Talking Images is the official podcast of the ICM Forum and iCinemaMagazine.
Each episode tackles a different topic or theme where we delve into the world of cinema through a group discussion. Our international team of hosts offer a variety of differing perspectives on the films we are passionate about and the occasionally heated (but always amicable) conversations provide an insight into why films are so important in our lives.
From deep dives into the filmographies of renowned Directors such as Jean-Luc-Godard and Robert Bresson to interviews with those in the film industry such as Adam Torel of Third Window Films and Mary Guillermin (Wife of the late British Director, John Guillermin), Talking Images aims to inform, entertain and enlighten all who listen to our podcast.
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Episodes
| # | TITLE | DESCRIPTION | LISTEN | DISCUSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Pilot: Nobody Watches The Simpsons, and the New Episodes Are Not Allowed to Be Good | In this pilot episode Chris and Adam discover that, like everyone else, they no longer watch The Simpsons, sparking the questions: Who on earth are still watching it, is it on air for anything but sentimental or nostalgic reasons and could the new episodes actually be good?! | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 1 | How We Got Into Cinema | In this episode Chris, Clem, Gary, Tom and Sol each talk about their all-time favourite film and try to explain the impact the films had on them. The films discussed: Gary: Seven Samurai Sol: Fanny och Alexander and Videodrome Tom: A Clockwork Orange Chris: Stalker and Last Year at Marienbad | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 2 | Klaus Kinski Played Nosferatu in Two Films and the Second is Pure Trash | Kinski is one of cinema's most controversial icons, and left us with a set of legendary films, especially his set of 5 collaborations with Werner Herzog, but also a long, long line of B- and C-grade paycheck films. In this episode we will dissect his career through two films, one representing his highest achievements, one representing his lowest gutter trash, and he just happens to be playing the very same character in both of them: Nosferatu (perhaps his most iconic role). | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 3 | Spanish Horror Films: The Complete History (1962-Present) | In this episode we will attempt to talk you through the entirety of Spanish horror film history, starting from Jesus Franco's The Awful Dr. Orlof and The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus (the first ever two Spanish horror films!), and continueing on through 60s, 70s and 80s Eurohorror onto In a Glass Cage, Anguish, The Day of the Beast, Thesis, The Orphanage, Timecrimes, [REC], Kidnapped and so much more. Also, get excited: We finish up with a detailed discussion of the recent super-hit The Platform, and our thoughts on the future of Spanish horror. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 4 | What is Your All-Time Favourite Film and Why? | In this episode we cover two great existential questions: - What is your all-time favourite film? - Why? The format is simple: Gary, Sol, Tom and Chris each take their turn describing their favourite film, before the floor is opened with comments from the others. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 5 | Unwatched Gems or Carefully Avoided Trash | - What is the main reason you would not watch a film? - Are there any films you actively avoid? - Are there any films you are embarrassed to not have seen? In this episode we will answer the above questions and more, and dive deeper into the psychology that goes into not actually seeing a film. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 6 | They Spoil Pictures, Don't They: Do Spoilers Actually Hurt Films? | - How do you feel about spoilers? - Can they actually hurt your viewing experience? - Does even knowing a film has something "spoilable" about them have the potential to affect you? - What lengths (if any) do you go to in order to avoid spoilers? - Should you even avoid reading up on films before watching them, or can films also be hurt by going into them them "blind"? In this episode we will cover these topics, and much, much more. Spoiler Warning: In this episode we will spoil: The Sixth Sense, Psycho, Scream and Titanic. Many other films will be mentioned in passing, but the spoiler(s) will not be revealed. We will also end the episode on an in-depth, spoiler-ridden discussion of The Crying Game, which 3 of the co-hosts just watched, two for the first time. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 7 | Eric Rohmer's Comedies and Proverbs Cycle, Part 1 | SPOILER WARNING: Our discussions are in two sets - one based on the basic plot and early development of the story - and then a dissection of the ending and the films as a whole. There will be a clear spoiler warning at the halfway point. If you have not seen the films in question you can then skip to the next film, the starting times are: Introduction to the Cycle: 00:00 The Aviator's Wife: 10:00 A Good Marriage: 35: 25 Pauline at the Beach: 55:00 | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 8 | Mainstream Cinema: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly | In this episode Tom, Sol and Matthieu attempt to figure out what "Mainstream Cinema" even is. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 9 | Contemporary Silent Cinema | In this episode we will talk through all of the major contemporary silent films, or rather, the few there are: - Silent Movie - Juha - The Call of Cthulhu - Brand Upon the Brain - Dr Plonk - La Antena - The Artist - Blanchieves And ask the following questions: - Are silent films simply the result of unfortunate technical limitations, which the medium luckily overcame - or are they a unique style with its own merits? - Why did it take such a long time from the decline of silents to any kind of larger silent film project? - What do we wish to see from silent cinema in the future? | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 10 | Eric Rohmer's Comedies and Proverbs Cycle, Part 2 | SPOILER WARNING: Our discussions are in two sets - one based on the basic plot and early development of the story - and then a dissection of the ending and the films as a whole. There will be a clear spoiler warning at the halfway point. If you have not seen the films in question you can then skip to the next film, the starting times are: Introduction: 00:00 Full Moon in Paris: 02:07 The Green Ray: 23:53 My Boyfriend's Girlfriend: 48:17 Conclusion and Summary: 1:10:56 | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 11 | Please Do Disturb: The Most Disturbing Films We Have Seen | In this episode we will explore the idea of "Disturbing Cinema" and try to figure out exactly what disturbing even means. To do this we will go on a personal journey exploring what disturbs us and why and, of course, to do this we will indeed list: The Most Disturbing Films We Have Ever Seen. So, please do disturb, as Tom takes the host's chair to explore his love for disturbing cinema! | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 12 | The Decline of Film Forums: What Caused It? | In this episode we talk about a topic near and dear to our hearts: The Decline of Film Forums. Once upon a time there was an endless horde of IMDb forums, each with their own subculture. We had Mubi (the auteurs), RottenTomatoes and many, many more. Then, they slowly started to disappear, to the point that only ICMForum.com, and a few others, mostly the IMDb clones, which have copied the archives and kept some of the same users, are active and popular. What happened? Fittingly, both the co-founders of the ICMForum is with us, one of them (Lauren) for the very first time. Join in as we put on our detective hats, and talk openly of our own loss and traumas. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 13 | The Bizarre Origins of ICMForum.com | Can anything really go wrong if you just want to chat about films? Well ... yes it can! In this episode ICMForum.com co-founders Adam & Lauren are back to talk about the bizarre origins of ICMForum.com. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 14 | Film Purism: How Extreme Are You | Are you a film purist? And if so, are you an extremist? In this episode Sol jumps into the host's chair to see just how many of film purist Tom's buttons he can push before he breaks. Co-hosts Adam and Lauren join in for this gut-wrenching human drama of perfect cinema conditions and absolute respect for the artists vs. workouts, cleaning, internet browsing, eating and watching films on 1.5x speed - on your smartphone. The way that we consume movies has a changed a lot over the past 125 years. It is now possible to pause a film while watching it, watch a film the kitchen while doing the dishes and even eat an entire meal while watching a movie. While this would have seen but a dream back in the silent era, watching a film without being totally focused on it is a growing reality in the world of today. But is that the best and most enjoyable way to watch a film? | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 15 | Film Addiction | Have you ever been in a situation where you realized that you were losing control? That you were watching too many films and that is was negatively affecting your life? Worse yet, have you ever experienced literal withdrawal symptoms? In this episode Tom, Sol, Lauren and Adam take on the somewhat grueling topic of film addiction, and explores the difference between cinephilia and genuine addiction, and talk about how they manage their film obsessions. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 16 | Classic Westerns vs Spaghetti Westerns | We will compare these two films, not just to each other, but to the rest of classic of spaghetti westerns - and explore their relationships, their differences and similarities. Worried about spoilers? Don't worry, each film has their own spoiler section you can easily skip. (There will also be a spoiler for Django in the Spoiler section for The Great Silence). Intro: 00:00 Spaghetti Westerns vs. Classic Westerns: 01:53 Shane: 10:45 The Great Silence: 37:00 Outro: 1:07:36 | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 17 | Best Films of 2019: Our Top 5s | The time has come to reveal our very favourite films of 2019. In this episode Chris, Clem, Matthieu, Sol and Tom go through their top 5 films in detail. We also give each film more and more time to each film as we get closer to the top. The big shock here is that there were only 3 films that are on two lists, and even more shocking, no films were on more than 2 lists. There were 25 possible slots, and in this episode, we will cover 22. Pretty incredible, and some really big films did not make it into the episode either - don't be mad. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | |
| 18 | Rewatches: Broken Hearts, New Lovers and Lying Memories | Chris, Lauren, Sol and Tom try to decipher the power of rewatches. We will talk about: - How our memories can be deceitful liars - The films that broke our hearts - Stories of rags to riches - What actually changes between each viewing - And so much more | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 19 | WTH Happened to Godard in the 70s | In 1967, Jean-Luc Godard made a film called Weekend, famous for its beautiful tracking shot of a traffic jam and the collision that caused it. To many fans of Godard's work up to this point it is as if he was one of the casualties, or more potent: that this car crash is an apt metaphor for the next 12 years of his career. But why? | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 20 | What Scares Us | Are you easily scared? In this episode Chris, Matthieu, Lauren and Sol talk us through the films that traumatized them. Hell, Radio even gets a mention! Listen in to hear the run-down of the scariest movie monsters, not to mention the silliest movie monsters. We will, of course, talk about the scariest films of all time, but beyond that we will try to unpack just what it is about them that scares us. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 21 | Quentin Tarantino Unchained: Master or Hack | Yes It is time for that chat ... Is Quentin Tarantino the most unoriginal man in Hollywood, a petty thief with no soul - or is he a great auteur playing around with cinematic conventions and form? Regardless of how you feel about QT however, he loves cinema, and is likely the most vocal film buff of any living director, not to mention listmaker and promoter. No living director appears to be more vocally focused on what he is leaving behind than Questin Tarantino. His promise is clear: His next film will be his last. He wants to leave behind a perfect set, a work to be proud of - he does not want to grow state or lose touch - but - did he ever have the touch - or was he always a hack? Has he ever had an original idea or made a remotely great film? In this episode Chris, Clem and Matthieu will throw their hats in the ring, talk through his filmography - in particular Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction - and also try to answer the burning question: Will he actually be able to stop? | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 22 | Interview with Mary Guillermin - author of John Guillermin: The Man, the Myth, the Movies | John Guillermin, the director of Rapture, The Towering Inferno, King Kong, Never Let Go, Guns at Batasi and a long line of other films is best known for his bad temper, and there have been no comprehensive books on his work. This has changed: His wife Mary Guillermin has launched a large project to do John's work justice, and the book: John Guillermin: The Man, The Myth, The Movies is now out. We sat down with her before the release, and had an absolutely fantastic chat about John's life and work: and learned so much! | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 23 | Best and Worst Academy Awards Best Picture Winners | Yes, that's right: This is the episode where we arbitrarily pick the best and worst films to have won the Oscar for Best Picture, and, well ... fight it out ... Do you want to hear us: - Shock you with which Best Picture winners we hate? - Psychoanalyse the academy voters? - Figure out if things are getting "worse" or "better"? - Pinpoint trends? If so, join in for the ultimate Oscars Podcast, spanning from the very first winner in 1929, all the way up to Parasite in 2020 - and for a deep dive in how the Academy actually impacts the real world. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 24 | ICMFF2020: Main Slate and Highlights From the Festival | Recording in the midst of ICMFF2020, Chris, Matthieu and Tom break down the main slate and the highlights from the festival so far. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 25 | Single Location Films: Gimmick or Testament to the Power of Cinema? | Get ready for one heck of a claustrophobic rollercoaster ride as Chris, Sol and Tom go through some of the biggest (and some of the most underrated) single location - and primary location - films of all time! Spoiler Warning: We will spoil Coherence (with a clear warning) - jump to 1:01:00 if you do not want to get the concept spoiled. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 26 | Merry Christmas and Happy New Year | Strap yourself in for a Christmas and end-of-the-year episode that will be something out of the ordinary! Yes, we will talk about our favourite Christmas films: including Sol telling us all how Home Alone traumatised him for life! And yes - we will also be a bunch of non-Americans thoroughly confused about the appeal of a Christmas Story (sorry). But above all we are interested in just how different Christmas traditions are born - and how people around the world celebrate Christmas (Jul) and New Year! | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 27 | Studio Ghibli | In this episode we will not just discuss the magical work of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, or the mediocre work of everyone else - we will look at how their careers developed in contrast to each other from their first double feature, to their last. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 28 | Single-Take Films: The Incredible Effects of the One Consecutive Shot | Why would filmmakers go through the excruciating trouble and pain of creating their films without a single cut - any mistake being detrimental - every shoot non-stop? Why put yourself through all that pain? Why put your actors through all that pain? Why put the actual person carrying a camera for 90 minutes through all that pain? Why? Can single-take films do things regular films can't? Our answer is a resounding yes! Listen in as we talk you through the ludicrously small selection of single-take films, including the "fakes", and look at just what each of them manages to achieve. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 29 | 2001 vs Solaris (Space Exploration, part 1) | Get your battle helmets on - we're doing this. 2001 vs. Solaris. Kubrick vs. Tarkovsky. Oh, and ... all of cinematic history, well ... in space anyways, Yes, that's right - in this glorious two-part episode (did we mention that were will be a follow-up?!) we will look at ALL of space exploration history - going all the way back to A Trip to the Moon. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 30 | Space Exploration, part 2: When Space Became Reality | In this episode, we will look at what happened when the fantastical dream that was space exploration became reality - and the future became the past. Ikarie XB1 and Europa Report will have spoiler warnings | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 31 | The Dollar Trilogy is Pretty Badass | The Dollar Trilogy is iconic. It broke the rules, rewrote what we consider a western to be, and is just, well, badass! But why? What is it that make these films stand out the way they do? In this episode we try to find the answer. Join us as we talk through A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in all their badassness - and highlight just what make them special to us: from the way they move, feel and breath to the legacy they left behind. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |
| 32 | Is Netflix Destroying Cinema? | You have heard the warnings. You have seen the tears. You have felt the terror. A spectre is haunting the halls of cinema, and its name is not Covid-19 but Netflix. In this episode, we will discuss just how damaging Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Mubi and all other streaming services are, and try to get to the bottom of the existential threat they pose. Can anything good come from them at all? Listen in, and find out. | Spotify iTunes Sounder | Forum |