Author Archives: The Hyphenates

The Guillermo Del Toro Cheat Sheet

GDT Directs

Want to become an instant expert in our filmmaker of the month without committing yourself to an entire filmography? Then you need the Hell Is For Hyphenates Cheat Sheet: we program you a double that will not only make for a great evening's viewing, but bring you suitably up-to-speed before our next episode lands…

GDT Films

HELLBOY (2004) and PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro is synonymous with genre filmmaking, and these back-to-back films in the early 2000s are vintage Del Toro. Kick your evening off with Hellboy, the adaptation of Mike Mignola's comic. If Del Toro announced tomorrow, in the midst of shared universes and endless capes, that he was going to make his own superhero film, this is exactly the one we'd all want him to make. Hellboy is funny, imaginative, and has a wonderfully unusual edge to it. He followed this film up with Pan's Labyrinth, the perfect encapsulation of his tendencies towards the horror-fantasy stylings of fairy tales. Program this double, and you may dub yourself a true expert in the worlds of Guillermo Del Toro.

Substitutions: If you can't get or have already seen Hellboy, you should watch Blade II (2002). And here you thought we were going to suggest the Hellboy sequel. Which is a fine choice, but you'll learn a lot about Del Toro by seeing the direction he takes the vampire superhero in. If you can't get or have already seen Pan's Labyrinth, then you should seek out The Devil's Backbone (2001), the wonderful and terrifying companion piece to Pan.

The Hidden Gem: There are not many hidden gems for Del Toro's fans, who have comprehensively sought out all of his early works. But it's his debut Cronos (1993) that is arguably the least-discussed. His film about the quest for eternal life is equal parts horror, fantasy and funny.

The next episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates, featuring Maria Lewis talking Guillermo Del Toro, will be released on the morning of June 30.

Our Next Hyphenate Maria Lewis

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You may know Maria Lewis from her film critiquing on the film website Graffiti With Punctuation or the podcast Pod Save Our Screen (both alongside Hi4H alum Blake Howard). Or you may have spotted her on SBS2's The Feed (hosted by Hi4H alum Marc Fennell). Or maybe you've read her young adult fantasy novel Who's Afraid ? (described by yet another Hi4H alum, Lexi Alexander, as â€œTruly one of the best in the genre I have ever readâ€). We mention all of this not just to cement Maria's multi-hyphenate status, but also prove what a massive umbrella Hi4H is. We're everywhere. Or at least in three places.

But you're about to know her best from her forthcoming role as the June guest on Hell Is For Hyphenates!

But which filmmaker has Maria chosen to talk about on the show?

None other than director Guillermo Del Toro!

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro

Del Toro is a firm genre favourite, from his horror debut Cronos (1994), to the superhero film Hellboy (2004), his gothic fairytale Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and the science fiction monster flick Pacific Rim (2013).

He's earned a cult status amongst film fans, so what is it about his work that's earned the adoration of Maria and so many others?

Join us on June 30 when we find out!

Our next filmmaker of the month, Guillermo Del Toro

Lowe On Henson

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Lowe On Henson

We know we gush about every guest, and of course that's by design - why would we invite someone on who wasn't gush-worthy? - but come on: Alice Lowe. The brilliant comic actress who has featured in everything from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace to Tom Hardy drama Locke, on our little show talking about Jim freakin' Henson? What's not to love?

Some almost-fatal Skype issues made this an ordeal to record on the technical side, but a delight on every other side. With Alice in London, Sophie in Manchester, and Lee in Canberra, we once again called upon modern technology to connect us so we could yammer about some film.

And what yammering it was.

Beginning with the new releases, Lee finally heals from his Batman v Superman experience thanks to Captain America: Civil War, Alice delights in the refreshing depiction of sororal sibling rivalry in Mustang, and Sophie takes issue with the politics of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

They then tackle the issue of the growing sexism within film fandom. Why are so many men upset about the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot, or the spinoff Star Wars: Rogue One?

Finally, Alice takes us through the filmography of one of the true geniuses of our time. Jim Henson is lauded for his work on The Muppets and Sesame Street, but what of his directorial career? We look beyond Muppets, and even beyond Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal.

