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From two movie obsessed brothers comes the ultimate celebration of cinema and the largely pointless yet magnificent joy of making lists about it. Opinions, Top 10’s, random facts and anecdotes all drawn from the brains of men who can quote Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Zulu, The Princess Bride and yes, Midnight Run from beginning to end. Tell your friends, tell people you are slightly indifferent to, tell people you actively despise and remember, there’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure.
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The tricky 31st episode features Female protagonists. Was it left this long to see if it could tempt Lewis into going to the cinema to see Furiosa, or Inside Out 2? The answer is 50% yes with Lewis, wearing his new Midnight Run shirt recalling his experience of going to the cinema as a wheelchair user. Female protagonists are more fragile and vulne…
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Fresh from the success of their new play, our boys return with their long awaited 30th episode. The 2010s were a time where they admit to being less prolific in visiting the cinema. Did life get in the way, or did it seem like films became longer and we are talking generally and not specifically referring to The Irishman. This was a decade that fea…
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Feeling flushed with pride due to our new "On Air" sign, we triumphantly returned from a 2 month break with a different kind of subject. The American Film Institute top 100 films (10th Anniversary) list gave us an absolute scope of films to watch. Who had seen the most and which films could we not get hold of? What did we both think of Gone with th…
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We at the Midnight Run Podcast think that we would make good detectives. Not as ourselves of course, although we have managed to conquer 2 Escape Rooms. The good detectives would probably consist of a combination of John McClane, Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade and Marge Gunderson. It is a subject rich with great characters and genres such as comedy, th…
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The tearjerker definition is a story, song, movie etc that makes you cry or feel very sad. It is very difficult to classify what makes us cry when watching films however, as it is very personal and based on previous life experiences. The differences are reflected in our respective top 10 lists and yes, Shelley Winters does come up. We discuss what …
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Ever wondered how Tom Cruise manages to defy both age and gravity consistently? We cover all of this and more. We're unpacking the glittering career of this beloved action star, from dissecting his breathtaking stunts in movies like Mission Impossible and Top Gun to understanding his knack for picking successful projects. Into his 5th decade of mov…
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Get ready to journey back in time with us, to a decade filled with iconic movies. We'll also lead you through memory lane, revisiting some of the 90s' most beloved films - yes, we're talking about classics like Goodfellas, Schindler's List, and Good Will Hunting. We saw such Director's as Burton, The Coen's and Tarantino. Has anyone had a better ye…
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Being British this should be right up our street, but what is British comedy and how has it evolved over the decades? From Ealing to the Carry On films to the Cornetto trilogy, with lots of Monty Python along the way, we discuss our upbringing and what makes us laugh along with our favourite scenes, performances and top 10s. Matt has a quiz for Lew…
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Episode 23 of the Midnight Run Podcast is in the dock. It is charged with the following offence. That the episode is not informative, fun and a bit silly while discussing the subject of courtroom films. The case for the Prosecution. They talk about crisps a bit too much. The case for the Defence. That, along with discussing what makes a good courtr…
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Villains are a particularly juicy subject. There are so many iconic screen villains to choose from such as Mr. Potter and Darth Vader. We discuss what makes a good villain and which actors make the best ones in our opinions. We talk about our upbringing and recall which villains scared us then and now. Are comedies or westerns the best genre and do…
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Don't go away, just because you don't like sport. This is not a niche subject. Most sports movies are not about the sport itself. A sports move is about the personal experience in order to achieve. It is about the fine line between success and failure, it is about heroes and villains, great montages, great drama and humour. We also decide if Gladia…
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What do we want from a comfort film? The answer is it depends on how you feel. Nothing is off the table here and it doesn't matter whether the film is great or not. Jaws and Zulu are great films for example, but we wouldn't consider them comfort movies. The film just has to be right for the occasion. So, what films do we like to watch when we are t…
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With a film back catalogue spanning 70 years, this was always going to be a rich topic for us. Michael Caine is a British film legend, with success in lead and supporting roles and his portrayals of such iconic characters as Alfie Elkins, Charlie Croker, Jack Carter and Hoagie. He has won 2 Academy Awards, but who was he up against? Matt is put to …
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Horror is a genre that we at The Midnight Run have struggled with over the years. There are a large number of sub genres such as Slasher, Supernatural and Psychological, so are we tarring a huge genre with a single brush or are specific types of horror what we really don't care for? There are lots of good things about horror films however, apart fr…
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It could be argued that the 1970s was the best decade in movie history. So many iconic films such as The Godfather(s), Jaws, Taxi Driver and Star Wars meant that picking a final 10 was just as difficult as figuring out why Jodie Foster didn't realize it was her own team she was scoring against in Freaky Friday. But the 70s wasn't all champagne and …
