In this episode, Mark reviews the stage adaptation of his favourite film, The Shawshank Redemption, based on the 1982 novella “Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King, which he saw at The Belgrade Threatre in Coventry on the 9th of March, 2023. The play stars Joe Absolom as Andy Defresne and Ben Onwukwe as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding. The play is adapted by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns and directed by David Esbjornson.
In this episode Mark does a review of the 2022 American action drama film “Top Gun: Maverick” directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, which is the sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun”. Mark discusses why some sequels to successful films work and why some do not, and why some sequels deserve to be made while others are made for all the wrong reasons.
In celebration of National Cinema Day Mark talks about his life long love of going to the cinema and of the watching films. Mark talks about what it means to him to watch a film at the cinema and also about the different types of experiences that he has had while watching a film at the cinema. Mark talks about his favourite films and his film genres and potentially what he might be watching at the cinema today on National Cinema Day.
In this episode Mark does a review of the 2022 American computer-animated science fiction film “Lightyear” and he explains why he believes it is worth watching.
In this episode Mark pays tribute to one of the most prolific authors of gothic fiction, the American author Anne Rice – who it was sadly announced has passed away due to complications following a stroke at the age of 80. Anne was incredibly inspirational to her many readers and fans of her books, most notably her “The Vampire Chronicles” series of novels, and she influenced many other artists and authors in so many ways – including Mark himself. Rest in Peace, Anne Rice – October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021.
In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 1991 American fantasy swashbuckler adventure film “Hook” directed by Steven Spielberg. The story of the film, which is a sequel to the story from J.M. Barrie’s 1911 novel “Peter and Wendy”, focuses on an adult Peter Pan who has forgotten about his childhood and who is now known as Peter Banning, a successful and unimaginative workaholic lawyer, who is married with two children; however when his old nemesis, Captain James Hook, finds a way to leave Neverland and kidnap his children, Peter, with the help of Tinkerbell, must return to Neverland to save them and remember who he really is. The film stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, Bob Hoskins as Mr. Smee, and Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy.
In this episode Mark talks about the 2004 American romantic science fiction film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. The story of the film follows an estranged couple, John Barrish (Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), who choose to have their memories of each other erased – but who unknowingly find themselves drawn back to one another, and who rediscover who they were and how they were as a couple, and why they ultimately chose to erase one another from each others’ lives. The film also stars Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson.
In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2018 American superhero film “Avengers: Infinity War” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, and sees the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to prevent Thanos from collecting the six all-powerful Infinity Stones as part of his quest to eliminate half the life in the universe.
In this episode Mark does a spoiler review of the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the 2021 American superhero film “Eternals” directed by Chloe Zhao, based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name. The Eternals are an immortal alien race who spent thousands of years protecting Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants – who decide to emerge after spending centuries in hiding after the threat of the Deviants returns. The film stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Liam McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie.
Mark The Poet 