Film Utopia

123. Lucio Fulci: Beauty, Brutality & (the) Beyond

This month on Film Utopia, Sean drags a deeply reluctant Steven kicking and screaming into the blood-soaked world of cult Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci. Sean, naturally, argues that Fulci was far more than just “the gore guy,” championing the dreamlike atmosphere, bleak surrealism, and nightmarish logic that made his films unlike anything else in horror cinema. Steven, meanwhile, stubbornly refuses to budge from his position that Fulci’s work is riddled with ropey dubbing, shonky production values, and unapologetic trashiness.

Thankfully, things remain surprisingly amicable as we work through a curated selection of Fulci’s horror, murder mystery, and Giallo work, including One on Top of the Other, A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, Don’t Torture a Duckling, The Psychic, Zombie Flesh Eaters, City of the Living Dead, The Black Cat, The Beyond, The House by the Cemetery, The New York Ripper, Manhattan Baby, Conquest, Murder Rock, The Devil’s Honey, Aenigma, and A Cat in the Brain.

Along the way, we discuss Fulci’s evolution from stylish thriller director to the undisputed godfather of eyeball trauma, his fascination with surrealism and decay, his uneasy relationship with narrative coherence, and why his films continue to inspire horror fans decades later.

Dreamlike, gruesome, atmospheric, ridiculous, mesmerising. Lucio Fulci cinema is many things, but Steven would just prefer if at least one actor sounded like they were in the same room as each other.

122. 1984 in Film

This month on Film Utopia, Steven, Benjamin, and Sean head back to 1984, a year where blockbuster spectacle, cult oddities, and bleak-as-hell TV movies somehow all coexisted quite happily; and barely any were sequels or retreads. Hollywood, please take note!

As is tradition, we go month by month, revisiting the highs, the lows, the first watches, and the films that have aged like fine wine… or questionable milk. We also dig into the awards season, box office battles, and notable births, painting a full picture of a year that refused to sit still.

Sean once again flies the flag for the weird and wonderful, bringing deep cuts like Blastfighter, Razorback, and the soul-crushing Threads. Steven rolls out the encyclopaedia to spotlight the year’s busiest actors while indulging his love of 80s fantasy with nods to The NeverEnding Story and The Company of Wolves. Benjamin, naturally, lobs in a few curveballs—The Killing Fields and Top Secret! among them.

And of course, we pay tribute to the heavy hitters: Ghostbusters and Gremlins (released on the same day!!!), alongside The Terminator, Body Double, Beverly Hills Cop, Star Trek III, and Amadeus.

We wrap things up by revealing our personal Top 12s, our “Dirty Dozen” of the year, where nostalgia, taste, and mild chaos collide.

A packed, nostalgic trip through one of cinema’s most stacked years.

121. Duncan Jones: Small Filmography, Big Ideas

This month on Film Utopia, it’s Sean’s director pick, and he’s gone for a lean but fascinating body of work: Duncan Jones. With just four theatrical features, Steven, Benjamin, and Sean take the rare opportunity to slow things down and really get into the weeds.

We go deep on the quiet brilliance and existential ache of Moon, unpack the knotty mechanics and moral implications of Source Code (spare a thought for the poor bloke whose complete existence gets hijacked), and assess Warcraft as a surprisingly earnest attempt to wrangle decades of lore into something resembling a coherent blockbuster.

Then there’s Mute; a film that takes a hard left into some genuinely bleak territory, giving us plenty to chew on in terms of character, tone, and just how dark mainstream sci-fi is willing to get.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, we inevitably derail into an argument about Planet of the Vampires (again), with Benjamin doing a frankly questionable job as referee.

A thoughtful, occasionally chaotic deep dive into a filmmaker whose small output punches well above its weight.

120. Mario Bava: Shadows, Stilettos, and Slaughter

The Italian Horror tour descends into velvet-draped madness as Steven and Sean tackle the horror legacy of Mario Bava; a filmmaker whose gorgeous lighting, elegant murders, and stunning brunettes didn’t just shape Gothic and Giallo cinema, but practically colour-graded it into existence.

