to a film discussed on our main show. In this podcast we are tying into our month-long conversation about male mental health and men in crisis and we are talking about David Fincher's Fight Club. Over…

In this episode of the show we are beginning our July conversations on Men in Crisis, jumping directly off a month on Distressed Dads, and we commence with a great chat about The Art of Self-Defense. Over the course of our debate you will hear us talk about this movie fitting in the legacy of David Fincher's Fight Club, Jesse Eisenberg's awkward pr…

In part 4 of our Science Fiction sub-genres series, Steven Benjamin and Sean tackle the topic of "science out of control", or "machine over man", or "we've created something, and now it's going to kill us all"! Join us as we discuss our way through the tropes of the sub-genre and touch base with a wide variety of movies such as The Matrix, Fantasti…

In this episode of our ongoing 2024 Spike Lee project, we are diving deep into the 1999 Summer of Sam. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us speculate as to why Spike Lee chose to make this movie in particular, how it relates to his ongoing interests and whether it pauses the filmmaker's streak of activist black cinema, or maybe if i…

In this episode of the show we are adding a notch to our Spike Lee belt by talking about his mostly forgotten 90s piece, Get on the Bus. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Spike Lee playing with form, advancing his concepts of cinematic activism and whether a single-location movie like this could ever be conceived as a …

In this episode of the show we are closing our Distressed Father's Day month with a conversation about the 1977 revenge opus Rolling Thunder. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about dangers of pressing down one's emotional state, the power of a monosyllabic hero and how much meaning can possibly fit into a single line of dia…

In Part 3 of our Sci-fi sub-Genres in Film series, The FU trio dive into Space Opera – and spend much of the discussion debating precisely what defines the term, and what constitutes a Space Opera in the first place! From influential sci-fi authors of the 1940s, 50s 60s and 70s such as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and Philip K Dick, to the serials…

In this episode of our 2024 Kathryn Bigelow Marathon we are discussing her follow-up to Point Break, an audacious and wildly misunderstood Sci-Fi opus Strange Days. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us wonder why audiences failed to connect with this movie, how its immersive aesthetic works both in favour and against the idea of acc…

Archive Episode! Originally recorded and published in 2015 for our old podcast, Filmwerk. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality and editing efforts back then! Ahead of Mad Max: Fury Road, Steven, Benjamin & Sean dig deep into the George Miller created Mad Max movie franchise! From the trailblazing 1979 original, to the seminal sequel, M…

In this episode of the show we are discussing the 1972 film Rage directed and starring George C. Scott. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the many ways in which this film fits in the microtrend of revenge fantasies which sprouted across cinema of the 70s, how it adds to the legacy of anti-establishment paranoid thrille…

In this episode of the show we are embarking on a June trip through movies about distressed dads and all the bad decisions they make. And so we begin with the 1970 Joe and the 1974 Death Wish. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Peter Boyle's unique talent to look fifty-five when he was merely thirty-five, Charles Bronso…

At the time of preparing our latest Sci-fi Subgenres episode, ‘Post Apocalypse’, George Miller released his recent Mad Max spin-off; Furiosa. As we’re all big Miller and Mad Max fans here and also, as Furiosa is topical to our last main show episode, Benjamin & Steven decided to have a chat and share their ever-so-slightly divided reaction to the A…

Steven, Benjamin & Sean continue their exploration of the many Science Fiction sub-genres with a discussion about Post Apocalyptic set movies – and have plenty of debate over what constitutes a Post Apocalypse Movie in the first place! From ‘Mad Max’ to ‘Children of Men’, with pit stops at ‘Akira’, ‘Wall-E’, ‘Waterworld’, the multiple ‘The Road War…

Here's a short teaser of our brand new Patreon-exclusive episode of Uncut Gems Tie-ins, a monthly series where we take a classic movie and connect it to a film discussed on our main show. In this episode of the show we are working our way to Father's Day in connection to the entire month of 70s dads making bad decisions which we will be exploring o…

In this episode of the show we are talking about Spike Lee's 1996 movie Girl 6. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how Spike Lee fits in the grand design of the 90s Indie Revival, what the movie has to say about Hollywood and whether some of the more recent scandals that shook the world are already touched on in detail …

This month we are discussing Spike Lee's 1998 outing He Got Game starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Spike Lee's directorial style meshing with the raw talent of athletes in front of the camera, Denzel Washington's fatherly mission and the importance of basketball as a social mob…

In this episode of the show we are joined by our great friend Sarah Buddery to talk about 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the sequel to Stanley Kubrick's eponymous 2001: A Space Odyssey. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the perils and woes of making a sequel to one of the greatest films of all time, adding context to …

Science Fiction! The Film Utopia Podcast summer project gets rolling with a wide look at the sub-genre of Time Travel in movies, from time machines to time loops, paradoxes to alternative histories. Steven, Benjamin & Sean talk about some of their favourite time travel movies, as well as the ins and outs of time travel as a story telling device and…

Here's a short teaser of our brand new Patreon-exclusive episode of Uncut Gems Tie-ins, a monthly series where we take a classic movie and connect it to a film discussed on our main show. In this podcast we are talking about the Stanley Kubrick-directed magnum opus 2001: A Space Odyssey in connection to our upcoming show about its 1984 sequel 2010:…

In this episode of the show we are once again joined by our buddy Rich Foster to talk about the third and final collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Peter Hyams - Enemies Closer. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about JCVD as an ageing action hero, the obscure universe of direct-to-video filmmaking and the many r…

In this episode of the show we are joined by the great Kevin and Erin from The Podcast That Wouldn't Die to talk about JCVD's second collaboration with Peter Hyams - Sudden Death. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie fits into the legacy of Die Hard, how JCVD wants to abandon his martial artist garb in favo…

Here's a short teaser of our brand new Patreon-exclusive episode of Uncut Gems Tie-ins, a monthly series where we take a classic movie and connect it to a film discussed on our main show. This month we are tying into our main show conversations about Peter Hyams by talking about his arguably first hit, Capricorn One. Over the course of our conversa…

Steven, Benjamin & Sean conclude their deep dive of iconic cult movie director Stuart Gordon with a thorough chin-wag about his latter filmography, from Castle Freak (1995) to Stuck (2007). The FU trio discover some hidden gems among these lesser known films and find themselves with differing opinions on others! Follow us on X Follow us on Instagra…