Hell Is For Hyphenates – May 2016

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Actor, screenwriter and comedy icon Alice Lowe joins the Hyphenates as they look back at some of the key films of this month, including Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Deniz Gamze ErgÃ¼ven’s Mustang, and comedy biopic Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. They then examine the current vitriolic backlash at upcoming female-led blockbusters, from Ghostbusters to Star Wars: Rogue One. Then Alice takes us through the groundbreaking filmography of the legendary Jim Henson.

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The Jim Henson Cheat Sheet

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JH Directs

Want to become an instant expert in our filmmaker of the month without committing yourself to an entire filmography? Then you need the Hell Is For Hyphenates Cheat Sheet: we program you a double that will not only make for a great evening's viewing, but bring you suitably up-to-speed before our next episode landsâ€¦

JH Films

THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982) and LABYRINTH (1986)

You've seen them - everyone's seen them. But have you seen them with adult eyes, no longer hiding behind the sofa (in the case of The Dark Crystal and, erm, me)? They'll remind you of the babe you were, and of how they've indelibly shaped the imaginative, slightly weird adult you've become under the influence of vulnerable, brave, clever lead characters Jen and Sarah. You'll also see anew Henson's masterful blend of live action, puppetry and SFX, working closely with Brian Froud's creaturely art. Given that he produced the 96 episodes each of the Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, making and voicing puppets for them as well, it's amazing that he found time to co-direct features (with Frank Oz, aka the voice of Miss Piggy). And both of them are top-notch: The Dark Crystal is probably the only children's film to feature Beckett expert Billie Whitelaw in its voice cast - that's how dark it is. And Labyrinth is of course the perfect way to introduce the next generation to the (dance) magic (dance) that is David Bowie.

Substitutions: If you can't get or have already seen The Dark Crystal or Labyrinth, you must watch 1981's The Great Muppet Caper, Henson's first feature as director and the second movie outing for Henson's beloved puppets. Deeply silly skewer of the international crime thriller genre, with Diana Rigg as the imperious Lady Holiday and cameos from John Cleese, Peter Falk and Peter Ustinov: it's what the Muppets do best, under Henson's big-screen control for the first and only time. If you've seen that too, go for the Henson-directed episodes of The Storyteller, his most magical television outings.

The Hidden Gem: The Cube, Henson's pre-Muppets film for NBC Experiments in Television. It's a way ahead of its 1969 production date, somewhere between The Truman Show, Vincenzo Natali's Cube and Kate McKinnon & Kumail Nanjiani's parody of Room for the Independent Spirit Awards. It's on YouTube. What are you waiting for?

The next episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates, featuring Alice Lowe talking Jim Henson, will be released on May 31.

Our Next Hyphenate Alice Lowe

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If enjoy great comedy, then you'll be as excited by our next guest as we are. Except we're the ones who get to talk film with her for an hour, so we're probably slightly more excited. But look, it's not a competition. There's definitely enough excitement to go around.

Maybe you know Alice Lowe from her roles in Hot Fuzz, The World's End or Paddington. Or from her incredible performance as Madeleine Wool/Dr Liz Asher in the perfect Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Or for co-writing and co-starring in the instant cult classic Sightseers. Or any number of guest roles in The IT Crowd, Black Books or Snuffbox. Either way, if you've been keeping up with quality UK film and television, you've definitely seen her in a number of things.

Alice, who is in post-production on her feature directorial debut Prevenge, is taking time out to join us on Hyphenates this month. But which filmmaker has she chosen to discuss?

None other than the great Jim Henson!

Directed by Jim Henson We all know Jim Henson as the genius behind The Muppets and Sesame Street, and of course film fans don't need to be reminded that he also directed Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. But there is a huge part of Henson's career as director that is largely unknown, and we're looking forward to digging into that amidst all the Jareth quoting.

But what is it about Henson that Alice so adores? Join us on May 31 when the new episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates is released!

Hardie On Bird

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Hardie On Bird

There's always something a bit special when our guest has a personal connection to the filmmaker they're here to discuss. In the case of our guest Kate Hardie, it was particularly fascinating to hear her discuss the works of Antonia Bird given she was both a collaborator and a huge fan of Bird's work.

Kate and Antonia worked together numerous times, notably on the acclaimed telemovies Safe (1993) and Rehab (2003), and Kate has a unique insight into Antonia's directorial style and technique. To have such a personal angle on one of cinema's most underrated filmmakers is roundly fantastic.