Across first-time watches and long-standing favourites, we work our way through the candle-lit hallway of Bava’s greatest hits (and strangest detours), including Black Sunday, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Black Sabbath, The Whip and the Body, Blood and Black Lace, Planet of the Vampires, Kill, Baby… Kill, Five Dolls for an August Moon, Hatchet for the Honeymoon, A Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Lisa and the Devil, and Shock.

There’s glowing praise for Blood and Black Lace as the visual and structural blueprint for future Giallo, a heated debate over the ending of Planet of the Vampires (in which one host is categorically wrong but refuses to admit it), and a mutual lambasting of the 70s fashion choices of Baron Blood. We also dig into just how outrageously influential these films were, from A Bay of Blood basically inventing Friday the 13^th, to Planet of the Vampires laying the groundwork for Alien, and take several opportunities to respectfully swoon over Fabienne Dali, Barbara Steele, and especially Edwige Fenech, all while marvelling over Bava’s ability to make murder look impossibly cool.

Stylish, opinionated, and occasionally thirsty, join us for a tribute to one of horror’s true architects. Mario Bava. The man who made shadows dance, colours leap, and murder look like theatre.

119. 1986 in Film

Steven, Benjamin, and Sean wind the clock back to 1986 and take a month-by-month wander through one of the most eclectic, chaotic, and fondly remembered years in modern cinema.

From summer blockbusters to cult oddities, we revisit our first watches, reassess our long-held opinions, and shamelessly don the nostalgia goggles as each of us picks a favourite from every month of the year. Along the way, we celebrate the era-defining highs of Aliens, Highlander, The Fly, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Big Trouble in Little China, and gleefully tangle with the stranger corners of the year such as House, Troll, and The Golden Child.

There’s plenty of love for Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Three Amigos, and plenty of irritation from Steven when The Wraith inevitably enters the conversation.

We also take a detour through the 1986 awards season (what won, what didn’t, and what absolutely should have), alongside notable births, deaths, and the broader cultural context of the year.

A nostalgic, opinionated tour through a year when cinema swung for the fences, and often hit something wonderfully strange.

118. The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions

For this year’s Christmas episode, Film Utopia heads back to Middle-earth as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean tackle The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in full – from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Return of the King. Not a misty-eyed holiday special, but a long, honest fireside reckoning with one of cinema’s most beloved trilogies.

While still a fan overall, Steven uses the extended runtime to reflect on the criticisms he’s developed over the years, particularly with Return of the King, from its ever-stretching length to its ageing CGI. Benjamin finds his affection for the finale has also waned, taking issue the Witch-king’s demise, and Smeagol’s transformation.

Sean remains the trilogy’s most steadfast defender Though he acknowledges many of the same flaws, his love for the films endures. Especially The Two Towers, much to Steven’s ongoing bafflement.

What IS unanimous, however, is the enduring brilliance of The Fellowship of the Ring: Ian McKellen’s Gandalf, the location shooting, Howard Shore’s iconic score, the majesty of Rivendell, and the purity of its single-journey structure remain untouchable.

Join us for a festive return to Middle-earth, brimming with admiration… and the occasional raised eyebrow.

117. 1995 in Film

This week on Film Utopia, Steven, Benjamin, and Sean hop in the cinematic time machine and cruise back to 1995, a year stacked so high with bangers, bruisers and cult classics that even John Doe would struggle to catalogue them.

We stroll month-by-month through our first-watch memories and rediscover why ‘95 was an all-timer. There’s expected reverence for Se7en, Casino, and Heat (the holy trinity of grimy crime masterpieces); love for Crimson Tide, 12 Monkeys, The Usual Suspects, and Strange Days, and even a warm salute for Tank Girl. Yes, even Steven, who has bizarrely softened on the film since his last watch.

From prestige thrillers to neon-splattered comic chaos, from time-travel gloom to mobster cool, 1995 gave us a cinematic buffet we’re still chewing on today.

116. Predator: Badlands - Reaction

With Benjamin off-world, Steven, Sean, and special guest Max suit up for a deep-dive reaction to Predator: Badlands. After a quick surveying of the state of the modern Disney/Trachtenberg-verse, touching on Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, we zero in on the new film itself and each give our tuppence on this latest entry in one of our most beloved movie series’.

How does Badlands stack up against the broader Predator legacy? How does the series fare as a whole compared to other long-running favourites like Terminator and Alien? Short version: It’s holding it’s own better than most! We get into the Riddick-alike plot, the sound design, score, visual style, the Predator creature design, and even the evolving Predator language with largely positive remarks on all aspects. But looming over it all is the question we keep circling back to:

“It’s a tidy, punchy sci-fi action romp – but is this what we want from a Predator movie?”

115. Halloween Special: A Nightmare on Elm Street - Complete Retrospective

This spooky season, Film Utopia sharpens its glove and dives head-first into the complete A Nightmare on Elm Street movie series; the final corner of what we lovingly call “the Big Four” of 80s horror, following our previous years’ deep dives into Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Hellraiser.

Steven, Benjamin, and Sean stalk their way through the original six films plus Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Freddy vs Jason, and… yes, even that 2010 remake (which everyone happily agrees belongs in the bin).

Along the way, we chart Freddy’s evolution from terrifying dream-stalking boogeyman to latex-grinning stand-up comic, debate the best Elm Street entry (no one agrees), and celebrate the gloriously ridiculous mayhem of Freddy vs Jason. Sean compares Freddy’s Dead to Malcolm in the Middle, Benjamin vents his disdain for Part 4 and confesses he didn’t realise Tuesday Night’s Kristen was supposed to be the same character portrayed by Patricia Arquette, and Steven once again professes his love for New Nightmare - and shockingly defends Freddy’s Revenge!

Expect sharp claws, sharper opinions, and the cosy comfort of horror nostalgia. Sweet dreams…

114. Alien: Earth – Reaction

Occasional Film Utopia collaborator and Alien nut Max joins Steven and Benjamin for their reaction to the new Disney+ series, Alien: Earth. With somewhat mixed expectations from the gang due to varying opinions on Disney's efforts with last year’s Alien: Romulus, will Noah Hawley’s series hit the spot, or will it be a nuked site from orbit?

From interesting plot points to bizarre design choices, underdeveloped characters to missed opportunities, have a listen to see what we think. Spoiler alert: it’s not great.

113. ‘80s Fantasy Part 5 – The Quest Ends: What Became of Fantasy Cinema?

Film Utopia’s epic 1980s Fantasy retrospective reaches its end as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean look beyond their beloved decade to see what became of the genre in the years that followed. From Disney’s magical 90s renaissance to Tim Burton’s gothic daydreams, through to Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter reviving the genre in the 00s, we briefly trace fantasy’s evolution and slow retreat into remakes, reboots and rehashes.

There’s grumbling over The Hobbit, apprehension over The Hunt for Gollum, and tentative hope that Henry Cavill might manage to become “the only one” in the upcoming Highlander remake. Along the way, we wonder if modern fantasy has lost its daring spirit… and unanimously agree to return soon to tackle Middle-earth as a three man team.

Join us for our reflective wrap-up to our summer quest through the worlds of 80s fantasy and what came after!

112. ‘80s Fantasy Part 4 – Inconceivable!: The Late-Eighties

Film Utopia’s summer quest reaches the tail end of the 1980s as Steven Benjamin, and Sean reminisce about the fantastical twilight of the decade. From the muscle-bound chaos of The Barbarians, to the satirical fairytale perfection of The Princess Bride, the surreal stop-motion wonder of Alice, the “best leave that one in childhood’s memory” Willow, and the gleeful absurdity of Erik the Viking, we explore how the fantasy boom began to wind down in the late 80s.

