Inside Cinema - Episode Guide

Season 2019

Women in Red

Episode: 2019-07-10 | Airdate: Jul 10, 2019

Women in Red

The scarlet seductress. The crimson temptress. The woman in red. We're not talking about any random dame who happens to be wearing a red frock. We're talking about a deliberately traffic-stopping distraction-technique in female form, who, despite the difficulties of displaying her signature colour in black-and-white, has been a fixture of film culture since the dawn of cinema.

Spacesuit Style

Episode: 2019-07-17 | Airdate: Jul 17, 2019

Spacesuit Style

The astronaut's spacesuit has been a repository for the imagination for a century of cinema - long before we actually launched into orbit. How has the space voyager's suit been presented and dreamt up by the movie industry over the years?

When Meg Met Nora

Episode: 2019-07-24 | Airdate: Jul 24, 2019

When Meg Met Nora

Celebrating the big-screen collaborations of writer-director Nora Ephron and actress rom-com queen Meg Ryan: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless In Seattle and You've Got Mail.

Nixon's America: A Country Divided

Episode: 2019-07-31 | Airdate: Jul 31, 2019

Nixon's America: A Country Divided

During the turbulent era of Vietnam and Watergate, documentary and fiction films fiercely questioned the status quo. But how close did American cinema come to pin-pointing the troubling truths behind the 'silent majority'? Is there a reason so many of the most radical among them are forgotten now?

The Menace of Miniature

Episode: 2019-08-07 | Airdate: Aug 7, 2019

The Menace of Miniature

Doll's houses are metaphorical spaces of sanitised control, but they can be as unsettling as they are comforting. Why are we at once drawn to and repelled by these miniature worlds?

Burton's Gotham

Episode: 2019-08-14 | Airdate: Aug 14, 2019

Burton's Gotham

How director Tim Burton and production designer Anton Furst created Batman's moody metropolis in a Buckinghamshire backlot, raised the bar for practical filmmaking craft and set the standard for the ensuing three decades of superhero cinema.

The Sixth Sense Untwisted

Episode: 2019-08-21 | Airdate: Aug 21, 2019

The Sixth Sense Untwisted

In 1999, no one saw M Night Shyamalan's chilling drama The Sixth Sense and its shocking narrative curveballs coming. Here's how an unknown filmmaker delivered an unexpected horror hit and redefined the twist ending forever.

Fears of a Clown

Episode: 2019-08-28 | Airdate: Aug 28, 2019

Fears of a Clown

A peek behind the makeup as we find out what makes cinematic clowns so scary.

Hollywood Action Figures

Episode: 2019-09-04 | Airdate: Sep 4, 2019

Hollywood Action Figures

What does the size of an action star's biceps say about cinema and society at large? From silent cinema's athletic matinee idols to the ultra-buff super-hunks of the 21st Century, Inside Cinema examines how masculinity on the big screen reflects both pride and prejudice.

Maneaters

Episode: 2019-09-11 | Airdate: Sep 11, 2019

Maneaters

Bringing a new meaning to the phrase 'maneater', it's time to sink our teeth into a literal femme fatale: the female cannibal in film. Join us for a finger-licking look at how characters in films such as the ahead-of-its-time high-school horror Jennifer's Body, feverish French horror Raw and Claire Denis's dark drama Trouble Every Day explore female bodies, sensuality and desire.

Space Dads

Episode: 2019-09-18 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2019

Space Dads

One giant leap for dad... How the unknowable reaches of space are often the perfect location for examinations of the bonds of parenthood, from intergalactic space operas such as Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy to the hard sci-fi of Interstellar and Contact.

The Wilhelm Scream

Episode: 2019-09-25 | Airdate: Sep 25, 2019

The Wilhelm Scream

How a sound effect conquered cinema, appearing in hundreds of films from the 1950s to now. Lend us your ears, as Inside Cinema listens out for the ultimate movie in-joke, the Wilhelm Scream, in countless beloved classics, from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises to the likes of Toy Story, Reservoir Dogs and Beauty and the Beast.

Trixie Mattel's Guide to Drag Cinema

Episode: 2019-10-02 | Airdate: Oct 2, 2019

Trixie Mattel's Guide to Drag Cinema

Lights, camera, drag queens - Trixie Mattel's guide to drag on film, from the fiercest, most sickening looks in golden-era cinema to divine cult hits and runway-ready modern classics, we're serving movie eleganza extravaganza. Category is: silver screen glamour realness, and girl, you better work.

