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Best Film Ever

Movie Podcast

Your new favourite transatlantic film review podcast, trawling through the blockbusters and critical darlings in search of the best film ever.

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  • 26 episodes
  • Avg 2 hr 58 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Wednesday · 1 hr 49 min

    Fantasy Football Draft (2026) - The BFE Patreon League

    Are you ready for some (fantasy) football? We're back with our Patrons once again and invited a returning special guest to join us to fill out the field We've got your BFE favourites - Ian, Liam, and KevDog, drafting live. We're also joined live by some of the BFE Patreon personalities, adding to the merriment and we've got a very special guest. It's a peak behind the curtain as you catch the BFE group just kicking it as we pretend we know what we're doing with Fantasy Football. In between bites of Pizza and Chicken Nuggets we provide commentary on the picks by our absent drafters - whether they're drafting remotely or letting the computer do the heavy lifting) There's pizza, banter, and a behind-the-scenes perspective that might help you know your BFE peeps a little bit better.

  • Tuesday · 2 hr 53 min

    Episode 347 - Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

    “All you motherfuckers are gonna pay.” Join Ian & Liam for our 347th episode as we climb into a beat-up car, head for Hollywood and return to the View Askewniverse for Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) — a film containing approximately seventeen thousand celebrity cameos, several decades’ worth of jokes that have aged with varying degrees of dignity, and considerably more discussion of internet commenters than anyone in 2001 could possibly have realised would become relevant. Megs isn’t with us this week — Justice invited her to join the girl gang and she immediately decided their road trip sounded considerably better than ours. Kev has gone to Hollywood to hunt down everyone who’s ever said anything mean about him on the internet. We tried to explain the scale of the task in 2026. He went anyway. This week we discuss: Are Jay and Silent Bob actually big enough characters to carry an entire movie? They work brilliantly wandering through the background of Kevin Smith's other films, but what happens when the supporting act suddenly has to become the main event? Is the road trip the worst part of this road trip movie? The strange thing about Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is that it seems to get more entertaining the closer it gets to abandoning its actual plot. We ask whether everything involving getting to Hollywood is simply standing between us and the movie we really want to watch. The more meta it gets, the more fun we're having — once Ben Affleck starts explaining the View Askewniverse, actors start playing themselves, Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season appears and Kevin Smith begins openly taking the piss out of his own career, the film suddenly finds another gear. Kevin Smith celebrates his own cinematic universe years before Marvel made everybody obsessed with cinematic universes — characters, actors, locations and jokes from across his previous films all collide here. Is Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back effectively the Avengers: Endgame of dick and fart jokes? We've aged out of this movie. But is that actually the movie's fault? There are jokes here that probably would have destroyed us twenty years ago and now generate rather more complicated reactions. Does no longer being the target audience make Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back a bad film — or did we simply make a questionable choice reviewing it in our forties? Jason Mewes finally gets the entire stage — Jay has always been loud, crude and ridiculous, but can Mewes turn that into a character we actually want to follow for 100 minutes? And then there's Silent Bob — Kevin Smith gives himself considerably less dialogue but considerably more responsibility. Does the Jay/Bob dynamic still work when the film can't simply deploy them for five minutes and move on? What exactly did they say to Carrie Fisher? Princess Leia turns up as a nun, picks up two hitchhikers and finds herself involved in exactly the kind of joke you imagine her agent having several questions about. We investigate how on Earth Kevin Smith got her into this movie. The cameos become an entire storytelling language — Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Mark Hamill, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Jon Stewart and seemingly everybody Kevin Smith had ever met. Which ones still absolutely kill, and when does recognising somebody become the joke? Mark Hamill versus Cock-Knocker — because if you've somehow convinced Luke Skywalker to appear in your film, obviously you give him an enormous fist and make him fight Silent Bob. The internet stuff has aged strangely well — the specific websites may have changed, but people anonymously saying horrible things about strangers online certainly haven't. Was Kevin Smith accidentally making a movie about the next quarter-century of internet culture? The women of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — Justice and the diamond thieves give the film something resembling an emotional storyline, but how well does that entire section survive a 2026 viewing? Kevin Smith making a movie for Kevin Smith fans — there's almost no attempt to make this accessible to somebody walking into the View Askewniverse for the first time. Is that self-indulgence, or exactly why the film works when it works? And finally, whether Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is the Best Film Ever — or a film we might have absolutely adored at 22 and have made the potentially catastrophic decision to revisit at 47. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • Monday · 1 hr 11 min

