Aussie and the Scotsman talk movies

Interview with Ben King - On-set Photographer

This week we are delighted to welcome Ben King to the studio.
Ben King is an on-set photographer. We hear about the good experiences and the not so good experiences within the movie industry. We hear about some of the biggest movies and biggest stars Ben has worked on and with.
Ben tell us about his experience working on the Robbie Williams bio - Better Man - one of the Scotsman favourites and we hear a lovely story about working with our very own Cate Blanchett.
We talk about the dark side and the light side - no pun intended. We talk Eric Bana, Cate Blanchet, Alan Ritchson and Vincent Cassell.  We get into a discussion about what is art - and try to convince Ben that his work is and should be considered 'art'.
Ben is a very modest and humble man yet he opens to us with integrity and honesty which is a fascinating insight into the business. We hear about Ben's favourite job experience in Paris during the pandemic on a movie with Vincent Cassell and Eva Green.
at the end of the podast we hit Ben with some rapid fire questions - we thought we had him stumped at the last question but he pulls it out the bag.
Thanks for joining us Ben!
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Point Break

This week review the 1991 American action film Point Break directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey.
The film's title refers to the surfing term "point break", where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline.
The film features Reeves as an undercover FBI agent who is tasked with investigating the identities of a group of bank robbers while he develops a complex relationship with the group's leader (Swayze).
The Aussie says "it's a cult classic" the Scotsman disagrees and they are off.....lots of bickering between the two this week.
The Scotsmans gets bored and doesn't think this movie is worth reviewing on the podcast, "not even a popcorn film"  he says. Shots fired!  
It gets worse....the Aussie burps into the microphone! Outrageous stuff from the Aussie in this podcast but it's a lot of fun.  Tune in
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Moneyball

This week we review the 2011 American biographical sports drama film Moneyball written by Aaron Sorkin.
This is an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team.
In the film, Beane (Brad Pitt) and assistant general manager Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), faced with the franchise's limited budget for players, build a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players.
This is one of the Aussie's favourite movies. And in fairness to him it was nominated for 6 Acadamy awards although it didn't win any.
The Scotsman is bored by this movie. and he makes that obvious throughout.
But if you love sports and fantasize about being a sports manager. Then this is exactly the type of movie for you.
Interesting due to the biographical nature of the story. This story changed the convention of sports team management.
It is a polarising movie - either you will love it or hate it.
The Aussie gives the Scotsman gives a hard time and calls him "disrespectful' a few times  - probably deserved.
Let us know what you think.
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The Correspondent

This week we are reviewing the 2024 biographical legal thriller The Correspondent directed by Kriv Stenders.
The film stars Richard Roxburgh, Julian Maroun, Rahel Romahn, Yael Stone, and Mojean Aria.
The plot focuses on Australian foreign correspondent and journalist Peter Greste, who was arrested in Cairo and held in an Egyptian prison, and is adapted from Greste's 2017 memoir The First Casualty.
The Correspondent was released in Australia in April 2025.  The Aussie and The Scotsman went to the Sun Theatre in Yarraville to watch a preview of the movie which was followed by a Q and A session with Peter Greste, Richard Roxburgh and Kriv Senders. 
This podcast does not start off the way you would expect it. The Scotsman starts off by opening up about his childhood as a precursor to a connected story. It gets emotional and there are tears from both the boys. 
Once we get through the first half of the podcast we are off and running - the movie itself is fantastic.  And it was great to hear from the actor, the director and Peter Greste.
This is an engaging claustrophobic depiction of Peter's time in jail and his appearances in court. You don't need to watch the movie before you listen - the story is all over the internet.
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Oppenheimer

This week we review the 2023 epic biographical thriller drama film Oppenheimer written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan.
It follows the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II.
The film chronicles Oppenheimer's studies, his direction of the Los Alamos Laboratory and his 1954 security hearing.
Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer, alongside Robert Downey Jr. as the United States Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss.
We go through the ensemble supporting cast before delving into the films themes.
Oppenheimer won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Downey.
It also won five Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama) and seven British Academy Film Awards (including Best Film), and was named one of the top ten films of 2023 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
If you can watch on a biiiiiiiggg TV. Made for IMAX deserves to be watched in one if you can.
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There Will Be Blood

