Nerdfest

As Hazel and Dan watch Hamilton on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Jon is keeping the host’s chair warm as we offer up a brand new set of nerdy recommendations. Make yourself a tea (Earl Grey, hot) as the nerds discuss Patrick Stewart’s return to Starfleet in ‘Star Trek: Picard’, and 'Doom patrol', 'I’m not OK with this', and 'Midnight Family'. And Andy provides a quiz to test our knowledge of movie taglines. Whoever wins, you win!

This is the first chance we’ve had to bid a fond farewell to Terry Jones. So, we open the show by reminiscing about his best moments (Python and otherwise), and chat about some of the lesser known cultural influences he’s had. Then we have our Buff or Bluff quiz, featuring facts on Michael Palin, musicians in the movies, swearing in cinema, film production stories, and a lucky dip! Finally, we have the return of Shameful Gap! We scare the pants off Dan by making him watch ‘The Exorcist’. What did he make of it? And how much behind the scenes knowledge does Jon have? Have a listen to find out! Oh, and the first few seconds will reveal why this episode is called ‘Clucking Hell’. Don’t worry, Hazel’s fine...in a manner of speaking...

Welcome one and all to the newly-created Nerdfest 'Cats' Support Group. Curiosity got the better of Dan and Jon, and so they recall their cat-astrophic experiences of watching Tom Hooper’s 'Cats', with what little remains of their souls. As Dan remarks, "curiosity killed the cat, but Cats might kill your curiosity..." On a lighter note, we chat happily about the various Oscar winning films that we haven’t had a chance to talk about in depth yet, including '1917' and 'JoJo Rabbit'. We also have brand new recommendations for you, including the supremely interesting 'Song of Spider-Man' book about the doomed musical ‘Turn off the Dark’. Jon has (surprise surprise!) another Nic Cage film to recommend - 'Color out of Space' but he is forced to admit that the Cagester is not the best thing in it! What could it be? Hazel also recommends 'The Show that goes Wrong', a new BBC series that sees acclaimed slapstick theatre company The Mischief Theatre perform 6 different plays in front of a live studio audience. Shen

In one of our notoriously bad segues, we begin this week’s episode not with a Buff or Bluff quiz, but with a trip to the gateway of the Hellmouth, the home of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. Hazel has been rewatching the series from the start, and so our nerds discuss the groundbreaking storylines, the amusing consequences of remastering it for widescreen, and how they feel now about certain episodes. Once we get back on topic, our Buff or Bluff quiz features facts about the most unusual reasons for becoming a supervillain, the musical 'Cats', previously unknown tidbits about 'The Rise of Skywalker', and the all-time worst TV shows. Also in this episode is the return of Hazel’s needlessly overcomplicated Oscars Sweepstake. Our nerds (and a few special guests) discover which Best Picture nominee they have drawn, and how pleased (or not) they are with their picks.

What with 'Wonder Woman 1984’, 'The Eternals', 'Black Widow', 'Ghostbusters Afterlife' and more, the lineup for 2020 releases is looking mighty fine indeed, as our nerds count through the year, naming the movies we’re really looking forward to... and 'Candyman'. Also join us for our deep-into-spoiler-territory review of 'The Rise of Skywalker'. We’re joined by the much-missed Ian Mclaughlin, overcoming a prolapsed disc in his back to give his thoughts on J.J. Abrams’ closing chapter. We discuss everything about this 40-years-in-the-making movie, including character background notes from Dan, who’s been swotting up with the Visual Dictionary. We’d love to hear your thoughts on TROS - send us a tweet or Facebook message @NerdfestUK

