Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson laments that no film grossed more than £1m last weekend. He found #1 Bugonia, directed by The Favourite's Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone to be beautiful cinema. The story, about conspiracy theorists convinced a CEO is an alien, is a tad pretentious but you have no idea where it's going. At #11 is Shelby Oaks, a low-budget horror film from film critic Chris Stuckmann. Sadly, this slim tale is full of the usual horror tropes: James couldn't remember when he'd last been so bored. No boredom in Netflix's A House of Dynamite, though. Kathryn Bigelow directs Idris Elba in a thriller about the US facing a defence emergency. If you're short of time, just watch the first 39 minutes.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
Steve Caplin is surprised that, despite AWS's massive internet failure, OpenAI will pay it $38bn for computing power. Robot dogs are to be used to deal with Sellafield's nuclear waste. A humanoid housekeeper apparently has to have a human operator. An Australian company has devised a way of skiing indoors in something resembling a giant hamster wheel. Tesla's Cybertrucks are losing their headlights, because mechanics used the wrong glue. China has built the world's first wind-powered underwater data centre. And a solar powered backpack has been devised for homeless people in California.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian says that the Chancellor's pre-Budget speech is clearly setting us up for tax rises. Labour's biggest mistake was promising not to increase income tax, VAT or National Insurance. With taxes at a high but the British state so sclerotic, people are entitled to ask, "Where is my money going?" Mike found it interesting that at the very moment when it looked as if the Chancellor might have to go over her rental income problems, that was when the Palace chose to strip Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his titles. It was a miscalculation for it didn't bury the story. But is it appropriate for the Royals to sort this out on their own? Mike believes not.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell and author of the Telegraph's Questor column wonders why the Chancellor gave a speech about giving a speech, comparing it to Hugh Dalton having to resign in 1947 for letting slip something in the Budget. But the Budget will be important for affecting the 10-year gilt yield, seen as the risk-free rate. Any other investments should be priced to provide higher returns. As examples, utilities are seen as bond proxies as there's little expected capital growth, whereas discounted cash flow models are used to price tech stocks. If the 10-year yield rises, it decreases the value of equities and vice versa. Investors should always bear in mind its importance.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University says getting serious medical treatment abroad has doubled in three years to half a million a year. Private health care hjere grows by 8-10% a year yet NHS waiting lists are still rising. Those now paying twice for healthcare may favour massive change in the NHS. Milei's unexpected mid-term win in Argentina is a huge win for free-marketeers and libertarians and may set a framework for governments wanting to turn their economies around. And with Budget talk of further tax increases, Tim discusses how moving to the United States could cut Britons' tax bills in half.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that October could be the worst for cinema since the late 1990s, despite the high quality of many films. Docudrama #1 Springsteen:Deliver Me From Nowhere is enjoyable, if not emotionally engaging. #2 Regretting You is a mother and daughter drama with great acting but the annoying screenplay makes the characters' lives unnecessarily difficult. He laughed more than he should have done. He loved All Of You on Apple TV+, with Imogen Poots and Brett Goldstein friends in a near-future world. It's a lovely, dramatic, fresh and charming film. He also recommends seeking out the prescient S1m0ne from 23 years ago, with Al Pacino digitally creating an actress.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin says that the massive Amazon outage was caused by nothing more than an empty data record. Google has been providing misleading information on pensions and driving licences. There's a clever AI military helmet. Customers of Starling Bank have a new way of avoiding scams. A device attached to your lavatory can monitor your gut health. A German company is offering to 3D-print personalised bike saddles, if you can translate its website. Scientists have found that the most expensive TV screens are pointless. And battery-grade lithium is now being mined in Cornwall.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Neil Shah of Edison group feels that Primary Health Properties, which does what it says on the tin, will benefit from the takeover of Assura. 80-90% of its income is backed by the government so the shares can be compared to gilts, except that the company will produce growth and rising dividends. It's on a prospective yield of 7.7%. He is also upbeat on the UK market. American investors are looking for value, yield and safety outside the US and, despite all the doom and gloom, there are positive signs in the UK. Neil thinks there will be a Santa rally this year.
Guests: Neil Shah
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says he can't remember when there were so many good movies in the chart. At #6 is Channing Tatum in Roofman, a true tale of a polite crook who hides away in a toy store. Also starring Kirsten Dunst, it's a character study full of great performances. At #9 is After the Hunt with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield in a superbly-made ideas movie with an exquisitely calibrated script. On Netflix, The Woman in Cabin 10 with Keira Knighley and Guy Pearce disappointed. It's an old-fashioned thriller set on a luxury cruise, which might be fine if you put your brain in neutral.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin explains about the Amazon AWS outage, the biggest in the history of the internet. He also points out how many Amazon book titles, even best-sellers, are fake and written by AI. He warns against OpenAI's internet browser. He wonders how wise it is using dead animals' DNA to help endangered species. Police in Islington soon intend sending drones to incidents. There's a concept "robot phone" which seems a bit weird. Japanese scientists think they can brew sake in space, for a steep price. And there's a crowdfunded guitar pedal that may please rock musicians.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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