Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson finds the live-action remake of #1 How To Train Your Dragon a disappointment, lacking much of the original's charm. He points out that the perfectly woven farce The Wedding Banquet is still around, suggesting people catch it while they can. On Netflix, he watched Straw, a state-of-the-nation melodrama from the phenomenally successful Tyler Perry. But while it has some nice moments, it's formulaic and unrealistic. He much admires the beautiful restoration of Darling, 1965's satire of Britain in the swinging 60s. Starring Dirk Bogarde and Julie Christie as a self-obsessed model, it has sparkling dialogue and won Oscars for costumes, script and for Christie. The extras are great too.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin discusses more to do with AI: researchers have discovered that relying on it makes you stupid; an engineer found it can't play chess; AI-generated music is mostly listened to by bots; Meta's AI is making people's searches for advice public; and Meta itself is apparently offering $100m sign-up fees. Google's new videoconferencing system is now available. Donald Trump is selling gold mobile phones. There's a new source of gold – but it's impossible to get at it. And scientists have found solutions to underarm odour and male pattern baldness.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the G7 meeting with Donald Trump to the fore. He doesn't believe the vaunted UK trade deal with the US is the full thing but, more important, were the discussions on Ukraine and the Middle East. Mike also ponders whether the G7 is becoming less relevant as a body. He turns to the grooming gang inquiry, the latest in a long-running, disappointing saga. The terms of the inquiry and the timescale will be vital. As with the decriminalisation of abortion, Mike laments the toxicity of these and many other current issues. Political discourse is getting angrier and consensus ever harder to find: this is not helpful for democracy.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell, declaring himself no expert in geopolitics, is suprised that markets have not put a bigger risk premium on oil in the past few days. Clearly investors are hopeful that there is not going to be a major escalation. He discusses the rise in the gold price, up 46% in a year in dollar terms, pointing out how expensive it is historically compared to oil and various other commodities. Those investors who fear inflation will probably take a different view on how to structure their portfolios than those who are more worried about a slowdown, recession or even debt deflation.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University believes that the UK is now in a doom loop. With no coherent strategy, Rachel Reeves is digging us ever deeper into a hole, borrowing massively with no attempt to improve productivity or encourage growth. No wonder capital and talent is fleeing. For anyone wondering how we might do things differently in a politically viable way, reducing the state and improving state services, Tim recommends Lord Moynihan's very readable work, Return to Growth. And he finds fascinating the 180-degree ideological shift by many in Labour when it comes to our civil nuclear programme.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reports on a thriving box office, well ahead of last year's take. #3 Ballerina has little to do with ballet, coming from the world of John Wick. It's stylish but is relentless, exhausing combat porn. Apple TV+ has Echo Valley with Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. It's a thriller that gripped James throughout. Also on Apple is the documentary Deaf President Now! about a deaf university where the students felt they were second-class citizens. It too is recommended.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is unsure about DeepMind's forthcoming "next generation email tool" which will answer emails in your voice. The rooftop garden of Google's new London HQ is plagued by foxes and rats. BIC celebrated 75 years by having a pen write Romeo & Juliet in the Bard's handwriting. Shimano have come up with automatic bike gears. There's a coffeemaker that does not need water – it sucks it from the air. AI now appears to be able to restore artworks without risking the original. However, AI also claims that the word "Welsh" is offensive. And Amazon says it will now punish companies that use fake reviews. But how do you punish bots?
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Finlay Mathers of Edison Group looks at two companies benefitting from increased spending on defence. After some problems last year, Chemring now has a £1.3bn record order book. The company mainly focusses on counter measures and its recent results were very positive. Avon Technologies specialises in military headgear and respiratory equipment. 50% of its revenue comes from the US Department of Defense. Although profitability had been under pressure following an acquisition, the company is seeing higher than expected growth and things look very satisfactory.
Guests: Finlay Mathers
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is impressed that the box office has fallen only 20% with Lilo & Stitch and Mission Impossible #1 & #2. #3 is Karate Kid: Legends with Jackie Chan (the sixth in the series). It is formulaic but moves at a good clip. Independent film The Salt Path is #4, packing out screens where it is showing. It's an unbelieveable but true story with Jason Isaacs & Gillian Anderson and is worthy but lacking cinematic oomph. On Netflix James caught the Spanish crime drama A Widow's Game, which can be seen subtitled or dubbed. Sadly, it is all too obvious who the guilty party is.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell points out that financial stocks have been performing really well of late, partly because things have been boring for them, with nothing untoward happening, while the yield curve is working in their favour. Banks will benefit from supply chains being brought home. They're difficult for private investors to analyse and there's a risk of performance chasing but, if they generate double-digit returns, there could be more to go. Russ highlights the banks value investors might favour and those offering decent yields, especially the big banks, which are also engaged in buybacks.
Guests: Russ Mould
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