Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast

Sam and Natalia watch the most famous and acclaimed Christopher Nolan film, THE DARK KNIGHT. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) is the superhero-action sequel to BATMAN BEGINS. The film follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as they attempt to dismantle organised crime in Gotham, until their plans are derailed by Batman's most notorious villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger).You know what THE DARK KNIGHT is. We know what THE DARK KNIGHT is. Is it overrated? Or merely 'rated'?Topics of conversation include whether THE DARK KNIGHT is overrated, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, Jared Leto being a better Joker than Heath Ledger, not liking THE DARK KNIGHT to be cool, popcorn flicks, meaty plots, subtitling the Batman voice, "Thiscityjustproveditselfreadytobelieveingood", Maggie Gyllenhaal versus Katie Holmes, "Like a leper!", and 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Sam and Natalia continue their Christopher Nolan series by watching and reviewing his fifth film, THE PRESTIGE. THE PRESTIGE (2006) is a mystery-thriller following two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), in turn-of-the-century London. The film also stars Michael Caine as John Cutter, Scarlett Johansson as Olivia Wenscombe, Rebecca Hall as Sarah Borden, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.One of Sam's favourite Nolan films, will Natalia feel the magic? Topics of conversation include PRISONERS, looking up film spoilers on your phone before you've seen the movie, NOW YOU SEE ME, predicting the plot twist, DOCTOR WHO, clones, massive clues, fishbowls, Christian Nolan, two dead wives in a Nolan film, empty vessels, Katie Holmes, twins and doubles, Salieri and Mozart, homoerotic tension between Jackman and Bale, THE DARK KNIGHT, and THE INBETWEENERS (yes, really).Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Sam and Natalia watch and review the E4 classic, MISFITS.MISFITS is a science fiction dramedy TV show which follows a group of young offenders sentenced to work at a community service centre. After the titular misfits -- Nathan (Robert Sheehan), Simon (Iwan Rheon), Kelly (Lauren Socha), Alisha (Antonia Thomas), and Curtis (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) -- acquire supernatural powers based on their personalities, they must come together to fight the odd forces surrounding them.Initially acclaimed during its first two seasons, MISFITS lost its cultural cachet following the widely publicised departure of Robert Sheehan. Is MISFITS as good as people remember? Or was Robert right to leave? Sam and Natalia find out.Topics of conversation include THE BOYS, American superheroes, why Robert Sheehan left MISFITS, Ramsay Bolton, DOCTOR WHO, nostalgia, This Group of Teenagers Don't Fit In, outdated language, shows you couldn't make today, Flanderization, Joseph Gilgun as Rudy, the male loneliness epidemic, Toby Whithouse's BEING HUMAN, character archs, UNBREAKABLE, the milk guy, Nathan's departure, greyscaling phones, Curtis becomes a feminist, Dustin Hoffman in TOOTSIE, revolving cast doors, and why season four and five are so bad.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobotReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Sam and Natalia prepare for the release of THE ODYSSEY by watching Christopher Nolan's third film, INSOMNIA.INSOMNIA (2002) is a neo-noir thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Hillary Seitz. The film follows two Los Angeles detectives, Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), who start investigating the murder of teenager Kay Connell (Crystal Lowe) in Nightmute, Alaska. After Will accidentally shoots his partner, he conspires to hide his crime while trying to bring Kay Connell's killer, Walter Finch (Robin Williams), to justice.Generally considered Nolan's weakest -- and possibly most underrated -- film, Sam and Natalia find out if the world is sleeping on INSOMNIA. Topics of conversation include pineapple on pizza, fascism, pronouncing insomnia, no chairs on film sets, Robin Williams as the villain, ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD, movies for men, not getting to sleep, getting into Guy Pearce's head, missed opportunities, Hilary Swank, Warner Bros., "I like stories", detectives detecting, whether Al Pacino meant to shoot his partner, foggy terrains, George Clooney and Robert Pattinson, Joel Schumacher's BATMAN & ROBIN, "Ice to meet you", Rotten Tomatoes, the Cyclops and Sirens from THE ODYSSEY, Matt Damon, women in Nolan films, RACHEEEL, and really good memes.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/skywastherobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/LearningBritish/