Two-Wheeled Terrors

Episode: 2019-10-09 | Airdate: Oct 9, 2019

Two-Wheeled Terrors

Tearing up cinema for 60 years: youngsters on motorbikes, scooters and bicycles. Take a ride with Inside Cinema and the big-screen bikers who kickstarted a cultural revolution - from Marlon Brando's leather-jacketed Wild One to the parka-clad mods of Quadrophenia and beyond.

Busby Berkeley-Land

Episode: 2019-10-16 | Airdate: Oct 16, 2019

Busby Berkeley-Land

Robin Baker, Head Curator BFI National Archive & BFI Musicals Programmer, explores how three films from 1933 revolutionised the movie musical and brought sex and spectacle to the big screen: 42nd Street, Footlight Parade and Gold Diggers of 1933, all choreographed by the pioneering and highly influential filmmaker Busby Berkeley.

Cosy Cinema

Episode: 2019-10-23 | Airdate: Oct 23, 2019

Cosy Cinema

Cosy up with Inside Cinema as we unravel one of cinema's most pointedly-used garments: the humble jumper. Its purpose is simple: keeping our hero warm in cold weather, often to cosily endearing effect. But there's more to these narrative threads than that. From Mark Darcy's reindeer jumper to the Dude's dirty cardigan, we unpick what a man's knitwear on screen says about his masculinity and his power.

Horror Homes

Episode: 2019-10-30 | Airdate: Oct 30, 2019

Horror Homes

Who dies in a house like this? Join us for a guided tour of the home of your nightmares, a killer crib crafted by master filmmakers who know how best to chill us to the bone. Home is where the fear is, after all.

Disney Divas

Episode: 2019-11-06 | Airdate: Nov 6, 2019

Disney Divas

Are the villains of the Disney universe the real heroes we need? Inside Cinema turns rogue and celebrates the fabulous, scene-stealing, surprisingly sympathetic baddies found in Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty.

Childhood Nightmares

Episode: 2019-11-13 | Airdate: Nov 13, 2019

Childhood Nightmares

Why are some of the most nightmare-inducing movies actually intended for children? Cower behind the sofa with Inside Cinema as we dig into cinema's most terrifying family films, showing how beloved kids classics from Watership Down and Pinocchio to Spirited Away and The NeverEnding Story play on very adult fears.

Forever Young

Episode: 2019-11-20 | Airdate: Nov 20, 2019

Forever Young

How the trend of "youthification" is conquering Hollywood, from Ang Lee de-aging Will Smith in Gemini Man to Martin Scorsese getting out the magic paintbrush to make Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro several decades younger in The Irishman. Inside Cinema explores how the age of the actor has been tweaked over the years, from hiring a younger lookalike for flashbacks - Moneyball, for example - to using the performer's son (Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Straight Outta Compton) to the more recent Marvel CGI chicanery in Iron Man 3, with Robert Downey Jr, and Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, with Kurt Russell.

Bumbling Detectives

Episode: 2019-11-27 | Airdate: Nov 27, 2019

Bumbling Detectives

Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple invariably know what they're doing, but the comically inept Inspector Clouseau-like sleuth is one of the mystery movie's tried-and-tested conventions. A look at how comic relief helps to offset the grisliness of murder, but also how the detective's seeming ineptitude - sometimes a deceptive act - encourages the viewer to play along and figure out the solution first.

Taboo Breaking Bollywood

Episode: 2019-12-04 | Airdate: Dec 4, 2019

Taboo Breaking Bollywood

Nikki Bedi takes Inside Cinema on a tour along the cutting-edge of socially-conscious Indian cinema, highlighting how big stars are lending their wattage to films tackling important issues, from the feminist wrestling drama Dangal to the taboo-breaking sanitary-product blockbuster, Pad Man.

Star Wardrobes

Episode: 2019-12-11 | Airdate: Dec 11, 2019

Star Wardrobes

Inside Cinema rifles through the robes, capes and costumes of a galaxy far, far away to explore what can be learned from a character's chosen get-up. From Darth Vader's fearsome duds to Queen Amidala's flashy frocks, the fashion is strong with this one...

Cats Entertainment

Episode: 2019-12-18 | Airdate: Dec 18, 2019

Cats Entertainment

Inside Cinema presents the perfect companion to our purr-fect companions: a history of felines on film that shows there's more to moggies in movies than witchcraft and villainy; rescuing our furry friends from the undeserved reputation that they are only seen in the laps of evil-doers and malcontents, and exploring how their inscrutable, aloof nature also resonates with the loners of cinema.