This week we review the 2007 American period drama film There Will Be Blood written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the 1927 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair.
It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciarán Hinds, and Dillon Freasier.
The film was nominated for eight awards at the 80th Academy Awards, winning two (Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Cinematography) and received numerous other accolades.
It has since been widely regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century.
The film follows Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), a silver miner turned oilman, as he embarks on a ruthless quest for wealth during the Californian oil boom between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Scotsman kicks off with his own Daniel Plainview rant on dogparks, hot sauce and his non-conversational podcast partner.
The movie itself is sensational - anything with Daniel Day Lewis is hard to beat.
Absolutely worth a watch - don't need to watch before you listen.
And if you want to hear the Scotsman get the most tongue-tied he has ever been tune in till the end - his summary needs to be heard....what is he talking about!
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Interview with Marty Benson - Director of Content (Melbourne) for Endemol Shine Australia

This week we are in esteemed company as we welcome Marty Benson to the show.
Marty is currently Director of Content for Melbourne for Endemol Shine Australia.
Endemol Shine Australia is a part of Banijay, the world’s largest international TV and media content producer in the Southern Hemisphere. As an individual content producing company - the biggest in the world.
For 7 years prior to this role Marty was executive producer on MasterChef. Responsible for every aspect of bringing the show to air. 
Marty and his team are recipients of 5 consecutive AACTA  awards (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) for Best Reality Show for MasterChef and winner of 2 consecutive Logie awards for MasterChef - Best Reality Show .
Marty Started his career in UK television with shows like Pop Idol, Love Island, Soccer Aid, Hell's Kitchen, Dancing on Ice, and then came to Australia with I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
He has previously produced WAG Nation, Beauty and The Geek, Dating in The Dark, The Face and much more. His company is responsible for MAFS (Married at first Sight) which we talk about in at length.
Marty takes us behind the scenes of some of the most popular shows and tells us stories about his time on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here - we find out that Marty was the voice behind the camera for a while.
We discuss the state of the television industry, how it compares to streaming services and what's in store for the future of TV.
Please sit back and enjoy our interview with Marty Benson. 
 
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Rocketman

This week we discuss the 2019 biographical musical drama film Rocketman based on the life, music, and career of British musician Elton John.
The film focuses on the story of Elton in his early days in England as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
The story is told through his music and is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man".
Directed by Dexter Fletcher the film stars Taron Egerton as John, with Jamie Bell as Taupin, Richard Madden as John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Sheila Eileen, John's mother.
This is one of our very first podcasts in 2023 so it is a lot different to what you are used to now. But it's worth uploading but not worth redoing.
The Aussie tears up a few times during this podcast. 
Let us know what you think - maybe we will review it again.
What a guy he is - we all just want to be loved.
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Dog Day Afternoon

This week we review the 1975 American biographical crime drama film Dog Day Afternoon directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand.
The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning.
The movie chronicles the 1972 robbery and hostage situation led by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile at a Chase Manhattan branch in Brooklyn.
The film was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and six Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
"This is a forward thinking plot, you couldn't write this now and get away with it" says the Scotsman. This is a bank robbery gone wrong. The world falls in love with Sonny.
This movie is filled with themes of gender and touches on Stockholm and Lima syndromes.
The Aussie talks himself into one of the best movie ratings he has ever given. Massive call by the Aussie. 
For Pacino fans this is a must watch. 
(EDIT: The Scotsman was correct (again) - with the amount that bank had in their store . They thought there would be over $1m but infact there was only  $29,000 equivalent to $211,200 in 2023. The movie shows them only finding a few thousand $ - the Aussie should never correct the Scotsman at trivia).
 
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An Officer and a Gentleman

This week we review the 1982 American romantic drama film An Officer and a Gentleman directed by Taylor Hackford starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr.
It tells the story of Zack Mayo (Gere), a United States Navy Aviation Officer Candidate who is beginning his training at Aviation Officer Candidate School.
Unsurprisingly this is right up there for the Aussie. He loves his romantic movies - and seeing Richard Gere in his military whites gets him all aflutter!
The Scotsman picks it apart and is told in no uncertain terms "he is sad!"-
If you've seen it you don't need to watch again. But if you are a Richard Gere fan and you love him in Pretty Woman - you will love this.
A pretty fierce debate takes place - we both disagree with each other which is always fun.
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