    See It Or Skip It? - The End of Oak Street

    FIRST 34:30: Spoiler-Free Review with our See It/Skip It Verdict AFTER 34:30: Full Spoiler Review It’s another edition of See It or Skip It and this time Ian is joined by James as they head to The End of Oak Street — David Robert Mitchell’s strange new collision of suburban family drama, science-fiction mystery and dinosaur-filled survival adventure. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor lead the Platt family, whose perfectly ordinary neighbourhood suddenly finds itself ripped out of suburbia and deposited somewhere very, very different. But does throwing a family, their house and apparently their entire street into the impossible make for a thrilling original blockbuster — or is The End of Oak Street trying to cram too many different movies into the same 99 minutes? Ian and James dig into whether Mitchell — the filmmaker behind It Follows — can make the leap into big-budget spectacle without losing the sense of unease and mystery that made his earlier work so distinctive. Does the film actually have something interesting to say about family, home and what happens when everything familiar is suddenly stripped away? Or are we really just here to watch Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor run away from dinosaurs? How well do Hathaway and McGregor sell the central family dynamic? Do Maisy Stella and Christian Convery give the younger Platts enough personality of their own? And when the film finally starts explaining exactly what has happened to Oak Street, does the answer make the mystery more satisfying — or was wondering what the hell was going on more fun than actually finding out? The pair also get into the film’s action, Michael Giacchino’s score, its use of IMAX-scale spectacle and that wonderfully odd mixture of Spielbergian adventure, creature feature and domestic drama. Is this the kind of original studio blockbuster people keep insisting Hollywood doesn’t make anymore — and, if so, will audiences actually turn up when somebody finally makes one? Can a movie about a suburban family transported into the unknown balance genuine emotional stakes with the simple pleasure of DINOSAURS? Does David Robert Mitchell successfully go big without losing what makes his filmmaking interesting? And perhaps most importantly: once your entire street has been transported through space and time, does the homeowners’ association still have jurisdiction? All this and more in this week’s See It or Skip It review of The End of Oak Street — and of course, Ian and James will let you know if you should SEE IT or SKIP IT.

  • September 1 · 3 hr 57 min

    Episode 346 - Children of Men

    “As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in.” Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 346th episode as we head into the bleak, terrifyingly plausible Britain of 2027 for Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men (2006). Humanity hasn’t produced a child in eighteen years, society is collapsing, Britain has become an authoritarian state, and Clive Owen would really just like everyone to leave him alone. Kev isn’t with us this week — he attempted to enter the country without the correct paperwork and is currently enjoying the hospitality of the British government's immigration system. And stick around for the Endgame, where we're joined by BFF of the BFE Synthia to help decide whether Children of Men deserves a place among the Best Films Ever. This week we discuss: How many screenwriters does it take to make Children of Men? Five credited writers had a hand in adapting P.D. James' novel. Does the finished film feel like the product of that many voices, or is Cuarón's vision strong enough to make it feel completely unified? Clive Owen as Theo — an excellent actor giving a wonderfully understated performance, but was he a big enough movie star to carry a film this ambitious at the box office? Michael Caine's Jasper becomes our most debated performance of the week — warm, funny and providing some desperately needed humanity... or playing in a completely different film from everybody around him? How much world-building should the audience have to do? Children of Men famously refuses to stop and explain its dystopia, instead burying information in news reports, advertisements, background details and production design. Is that masterful "show, don't tell" filmmaking, or does the movie occasionally expect us to construct too much of its world on its behalf? Ian digs into the screenplay — for a film with an enormous premise, why is the actual story remarkably simple, and does that simplicity allow the themes to become much bigger? Liam explores hope in a hopeless world — when civilisation has effectively accepted its own extinction, what does the existence of one child actually represent? Megs examines Kee's place within the story — is she given enough agency of her own, or does her importance as a symbol sometimes overwhelm her importance as a character? Alfonso Cuarón's direction — those extraordinary long takes aren't simply technical flexes. How does keeping us trapped alongside Theo change the way we experience the violence around him? The car sequence. We discuss how one seemingly impossible shot transforms from casual conversation to absolute nightmare without giving the audience a moment to escape. The politics of Children of Men — refugees, nationalism, terrorism, state violence and fear of outsiders. Nearly twenty years after its release, has the film become even more uncomfortable to watch? The production design — perhaps the film's greatest world-building weapon. From advertisements and graffiti to cages and buses, how much storytelling is happening in the corners of the frame? The ceasefire — one of the most powerful sequences in the entire film. Does that brief moment of silence earn its enormous emotional impact? And finally, with BFF of the BFE Synthia joining us for the Endgame, whether Children of Men is the Best Film Ever — or an extraordinary piece of filmmaking whose technical brilliance sometimes asks the audience to fill in more blanks than we'd like. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • August 25 · 3 hr 29 min