Unmerry Christmas

Episode: 2019-12-20 | Airdate: Dec 20, 2019

Unmerry Christmas

Inside Cinema explores how - and why - the best Christmas movies are far from heart-warming. From The Grinch to Bad Santa, It's a Wonderful Life to Dickens' A Christmas Carol, this festive trip to the cinema is guaranteed to bring an icy tear to your cheek.

Season 2020

Millennials on Film

Episode: 2020-01-01 | Airdate: Jan 1, 2020

Millennials on Film

Grab your avocado toast: Inside Cinema looks at a misunderstood generation's life on film, exploring how this diverse group has been shaped by socio-political upheaval, economic recession, and dramatic developments in technology.

Locomotion Pictures

Episode: 2020-01-08 | Airdate: Jan 8, 2020

Locomotion Pictures

All aboard! Go trainspotting with Inside Cinema in this in-depth survey of trains on film, exploring how the train is a storytelling engine loaded with meaning beyond simple high-speed spectacle, stoking themes of class division and colonialist expansion, and providing the perfect location for social revolution, satire, and transcendent fantasy.

Perfect Storms

Episode: 2020-01-15 | Airdate: Jan 15, 2020

Perfect Storms

Bring a brolly, as Inside Cinema explores how films simply don't do light drizzle, and instead use rain as an epic intensifier, a romcom matchmaker, or a reliable way to take stories to the edge.

Cosmetic Cinema

Episode: 2020-01-22 | Airdate: Jan 22, 2020

Cosmetic Cinema

What is both concealed and revealed when characters in films apply make-up? And what do make-up scenes have to tell us about femininity, performance, and the masks we wear?

Who Killed the Erotic Thriller?

Episode: 2020-01-29 | Airdate: Jan 29, 2020

Who Killed the Erotic Thriller?

From Sharon Stone uncrossing her legs in THAT white dress, to Demi Moore receiving an entirely indecent proposal from Robert Redford, the naughty '90s were a high point for bold A-list casts baring all in twisted tales of glossy high-concept intrigue

Dancing Teens

Episode: 2020-02-05 | Airdate: Feb 5, 2020

Dancing Teens

Get into the groove with Inside Cinema's look at iconic dance scenes in '80s teen movies, exploring how dance on film changed radically from Fame to Dirty Dancing to The Breakfast Club. This was the era that waved to goodbye Broadway-style choreography and said hello to wild celebration and rough-around-the-edges freedom, all backed by the coolest contemporary pop.

Movie Buddies

Episode: 2020-02-12 | Airdate: Feb 12, 2020

Movie Buddies

Why is it that good things often come in pairs? And why do opposites often attract? Inside Cinema salutes cinema's most iconic duos and explores what makes a great film friendship, from the cricket bat-wielding, undead-beating besties of Shaun of the Dead to the us-against-the world, law-defying companions of Thelma and Louise.

Fast and Furious Families

Episode: 2020-02-26 | Airdate: Feb 26, 2020

Fast and Furious Families

They say you can't choose family. But the Fast and Furious franchise begs to differ. Crack open a cold one with Inside Cinema as we explore how the blockbuster series is fuelled by the human body's natural nitrous oxide: love.

Licence to Spoof

Episode: 2020-03-11 | Airdate: Mar 11, 2020

Licence to Spoof

Spoofs, Bond spoofs. Inside Cinema takes aim at the subgenre of spies that have parodied 007, from the shaggadelic International Men of Mystery to the sharp dressed Kingsmen. These agents of comedy know James Bond's looks, villains, gadgets and missions better than Mr Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang himself.

Film Flirtations

Episode: 2020-03-25 | Airdate: Mar 25, 2020

Film Flirtations

Often, the most romantically-charged moments in films are those before the kissing starts... Join Inside Cinema for a steamy survey of cinema's subtle, seductive language of flirting - from the opposites-attract template of classic romcom Pretty Woman, to the sumptuous, unspoken romance of Wong Kar-Wai's In The Mood For Love.

Studio Ghibli Magic

Episode: 2020-06-10 | Airdate: Jun 10, 2020

Studio Ghibli Magic

Michael Leader explores how legendary Japanese filmmakers Studio Ghibli find magic in the everyday in beloved animated classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro - in which everything from cooking and cleaning to trains, planes and rain is made fantastical.

Bands in Films

Episode: 2020-06-17 | Airdate: Jun 17, 2020

Bands in Films

One, two, three, four! Elizabeth Sankey sings the praises of cinema's best bands, from the almost-famous groups that act like dysfunctional families to the head-banging pomp-rockers who take themselves far too seriously.

Lust, Camera, Action!

Episode: 2020-06-24 | Airdate: Jun 24, 2020

Lust, Camera, Action!

