Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson celebrates a buoyant summer box office climbing another 42% with #1 Jurassic World: Rebirth. But despite a great cast including Scarlett Johansson and director Gareth Edwards, it is very formulaic and feels like a retread of past glories. Fiona Shaw and Emma Mackey star in #11 Hot Milk but again, despite such fine actors, it is bafflingly abtruse and so little happens, you might as well see the excellent trailer which even includes the climactic scene. On Netflix, James was disappointed by The Old Guard 2. Much as he enjoyed the first spin on immortaility this one is overbudgeted, crammed full of exotic locations and leaden.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Neil Shah of Edison Group feels BP is going through a transformation under a new management team although, like Rolls Royce, it will take time to gain traction. Reducing debt will make the company a less risky business but it is a key income provider with a progressive dividend policy and a secure income stream so its 6.5% yield is attractive. J P Morgan European Discovery Trust is indicative of the greater confidence in European economies where interest rates have stabilised. The fund has pivoted away from sector bets to stock selection and has an impressive record of finding small companies that prove to be big winners.
Guests: Neil Shah
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin feels sorry for the Norwegian lottery players told they'd won big, only to find it was a basic maths error. Monzo has been fined over "weak financial controls" while the gov.uk app still isn't ready. Amoral AI models gave alarming responses to being told they would be replaced, including blackmail and even contemplation of murder. Project Vend suggests AI isn't the best at operating a cafe. Humanoid robots won't be replacing professional footballers any time soon. There's a credit card-sized pen. NHS drones are going to be more prolific overhead in London. And mould from a tomb has been found to contain cancer-killing molecules.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
This week James Cameron-Wilson is joined by Chad Kennerk, our occasional American correspondent, to review the opening weekend performance of 'F1 The Movie', which at #1 is now Brad Pitt’s highest-grossing movie, beating the record set in 2013 by his zombie thriller 'World War Z'. Having waxed lyrical last week about Danny Boyle’s new film '28 Years Later', James returns to where the franchise left off in 2007, reviewing the title with fresh eyes. While on the subject of zombies, Chad and James share some of their favourite undead excursions. James was less thrilled with the film at #6, 'M3GAN 2.0', which continues the escapades of the titular killer robot doll as she goes good in order to face off with a deadlier foe. For his streaming title of the week, James reviews the sobering Netflix documentary 'Grenfell Uncovered'.
Guests: Chad Kennerk,James Cameron Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Simon Rose is joined by political commentator and author of The Groucho Tendency blog, Mike Indian, to discuss how UK politics has got to where it is. In this episode recorded in October 2019, Simon and Mike discuss the history of the Labour Party. As the party strains to maintain its unity notwithstanding its huge majority from the 2024 election, it's interesting to reflect on its journey over past decades.
Guests: Mike Indian
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Recorded in February this year for the 500th show, Steve Caplin takes a look back at some of the highlights of ten years of Gadgets & Gizmos. He covers sprayable sleep, cows imitating zebras to ward off mosquitoes, crows collecting cigarette butts, NFTs, self-parking slippers, KFC chicken-tasting nail polish, the first human head transplant, the Skunklock noxious bike lock, Refridgerating, the robot dog flamethrower, ant populated gin and how to make pain relief pills 10 times more effective.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University says that the wheels are coming off the welfare project that began in the early 20th century. The state can no longer do it all and either massive changes are made proactively or it will happen reactively through a money market crisis. Sadly, few politicians show the necessary pragmatism and we may already be seeing the early signs of a legitimation crisis. He also looks at Donald Trump. The domestic picture is mixed but, internationally, he cannot remember a US President moving so many dials so rapidly and in such significant ways.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Chloe Wong Yun Shing of Edison Group looks at London estate agency Foxtons, which operates in lettings, sales and financial services. It has 6% of the market and expects to move beyond London through acquisitions. It is pivoting towards lettings, which will reduce cyclical volatility. Edison's analysts feel the shares are only half their fair value. Record plc is a specialist asset manager for institutions focussing on currency and derivative management. While full year results saw a drop in revenue and profits, assets under management remained solid at over $100m. It's a cash-generative business with no debt and a yield of 8% supports the shares.
Guests: Chloe Wong Yun Shing
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson waxes lyrical about #1 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle's first film in 6 years. It's 23 years since 28 Days Later and the zombie horror is as fresh as ever, with the likes of Ralph Fienes and Jodie Comer starring in the third in the series, which begins on Lindisfarne. The film has been doing incredibly well wherever it has opened. #3 Elio, however, has had the worst opening ever for Pixar. A children's sci-fi animated adventure, James found himself unmoved while the kids seeing it were far from being gripped. On Amazon Prime, his hopes for the supposedly funny film about improv actors involved in police stings, Deep Cover, were soon dashed, despite the presence of Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean. It simply isn't funny enough.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin expresses surprise that Elon Musk (or his lawyers) claims not to use a computer, despite previous contrary evidence. Tesla has launched its RoboTaxis while Amazon's Zoox intends making 10,000 robotaxis in a year. Perplexity AI is being sued by the BBC. A Chinese student was arrested in the UK for using an SMS blaster to scam people. A new bike helmet has a way of charging bike lights. An internet blackout in Iran caused 80 social media accounts supporting Scottish independence to go down. UK adults are using their phones more than their TVs for the first time. And Liverpool scientists reckon that dinosaurs were 5 times slower than previously thought.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
