Silver Screen Queens

Reviewing movies and the culture that surrounds them.

This podcast is no longer in production.

94: Big Hero 6

Published 11 March 2015 • 31 minutes, 54 seconds

When a devastating event kills his brother Tadashi and lands his robot technology in the hands of a villain, Hiro Hamada upgrades his brother’s health companion robot Baymax and works with his talented friends to transform into a team of superheroes and save the city.

93: Jupiter Ascending

Published 4 March 2015 • 41 minutes, 31 seconds

The Wachowskis have made one of the most original movies in ages, a melodramatic space opera, about a (female!) chosen one who discovers she’s a queen. Also, something about bees.

92: Annie

Published 25 February 2015 • 34 minutes, 51 seconds

Late last year we saw a movie we’d been anticipating for some time: a remake of the musical Annie starring Quevenzhané Wallis. While Wallis is on point, the end result was something of a film by committee.

91: Selma

Published 18 February 2015 • 30 minutes, 14 seconds

We finally see Selma

90: The Imitation Game

Published 11 February 2015 • 32 minutes, 30 seconds

Alan Turing was one of Britain’s greatest mathematicians, a war hero and the father of modern computing, but was driven to suicide by the government he served. The Imitation Game employs some fine actors to honour his story.

89: Birdman

Published 4 February 2015 • 39 minutes, 33 seconds

Comeback character actor Michael Keaton stars in a movie about actors. Academy loses its shit.

88: Foxcatcher

Published 28 January 2015 • 44 minutes, 57 seconds

Foxcatcher is nominated for five Oscars. We disagree with the Academy. Vehemently.

87: Paddington

Published 21 January 2015 • 33 minutes, 10 seconds

It’s a children’s movie, so Mel and Katie ask the important questions: is this meant to be the 70s? do bears s%#t in the woods? is marmalade still a thing? Paddington is charming and aggressively whimsical, and that’s probably a good thing.

86: Into the Woods

Published 14 January 2015 • 42 minutes, 39 seconds

Disney and Rob Marshall adapt the dark Sondheim musical, with Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick and Meryl Streep and a talented cast. The Brothers Grimm fairy tales Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel intertwine with the story of a childless baker and his wife and the witch who cursed them.

85: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Published 7 January 2015 • 48 minutes, 17 seconds

Katie and Mel do what they were born to: talk for nearly 50 minutes about the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. No distractions, no going off-topic, very little pausing for breath. Some pausing for wine.