Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reviews the latest UK box office where the Taylor Swift concert film, The Eras Tour, sweeps everything before it with a massive £5.7m take, making it the highest-ever event release in the UK, just on its first weekend. James was disappointed by The Miracle Club (#9) despite Laura Linney and Maggie Smith. Simon Rose caught up with Blackberry, finding it one of the best business movies he's seen. On Netflix, James was full of praise for hedge-fund-set Fair Play, an intense and emotional drama, with Phoebe Dynevor a talent on the rise.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin dazzles Simon Rose with the latest tech news. NASA are using SpaceX to visit an asteroid worth $10 quadrillion. Twitter is to introduce an annual fee, but only in 2 countries. Amazon say they'll be delivering by drone by the end of next year. Adobe have developed a dress that changes pattern. Japanese scientists have discovered that drinking alcohol-free drinks reduces your alcoholic intake. There's a flat-pack electric car for €10,000. And a bricklaying robot will be able to lay 300 masonry blocks an hour, with no need for any tea breaks.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian reflects upon the Prime Minister's visit to Israel and the UK reaction to the delicate situation, feeling that this is Sunak's first test on the world stage. After attending the Labour Party conference, he feels that, for the first time in a long time, Labour feel like a party expecting to be in government soon. And, on the day of two by-elections, he wonders if the Prime Minister will call the General Election earlier than he has to.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at Labour's move to the right of the Tories on housing and the NHS and feels it could become the natural party of government in the biggest seismic shift in UK politics since the early 20th century. He considers whether the world is hurtling towards a global financial crisis. And he assesses the growing public revolt around Europe against Net Zero, finding himself puzzled that no government appears to have carried out any costings in advance of such policies being announced.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson takes Simon Rose through the box office chart, led by The Exorcist: Believer which, despite the presence of Ellen Burstyn, James found boring, underlit & clichéd. He thought Gareth Edwards' sci-fi epic The Creator at #2 visually powerful and his best film to date. While Saw 10 (#3) was ingenious, James found it horribly sadistic and gave him a sleepless night, something a film rarely does. He thought The Great Escaper (#4) with Michael Caine & Glenda Jackson a padded anecdote rather than a film. Ken Loach's The Old Oak (#8) was marred by a contrived ending. Way down at #31, though, he found the documentary 20 Days In Mariupol about the invasion of Ukraine needed a strong stomach but was an amazing record of life in a war zone.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin talks tech with Simon Rose. Manchester is to trial AI-controlled traffic lights, Prada are to make spacesuits to go to the moon while there's a watch commemoriating Neil Armstrong which contains moon dust. There's a wheelchair which can climb stairs, Japanese businessmen can nap upright in a Giraffenap and nouvelle cuisine goes mobile with food dancing around the plate. All this and more.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the effect conflicts have had on financial markets using the All-Share Index since it was instituted in 1962. While recognising that much else is more important, he concludes that, by and large, the reaction of markets is not long lasting. The big exception was 1973's Yom Kippur War which led to the 73-4 oil price shock. While events may not be directly comparable, with inflation heightened and debt at astronomic heights, we have to hope that the US economy does not hit the buffers. Russ's Nostrodamic view is that as governments can't afford deflation, interest rates will be pushed lower. Please note: Russ's inability to access broadband means that sound quality is variable in places.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
In an episode first broadcast on 13th February 2020, just a couple of weeks before the Covid pandemic started, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University examined why big construction projects such as Crossrail and HS2 go over budget, what ought to be done about the BBC and its licence fee and he cast a look back over the UK's troubled relationship with the EU during its 47-year membership. In the light of Rishi Sunak's cancellation last week of HS2 north of Birmingham, it's interesting to note the strains in the HS2 project which were already evident three and half years ago. Meanwhile here's the link to our more recent commentary, Public Finance Disasters in Small Print: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-08-07/
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University laments the profligacy of Government and the failure of the Bank of England to get a grip on inflation. He compares it to the disastrous mid-70s, saying the Bank is failing badly. He looks at the shifting sands of HS2 and climate policy, explaining why the UK is so bad at infrastructure. And he finds a positive in the fact that so many people are choosing to continue to work beyond conventional retirement age.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson laments the current state of the UK box office, down 20% WOW & 35% YOY. He hates Expendables 4, limping in at #2 wth a mere £760,000. Paul Dano stars in Dumb Money, #5, about the Gamestop story. However, James found it utterly baffling and felt he'd already seen the film after watching the trailer. He was, however, very impressed by Flora & Son on Apple TV, an Irish film from the director of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street, about the transformative power of music. He ends with a tribute to the late Sir Michael Gambon.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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