But we don't just stop at Antonia Bird. This month we dip back into our semi-regular mini-Hi4H segment, in which we choose a director who may not have made enough films to qualify them for the main event. This month, it's acclaimed experimental filmmaker and documentarian Shirley Clarke.

Clarke is one of the true visionaries of modern cinema, with short films such as Dance in the Sun (1953) and the Oscar-nominated Skyscraper (1960), the groundbreaking mockumentary The Connection (1962) and the Oscar-winning documentary Robert Frost: A Lover's Quarrel With the World (1963). If you've never seen any of her films, we flatter ourselves that this is a good place to start.

But before we get into our two filmmaker spotlights, we also take a look at three of this month's films, including improvised comedy Black Mountain Poets, single-take feature film Victoria, and comedy/drama Our Little Sister.

All this in one single hour of audio. Plus jokes! And you can subscribe via iTunes, download or stream from our website, or use your podcast-listening app of choice. Whatever works best for you.

Hell Is For Hyphenates – April 2016

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Actor and filmmaker Kate Hardie joins the Hyphenates this month, as we look at some of the key films released in April 2016, including Jamie Adams’ improvised comedy Black Mountain Poets, Sebastian Schipper’s single-take feature Victoria and Hirokazu Koreeda’s comedy/drama Our Little Sister. Kate, Sophie and Lee then look at the films of legendary documentarian Shirley Clarke for our semi-regular mini-Hyphenates segment. Finally, Kate takes us through the career of her filmmaker of the month - a filmmaker Kate worked with on many occasions - the brilliant Antonia Bird.

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The Antonia Bird Cheat Sheet

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Antonia Bird Directs

AB Films

PRIEST (1994) and RAVENOUS (1999)

Without a doubt these were - and remain - director Antonia Bird's biggest critical and commercial hits, and her hallmark films. And they're quite a pair: Priest, her debut feature won the double honour of a Michael Powell Award and a call for a ban from the Catholic Church. It follows a Catholic priest (Linus Roache) in 1990s Liverpool facing a loss of faith because of his sexuality (but who wouldn't fall in love with Robert Carlyle?) and a parishioner's terrible confession. Ravenous is the film The Revenant wishes it had the balls to be: a wild, bloody (funny) satire on cannibal colonialism, bear trap included. Carlyle - more Begbie than big softy here - brought Bird onto the project three weeks before shooting after the original director left, and she gets to express a ferocity and appetite for physical drama not seen since her TV drama Safe (1993).

Substitutions: If you can't get or have already seen Priest, you must watch 1993's Safe, where Aiden Gillen and Kate Hardie boil with the energy of a British Mean Streets. If you can't get or have already seen Ravenous, then switch up to 1997's Face, possibly the best of the â€˜lock, stock' bunch (Winstone, check; Davis, check), and certainly the only one a) starring Gerry Conlon, and b) where the gangster's driven by the demise of socialism.

The Hidden Gem: Has to be The Hamburg Cell (2004), the first film to grasp the nettle of understanding the 9/11 bombers, which was buried in by a nervous HBO. Bird's use of CCTV is genius, generating claustrophobia - but also a strange intimacy with the young men under surveillance. The best kind of uncomfortable and necessary viewing.

Our Next Hyphenate Kate Hardie

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Kate Hardie has a pretty impressive CV: starring alongside Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine in Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa, with Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, with Richard E Grant and Judi Dench in Tim Sullivan's Jack & Sarah, with Clive Owen and Gina McKee in Mike Hodges' Croupier, she's had a lot of first-hand experience with great cinema.

She is also an accomplished filmmaker, writing and directing works including the short film Shoot Me!, the Playhouse Presents episode Mr Understood, and the Coming Up episode Lickle Bill Um.

But her most exciting role is coming up in a few weeks when Kate joins us our next guest on Hell Is For Hyphenates!

Which filmmaker has Kate chosen to discuss with us?

It's British director Antonia Bird!

Directed by Antonia Bird

Antonia Bird was a prolific director on television, working on Eastenders, Casualty, The Bill and many others. But it was her film work that made her a cult figure: the 1994 religious drama Priest, 1997's crime thriller Face, and 1999's colonial cannibal hit Ravenous solidified her reputation as a sharp, stylish filmmaker with a distinct directorial flair.

So what is it about Bird's work that so appeals to Kate? Join us on April 30 when we find out!