How does cinema treat women's lust? Christina Newland takes a close look at films that allow female desire to come to the fore - from Mae West's saucy one-liners to the rippling muscles of Magic Mike.

The Dolly Zoom

Episode: 2020-07-01 | Airdate: Jul 1, 2020

The Dolly Zoom

From Vertigo and Jaws to Raging Bull and Goodfellas... Tim Robey zooms in on a highly effective and ubiquitous camera technique that has left heads spinning for over 60 years.

Pop Docs

Episode: 2020-07-08 | Airdate: Jul 8, 2020

Pop Docs

In the age of Instagram, what is the function of the feature-length pop doc? And just how revealing can it be? Simran Hans explores why global superstars like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, MIA and Lady Gaga are handing over the camera and turning to the format of the all-access documentary.

Classic Lit to Teen Hit

Episode: 2020-07-15 | Airdate: Jul 15, 2020

Classic Lit to Teen Hit

25 years on from the release of Clueless, Rhianna Dhillon argues that the teen movie is the perfect setting for radical adaptations of classic literature, from She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You to Cruel Intentions and She's The Man.

Summer Holidays

Episode: 2020-07-22 | Airdate: Jul 22, 2020

Summer Holidays

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... Whether your dream get-away is about falling in love in an elegant sun-drenched Tuscan villa, or getting a terrible tan on a lagered up lads' holiday in the Costa del sun, there's nothing like getting away from it all. But in the movies, a holiday can mean anything from a makeover to a murder spree. Join Inside Cinema in attempting to survive the ultimate movie vacation: relax by the pool in Call Me By Your Name, discover a new sense of self in Us, fake it til you make it with The Talented Mr Ripley - it's all about letting filmmakers show us how to really unwind, and hopefully make it back from The Beach in one piece.

Beauty Queen Dreams

Episode: 2020-07-29 | Airdate: Jul 29, 2020

Beauty Queen Dreams

From Drop Dead Gorgeous and Miss Congeniality to Little Miss Sunshine and Dumplin', Beth Webb explores how movies can subvert the patriarchal concept of the beauty pageant. Popular discourse may now believe that these beauty contests are superficial or sexist but in cinema, women can use the pageant as an opportunity to claim power and find community.

Inside Cinemas

Episode: 2020-08-12 | Airdate: Aug 12, 2020

Inside Cinemas

It's the most tongue-in-cheek location in cinema: a cinema. From Scream 2 to Cape Fear and Scary Movie to Gremlins 2, when filmmakers set a scene in a cinema, they get to mess with our minds in a uniquely personal way, putting us directly in the shoes - or should that be seats - of their characters, whether that's in order to make us laugh knowingly or freeze in terror. Just keep telling yourself: it's only a movie...

Lynchian Nightmares

Episode: 2020-08-19 | Airdate: Aug 19, 2020

Lynchian Nightmares

Mike Muncer takes a peek behind the white picket fences to explore the dark, uncanny world of visionary filmmaker David Lynch and figure out what the term 'Lynchian' really means. From Blue Velvet to Twin Peaks, how is it that one director has so successfully lifted the curtain on the surreal nightmares that underpin the American Dream?

The Rashomon Effect

Episode: 2020-08-26 | Airdate: Aug 26, 2020

The Rashomon Effect

How have filmmakers used multiple points of view of the same event to challenge notions of truth in cinema? Jessica Kiang demystifies a storytelling technique that has kept viewers guessing since 1950, from Akira Kurosawa's pioneering murder-mystery to the recent whodunnit hit Knives Out.

The Dragon Lady

Episode: 2020-09-02 | Airdate: Sep 2, 2020

The Dragon Lady

Zing Tsjeng examines a Hollywood stereotype that has seen East and Southeast Asian actresses typecast as cold, crafty and even vicious characters, from Anna May Wong's trailblazing appearances in the 1920s, to Lucy Liu's fierce turns in Charlie's Angels, Ally McBeal and Kill Bill. But how is a new generation of Asian-American filmmakers, in films such as Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell, subverting the trope of the Dragon Lady?

Cinema Jerks

Episode: 2020-09-09 | Airdate: Sep 9, 2020

Cinema Jerks

We all love an iconic baddie, but this video essay isn't about them. This episode is about the smug, suit-wearing toerags who provide the banal face of evil in scores of 80s classics, from Harry Ellis in Die Hard and Walter Peck in Ghostbusters, to Carter Burke in Aliens, and beyond. What do these insufferable jerks say about Reagan-era cinema, and what purpose do they serve in crowd-pleasing popcorn flicks?

