Far From Ideal

For Christmas we put our money where our mouths are and design the perfect Christmas film. Complete with: Muppets, time travel, at least three different flavours of Santa and so much more. Yule love it.

After thousands of hours of campaigns, adaptations, video games and more Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves finally cracked it as a mainstream film offering that didn’t play like Jeremy Irons trapped in a nightmare about a PS2 generated dragon. Michael Silver joins us to delve into everything D&D in a tight half an hour where we still have time to detour into discussing: The Truman Show, Free Guy, The Witcher and Critical Role.

.This week, we talk about all things Tim Burton: the art, the movies, and the man behind the macabre. From Beetlejuice to Big Fish, we dig into how Burton built an entire universe out of being an oddball and why his “weird” still hits decades later. Plus, Hannah’s thoughts on the Design Museum exhibit and whether his magic has faded or just evolved.#timburton #FilmAnalysis #MovieTalk #BurtonExhibition #Filmmaking #Cinematography #PopCulture #ArtAndFilm

.This week we welcome writer, director, and creative producer Ali Clifton for a deep dive into the future of James Bond. With Denis Villeneuve confirmed as the next director, what does that mean for the tone of 007? Is Villeneuve prepared to do away with his entire identity asa filmmaker and return to the camp roots of Bond? Is a period piece an option? Or will Amazon decide that more dollars can be wrung from a TV series?We also break down casting predictions, from the bookmakers' favourite Aaron Taylor-Johnson to unexpected contenders like Cosmo Jarvis and debate what really makes someone “Bond good-looking.” Then we go off piste: Bond School, multiverse Bonds, or even Bond as a villain. #FarFromIdealPodcast #JamesBond #AliClifton #007 #Bond25 #NextBond #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion #DenisVilleneuve #BondPredictions #FilmPodcast

.We are very lucky to be joined by Emily Manthei, the writer/director of Berlin Loop, an independent film set in Berlin that sees a young woman take on Berlin’s bike thief mafia using a time loop. Getting into her influences and inspirations for the film we range through all the time loop classics, from Groundhog Day to Primer, Palm Springs, Looper and more. Emily’s extensive research even pushes us to discuss the world outside of film, from the poetic Italian physics of Carlo Rovelli’s The Order of Time to metaphysics and consciousness studies. #berlinloop #timeloops #emilymanthei #looper #groundhogday #primer #theorderoftimeEmily Manthei @filmsbyemilymanthei & @berlin_loop_film on IG - https://www.emilymanthei.com/

This week we’re asking big questions about the world of documentaries: what is the relationship between observer and subject? what is truth? What’s up with Love is Blind? Yes our in depth conversation about documentaries and the streaming era gets sidetracked extensively into talking about reality TV. In a wide ranging conversation we go from Making a Murderer to Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Love is Blind to Marina Abramović and The Traitors to The Jinx. Is Making a Murderer the blueprint for everything in the streaming era? What happens when a documentary becomes just recycled news in HD? And why do we all keep watching these toxic dating shows?#loveisblind #marriedatfirstsight #neflixdocumentaries #thetraitors #makingamurdererMusic by https://www.bensound.comLicense code: FETENTCZJKOUUJFNArtist: : Marcus P.

This week, we dive headfirst into the world of film and TV openings - not just the flashy first scenes, but the often-skipped opening titles that set the tone, build the world, and occasionally warn you that things are about to get weird. From the full credit crawls of 1940s Hollywood to the sleek, skippable sequences of prestige TV, we break down how intros have evolved, what makes a great one unforgettable, and why fonts can make or break a first impression.We talk Dexter, Succession, Napoleon Dynamite, The Sopranos, Westworld, Moon, BoJack Horseman, True Blood, The Simpsons, and more - plus our favourite films ever: Barbie and The Meg 2.Whether you’re the type to always hit “skip intro” or someone who rewatches the Futurama title card for the hundredth time, this one’s for you.@farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

Equal parts Brideshead Revisited, The Talented Mr Ripley and Kind Hearts and Coronets - a dash of 2000s public school aesthetic - two oversaturated white boys - the joy of Rosamund Pike and Richard E Grant - 1 cup filthy bathwater. This week’s episode features a deconstructed Saltburn served on a bed of disappointment and with a sharp finish of new Harry Potter casting news. #saltburn #barrykeoghan #jacobelordi @farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

Making a film entirely in one shot is surely one of the most masochistic exercises a filmmaker can undertake. And yet they persist! We cover everything from Hitchock’s classic Rope that mimics a single shot, the experimental and painfully boring foray into digital of Russian Arc, all the way through to the mainstream blockbusters of Birdman and 1917. Eventually we get to the work of Philip Barantini, the current master of the form with his film Boiling Point and recent Netflix limited series Adolescence dominating headlines.@farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

Damien Chazelle makes films about three things: music, filmmaking and toxic people single mindedly achieving their dreams while the rest of their lives crumble around them. Whether it’s an abusive jazz mentorship, a quest for a spot on the walk of fame or whatever the hell was going on in Babylon, there’s more than enough here to fulfill the Far From Ideal quota.Featuring a special guest appearance by Caroline Ullman. @farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

Fresh off this year’s Berlinale, Hannah takes us behind the scenes of Berlin’s premier film festival. We dive into all the hard hitting topics: the joys and existential horrors of networking, the mystery of “market screenings” (sadly not a cinema supermarket hybrid) and Berlin’s bleak February weather. In spite of that description, the podcast is still slightly more fun to listen to than Tolstoy. @farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

The rip roaring ride that was the 97th Academy Awards has come and Hannah is hearing about it all for the first time! The sweep for Sean Baker and Anora, the history-making moments for Flow (first Latvian winner), Paul Tazewell (first black man to win Best Costume Design) and Emilia Perez (worst speech ever). We absolutely don’t cover it all this time because another two hour episode would be egregious but we certainly cover some things a bit. Featuring very special guest Ilana Francis.@farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube

What happens when a celebrated French director makes a Spanish language opera about a Mexican cartel leader’s gender transition journey? You get the cinematic… film that is Emilia Perez, a movie that has garnered the second most Oscar nominations of all time while also being one of the most masochistic viewing experiences imaginable. Join us this week as we attempt to make some sort of sense of Emilia Perez. @farfromidealpod on Instagram@FarFromIdealPodcast on YouTube