    Episode 345 - The Last King of Scotland

    “This is Africa. We do things differently here.” Join Ian & Liam for our 345th episode as we head to 1970s Uganda for Kevin Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland (2006), a film that puts us terrifyingly close to Idi Amin through the eyes of a fictional young Scottish doctor who discovers that getting into the dictator’s inner circle is considerably easier than getting back out. Megs isn’t with us this week — Amin has appointed her Minister of Something He Just Invented and she's sensibly keeping her head down. Kev? He mentioned that he disagreed with the President once and, well... nobody seems entirely sure where Kev is now. This week we discuss: Forest Whitaker’s extraordinary, Oscar-winning Idi Amin — charming, funny, frightening and capable of changing the temperature of a room in seconds. Is this one of the great performances of the 21st century? James McAvoy’s Nicholas Garrigan — naïve, arrogant, selfish and frequently infuriating. How important is it that the fictional character through whom we experience this story isn't particularly likeable? Fact versus fiction — Garrigan never existed, but Amin certainly did. Does inserting a fictional white protagonist give audiences an effective route into Ugandan history, or unnecessarily place him at the centre of somebody else's tragedy? Ian breaks down the film's construction of Amin — how does the film make us understand his charisma without ever asking us to excuse what lies beneath it? Liam explores the seduction of proximity to power — Garrigan sees the warning signs remarkably early, so why does he keep finding reasons to stay? How much did we actually know about Idi Amin and Uganda before watching the film? We explore the history behind the story and how closely the broad trajectory of Amin's dictatorship matches what we're shown. The tonal transformation — the first act occasionally feels like an exciting adventure for a young doctor abroad. How effectively does the film tighten the screws until that same world becomes absolutely terrifying? Amin the man versus Amin the monster — are the moments of humour, insecurity, paranoia and apparent warmth what make Whitaker's portrayal so frightening? Garrigan's decisions — there's being naïve, there's making mistakes, and then there's Nicholas Garrigan. At what point did we stop sympathising with him and start shouting at the screen? The women in Garrigan's story — does the film recognise the consequences of his behaviour toward them, or are they too often used to propel his journey? The violence — much of the film holds back before suddenly refusing to do so. Does that restraint make the moments when Macdonald finally shows us the horror even more effective? The final act — The Last King of Scotland eventually becomes almost unbearably tense. Does turning historical atrocity into thriller mechanics enhance the film's impact or risk trivialising the reality behind it? And finally, whether The Last King of Scotland is the Best Film Ever — or a deeply uncomfortable historical drama elevated by one absolutely towering central performance. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • August 22 · 1 hr 46 min

    Media Madness - Best Films Ineligible For Review By The BFE

    Angels & Demons or Thor? Interview with the Vampire or The Rock? What happens when some of our favourite films fall just short of the standards required to qualify for a regular Best Film Ever review? To be eligible for the BFE, a film needs to score either 85% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes OR 8.0 or higher on IMDb — which leaves an awful lot of beloved, ridiculous, divisive and occasionally brilliant movies stranded on the outside looking in. So this week, we're giving the rejects their moment. Joined by some of our Friends of the Podcast — Synthia, Paul Komoroski, Ariannah, Shai Bergerfroind and Hermes Auslander — we've assembled a field of the best films officially ineligible for review by the BFE and thrown them into a winner-takes-all knockout tournament. Expect films we can't believe aren't eligible, films whose scores suddenly make perfect sense, brutal head-to-head choices, questionable taste, furious campaigning and at least one result that will have somebody demanding an immediate change to the BFE constitution. They may never qualify for a proper episode — but one of them is about to be crowned The Best Film Ineligible for Review by the BFE.

  • August 18 · 3 hr 43 min

    Episode 344 - Escape From New York

    “Call me Snake.” Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 344th episode as we cross the wall, try not to get killed by the locals, and discover that in the distant dystopian future of 1997, the entire island of Manhattan has become America's maximum-security prison. It's John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), where Kurt Russell has one eye, Donald Pleasence is somehow the President of the United States, and absolutely nobody seems particularly concerned that they've sent one bloke in to rescue him. Megs isn't with us this week — she landed on Manhattan while attempting to evacuate Air Force One and has informed us that she'd actually rather take her chances with the inmates than record with us. This week we discuss: Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken — one of cinema's coolest antiheroes, but how much of Snake is actually a character and how much is simply Kurt Russell walking around being impossibly cool? John Carpenter's vision of 1997 — crime has exploded, America has become a police state, and Manhattan is a prison. It didn't quite work out that way... but how much of Carpenter's dystopia still feels surprisingly relevant? The extraordinary world-building — Carpenter gives us remarkably little information about how any of this works. Is that restraint part of the film's brilliance, or are there questions we'd really quite like answered? Ian gets into the film's narrative construction — because Escape from New York might have one of the cleanest movie premises imaginable. You've got a man, you've got a mission, you've got a ticking clock. What more do you actually need? Snake Plissken's reputation precedes him everywhere — everybody has heard of him, everybody thought he was dead, and we're left wondering exactly what this man did before the opening credits to become such a legend. Lee Van Cleef's Hauk — pragmatic authority figure or complete bastard? And is putting explosives inside the neck of the only man capable of completing your mission really the motivational strategy you'd go with? Donald Pleasence as the President — accent notwithstanding, does the film deliberately make the most powerful man in America one of its least impressive? Isaac Hayes as the Duke of New York — he's A-Number-One, but does the Duke live up to the incredible introduction the film gives him? The supporting cast is ridiculous — Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau and more. Who makes the most of surprisingly limited screen time? The film looks considerably bigger than it actually was — miniatures, matte paintings, abandoned locations and some ingenious low-budget filmmaking. How does Carpenter create an entire ruined Manhattan without actually having one? The pacing — at barely 100 minutes, Escape from New York gets in, establishes its world, completes its mission and gets out. Have modern action films forgotten how to do this? That ending. Snake has one final opportunity to do something heroic for the United States of America... and makes perhaps the most Snake Plissken decision imaginable instead. And finally, whether Escape from New York is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the coolest B-movies ever elevated into cult-classic immortality. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • August 11 · 2 hr 20 min

