INTERVIEW: ANNES ELWY (THE TOLL)

One of the most buzzed-about acting talents to emerge from the U.K. in recent memory, Annes Elwy co-stars in director Ryan Andrew Hooper's darkly-comic thriller THE TOLL. After featuring in the hit BBC series Hidden and as 'Beth March' in the recent PBS version of Little Women, Elwy has both THE TOLL and the folk-horror shocker THE FEAST in cinemas soon.

LISTEN HERE

In the vein of The Guard and Fargo, THE TOLL follows Brendan (Michael Smiley), a solitary figure hiding from his criminal past by manning the quietest toll booth in Wales. By chance, word of lonely existence gets out and his enemies head west for revenge. Meanwhile, Catrin’s investigation into a simple robbery sees her heading for the booth at exactly the wrong time… When it comes to the toll, everybody’s going to pay.

From her home in Cardiff, Wales, Annes Elwy spoke to Simon about bringing Officer Catrin to life, working with a first-time director in the unforgiving Welsh countryside, and playing opposite the King of Cool, Michael Smiley...

Monster Pictures will release  THE TOLL in select cinemas across Australia & New Zealand on July 29.

SCREEN WATCHING EPISODE 31

IF EVER WE NEEDED SOME SCREEN WATCHING IN OUR LIVES…

EPISODE 31 is here.

In true M. Night Shyamalan fashion, Dan & Simon spin the final moments of this week’s Screen Watching off into some unexpected territory (or not; I can’t remember). The lads review OLD, SHIVA BABY and two reworked 80s properties - TURNER & HOOCH and MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Simon lists his favourite ‘M. Night Plot Twists’ in The Middle Bit ‘Spoiler Special’ and we remember that very special 90s moment, when Pee Wee Herman went to the movies...PLUS LOTS MORE!

REVIEWS (02:04)
OLD (in cinemas now); TURNER & HOOCH (Disney+); SHIVA BABY (previews this weekend; out 29/7); MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (Netflix); CHERNOBYL 1986 (Netflix); and ‘A Dan Barrett Grab Bag,’ looking back at season finales of Loki and Run The World.

The SCREEN WATCHING MIDDLE BIT (32:01)
A SPOILER SPECIAL! THE FIVE BEST (AND WORST ONE) OF M NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S TWISTS. An avowed Shyamalan Man, Simon walks Dan through five brilliant final-reel flip-outs from the director, as well as the one that didn’t really work... 

The WEEK AHEAD (42:28)
Where to watch Hayao Miyazaki’s 20 year-old animated classic Spirited Away; new small-screen movies from Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones and Kate Beckinsale; and, we recall one of Hollywood’s saddest moments on the anniversary of the Twilight Zone movie tragedy. PLUS LOTS MORE.

SCREEN WATCHING EPISODE 30

SCREEN WATCHING TURNS 30!

...episodes, that is! LISTEN HERE

With eastern states in lockdown, everyone’s screen watching, and on Dan & Simon’s screens this week - rascally rabbits, demented doctors, football legends and the award-worthy best from a whole year of television. An action classic also turns 30; we ‘happy birthday’ a dirty Dutch director. There’s never a dull moment (well, that’s not entirely true)...it’s SCREEN WATCHING!

REVIEWS (04:41)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (in cinemas now / HBO Max); Dr Death (Stan / Peacock); Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give Up (in limited cinemas / Amazon Prime Video); Gunpowder Milkshake (in cinemas now); Ms Represented (ABC TV + iView)

The SCREEN WATCHING MIDDLE BIT (24:41)
2021 EMMY NOMINATIONS - Dan provides some pertinent analysis and insightful observations about this year’s honourees; Simon interrupts occasionally, derailing Dan’s train of thought.

THE WEEK AHEAD on small and big screens (36:54)
The new Apple+ musical romp Schmigadoon; Netflix’s dating game reboot, Sexy Beasts; Fox League’s behind-the-scenes doco, Tales from Tiger Town.

PLUS LOTS MORE…
We celebrate the 30th anniversary of Point Break; recall the very first in-flight movie; and, celebrate Mark Sinclair’s birthday, the movie star better known as….. 

SCREEN WATCHING EPISODE 29

EPISODE 29: THE 'SYDNEY LOCKDOWN' EDITION OF SCREEN WATCHING!

LISTEN HERE 

No, that’s not Dan and Simon; that’s Ron and Russel Mael, aka Sparks, the stars of the new Edgar Wright doco. Despite their hometown lockdown, they review all the new big screen releases, even if it meant doing on a small screen! Black Widow (via Disney+), The Sparks Brothers (thanks, Universal publicity) and The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime). We honour the late, great director Richard Donner; interview director Christine Luby, whose movie This Little Love of Mine debuted on Netflix this week... 

 

REVIEWS (04:41) 
Black Widow (Disney+ and in cinemas) The White Lotus (HBO / Binge / Foxtel); The Sparks Brothers (in cinemas); Luxe Listings Sydney (Amazon Prime Video); The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime Video) 

The SCREEN WATCHING MIDDLE BIT (42:48)
REMEMBERING RICHARD DONNER: His emergence in the ‘Golden Era of Television’ through to his distinctive and hearfelt blockbuster movies of the 80s, we remember the greatest ‘Dick Donner’ moments.

INTERVIEW: CHRISTINE LUBY (Director,  THIS LITTLE LOVE OF MINE; 53:00)
Tropical island? Childhood crush? Beautiful people realising what and who is really important in life? It’s the kind of romantic drama made for 90 minutes of comfy-pants couch time and that’s what director Christine Luby delivers in This Little Love of Mine, out this week on Netflix.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK - streaming and at the cinema (59:47)
The Scandinavian Film Festival, in all Australian capitals (but Sydney); a charity screening of the Philip Noyce classic, Rabbit Proof Fence; and ‘Josh Baskin’ and ‘Rick Deckard’ amongst this week’s birthday honorees…

PLUS LOTS MORE!

SCREEN WATCHING EPISODE 28

EPISODE 28 WILL SEND SHIVERS TO ALL PARTS OF YOUR BODY (!)

Dan reviews what the beautiful rich kids of NYC are up to in the newly-rebooted GOSSIP GIRL; Simon indulges his own inner teenager with the horror romps WEREWOLVES WITHIN and Netflix’s 90s slasher homage FEAR STREET PART 1; and we look at the terrifying world of PRISONS IN FILM & TV. Plus a Seinfeld anniversary, big-screen Minecraft and what Mick Jagger was doing this week in 1969.

LISTEN HERE

Let’s start SCREEN WATCHING!

REVIEWS (02:37)
GOSSIP GIRL (Fox 8); WEREWOLVES WITHIN (in national cinemas); THE GOOD FIGHT Season 5 (SBS/OD); PERFUMES (in national cinemas); FEAR STREET Part 1: 1994 (Netflix)

The SCREEN WATCHING MIDDLE BIT (20:05)
LOCKED IN - The movies and TV shows about the prison experience. What are some of the notable ones? Why are we fascinated by prisons? And what was the all-male Aussie prison drama starring Mel Gibson, that was a spin-off from Prisoner?

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK (30:58)
Where to play big-screen Minecraft; enjoy Home Alone from the comfort of your car; see a Fraffaut classic. And which Suicide Squad star is having her birthday this week…?

PLUS LOTS MORE!