Pubs on Film

Episode: 2020-09-16 | Airdate: Sep 16, 2020

Pubs on Film

Lou Thomas raises a glass to the big screen boozer, a familiar film fixture that exposes a contradiction at the heart of British life: a place of both community and conflict, from the neighbourhood nucleus of the films of Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Terence Davies, to the forbidding locals of The Wicker Man, An American Werewolf in London and Withnail & I.

Witches

Episode: 2020-10-30 | Airdate: Oct 30, 2020

Witches

Elizabeth Sankey casts a critical eye over cinema's complex relationship with wickedly powerful women, from the devilish delights of The Witches of Eastwick and The Craft to the fiendishly subversive The Witch and The Love Witch.

Season 2021

Beyond Aardman

Episode: 2021-02-03 | Airdate: Feb 3, 2021

Beyond Aardman

Stop-motion puppet animation has an enduring appeal and power, from children's animated classics such as Bagpuss to the big screen productions of Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr Fox and Isle of Dogs) and Tim Burton (Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride) while also embracing cutting-edge independent filmmaking. The craft holds a particular nostalgia for generations of British children raised on Pingwings, Postman Pat and El Nombre. It's something that British stop-motion talent has excelled at, and that hasn't gone unnoticed by American filmmakers who appreciate the craftsmanship. As a method of production it is delicate and time-consuming and the hand-crafted impact of the puppeteers can often be traced on-screen, creating a unique charm all of its own. It can also be more inexpensive to produce, attracting independent filmmakers with new possibilities in mind and challenging ideas. Though labour intensive, the result harbours rich storytelling for young and old.

Beside The Sea

Episode: 2021-02-10 | Airdate: Feb 10, 2021

Beside The Sea

Pamela Hutchinson gives a guided tour of the British coast on the big screen, investigating how filmmakers use the beach to examine British life, identity and social taboos.

Rave Britannia

Episode: 2021-02-17 | Airdate: Feb 17, 2021

Rave Britannia

Ellen E Jones spends a night on the town examining how the big and small screen likes to party, from the steamy housebound scenes of Lovers Rock to the beatific highs of the rave film.

The Cher Factor

Episode: 2021-03-03 | Airdate: Mar 3, 2021

The Cher Factor

What do you think of when you think of Cher? Singer. Fashion maverick. Queer icon. Meme queen. Punchline. How about Oscar-winning actor? In a special for International Women's Month, Anna Bogutskaya celebrates an all-time talent of stage and screen: Cher, the ultimate multi-hyphenate. Cher is one of the very few people who has made her name into an instantly recognisable brand. And, by the time she decided to act, she had been in the limelight for twenty years.

Strong Female Characters

Episode: 2021-03-10 | Airdate: Mar 10, 2021

Strong Female Characters

Hanna Flint teams up with some Strong Female Characters to look at whether kicking ass is always empowering. From Hotel Artemis to Thelma and Louise, via the action heroics of Birds of Prey and Captain Marvel, these action heroines are here to save the day. But are characters like Lara Croft feminist icons or sex objects - or maybe both?

Fat and Female on Film

Episode: 2021-03-17 | Airdate: Mar 17, 2021

Fat and Female on Film

From images where fatness is the butt of a joke, to thin people wearing fat suits, to people using the word "fat" as an insult: Grace Barber-Plentie asks what is cinema telling audiences about fat women - and is that ok?

Nuns On Film

Episode: 2021-03-24 | Airdate: Mar 24, 2021

Nuns On Film

Pamela Hutchinson sings the praises of film's faithful sisters, from Black Narcissus to Sister Act, reckoning with cinema's habit of using nuns for moral dilemmas and sacred singalongs. Movie nuns may appear to be here to save your soul and keep the sinners of the world on the straight and narrow, but their appeal is more than black and white, inspiring films ranging from the devout dramas of The Bells of St. Mary's, The Nun's Story and Heaven Knows, Mr Allison, to Ken Russell's shockingly subversive and sacrilegious The Devils. On screen, do we want to see another serene and saintly sister? Or a bad mother?

The Jump Scare

Episode: 2021-05-19 | Airdate: May 19, 2021

The Jump Scare

Boo! Mike Muncer examines a filmmaking technique used to jolt viewers out of their seats in everything from the most frightening horror films to family-friendly franchises. Are jump scares cheap ways to elicit a physical response from the audience, or an example of movie-making magic in its purest form? Inside Cinema investigates, drawing on films and filmmakers ranging from Alfred Hitchcock to Stanley Kubrick, from Scream to Star Wars, from classic slasher horrors to the contemporary directors reclaiming the 'jump scare' for a new generation.

Queer Villains

Episode: 2021-05-26 | Airdate: May 26, 2021

Queer Villains

Why do so many big-screen villains seem to be pointedly camp? Caspar Salmon decodes a trope seen in films ranging from Psycho, to Skyfall, to several Disney animated classics, in which filmmakers (either intentionally or not) used harmful queer stereotypes as a way of making their characters seem more disturbing, unseemly or unheroic.

Jukebox Musicals

Episode: 2021-06-02 | Airdate: Jun 2, 2021

Jukebox Musicals

Dewi Evans waves lyrical about musicals that breathe new life into songs we know and love from the classic Singin In The Rain to the ultimate jukebox musical Moulin Rouge.

Cameo Overload

Episode: 2021-06-09 | Airdate: Jun 9, 2021

Cameo Overload

Ali Plumb explores how a movie in-joke has become a key part of the franchise toolkit, from the days of Hitchcock appearing in his own films, to the interconnected Marvel Universe.

The Beautiful Game

Episode: 2021-06-16 | Airdate: Jun 16, 2021

The Beautiful Game

Carl Anka assembles a squad of big-screen gems that best capture the power of football, from Gregory's Girl and Bend It Like Beckham to the innovative documentary, Diego Maradona.

The Father of African Cinema

Episode: 2021-06-23 | Airdate: Jun 23, 2021

The Father of African Cinema

Leila Latif explores how the Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène challenged the legacy of colonialism and pioneered a cinema by, for and about the people of Africa.

Body Swaps

Episode: 2021-06-30 | Airdate: Jun 30, 2021

Body Swaps

Tara Judah explores how the appeal of the body-swap comedy is far from skin-deep, offering characters and viewers an entertaining opportunity for understanding and self-reflection

Uncanny Spaces

Episode: 2021-07-07 | Airdate: Jul 7, 2021

Uncanny Spaces

Wendy Ide surveys the strange spaces created when films don't follow the laws of physics.

The Cult of Keanu

Episode: 2021-07-14 | Airdate: Jul 14, 2021

The Cult of Keanu

James King salutes the rise and rise of the one and only Keanu Reeves, from 90s hunk in the likes of Speed and Point Break to the 21st-century icon of The Matrix and John Wick franchises. Once seen as a pretty boy with a limited range, Keanu brought sensitivity to the action genre, survived memes and misfires, and finally ascended to the role of the ultimate movie star - even becoming something of a modern-day guru in the process.

Underdogs

Episode: 2021-07-21 | Airdate: Jul 21, 2021

Underdogs

Caitlin Quinlan champions the sports films that give the longshots their time to shine.

All About Bette

Episode: 2021-08-04 | Airdate: Aug 4, 2021

All About Bette

Fasten your seatbelts: How iconic Hollywood trailblazer Bette Davis broke the mould.

Heavyweight Drama

Episode: 2021-08-11 | Airdate: Aug 11, 2021

Heavyweight Drama

Championing the big screen fight, what exactly makes boxing films such a knockout?

The MacGuffin

Episode: 2021-08-18 | Airdate: Aug 18, 2021

The MacGuffin

These objects really tie a film together, but what precisely is a MacGuffin?

Hollywood's Eastern Futures

Episode: 2021-08-25 | Airdate: Aug 25, 2021

Hollywood's Eastern Futures

Zing Tsjeng asks why does Western cinema's vision of the future look so East Asian?

Boss Ladies

Episode: 2021-09-02 | Airdate: Sep 2, 2021

Boss Ladies

What does it take to shatter the glass ceiling and rule the boardroom on the big screen? From Working Girl to The Devil Wears Prada, Jan Asante salutes the defiant, complex women of the workplace comedy-drama, and the everyday struggles that make them who they are.

The Gay Best Friend

Episode: 2021-09-08 | Airdate: Sep 8, 2021

The Gay Best Friend

Limiting, outdated, stereotype - or potentially empowering representation? Maybe it's somewhere in-between. James Victoria Luxford looks at the GBF on screen.

Winona, Interrupted

Episode: 2021-09-15 | Airdate: Sep 15, 2021

Winona, Interrupted

How very! Charting the spectacular rise, fall and comeback of Gen-X icon Winona Ryder

Welcome to Jackass

Episode: 2021-09-22 | Airdate: Sep 22, 2021

Welcome to Jackass

Do not try this at home! Charles Bramesco digs into the cultural phenomenon of Jackass.

The B Word

Episode: 2021-10-13 | Airdate: Oct 13, 2021

The B Word

The B in LGBTQ+ sometimes gets shortchanged in cinema - Catherine Bray asks why.

Akira Kurosawa

Episode: 2021-10-20 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2021

Akira Kurosawa

From Seven Samurai to Rashomon, Jasper Sharp celebrates the films of Akira Kurosawa.

Dinner Tables

Episode: 2021-11-03 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2021

Dinner Tables

Bon Appetit! How the humble dinner table never fails to serve up delicious movie moments.

Pregnant Cinema

Episode: 2021-11-10 | Airdate: Nov 10, 2021

Pregnant Cinema

Leila Latif on what to expect when you're expecting on the big screen, from the familiar romcom cliches of morning sickness and crazy food cravings, to the films that deal with the more existential side of being pregnant, such as the classic psychological horror Rosemary's Baby, and Alice Lowe's low-budget gem Prevenge, which she wrote, directed and starred in while she herself was heavily pregnant.

Cary Grant

Episode: 2021-11-17 | Airdate: Nov 17, 2021

Cary Grant

How a working class boy from Bristol became one of the brightest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the height of silver-screen sophistication in films ranging from His Girl Friday and An Affair to Remember, to Bringing Up Baby and North By Northwest. But while Cary Grant (born Archibald Leach) may have come to symbolise the epitome of Hollywood style and glamour, it was the irresistible tension between his on-screen persona and the real man behind it that fuelled his star appeal.

The Lord of the Rings

Episode: 2021-11-24 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2021

The Lord of the Rings

One franchise to rule them all... Catherine Bray explores how director Peter Jackson used both classic and cutting-edge techniques to craft his big-screen adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy. Made in the 20th century, and released in the 21st, The Lord of The Rings simultaneously bade farewell to modes of filmmaking that had existed for a century, while heralding the rise of new methods of storytelling that would inform the cinema of the next hundred years.

Roll Credits

Episode: 2021-12-01 | Airdate: Dec 1, 2021

Roll Credits

This is the end... or is it? Michael Leader sits through the credits and celebrates the films that litter their closing credit sequences with outtakes, teasers, and other treats. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe's mastery of the post-credits 'stinger' that introduces new characters and sets up epic franchise crossovers, to the reign of the 'blooper reel' in the comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, to the films that use their credit sequences to break the fourth wall and directly address the audience.

Merry Christmas

Episode: 2021-12-14 | Airdate: Dec 14, 2021

Merry Christmas

James King celebrates the Christmas film, exploring how cinema has brought yuletide cheer to our screens for over a century, from 1898's pioneering silent film Santa Claus, to the enduring festive classic It's A Wonderful Life, to the modern-day comedy cracker Elf, to the sometimes controversial, 'alternative' Christmas favourite, Die Hard.

Season 2022

David Bowie

Episode: 2022-01-05 | Airdate: Jan 5, 2022

David Bowie

How David Bowie looked to the silver screen to inspire his greatest creations and went through many ch-ch-changes as a film star, from The Man Who Fell to Earth to Labyrinth.

Carry On

Episode: 2022-01-12 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2022

Carry On

Matron! Mike Muncer examines a series that epitomised British comedy for a generation, and now serves as the perfect case study in changing tastes in cinema, culture and humour.

Star Trek

Episode: 2022-01-19 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2022

Star Trek

Tom Huddleston boldly goes where no Inside Cinema has gone before, with a deep dive into space, the final frontier, as portrayed in the big screen adventures of the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

Hugh Grant

Episode: 2022-01-26 | Airdate: Jan 26, 2022

Hugh Grant

From the romantic hesitations of Four Weddings and A Funeral to the camp villainy of Paddington 2, the evolution of Hugh Grant has been a delight to behold. Tim Robey celebrates a Very English actor.

Olivia Colman

Episode: 2022-02-09 | Airdate: Feb 9, 2022

Olivia Colman

From sitcom star to Oscar-winning screen royalty, Anna Smith charts the rise of the versatile British actress Olivia Colman.

Will Smith

Episode: 2022-02-16 | Airdate: Feb 16, 2022

Will Smith

From West Philadelphia to Hollywood Royalty, Rhianna Dhillon takes a look at the back catalogue of the man they call Big Will: the star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 90s blockbuster icon, and current Oscar hopeful, Will Smith.

Martin Scorsese

Episode: 2022-02-23 | Airdate: Feb 23, 2022

Martin Scorsese

How a kid from the mean streets of Ne York became one of cinema's greatest filmmakers.