    Episode 343 - She's Gotta Have It

    “I’m not a one-man woman.” Join Ian & Megs for our 343rd episode as we head to Brooklyn for Spike Lee’s audacious, provocative, micro-budget debut She’s Gotta Have It (1986). It’s sex, independence, competing egos, and three men absolutely convinced they should be the answer to a question Nola Darling never asked. Liam isn’t with us this week — Nola told him she wasn’t interested in exclusivity and he’s been drafting a rebuttal ever since. Kev? He heard Mars Blackmon say “Please, baby, please” and has disappeared to practise his technique. This week we discuss: Who exactly are we supposed to like in this film? Nola, Jamie, Greer, Mars — everyone gets their moments, but are there actually any genuinely likeable characters in She’s Gotta Have It? Tracy Camilla Johns as Nola Darling — independent, sexually confident, complicated and occasionally deeply frustrating. How radical was this protagonist in 1986, and how does she play almost forty years later? That Thanksgiving dinner. Inviting all three men you're sleeping with to the same Thanksgiving meal is certainly a choice — but is Nola being liberated, honest and refusing to hide, or is she actually being unnecessarily cruel? The acting is... a moving target. From genuinely effective performances to line readings that wouldn't survive an amateur theatre rehearsal, the quality fluctuates wildly — so why does the film somehow remain completely compelling? Spike Lee’s extraordinary debut — made with virtually no money and enormous ambition. Does the roughness actually become part of the film's charm rather than something we need to forgive? Jamie, Greer and Mars — three wildly different approaches to masculinity, yet all three ultimately want Nola to change for them. Does any one of them actually understand her? Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon — annoying, hilarious, insecure, endlessly quotable and somehow destined to become bigger than the film itself. Megs explores Nola’s agency — is the film genuinely celebrating a woman refusing to conform to expectations, or can Nola's independence occasionally become an excuse for treating other people badly? Ian questions the film’s internal logic — particularly that ending. Nola and Jamie's final scene seems constructed exactly like the climax of a romantic comedy: she's lost the guy, walks away, he calls her back and gives her another chance. Everything about the cinematic language tells us this is the outcome we're supposed to want... until the film suddenly tells us it wasn't. The final confessional — previous confessionals lead into events that we actually witness. So why does the most important one simply tell us that everything went differently without ever showing it? And what about Nola's vow of celibacy? Is it genuine growth, or such a rejection of her defining characteristic that it feels like the film suddenly lost confidence in its own ending? Does the finale feel rewritten? There's no smoking gun proving that it was, but Ian makes the case that the internal logic, characterisation and sudden reliance on “tell, don't show” make those final minutes feel suspiciously like a late attempt to change what the audience takes away from the film. The film’s sexual politics in 2026 — what's still strikingly progressive, what's become considerably more complicated, and how does one deeply troubling sequence change our relationship with Jamie and everything that follows? The black-and-white photography and that sudden explosion of colour — necessity becoming aesthetic, and the first signs of the extraordinarily confident visual filmmaker Spike Lee would become. And finally, whether She’s Gotta Have It is the Best Film Ever — or a messy, inconsistent, sometimes infuriating debut that somehow shines brighter than many considerably more polished films. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • August 10 · 1 hr 53 min

    See It Or Skip It? - Spider-Man: Brand New Day (w/ JDG, Juleen, & Hermes Auslander)

