Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that box office, despite a WoW drop of 17%, is still very healthy. #5 Eternity depicts an afterlife where souls must pick their preferred eternity. Although a comic parable where a woman must choose with which man to spend the afterlife, it fails to work on several levels. James, disappointed by the ending, was not moved. He found the Blu-Ray release of 1954's Apache, directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Lancaster to be a fascinating insight into attitudes of the time. At the forefront of films more sympathetically depicting Native Americans, Lancaster is an unpleasant and hugely misogynistic character while the movie is highly patronising by current standards. He was much keener on Netflix's Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach's film of a film actor not hugely dissimilar to George Clooney, played by George Clooney, only more unpleasant and egotistical. It has many wonderful scenes, should resonate with many and James loved it.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Finlay Mathers of Edison discusses BP, which has changed strategy to give an emphasis to shareholder return, increasing investment in oil & gas by 20% while reducing transition investment by 70%. The company will be focussing on cost reductions and efficiency, strengthening its balance sheet and reducing net debt. Neil Shah of Edison returns to the topic of Games Workshop, which he has mentioned here before on more than one occasion. This one-time small company has now entered the FTSE and the shares are up 40% this year. It's an exceptionally well-run business and its Warhammer figurines will become even better known when the Amazon TV series approaches production. It has a very progressive dividend and, while it is on a PE of 30, it is a niche business that should keep growing at pace.
Guests: Finlay Mathers,Neil Shah
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans adds his voice to those opposing the restriction to trial by jury. It is an ancient right to be judged by one's peers, a democratic safeguard of liberty against an overbearing state. He feels it will lead to a loss of public confidence and democratic illegitimacy of the legal system. Without the rule of law, you don't have trust and without trust you don't have an economy. The government need to find other ways to reduce the legal backlog. While the Chancellor and her advisers appear not to have worked out exactly how EV users will be charged per mile they drive, Tim wonders if she realises that the idea is a darling of the libertarian right, proposed by Milton Friedman back in the early 1950s. it is, in essence, returning to the Georgian era of turnpikes. He feels, though, that it will create an incentive to keep roads in a good state. The era of all roads being "The King's Highway" can no longer be afforded.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin says it's been a bad week for Elon Musk. X has been fined €120m for breaching EU digital laws, his Optimus robot demo was disastrous and X's new location facility may help Iranian authorities identify dissenters. He discusses the researchers hoping to make robot hands from lobster shells, the glasses that change focus automatically, a crowd-funding project redesigning a loose-leaf teapot, a printer for children's drawing ideas, an LED light from Ikea and a biodegradable coffin made of mushrooms. He also strongly recommends https://everythingiknow.online, his own new website.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
For this episode, James Cameron-Wilson is joined by Chad Kennerk, our occasional American correspondent, to discuss the news that Netflix has made an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Following the separation of Discovery Global for a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion (equity value $72 billion). James covers Disney’s 64th animated feature, 'Zootropolis 2', an entertaining sprint through a world of zoological delights. He raves about awards contender 'Christy', the extraordinary true story of a female boxer in 1990s’ America starring Sydney Sweeney. James was also pleased with the Disney+ release of 'Swiped', in which a tech entrepreneur played by Lily James has her idea for the dating app Tinder swiped.
Guests: Chad Kennerk,James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin plays Santa with Simon his little helper as he unveils his 2025 gadgets Christmas gift guide. Many inexpensive stocking fillers come from AliExpress, like Apple Watch chargers, car phone holders, rechargeable fans and micro wire cutters while, from Amazon, you can get contact cleaner and USB extension cables. Steve even explains where to get winter strawberries. More substantial are portable monitors, bike helmets and iPad cases with keyboards. For the well-heeled, what about a Japanese "human washing machine", a box to display your Rolexes, a hypercar or a James Bond DB5 replica?
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian says that Reeves had to satisfy both Labour MPs and the bond markets and, in doing so, has proven herself a better political operator than given credit for. But the tussle with the OBR is unfortunate. Mike feels its forecast horizon is too distant, though it must offer a robust challenge to government. "Calamity" Lammy's move to Justice has been nothing short of a disaster, topped by changing Levinson's recommendations on trial by jury. Mike doesn't think he will survive the year. And he finds the timing of the racist accusations against the schoolboy Farage suspect, smacking of cynical media opportunism.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell says that Rachel Reeves' Budget was delivered with an eye on the bond markets. Fortunately for her, the 10-year gilt has been steady since, even if it is higher than when Labour took over and has moved in a different direction to BoE interest rates. All equity investors have an interest in gilt yields, whether they know it or not. Russ reckons this year could be the UK's best performance since 2009. Derided as being dull for being heavy with banks, miners and emerging markets, those have all been good performers, while the once-popular dividend compounders have seen only 1 in the top 20 risers. They got ahead of a sensible value.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University thinks that Rachel Reeves' highly-political Budget could have bought her and the Prime Minister some time, calmed the markets and even reunited the Labour Party. But what will be the unintended consequences? There will be a lot of deferred pain through tax rises. It could create weaker productivity, risk a two-speed economy, dampen consumer spending and investment, persuade more wealthy and talented people to emigrate, depressing tax revenue and it may yet prove inflationary. It will take some time before we get a clearer idea what the consequences will be.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says #1 Wicked: For Good's £18.9m take has boosted box office 123% but at the expense of all other movies. However, James enjoyed it muich more than the first half. It has gobsmacking costumes and sets, great songs and is surprisingly touching and funny. It is clearly set for Oscar attention. He thought Russell Crowe superb as the bombastic Gõring in #4 Nuremberg. With a great supporting cast, it is long but holds the attention throughout. And he admires Tom Hardy playing both Kray twins in the 10th anniversary 4K UHD release of the very violent Legend. It comes with lots of great extras.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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