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Determining what we have decided to include as a biopic is the source of much debate in this episode. A biopic should be about a real person over a period of time and not necessarily the specific situation they are in...we think. So does The Queen, Moneyball, Spartacus and The Insider count? Subsequently this was a tough episode to prepare for. We …
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A sequel is a film that continues the story of, or expands upon an earlier work. Lots of them are made and although there are undoubtedly gems, many don't seem to be any good. We discuss our opinions on why that is (apart from them earning a truckload of cash) and try to determine which genres are best and worst suited to them. Some right old tripe…
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Science fiction films are perfect for the cinema because of the visual effects and the escapism that they provide. The Sci-fi genre, which has produced groundbreaking classics such as Metropolis, 2001, Bladerunner, Avatar and Plan 9 from Outer Space is a complicated one, which raises a debate on what to include and what not in in our top 10s. Our f…
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What makes a great scene and why? A difficult episode for us this time as we have to pick our top 10 scenes of all time. An almost impossible task and Matt does very well to reduce his shortlist from 97 originally. Are we counting montages? What about end scenes, which prompts Matt into revealing his favourite ending of all time. Does Omaha Beach c…
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What is a romantic comedy? We discuss the ingredients and Matt is put brutally on the spot in the "Yes/No" game, but ultimately a romantic comedy is what you decide it is. Our own interpretations result in the largest number of different films in our top 10s to date. Lewis reveals the record number of films he watched in preparation for the episode…
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At the time of recording and according to the internet, Samuel L. Jackson is the highest grossing actor at the box office (We are not counting Stan Lee). The main reasons for this are his association with the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, but he also appeared in Jurassic Park, which would have helped. He also had appeared in (at least) 140 films…
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There are so many elements to a musical. The choreography. The big show-stopping numbers. The wow factor it creates, along with a great story in it's own right. A musical is an attack on the senses. Our strong musical upbringing is discussed, along with our favourite numbers and performances. We decide on our favourite decade and reveal our top 10 …
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Steven Spielberg. A master craftsman. Unsurprisingly we are big fans on this show and it has been a difficult task picking our top 10s from his current list of 33 feature films (yes, we are including Duel in that number). Which of his films resulted in the creation of a new classification in American cinemas and why did you not see the shark in Jaw…
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Our festive episode. We tackle the difficult question “What is a Christmas film" the best we can, but also talk about our favourite Christmas songs and TV special episodes. Which films were watched in preparation (many in Lewis's case) and what non Christmas films do we like to watch during the festive season. Is there a connection between JFK and …
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If ever there were a film series that would be good for a list it would be Bond. So many to discuss, such as villains, songs, opening sequences, stunts, ladies and the Bond actors themselves. All of which make up what a Bond film has to offer and why we like them. A devilish quiz for Matt and insight into the back stories of the films demonstrate o…
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What is war good for? Nothing apart from the creation of some incredible films that show the best and worst of ordinary people. Often brutal, visceral experiences that can be a tough watch, but at the same time powerful and memorable. The madness of it is also depicted in terrific comedies too. Another tricky quiz for Matt to overcome and some topi…
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The 1980s was the decade that we grew up in. The decade that introduced us to the magic of the movies. So many titans of cinema were released in the 80s, so much so that making our final (and quite different) top 10s was extremely difficult. Does Midnight Run get in? What films just missed out? Which little gems do we recommend? Can Matt successful…
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Animation. Such a rich and varied form, with no rules and all genres covered. Many topics are covered in the tense and often heated conversation, such as which films influenced us growing up? Which famous films have we not seen? Which scene in Fantastic Mr Fox made Lewis laugh uncontrollably? Can Matt ace the particularly difficult quiz? Do we pref…
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A top 10 with a difference as we reveal our favourite films seen on the big screen. Some classic films, some unforgettable experiences. Some of them dreadful. What is the preferred cinema snack? Which film have we paid to see the most? What is the one (different) film that we each fell asleep in? What is the most ridiculous Steven Seagal character …
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Are Paint Your Wagon and Back to the Future part 3 westerns? Can you name every Clint Eastwood western and what in our humble opinions are the best castles for hide and seek and strongest salt and vinegar flavoured crisps? These heavy topics and more are discussed, culminating in our top 10 films in the western genre. The podcast contains 2 uses of…
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To date there have been 93 best picture winners at the Academy Awards. How many have we seen? Which ones haven't we seen and why? Which ones didn't we like? Lots of conversation and list making, culminating in the exciting reveal of our own personal favourites. Gripping stuff for a first ever episode.…
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