ÜBER DIESE EPISODE
A weekly film discussion where Tosin Ajayi, Shaun Harris, Sharon Bollen, and Holly Nessling compare what they have seen in cinemas versus at home. This episode covers two main reviews, a long-running rant about Cineworld Isle of Wight screening issues, and a quick round-up of listener feedback.The main conversation is a panel discussion with four distinct voices, though Sharon and Holly each only contribute substantively to one review and the cinema complaints. The core topics are historical drama, streaming thriller, and local cinema scheduling frustrations.
Key topics
- In this episode: Shaun reviews The Uprising, a Paul Greengrass historical drama about the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, led by Andrew Garfield as a fictionalized ploughman figure.
- Shaun praises the period detail, the authentic costumes, and Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler, but thinks the film’s ending compresses history too much.
- The biggest knock against The Uprising for Shaun is the shaky-cam style and one “silly” moment he says drags the score down.
- Holly shares Animals, a Netflix thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck alongside Kerry Washington.
- Holly describes Animals as a tightly constructed, twisty domestic thriller with strong pacing, solid performances, and a very 1990s thriller feel.
- The panel notes that Animals is the kind of home-streaming film that works well on Netflix but does not really need a cinema release.
- The group spends a long stretch on Cineworld Isle of Wight, where Shaun and Sharon both had screenings cancelled or badly timed.
- Shaun says Cineworld cancelled his booking for The Social Reckoning, while Sharon says The Uprising showed at awkward times that clashed with work and caring responsibilities.
- They complain that smaller sites get fewer new releases, fewer showings, and that advertised films often disappear after trailers have already been shown.
- Listener feedback includes praise for the Hacks joke-workshopping scenes and a kind message from a US listener discovering the show through a Small Profits review.
- “Cinema or sofa? Big scream or big stream.”
- “It is so damn good.”
- “Cineworld sucks.”
Timestamps
00:00 - Cinema or sofa? The show’s premise and host introductions01:31 - Shaun’s cinema plans disrupted by cancelled screenings03:34 - Holly swaps cinema for theatre and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?05:55 - Cinema round-up and the group’s limited theatrical options this week09:09 - Shaun’s home viewing pick: The Bed Sitting Room10:13 - The Uprising begins with the Peasants’ Revolt and poll tax corruption12:51 - Wat Tyler, John Ball, and the revolt gathering momentum15:25 - Historical compression, shaky cam, and the film’s biggest flaw17:13 - Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler and the film’s period authenticity19:04 - Shaun’s score for The Uprising and why it misses a perfect mark20:53 - Holly reviews Animals and its thriller setup24:14 - Why Animals works as a streaming thriller rather than a cinema film27:47 - Comparing ratings and deciding this week’s winner28:47 - Shaun explains why Cineworld “sucks” on the Isle of Wight30:05 - Sharon describes the poor showtime scheduling for The Uprising32:23 - The broader problem with limited screenings and disappearing releases34:41 - Reading Cineworld’s cancellation email and the lack of compensation35:55 - Cineworld’s explanation for limited screenings and licensing constraints38:00 - Listener feedback on Hacks and Small Profits40:52 - Where to find the show and the call for listener interaction41:43 - Closing banter, upcoming releases, and sign-offNotable quotes