It’s our 50th episode! To celebrate, we reflect back on some of our favourite recording moments from the past 2 years, and Hazel has a special quiz to test our knowledge of, well, ourselves! Also in this episode we each count down our top 3 films of the year. There are some surprising inclusions, and we debate and discuss how we feel now about certain movies. Any 50th episode would be remiss without our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz, so this round includes questions on Murder She Wrote, James Bond, Nicholas Cage (thanks, Jon) and some of the earliest female filmmakers, which gives us all a chance to chat about this long lost era. Last but not least, we’d like to wish all our listeners a very happy new year, and a huge thank you for supporting us for the last 50 episodes. We really appreciate it, and long may it continue :)

As we head into that time of year where no one has a clue about what day it is, and we constantly emerge blurry-eyed from multiple turkey comas, you can take comfort in our many and varied holiday viewing recommendations! In this episode, we review the excellent 'Watchmen' TV series, which Jon has declared his favourite TV show of the year. We also do a spoiler-free preview (because we obviously haven’t seen it yet. Ahem!) of 'The Mandalorian' from Disney+. Dan recommends 'Ladhood', a BAFTA nominated coming of age comedy. And we have a group discussion on Rian Johnson’s modern murder mystery, 'Knives Out'. We end the show with our immediate reactions to J.J. Abrams’ closing chapter of the new Star Wars trilogy, 'The Rise of Skywalker'. Having taken our pod recording equipment to the midnight screening, we put off going to bed for the sake of capturing this segment, featuring a few nerds you’ve never heard from before! Don’t worry if you haven’t seen it yet, we don’t reveal any secrets :) May we wish all o

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, please take your seats for the return of Nerd Court! In the dock this week is a film that has almost divided a relationship - Thor Ragnorok. Engaged couple Andy and Hazel battle each other in the Nerd courtroom, in our most fiercely fought nerd battle yet. Will Thor Ragnorok see off all the evidence weighted against it? Will Judge Jon pronounce an unbiased ruling? Can Andy and Hazel’s relationship even survive this? Listen to find out! Also in this episode we have our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz, where our nerds must find the false fact from a web of lies and deceit. Topics this week include record breaking in films, ridiculous fighting game pairings, Star War’s The Emperor, and the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Gameboy. Thanks for listening!

The year was 2019. An era of political strife. A climate crisis loomed. Royal reputations were in tatters. Cats were "sexy". And Sonic the Hedgehog scared the living daylights out of children and adults alike. Through the mist, one podcast emerged from tens of thousands of other film podcasts to bring peace and prosperity to each and every one of its listeners. In this episode, play along to our “Guess the movie from its opening crawl” quiz. Hopefully you paid more attention than most of us to the opening titles of some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters! Also we have a ton of new reviews and recommendations for you. Dan tells us why we should all give 'Jack Ryan' a chance. Jon reviews 'Terminator: Dark Fate' amid multiple interruptions from the nerds who didn’t share his positive opinions. Peter double-taps 'Zombieland 2', Andy introduces a 7 minute film to those of us with short attention spans, and Hazel talks of the new BBC adaptation of 'His Dark Materials'.

This week our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz includes questions on ridiculous Disney live action plots, some devious Terminator facts, the weird and wonderful films available on SyFy, movie costumes, and how food was used as an effect in some iconic movies. Also Ian Mayor contacts us from the Void, to talk all things unique to John Wick, the Hipster Assassin. And spurred on by some recent awful examples, we have a good old fashioned debate about modern movie trailers- discussing what we feel a movie trailer should contain, and casting our minds back to our favourite trailers of all time. Join in to let us know YOUR opinion on the best/worst trailers you’ve seen- @nerdfestuk on Twitter and Facebook.

In one of our favourite episodes yet to record, we prove just how divisive “Joker” really is, as each of our nerds viewed the film in a different way. Our spoiler-heavy review explores fan theories, direction, Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the character, and how it all fits into today’s world. Before that, we have our main Reviews section. This week, Jon has been lucky enough to attend a preview screening of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” - is it worth the 3 and a half hour run time, and how effective is the digital de-ageing? Andy is back, and talks fondly of little-known Japanese zombie comedy, “One Cut Of The Dead” which had us all dying to see it. Hazel has been bingeing true crime documentary “The Staircase” (Do you think he did it? Let us know!). Dan has an antidote for all the history-haters out there, with new podcast “You’re Dead To Me”. Peter reviews new Netflix series “Living with yourself”, starring Paul Rudd and Paul Rudd. And finally Ian reviews “It: Chapter 2” (let’s just say he wasn’t a fan) P

DID George Lucas really name a Star Wars planet after Jon Stewart? DID Faye Dunaway once throw a cup of urine in Roman Polanski’s face? DID Patrick Swayze really chew on ice in order to hide his breath during the filming of Ghost? And DID the producers of "Thunderball" REALLY drag a dead shark past Sean Connery, only to discover it wasn’t actually dead? Find out in our regularly deceptive quiz, Film Buff or Bluff! Also in this episode, hear what Ian Mayor (still trapped in The Void) recommends you check out in order to prepare for Marvel’s Phase 4 and 5. And it’s the return of our "Shameful Gap". Whilst having grown up in the 90s, Dan had somehow never seen the action thriller Face/Off, featuring one of the craziest concepts ever committed to screen. Find out what he thinks of Nic Cage and John Travolta’s gun fu ballet as he watches it for the very first time...

The pitiful remains of what was once Jon Farthing join us for a bumper crop of recommendations and quizzing. Dan raves about Helen O'Hara's new "Superhero Movie Guide", Hazel swoons over Sir Ian McKellen's live show, Peter checks out the backstory of "Pennyworth", Batman's butler, Jon enthuses over Tarantino nostalgia-fest, "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood", and Ian eventually drag(on)s himself away from the clinically addictive "Merge Dragons" game to surf some shorts on the "Dust" channel. And who will win our closely-fought quiz, based on the plots of ten famous science fiction movies.

We’re excited by the recently-revealed plans for Marvel Phase 4, but Hazel and Jon think there’s room for one or two other ideas. So, for this episode we created our own version of Kevin Feige, to which Hazel and Jon must pitch their new Phase 4 concepts. This includes a movie centred on the backstory and adventures of Valkyrie, as well as a comeback vehicle for Marvel’s long-lost character, The Swarm. Get ready to hear Jon defend his alt-right mega bee movie... Before that, we have our Film Buff or Film Buff quiz, with questions on foreign superhero knockoff TV shows, "Home Alone", intriguing movie costumes, and links between Francis Ford Coppola and "Star Wars". We also have the return of Taking One For The Team, where two nerds debate over the merits or otherwise of Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die”- Is it a zombie comedy with a starry cast, or a self indulgent metatextual and disappointing version of Shaun of the Dead? Find out who triumphs...

This week our two special guests, Louise and Andy, join their significant others (Jon and Hazel) in the ultimate Mr and Mrs battle: ”How Deep Is Your Nerd?” See how well they know their partner’s true nerdiness, with a series of movie-based questions. We've lots of new recommendations for you, too: Peter tells us why new Amazon series “The Boys” is different from the other superhero shows. Andy enjoys Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s soothing and hilarious fishing trips in “Gone Fishing”. Hazel covers the mockumentary series “Documentary Now!” starring Bill Hader, Fred Armison and Helen Mirren. And Louise gets her licence to kill in Secret Cinema’s ”Casino Royale”. Jon "takes one for the team" by watching "Men In Black International", and not even Hazel’s beloved Chris Hemsworth can save this predictable piece of nonsense!

