Kermode and Mayo's Film Review Show

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

discussing the actual mechanics kind of has to be done.

Yes, like he said, I think it was the amusement in him going into exposition about exposition immediately after extolling the virtues of not using too much of it.

I agree with you though.

[Pepotamo1985]

Another thing I really like about Kermode is that he's an obsessive, and sentimental for many great films of older vintage, but he still appreciates a great deal of new films, which is not a common occurrence in my experience for an uber-critic - he equally comfortable exploding with incredibly eloquent vitriol about shit films (on a seemingly endless variety of bases) as he is waxing lyrically about a new film that he really, really loves. Both types of review are entertaining, because he really knows his shit and it's always pleasing to hear a well spoken expert spew.

[Custard]

Filmspotting is excellent - http://filmspotting.net/

They tend to review one film a week (in depth) and then something older (at the moment, they're doing a Powell and Pressburger marathon) in addition to other features.  I find it interesting to go back and listen once I've seen something and with an archive of some five years, there's plenty of scope for that.

Heh, funnily enough, I'd already downloaded an episode of this just this week to try out. Not got round to it yet. But cheers for the recomendation.

Another pretty good one is Movies You Should See, which is basically 3 blokes and a lady who are mates, sitting around discussing "classic" films. Very listenable.  In fact, most of the Simply Syndicated podcasts are worth a listen, and they're regularly updated.

[phantom_power]

Heh, funnily enough, I'd already downloaded an episode of this just this week to try out. Not got round to it yet. But cheers for the recomendation.

Another pretty good one is Movies You Should See, which is basically 3 blokes and a lady who are mates, sitting around discussing "classic" films. Very listenable.  In fact, most of the Simply Syndicated podcasts are worth a listen, and they're regularly updated.

movies you should see is occassionally entertaining but there are too manu factual errors and displays of lack of knowledge that i find frustrating. there is also too much injokery and general pointless chit chat in the podcasts as well.

[Custard]

I know what you mean, and I felt very much the same when i first discovered them. But then i started listening to some of their other shows, like the general-chat phone-in one, Super Happy Fun Time (dreadful title, i know), and i started to get to know and like the people, so i think that kinda adds to my enjoyment of the film podcasts now. I do know exactly what you mean though heh.

[phantom_power]

i think part of the problem is that i don't particularly like the people doing the podcasts and don't really value their opinions, whereas on something like filmspotting, i often disagree with their views, but they make me think and i respect what they have to say

[Uncle TechTip]

So, the wife dragged me along to one of Kermode's book signing event things last night, and bugger me if it wasn't something of a disappointment, with 40 mins of anecdotes from the book and 40 mins of uninspiring Q&A. Anecdotes included the Herzog shooting one which he opens the bloody book with. Ten pounds! There were 500 people there too, though they seemed to enjoy it a lot more than we did.

Ok I'm being harsh, not sure what I was expecting, but I came out with a 'meh' look on my face. Also it was prefaced by this silly short film titled "the science of 3D" (C) BBC Enterprises) which was just him dangling Smurfs on a coat-hanger to represent Avatar. Everyone seemed to laugh a lot more than this bit deserved. This is how starved of culture we are round here.

Oh his family were present and he made us all say hello to his daughter because his son had asked a question about Transformers, and she would feel left out. That bit annoyed me for some reason.

Also his family and some big bloke with a beard and a South-West accent discussed driving-home details in front of a big queue of hopeful book signees, which I found amusing.

[Custard]

Decided to give the Kermode/Mayo podcast another go, and found it as irritating as ever. Kermode's constant loud snoring and "boo"s during his Paranormal Activity 2 review actually made me wanna kick someone.

Just wanna give a nod to the american /Film (slash film) podcast that i've discovered this week. Very informative, interesting, and with decent film reviews. And no snoring.

[Harpo Speaks]

Was there a show on Friday? Podcast hasn't gone up.

[babyshambler]

Was there a show on Friday? Podcast hasn't gone up.

I saw a 'coming soon' on iPlayer for it (5th Nov) but I'm wondering the same.

[Consignia]

It was the NUJ strike on Friday, so they just played an old podcast in the broadcast slot. The one from the Phoenix, I believe.

[babyshambler]

ahh right. Thanks for clearing that one up.

[Harpo Speaks]

Ah right, thanks Consignia.

[Harpo Speaks]

Filmspotting is excellent - http://filmspotting.net/

They tend to review one film a week (in depth) and then something older (at the moment, they're doing a Powell and Pressburger marathon) in addition to other features.  I find it interesting to go back and listen once I've seen something and with an archive of some five years, there's plenty of scope for that.

Thanks for this, really been enjoying these, and a huge back-catalogue to pick from.

[Harpo Speaks]

But the new format doesn't work for me at all. I find myself skipping to about the 90 minute mark on the podcast to get to the new releases, and having to put up with endless inane listener comments while they go through the top 10 then spend 5 minutes on that weeks films. I don't have a problem with the interviews, they just need to be shorter.

The show was absolutely ludicrous last week, desperately trying to ram about 5 films into what felt like the last few minutes. They spent an absolute age on a listener's email that related how one of Kermode's reviews had helped bring them out of a coma, which, while a nice story, doesn't need to be using up airtime. Why can't that just be a nice note of sentiment for Mayo and Kermode to just keep to themselves?

See also - people saying 'I listen to your podcast while jogging, please give me some encouragement around the x-minute mark' and 'I have said 'Hello to Jason Isaacs in an unusual situation'. I don't mnd so much if it's listener feedback relating to the films or film-going, but this other stuff can just fuck off.

Talk about film, that's what you're being paid for and what people are tuning in for.

[Johnny Townmouse]

This is a great podcast buried under a ton of boring, tedious, self-indulgent dog-shit. It doesn't have much competition, and therefore has huge downloads every week. This lulls the presenters into believing that everything they do is hugely popular. Add on a dozen emails about Jason Isaacs each week to convince them they are massively amusing and have beloved show-memes, and you have a recipe for awfulness.

Part of the problem is that neither of them are funny, but both of them are charmlessly arrogant. The self-indulgence of the whole show is a huge problem. I listen to this show because often Kermode has some interesting things to say about film, and in general I find his reviews interesting. Mayo is worthless as far as I am concerned. He knows virtually nothing about film ("yeah, but he gives us the man on the street view of film") and merely encourages the faux-angsty relationship that I find so deeply, deeply, deeply irritating.

I prefer the Guardian film podcast with pervy professional Jew, Jason Solomons, because it dispenses with all the rubbish and twoddle.

[thugler]

I really wish there was an edited version of the podcast with just the reviews and as little as possible mayo, and mayo/kermode twaddle about jason isaacs and endless referencing of their little jokes. Sometimes I find I've been listening for half an hour on the way to work and the only content is their self indulgent wank.

Kermode can do some reasonable reviews when he gets going, although there are certain types of films which I always ignore him on (comedies and kids films) since he is completely clueless. He always seems suspicious of comedies, and complains that they are misogynistic/nasty (super bad!?). Kids films he's the other way, and goes out of his way not to criticise them as 'they aren't made for him'.

[Nibbsy]

Kermode's review on this week's show of Of Gods And Men is a great example of what a brilliant radio film critic he can be when he just talks about films. Just a shame that stuff gets squeezed out most weeks by the self-indulgent 'wittertainment'.

[rudi]

I really wish there was an edited version of the podcast with just the reviews and as little as possible mayo, and mayo/kermode twaddle about jason isaacs and endless referencing of their little jokes. Sometimes I find I've been listening for half an hour on the way to work and the only content is their self indulgent wank.

Indeed. I thought I'd give the podcast a go last night as I bathed. After 50 minutes of old news and travel reports, self-congratulatory balls, loads of stuff about Jasoon Isaacs and not a single review of a new film in any shape or form I got out and turned it off.

[phes]

Interesting. Only recently e-mailed Kermode to suggest he apply his own critical process to that weeks show. Listing tedious fan e-mails, crap memes and insufficient reviews as some of the reasons I can't be bothered wasting my time on it any more. I'm going to check out that /Film podcast I think. 