    FIRST 54:00: Spoiler-Free Review with our See It/Skip It Verdict AFTER 54:00: Full Spoiler Review It’s another edition of See It or Skip It and this time Ian is joined by JDG, Juleen and Hermes as they swing headfirst into Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Tom Holland’s latest outing as Peter Parker and the beginning of a very different chapter for the MCU’s resident wall-crawler. But can Spider-Man really have a brand new day after No Way Home changed everything? Ian, JDG, Juleen and Hermes suit up to explore whether this fresh start finally gives us the more grounded, street-level Peter Parker fans have been asking for — or if the wider MCU once again proves impossible to escape. Does Brand New Day make good on the emotional consequences of Peter being forgotten by everyone he loves? Is Tom Holland finally being allowed to stand on his own as Spider-Man, or does a supporting cast featuring Hulk and Punisher threaten to turn his movie into another Marvel crossover? The gang dig into Holland’s performance, the new status quo, the villains, the action, and whether the film remembers that the best Spider-Man stories aren’t really about saving the world — they’re about Peter Parker desperately trying to hold his own life together. What should a Spider-Man film look like after multiverses, returning villains and three generations of Spider-Men? Can Marvel genuinely go smaller again, or has the franchise become too big to ever truly return to the neighbourhood? All this and more in this week’s See It or Skip It review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day — and of course, Ian, JDG, Juleen and Hermes will let you know if you should SEE IT or SKIP IT.

  • August 5 · 1 hr 54 min

    See It or Skip It? - SummerSlam (2026)

    You know we love our wrestling here at the BFE—or, at least, some of us do. Join Ian from Best Film Ever and JDG as we once again break the traditional BFE format to review all two nights of WWE SummerSlam 2026. Did CM Punk and Cody Rhodes deliver in their battle for the Undisputed WWE Championship? Was Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins a worthy main event—or have we seen these two fight one time too many? Did Oba Femi finally cement himself as WWE’s next great monster by stepping inside Hell in a Cell with Brock Lesnar, and was this really the end of the road for The Beast? Ian and JDG also discuss whether Liv Morgan and IYO SKY lived up to expectations, the chaotic Interim Women’s Championship ladder match, Kevin Owens’ big return, and the increasingly bizarre world in which Danhausen is competing in a “Human Monies on a Pole” match at one of WWE’s biggest shows of the year. Which matches stole the weekend? Which results left us scratching our heads? Did SummerSlam justify being stretched across two nights—and, most importantly, was it actually the biggest party of the summer? All this and more as BFE swaps cinema for suplexes and breaks down WWE SummerSlam 2026.

  • August 4 · 3 hr 9 min

    Episode 342 - Rain Man (Updated!)

    “Kmart sucks.” Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 342nd episode as we hit the road for Ian's Patreon pick, Barry Levinson's Oscar-winning classic Rain Man (1988). It's a journey across America filled with family wounds, unexpected connection, and one of the most celebrated performances in cinema history. Kev isn't with us this week—he insisted Raymond was right about Kmart underwear and is currently somewhere in the American Midwest refusing to buy a different brand. This week we discuss: Dustin Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance — groundbreaking, influential, and endlessly imitated. How well has Raymond Babbitt's portrayal of autism stood the test of time? Tom Cruise before he became Tom Cruise — is Charlie Babbitt one of the strongest dramatic performances of his career, and does his character truly earn the emotional destination the film arrives at? Ian makes the case for a brilliant screenplay — from inherited trauma and forgiveness to what it means to truly communicate and how do we compartmentalise intimacy - we explore why every major theme reinforces another in one of the tightest character scripts we've reviewed. The road movie structure — why does Rain Man work because Raymond doesn't fundamentally change... Charlie does? The elevator scene — one of the film's sweetest moments or one of its most complicated? We unpack how differently that sequence plays in 2026 and whether it's an affirmation of Raymond's humanity, a thoughtful act of kindness, or something more ethically complex. Las Vegas — does the casino sequence undercut Charlie's character development by rewarding the very instincts he's supposed to be leaving behind, or is it a necessary step in his transformation? Liam explores the brothers' relationship — does the film ultimately become less about autism than about learning to see another person on their terms rather than your own? Megs examines the film's emotional honesty — sentimentality, manipulation, and whether Rain Man earns every emotional beat it asks of its audience. The "show versus tell" balance — how much does the film trust Hoffman's performance to communicate Raymond's world without resorting to unnecessary exposition? The supporting cast — particularly Susanna. Is she underwritten, or does she quietly become the emotional bridge between Charlie and Raymond? The ending — understated, bittersweet, and refreshingly restrained. Could there have been any other conclusion that stayed true to these characters? And finally, whether Rain Man is the Best Film Ever — or one of the finest character-driven dramas ever put to film. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE

  • August 2 · 1 hr 39 min

    See It or Skip It? - The Odyssey (w/ James De Guzman)

    It’s another edition of See It or Skip It, and this time Ian is joined by JDG as they set sail, face monsters, tempt fate, and begin the long journey home with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. But does The Odyssey turn one of the oldest stories ever told into a genuinely thrilling cinematic epic, or does the weight of history, mythology, and expectation prove too much to carry? Ian and JDG unpack whether Nolan delivers a voyage worthy of Homer’s legendary poem — or gets lost somewhere between spectacle and self-importance. Is the humanity still there beneath the gods, monsters, and enormous set pieces? Does Odysseus feel like a compelling hero, a deeply flawed survivor, or simply another emotionally distant Nolan protagonist? The pair dig into the performances, the film’s visual ambition, and whether its themes of loyalty, pride, temptation, identity, and homecoming still resonate thousands of years later. Can a story this ancient still surprise a modern audience? Does Nolan find something new within the myth, or is The Odyssey more impressive as a technical achievement than an emotional experience? All this and more in this week’s See It or Skip It review of The Odyssey — and, of course, Ian and JDG will let you know whether you should SEE IT or SKIP IT.