Sam and Natalia continue their preparation for THE ODYSSEY by watching Christopher Nolan's second film, MEMENTO.MEMENTO (2000) is a neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on a short story by Nolan's brother, MEMENTO follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man with anterograde amnesia who cannot retain short-term memories. On a mission to catch and kill the man who murdered his wife (Jorja Fox), Leonard suspects that his elaborate memory-system of photographs, notes, and tattoos is being manipulated after he encounters a bartender called Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) and a suspicious police officer called "Teddy" (Joe Pantoliano).MEMENTO is one of Sam's favourite films. But will Natalia feel the same way? Topics of conversation include FINDING DORY, alzheimer's, bad amnesia jokes, BBC One, film degrees and film bros, Jonathan Nolan's "Memento Mori" short story, better budgets, Brad Pitt, non-linear storytelling, a chronological version of MEMENTO, why nobody wants to cast Alec Baldwin anymore, improving FOLLOWING, Joe Pesci, Joe Pantoliano, annoying Nolan fans, wetting Natalia's board, male writing for male audiences, SHUTTER ISLAND, Stephen T-something, CollegeHumor and Smosh, first-person perspective, third-person perspective, fourth-person perspective, Tim Roth in FUNNY GAMES, voyeurism, good gags, awkward politics, not liking The New York Times, mansplaining, understanding TENET, Comic Sans, Shrek's size, Letterboxd, and INSOMNIA.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Sam and Natalia prepare for the release of THE ODYSSEY by watching Christopher Nolan’s first ‘official’ film, FOLLOWING. FOLLOWING (1998) is a British neo-noir crime film written and directed by Christopher Nolan in his feature-length debut, filmed on black-and-white 16mm and produced on a shoestring budget. It tells the story of a man (Jeremy Theobald) who follows strangers around London before he is drawn into the criminal underworld by a strange woman (Lucy Russell) and an enigmatic burglar named Cobb (Alex Haw).Is FOLLOWING a good film? Or is it a false start? Sam and Natalia watch to find out.Topics of conversation include micro-budgets, Chandler Bing, student films, creepy men, OPPENHEIMER, humility, Christopher Nolan tropes, non-linear storytelling, TV shows with feature-length episodes, STRANGER THINGS, the SHERLOCK finale, hunger for knowledge, coffee, RICK AND MORTY, male audiences, Nolanesque fantasies, Batman, Nora Ephron, Tom Hanks, understanding what is happening in a Nolan film, Leonardo DiCaprio in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, dead love interests, Jeremy Theobald in BATMAN BEGINS and TENET, intelligence, smart action movies, FIGHT CLUB, different timelines, Damien Chazelle's WHIPLASH short film, and the MEMENTO disease.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠. ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity. You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

In the lead-up to THE ODYSSEY, Sam and Natalia begin their Christopher Nolan watch-along series by immediately arguing about Christopher Nolan's films.Topics of conversation include whether Nolan is British, Steven Spielberg directing OPPENHEIMER, normies, "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", watching films in the cinema, why people who like THE DARK KNIGHT are annoying, BARBIE, Jordan Peele, getting tickets to see THE ODYSSEY, the box office, blank cheques, pursuing filmmaking with no money, two wolves, the premise of FOLLOWING, disliking INTERSTELLAR, the medical condition from MEMENTO, and whether MAN OF STEEL counts as a Christopher Nolan film.Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠.  ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK.  In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity.  You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Sam and Natalia watch, review, and rank all four 28 DAYS LATER films. Intro: 00:00 - 01:0928 DAYS LATER: 01:09 - 26:1228 WEEKS LATER: 26:12 - 01:05:0228 YEARS LATER: 01:05:02 - 01:51:48THE BONE TEMPLE: 01:51:48 - 02:12:34Final ranking: 02:12:34 - 02:19:25Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish). If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠.  ‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK.  In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity.  You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish