Film Actually Ep061 – Contagion

Hosts: David McVay, Josh Philpott & Richard Gray

This week David, Josh and Richard review Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion”. Plus they discuss a little news including the new trailer for “The Muppets” and the red band for “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas”. We also have a brand new Lists of Five – Five Films That Sounded Like a Bad Idea But Boy Were We Wrong.  Film Actually is the official movie podcast of geekactually.com.

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This show carries an explicit tag due to infrequent coarse language.

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Your Show Notes:

Make sure you check out our other fine podcast Geek Actually for all your tech and geek culture needs.

Watch us record Film Actually live every Saturday starting at approximately 1.30pm (AEDST UTC+11) at geekactually.com/live.

What We’ve Been Watching

A collection of other things we’ve been watching this week. Josh watched Joe Dante’s “The Hole”, David watched “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Wildcats” and all three of them saw Paul W. S. Anderson’s “The Three Musketeers”.

Feature Film Review

‘Contagion’ directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns. It stars Matt Damon, Lawrence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Ehle, Bryan Cranston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Elliott Gould.

Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart. Source: Warner Bros.

Our Verdict: A well made film that is ultimately unsatisfying because it is cold and clinical and lacks an emotional core.

Watch the trailer here: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/contagion/

Entertainment Buzz

New trailer for The Muppets
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810188975/video/26938982

Sony to produce the “Assassin’s Creed” movie… good or bad idea?
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118044759?refCatId=13

Marvel releases another short – “A funny thing happened on the way to Thor’s hammer” but it is already gone from the net – Time to wait for Captain America on Blu-Ray :-(

The story that won’t die; “Akira” live action is back on deck again.
http://www.thereelbits.com/2011/10/20/akira-remake-gets-green-light-director-and-star/

The red band trailer for “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” – ‘nuff said!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BREF1stnGI

Lists of Five

This week our Lists of Five: Five Films That Sounded Like a Bad Idea But Boy Were We Wrong. Many times films get announced and we just go …ugh! But sometimes the film arrives and we are proven very wrong, here are five of those.

Just a reminder, because we never like to just make things easy on ourselves, our lists are not necessarily top five lists, they are more or a less a list of film recommendations within the theme of the list.

Feedback

Geek Betty wanted us to know about this scathing review of Tintin.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/oct/18/how-could-do-this-tintin

Agree or disagree with us or you just have something to say? send email to feedback@filmactually.com or drop us a voicemail at 02 8011 3167.

The Rest…

David’s “My Year With Movies” blog is on Tumbr

Join us on our Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/GeekActually or follow Geek Actually on Twitter @geekactually

Make sure you check out our new range of Geek Actually swag at cafepress.com.au/geekactually

The Reel Junkies podcast can be found at weekendronin.com

Brad and Charlie (formerly of “Movie Fan House”) are back, their new site is ReboundRadio.com and their new podcasts are “Good Day Sir!” and “Movie Match Up”

Rachelle is over at The Funky Film Show, Thursdays on Radio Freemantle 107.9 FM or radiofreemantle.com

Find out more about Josh’s other stuff by visiting HipHopNetOnline.com or listen to his other show “DLC Live” go to RawDLC.com or follow him on Twitter @DoGM3At

Find more by Richard Gray by visiting theReelBits.com or follow him on Twitter @DVDbits

We are closing the show with a track from the score from “Contagion” by Cliff Martinez.

The opening clip is from “The Witches of Eastwick”