[boxofslice]

This week's was awful.  There was about half an hour of, what The Candyman would call, self-regarding nonsense.  We were treated to tedious stories about how Kermode had brought someone round from a coma due to the patient being being played one of his rants and then this was followed by another story of how a couple crashed their car because they were immersed in the brilliance of Mayo & Kermode and not concentrating on the traffic ahead.  Oh and more unfunny "Hello to Jason Issacs bollocks".  If you're listening on the podcast at least you have the luxury of skipping those bits.

[Phil_A]

Whenever I'm listening back to the shows I always skip the first hour, as I find the interviews really uncomfortable. Kermode & Mayo's antagonistic schtick often seems to put the guests on the defensive and rarely makes for a good interview.

The sheer amount of self-congratulatory wank has become absurd now, and it's only got worse since the reviews become a separate show on their own. The whole "Wittertainment Code Of Conduct" thing the other week was just unbelievable. It was one of those slightly irritating ideas which they should've dropped after a couple of shows, but they actually went through with producing an actual list and spent about ten minutes reading it out on air.

I do genuinely like Kermode's reviews, but as others have already said, all the other stuff is a chore to sit through.

[Harpo Speaks]

This week's was awful.  There was about half an hour of, what The Candyman would call, self-regarding nonsense.  We were treated to tedious stories about how Kermode had brought someone round from a coma due to the patient being being played one of his rants

Well exactly, this was a story that had already been read the week before, which was then revisited this week. I'm tempted to email in myself, but I doubt they'd read something which criticised the format the show, I can only presume we're in the minority in having a problem with the amount of time they spend on this stuff.

[phes]

Well it would at least tip the balance a little more in favour of people that are tired of listening to all the crap, if he received a few e-mails from people that feel the same way.

[Harpo Speaks]

Well it would at least tip the balance a little more in favour of people that are tired of listening to all the crap, if he received a few e-mails from people that feel the same way.

Predicted responses:

MAYO: Are you going to change the format of the show then?

KERMODE: [very long pause] NO.


or

'Someone complaining about listener emails there by [both together] SENDING IN A LISTENER EMAIL!'

[phes]

I don't think there's much chance of them reading out my e-mail.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

The problem stems from the Kermode and Mayo bit going from being a segment of Mayo's 5live show, to a two hour show in it's own right since Mayo's move to Radio 2. Meaning they have to fill it with self congratulatory bollocks to make up the running time.

Or Kermode could do longer reviews, whatever.

(Really liked his Of God's and Monsters review this week, made me want to go and see it. Obviously there's nowhere near me that's actually showing it but...it's the thought that I'd like to go and see it that counts...)

[Custard]

I've truly given up on this now, it's dreadful these days. Plus Kermode has lost even more respect from me this week, after I sat through the first hour of 4.3.2.1 and it was literally the worst film i've seen in YEARS. Yet when Noel Clarke appered on their show, Kermode praised it to the moon. So that's me and him done. That's his credibility gone to shit, for me. Maybe he genuinely liked it, though, to be honest, that's even worse! It's a film with literally no redeeming features, so if Kermode loves it he can fuck right off.

So yeah, i'd say go with /Film or Filmspotting or The Guardian's film podcast. ANYTHING OTHER THAN THIS, basically.

[mr. logic]

You could tell that the guy from Four Lions was a bit irriatated/bemused when Kermode said that, though he enjoyed the film, it wasn't funny.

[uncle_rico]

I gotta parrot what most people have said... ever since the show went from one hour to two, I just haven't felt the urge to listen to it that much (I think I can count on my left hand how many times I've listened to it in the past year).  Simon Mayo has always annoyed me, but he's become even less bareable since the show became twice as long, and to make matters worse, I can't help but feel Kermode indulges him.  For example, this review of Monsters which I just watched...

Monsters reviewed by Mark Kermode

If it wasn't for all the pointless guff about "Italian Neo-Realism", that review would only be half the length (maybe less).  Now as a result, that's all I've left the review thinking about (which probably has very little to do with the film itself).