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The Business of Film: The Naked Gun, The Legend of Ochi & Bono: Stories of Surrender

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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With Fantastic Four still #1, the reboot of The Naked Gun with Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson could only manage second place. Much as he enjoyed the original movies, James found the continual running gags in this version soon became tiresome while the film was so silly silly and surreal it undermined the comedy. He was more impressed with The Legend of Ochi which only limped in at #18. With Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson it's a visually spellbinding fable but, being both magical and barmy, it may struggle to find an audience, even if it eventually becomes a cult classic. Apple TV+ add to their many music documentaries with Bono: Stories of Surrender, in which the star tells stories of his life with a few songs. He's a charismatic storyteller with an unexpectedly poetic turn of phrase.

Guests: James Cameron-Wilson


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The Business of Film: The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Bad Guys II & High Noon

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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James Cameron Wilson says box office is up 17%, though most films have dropped as #1 The Fantastic Four: First Steps took in £8m. The plot may not be unduly original but there are lots of incidental pleasures, with a humorous script and a realistic family dynamic: Vanessa Kirby gives the film a human dimension as her character is expecting. #3 The Bad Guys II is an animated sequel in the mould of Ocean's Eleven but the dialogue is lazy and the film noisy and frenetic. However, James celebrates a glorious 4K restoration of 1952's High Noon, "the Western for those who don't like Westerns" starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. It looks wonderful and some of the extras are superb.

Guests: James Cameron-Wilson


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The Business of Film: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Four Letters of Love & Superbad

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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With UK box office up slightly as schools break up, James Cameron-Wilson found #5, a new version, 28 years on, of I Know What You Did Last Summer wildly implausible, very silly and undermined by a limp script. He thought #15 Four Letters of Love beautifully made. Starring the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne, it's a love story with a touch of Mills & Boon and, although it will have its fans, it isn't always believable. He also revisited 2007's Superbad, rereleased at #28. A time capsule with the likes of Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Emma Stone in her first film, it's somewhat misogynistic and would never be made nowadays. But there are great performances, much about it still feels fresh and funny and it was a template for much to come.

Guests: James Cameron-Wilson


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The Business of Film: Superman, Modi: Three Days on the Wings of Madness & Heads of State

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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James Cameron-Wilson is disappointed that UK box office is down 36% but delighted with new #1 Superman, starring David Corenswet. Written and directed by James Gunn, he found it a thrilling and funny ride which is also pertinent and reckons a stale genre has been saved from the brink. Simon Rose was less enthusiastic. #26 is Modi: Three Days on the Wings of Madness, directed by Johnny Depp. Concerning Modigliani and other dissolute, starving artists in 1916 Paris it's a visual feast but also a mixed bag. On Amazon Prime, Heads of State has Idris Elba and John Cena as UK & US Premiers battling terrorists in an odd couple thriller. It's improbable and clichéd but rattles along nicely with decent banter.

Guests: James Cameron-Wilson


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The Business of Film: Jurassic World Rebirth, Hot Milk & The Old Guard 2

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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


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The Business of Film: F1 The Movie, M3GAN 2.0, & Grenfell Uncovered

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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


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The Business of Film: 28 Years Later, Elio & Deep Cover

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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


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The Business of Film: How To Train Your Dragon, Straw & Darling

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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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The Business of FIlm: Ballerina, Echo Valley & Deaf President Now!

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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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The Business of Film: Karate Kid – Legends, The Salt Path & A Widow's Game

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film

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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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