Marilyn Monroe

Episode: 2022-03-02 | Airdate: Mar 2, 2022

Marilyn Monroe

Celebrating the multi-talented and multi-faceted icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

British Baddies

Episode: 2022-03-09 | Airdate: Mar 9, 2022

British Baddies

James King celebrates the British actors who are simply the best at being bad, delivering the devilish goods in Hollywood blockbusters for close to a century.

Making Movies

Episode: 2022-03-16 | Airdate: Mar 16, 2022

Making Movies

Lights, camera, action! Jamie Maisner investigates the films that turn the camera on filmmaking itself, from Hollywood classics Sunset Boulevard and Singin' in the Rain, to indie gems Son of Rambow and One Cut of the Dead. Does cinema always paint a flattering portrait of itself, or does it expose the seedy side of the film industry? Or does it celebrate the spirit of creativity and teamwork that lies behind every production?

Breaking Up

Episode: 2022-03-23 | Airdate: Mar 23, 2022

Breaking Up

No one loves love as much as Hollywood, but what happens after the romance ends? For Inside Cinema, Ann Lee looks at big-screen breakups, from Legally Blonde and La La Land to (500) Days of Summer and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, exploring what films about the ends of relationships tell us about love, life and moving on to the next chapter.

Jewels on Film

Episode: 2022-03-30 | Airdate: Mar 30, 2022

Jewels on Film

A dazzling journey through jewellery in film, asking the question: are diamonds truly a girl's best friend, or are there deeper pearls of wisdom to mine? Nicole Davis explores how these prized objects relate to on-screen themes of obsession, desire, ownership and romance, in the likes of Pretty Woman, Titanic, Moulin Rouge and Uncut Gems.

Famous Last Words

Episode: 2022-04-06 | Airdate: Apr 6, 2022

Famous Last Words

That's all, folks! Inside Cinema celebrates the best and most memorable final lines in film history, from Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz, to The Italian Job and Back to the Future. What makes a great final line? And what do our favourite endings tell us about the magic of the movies?

Coming Out

Episode: 2022-04-13 | Airdate: Apr 13, 2022

Coming Out

Rowan Ellis explores how 'coming out' scenes on screen reflect changing social attitudes towards sexuality, from indie gems But I'm A Cheerleader and Beginners, to the landmark teen romantic drama Love, Simon, to the recent films and TV series that depict nuanced, complex personal journeys of characters who don't put a specific label on their identities.

Specials

Meet the Family

Episode: S01 Special | Airdate: Feb 13, 2020

Meet the Family

Meet the Family, voiced by Kathy Burke (Nil by Mouth, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), puts cinematic families on the analyst's couch for a deep dive into what makes some of the most dysfunctional dynasties in cinema tick. How do film-makers go about dramatising the one thing we all have in life - family? Maybe it's about drawing directly from your own life, like Christina Crawford's account of being raised by a nightmare mother, A-list star Joan Crawford, in the infamous Hollywood scandal magnet, Mommie Dearest. Or maybe dramatising the furthest extremes that families will go to needs to involve fantasy, as in magical Oscar-winning fairy tale, Pan's Labyrinth, where a little girl escapes from her wicked stepfather into a dreamlike but dangerous underworld. 

Black History Month: Jordan Peele

Episode: 2020 Special | Airdate: Oct 6, 2020 (15 min)

Black History Month: Jordan Peele

Documentary from Ellen E Jones exploring the work of Jordan Peele, the TV comedian-turned-film director who captured the zeitgeist with his Oscar-winning horror Get Out.

Black History Month: Ava DuVernay

Episode: 2020 Special | Airdate: Oct 6, 2020 (15 min)

Black History Month: Ava DuVernay

Documentary from Corrina Antrobus that explores the work of Ava DuVernay, the first black female film director to direct a $100-million film.

Black History Month: Barry Jenkins

Episode: 2020 Special | Airdate: Oct 13, 2020 (15 min)

Black History Month: Barry Jenkins

Documentary from Grace Barber-Plentie on trailblazing film director Barry Jenkins, whose Best Picture winner Moonlight made Oscar night history in 2017.

Black History Month: Ryan Coogler

Episode: 2020 Special | Airdate: Oct 13, 2020 (15 min)

Black History Month: Ryan Coogler

Documentary from Kambole Campbell, exploring the work of Ryan Coogler, director of Fruitvale Station, Creed and billion-dollar-grossing box-office sensation Black Panther.

Guilt-Free Pleasures

Episode: 2020 Special | Airdate: Dec 2, 2020 (60 min)

Guilt-Free Pleasures

What's your favourite cinematic guilty pleasure? And why the guilt? Film critic Catherine Bray hosts a celebration of trashy films spanning Showgirls to Love Actually to Cats, with narration from comedian Mae Martin.

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