  • July 28 · 3 hr 37 min

    Episode 341 - Boyz N' The Hood

    “Either they don't know, don't show... or don't care about what's going on in the hood.” Join Ian, Liam, Kev & Megs for our 341st episode as we head to South Central Los Angeles for John Singleton's astonishing directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood (1991). Hailed as one of the defining films of the 1990s, we explore a coming-of-age story that remains as powerful, relevant, and heartbreaking today as it was over thirty years ago. This week we discuss: John Singleton's remarkable debut — just 23 years old when he directed the film. How did a first-time filmmaker produce one of the most confident American dramas of its generation? The opening statistics — the film begins with a stark warning about violence affecting young Black men. We explore the context behind those figures, how they reflected America in the early '90s, and how the picture has changed over the decades. Larry Fishburne's Furious Styles — one of cinema's greatest fathers? We discuss why his guidance remains one of the film's emotional anchors. Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut — three young men whose futures are shaped by environment, opportunity, and the choices they make. Ian breaks down the screenplay — how Singleton balances social commentary with intimate character work, allowing the message to emerge naturally from the lives of its characters. Liam explores the film's central question — to what extent are our lives determined by circumstance, and how much agency do we truly have to change our future? Megs examines the women of Boyz n the Hood — what role do they play within the story, and how effectively does the film portray the different pressures facing young women in the same community? Kev looks at the film's legacy — how Boyz n the Hood influenced generations of filmmakers, from its storytelling to its uncompromising realism. The "show versus tell" balance — despite its powerful message, does the film avoid becoming preachy by grounding every social issue in believable human relationships? The ending — devastating, inevitable, hopeful, or all three? We discuss one of the most emotionally resonant conclusions in modern American cinema. And finally, whether Boyz n the Hood is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most important films ever made about growing up, community, and the cycles that shape our lives. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • July 21 · 4 hr 4 min

    Episode 340 - Hello, My Name is Frank (w/ BFF of the BFE: Paul Komorowski)

    “Hello, my name is Frank.” Join Ian & Liam for our 340th episode as we step into the awkward, tender, and unexpectedly moving world of Hello, My Name Is Frank (2014). Megs isn’t with us this week — she agreed to supervise a road trip but abandoned the assignment after discovering nobody had prepared an itinerary. Kev? He’s currently trapped at a support-group meeting after introducing himself and accidentally agreeing to organise the next twelve sessions. This week we discuss: Garrett M. Brown’s performance as Frank — vulnerable, funny, and painfully sincere. Does the film give its central character the depth and dignity he deserves? The road-trip structure — does taking Frank away from his familiar routines allow the story to open up, or does it rely too heavily on familiar indie-film conventions? The film’s depiction of Tourette syndrome — compassionate, educational, and humanising, or occasionally too eager to turn Frank’s condition into a source of comedy? Ian explores the film’s narrative construction — how a collection of eccentric characters and emotional detours builds toward something more heartfelt than expected. Liam examines the balance between laughing with Frank and laughing at him — and whether the film always knows the difference. The unlikely group dynamic — loneliness, grief, friendship, and the strange families people create when the ones they were given cannot provide what they need. The relationship between Frank and Laura — does it develop naturally, or does the film push its emotional destination before earning every step of the journey? The supporting performances — which characters enrich Frank’s story, and which feel as though they have wandered in from a broader, quirkier comedy? The “show versus tell” balance — does the film allow us to understand Frank through behaviour and relationships, or explain too much of what we should be discovering ourselves? The tonal shifts — broad comedy, uncomfortable encounters, and genuine sadness. Does the film hold those elements together without becoming emotionally manipulative? The third act identity crisis — at what point does Hello, My Name Is Frank quietly stop being about Frank? We unpack one of the strangest narrative pivots we've seen in years. The ending — hopeful, sentimental, or exactly the kind of emotional release the story requires? And finally, whether Hello, My Name Is Frank is the Best Film Ever — or simply a small, sincere film with more empathy than polish. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • July 14 · 3 hr 57 min