Welcome to a very special live episode, where hosts Hazel, Jon, Peter, Dan and Ian broadcast in front of an audience, as part of the Newcastle Improv Festival. We’re joined by some very special guests, including Bev Fox from renowned improv group The Suggestibles, who joins Ian to talk about the secret ingredients to their success, and we unearth some new intimate details about how they first met! We’re also joined by improviser and author of 17 novels, Stella Duffy OBE. In a frank and honest interview, Stella talks about how she emerged from a challenging childhood to being able to find herself on the page and on the stage. If you’re interested in writing or what goes into creating a great character, you’ll love her remarkable insights. We then talk to Kerris Gibson, a recent graduate of School of Improv, who reveals why she is so passionate about improvisation, and what skills she’s been learning and mastering. Of course, we pepper the interviews with some Film Buff or Film Bluff quizzes, and finish wit

If you're a fan of entertainment trivia you'll love our 40th episode, which is a Buff or Bluff bonanza! The nerds face off on questions about actor/ musician duets, obscure casting choices, the one and only Keanu Reeves (including whether or not he was babysat by Alice Cooper), the "Angel" TV series, and the career of James Cameron. Was he really the one who came up with the idea to cover Arnold Schwarzenegger with mud for Predator? That’s followed by a rapturous one-off (we hope) quiz concocted by Jon. He has 10 quotes, which are either lines of dialogue from Nic Cage films, or lyrics from Nic Cave songs. It’s tougher - and funnier- than you might think!

This episode is a mega review special - featuring everything new and exciting we've been moved by recently.... and "Brightburn". And we welcome a new guest. It may be a surprise to some listeners to find that Louise actually exists, and is not just a product of Jon's deranged imagination, but we're delighted to have her join us for this episode! We discuss Game of Thrones behind-the-scenes documentary, ”The Last Watch” and our lasting thoughts on Weiss and Benioff’s achievements, before speculating on the prequels coming up. Next up is a review of “Toy Story 4” including Forky’s existential crisis, the rise of Little Bo Peep, the wonderful Duke Kaboom, and the different direction for the character of Woody. Louise discusses "The Handmaid’s Tale" and how close to it's dystopian scenario we may well be in reaIity. Jon recommends that you DON’T watch “Brightburn”, produced byJames Gunn, which explores the notion of SuperMan growing up evil/ having a bad reaction to puberty. Find out why Jon had problems wi

It’s a fight between good and evil, as Hazel and Jon contest the fate of “Superman 3” in Nerd Court. Will Hazel’s evidence send it to the Phantom zone? Dan is the unbiased judge, with Peter as our expert witness. We also have a voyage to the Void as Ian Mayor bids a wistful goodbye to Vertigo Comics, which announced its dissolution last week. Ian talks about how this comic giant came to be, and what made it so popular over the years. Plus, we open the show with our Film Buff or Bluff quiz, which this week includes trivia questions on everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Little Shop of Horrors to the X-Men. And don’t miss our very first LIVE podcast at Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle on Friday 2nd August 2019. It’s all part of the Newcastle Improv Festival that kicks off on 27th July. We’re on straight after The SuggestIbles, and entrance to the live podcast is free to all ticket holders for this gig. Find tickets at https://bookwhen.com/newcastleimprovfestival/e/ev-snmk-20190802200000

This episode takes us on a wild and crazy ride as we discuss the life and times of 1980s comedy stars Steve Martin, John Belushi, Rick Moranis, Dan Ackroyd, Eddie Murphy and John Candy. Gain insights into everything from "Ghostbusters" to "Beverley Hills Cop" from Dan’s review of Nick de Semelyn’s new book ”Wild and Crazy Guys”, then test your own knowledge of 1980s comedy trivia as he sets us a quiz based on stories from the book. Jon has ignored Gary Netflix yet again, to review ”The Perfection”, a disturbing new horror film involving a pair of amorous cello players. Peter and Hazel discuss ”Rocketman”, the biopic of Elton Hercules John, and how it ranks as a musical fantasy. And Hazel broaches the subject of ”Nanette”, a 1 hour Netflix special by Australian comedienne Hannah Gadsby, and how it swiftly swerves from stand-up to something much, much more. And finally, we preview what’s coming up in cinemaland over the next few months: including ”Spider-Man Far From Home”, ”Yesterday”, ”Ad Astra”, ”Once Upo