    Episode 339 - The Outsiders

    “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” Join Ian, Kev & Liam for our 339th episode as we rumble with Greasers, dodge the Socs, and revisit Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1983). Megs isn't with us this week — she was offered membership of both the Socs and the Greasers, refused to pick a side, and is currently attempting to negotiate peace between the two gangs over a chocolate milkshake. This week we discuss: The extraordinary young cast — before they became household names. Cruise, Swayze, Estevez, Dillon, Macchio, Howell... has there ever been a more stacked ensemble of future stars? Coppola's adaptation — does the film successfully capture the heart of the novel, or is something lost in the transition from page to screen? We spend far too long talking about the World Cup — and somehow convince ourselves it's completely relevant. (It probably isn't.) Ian, Liam and Kev decide whether they're Socs or Greasers — and discover that class identity may not be quite as straightforward as they first thought. The floating heads... — artistic flourish, bizarre distraction, or one of the strangest stylistic choices in a major studio film? Ian breaks down the film's coming-of-age themes — brotherhood, identity, and why the smallest moments often carry the greatest emotional weight. Liam explores masculinity in the film — toughness, vulnerability, and whether The Outsiders was quietly ahead of its time. Kev weighs in on the rivalries — are the Socs and Greasers really that different, or are they simply products of circumstance? The "show vs tell" balance — does the narration enhance Ponyboy's story, or does the film work best when it simply lets the performances breathe? The church sequence — heroism, tragedy, and why one of cinema's most memorable moments is still so emotionally effective. The ending — hopeful, bittersweet, or quietly heartbreaking? Does Coppola earn the emotion without overplaying it? And finally, whether The Outsiders is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the finest coming-of-age dramas ever committed to film. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • July 8 · 2 hr 27 min

    Episode 338 - Big Trouble in Little China

    “It's all in the reflexes.” Join Ian & Liam for our 338th episode as we descend into the neon-lit underworld beneath San Francisco's Chinatown for John Carpenter's gloriously bonkers cult classic Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Megs isn't with us this week — she accidentally accepted an invitation to Lo Pan's wedding and we're told she's currently trying to escape a floating wheelchair and several unfortunate centuries-old curses. Kev? He confidently followed Jack Burton into an alley "because it'll be quicker this way" and hasn't been seen since a glowing eyeball floated past. This week we discuss: Kurt Russell's Jack Burton — swaggering, endlessly quotable, and hilariously convinced he's the hero. Is Jack actually the greatest accidental sidekick in cinema history? Who did Kurt Russell actually base his performance of Jack Burton off of? Dennis Dun's Wang Chi — the film's true protagonist hiding in plain sight. How does Carpenter brilliantly disguise whose story this really is? What 1990s video game phenomenon was heavily inspired by this film? John Carpenter's genre mash-up — martial arts, fantasy, horror, comedy, and action. Why should this film never have worked... yet somehow works perfectly? Kim Cattrall's Gracie Law — fearless, funny, and game for absolutely anything the film throws at her. Ian breaks down the screenplay — how the film constantly subverts audience expectations by making its loudest character the least competent person in the room. Liam explores the film's mythology — ancient curses, Chinese folklore, and why the exposition somehow makes less sense the more attention you pay. Lo Pan — one of the most delightfully eccentric villains of the 1980s. Menacing, theatrical, and completely unforgettable. The action choreography — practical effects, flying warriors, and glorious 1980s excess. Does the film know exactly how ridiculous it is? The "show vs tell" balance — does the film overwhelm us with mythology, or does its sheer confidence carry us through the chaos? The ending — triumphant, absurd, and leaving just enough mystery for one final sting in the tail. And finally, whether Big Trouble in Little China is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the greatest cult movies ever made. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • June 30 · 3 hr 49 min

    Episode 337 - The Devil Wears Prada

    “Everybody wants to be us.” Join Ian & Liam for our 337th episode as we slip into designer shoes, grab the garment bags, and survive another impossible day at Runway magazine with The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Megs isn't with us this week — Miranda Priestly spotted her wearing cerulean before she'd learned why it was cerulean and immediately reassigned her to the Paris office. Kev? He's still trying to fetch the unpublished Harry Potter manuscript, a flight to Miami, and a steak for Miranda... all before lunch. This week we discuss: Meryl Streep's iconic performance — restrained, terrifying, and endlessly quotable. Is Miranda Priestly one of the greatest screen bosses ever created? Anne Hathaway's Andy Sachs — idealistic, ambitious, and increasingly compromised. Is her transformation inspiring, tragic, or somewhere in between? Emily Blunt steals every scene — razor-sharp timing, impeccable delivery, and why Emily Charlton remains one of the film's most beloved characters. Stanley Tucci's Nigel — warmth, wit, and heartbreak. Does he quietly become the emotional centre of the film? Ian breaks down the screenplay — how the film effortlessly balances workplace comedy, character drama, and biting satire. Liam explores the film's central question — is success worth sacrificing the people and principles that got you there? The fashion world — superficial excess, genuine artistry, or something much more complicated than the film's critics often admit? The "cerulean sweater" speech — one of the great monologues of modern cinema. Does it completely redefine how we understand Miranda? The "show vs tell" balance — how the film uses costume, performance, and visual storytelling to chart Andy's evolution without ever needing to announce it. The ending — personal victory, professional failure, or exactly the compromise Andy needed to make? And finally, whether The Devil Wears Prada is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the smartest and most rewatchable comedies of the 21st century. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • June 23 · 2 hr 35 min

    Episode 336 - The Descent

    “There’s something down there…” Join Ian & Megs for our 336th episode as we squeeze into the claustrophobic darkness, extinguish every source of comfort, and descend into Neil Marshall’s modern horror masterpiece The Descent (2005). Liam isn’t with us this week — he confidently insisted he'd found a shortcut through an unexplored cave system and, according to his last voicemail, is "pretty sure this is still the right way." Kev? He volunteered to be the group's map reader despite never actually bringing a map. We haven't seen either of them since they crawled into the first tunnel. This week we discuss: Neil Marshall's masterclass in tension — how The Descent spends almost an hour terrifying us before the monsters even become the biggest problem. The all-female ensemble — authentic friendships, believable conflict, and why the characters feel so much more than horror archetypes. Claustrophobia as horror — does the cave itself remain the film's scariest antagonist, even after the Crawlers arrive? Megs explores the group's dynamics — grief, guilt, betrayal, and how fractured relationships become just as dangerous as the environment. Ian breaks down the film's visual storytelling — darkness, colour palettes, practical effects, and why the audience never loses its sense of geography despite the labyrinth. The Crawlers — perfectly revealed monsters, or does the film become less frightening once it shows its hand? The balance between psychological horror and creature feature — is Sarah fighting monsters, trauma, or both simultaneously? The infamous UK and US endings — which version better serves the story, and does changing the ending fundamentally alter the film's message? The "show vs tell" balance — how little exposition the film needs before we're completely invested in every decision the group makes. The jump scares — expertly earned or simply proof that sound design can make anyone leap out of their seat? The ending — hopeless, empowering, hallucinatory, or one of the bleakest finales horror has ever produced? And finally, whether The Descent is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the greatest horror films of the 21st century. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

  • June 19 · 1 hr 42 min

    Media Madness #06 - What is the Greatest Action Film of All-Time?

    Die Hard or Mad Max: Fury Road? Terminator 2 or Raiders of the Lost Ark? Aliens or The Matrix? Heat or John Wick? People have been arguing about the greatest action film ever made since cinema first discovered that explosions, car chases and impossible heroes could pack audiences into theatres. Even now, nobody can quite agree which film deserves the crown. Joined by some of our Friends of the Podcast – Ariannah, JDG, Aashrey, Paul Komorowski and the horseshoe himself, JDG – we've loaded up 32 of the greatest action films ever made into one winner-takes-all knockout tournament. Expect impossible choices, heartbreaking upsets, blockbuster heavyweight clashes, a few controversial calls, and enough gunfire, one-liners and practical explosions to level an entire city as we crown the Best Action Film of All Time.

  • June 16 · 4 hr 24 min

    Episode 335 - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

    “Locksley! I'm going to cut your heart out with a spoon!” Join Ian, Liam, Kev & Debbie for our 335th episode as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). Grab your bow, avoid the Sheriff’s dinner invitations, and prepare for a film packed with accents of varying legality, spoon-based violence, and enough Alan Rickman scenery-chewing to feed Nottingham for a winter. Megs isn’t with us this week — she was scheduled to record, but unfortunately entered an archery tournament disguised as a peasant and is currently hiding from the Sheriff’s tax collectors. This week we discuss: Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood — movie star charisma, questionable accent, and whether audiences have ever really cared. Alan Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham — one of cinema’s great villains. Does he completely hijack the film from everyone around him? Morgan Freeman’s Azeem — wisdom, dignity, and why he often feels like the smartest person in every scene. The 1991 blockbuster formula — action, romance, comedy, spectacle. Is this the perfect example of a film designed to entertain first and ask questions later? Ian explores the film’s historical accuracy — or more accurately, the complete lack of concern anyone involved seems to have had about it. Liam questions whether the film is secretly two films at once — a sincere Robin Hood adventure and a dark comedy starring Alan Rickman. Kev dives into the action sequences — archery, sword fights, castle assaults, and how well they hold up three and a half decades later. Debbie weighs in on the romance — does Robin and Marian’s relationship actually work, or is it simply required by law in a Robin Hood movie? The supporting cast — Michael Wincott, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, and one very famous cameo that audiences still cheer for. The accent debate — does Costner’s performance improve if you simply accept that nobody in this film comes from the same county, let alone country? The “show vs tell” balance — does the film earn its emotional moments, or rely on Bryan Adams to do the heavy lifting? The ending — triumphant, excessive, and unapologetically crowd-pleasing. Is this blockbuster filmmaking at its purest? And finally, whether Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most entertaining adventure films of the 1990s. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are very thankful to the following Patreon backers for their generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Aashrey Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

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