Steven’s love for The Princess Bride remains barely containable, Sean forgets yet more actor names, and Ben gleefully goads Steven into conceding that Masters of the Universe does, in fact, count as fantasy. Along the way, we tip our hats to fantasy-adjacent oddities like The Witches of Eastwick, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Vice Versa, and Mannequin.

It’s a nostalgic, irreverent look back at the last hurrah of 80s fantasy. Equal parts insight, banter, and affectionate mockery.

111. ‘80s Fantasy Part 3 – Goblins, Gods, and the Kurgan: The Mid-Eighties

The Film Utopia summer quest thunders onward as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean venture into the fantastical mid-80s; 1984 – 1986. An era when fantasy cinema became darker, more kid-friendly, and occasionally farcical.

From the dreamy surrealism of A Company of Wolves and the childlike wonder (and childhood trauma-inducing) The NeverEnding Story to the neon-drenched Dungeonmaster, the ever-present loincloth-clad barbarian sights of Red Sonja and Barbarian Queen, and the iconic delights of Legend, Labyrinth, Return to Oz, and Highlander, we dig into a treasure chest of magic, monsters, and questionable wigs.

Along the way, we bicker over whether Weird Science counts as fantasy, swoon over Clancy Brown’s Kurgan (with inevitable, but requisite impressions), and wax lyrical about the era’s unforgettable music; from Bowie’s magic to Queen’s immortal Highlander score, via Jerry Goldsmith vs. Tangerine Dream’s duelling Legend soundtracks.

Come join us for a trip aboard the nostalgia express as we take a wild ride through one of fantasy cinema’s boldest chapters.

110. ‘80s Fantasy Part 2 – From Hawk to Krull: The Early-Eighties

The Film Utopia summer quest continues in this second instalment on fantasy cinema of the 1980s as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean tackle the shimmering, sword-swinging, and body oil-drenched years of 1980 to 1983.

From popular mainstays such as Hawk the Slayer (1980), Clash of the Titans (1981), Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Krull (1983), to side quests veering into the more eclectic cult offerings of Heavy Metal (1981), Conquest (1983), Deathstalker (1983), and Ironmaster (1983), we explore an exhaustive, yet somewhat curated list of muscle bound heroes, animatronic dragons, stop-motion mythical monsters, glistening boobs, and weirdly shifty wizards.

Along the way, we ponder why the fantasy boom of the ‘80s refused to die despite the genre’s apparent box office curse, and take great amusement in highlighting the genre’s many cliches. Namely the barely restrained outfits that seemed contractually obligated in the era. There’s also a spirited (and faintly absurd) debate over whether Flash Gordon (1980) counts as fantasy or if that’s heresy punishable by vivisection with The Glaive.

Prepare for deep cuts, big laughs, and a nostalgic adventure through the gloriously mad dawn of 80s fantasy cinema.

109. '80s Fantasy Part 1 - Before the Boom: A Brief History of Fantasy

Before the loincloths, elf-muppets, crystal balls, dying horse trauma, and mullets of 80s fantasy cinema, there was… quite a lot, actually! In this opening episode of our new series on 1980s fantasy films, Steven, Benjamin and Sean gather round the mic to set the stage and trace the tangled narrative roots of fantasy, both on and off the screen, from a time before things got all neon-coloured and swordy.

We dive into everything from Ray Harryhaussen epics and surreal Euro-fairytales, to biblical epics, Bakshi’s animated LSD trips, Disney’s monopoly on German fairytales and folklore, and the unsettling brilliance of Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête (1946). There’s also time for myth, psychedelia, swords & sandals, and some classic self-pity as Steven once again laments his tragically cinema-deprived childhood.

As always, we’re unscripted, unfiltered, and occasionally unhinged. But always reliably off-topic.

So join us as we ask: How did fantasy cinema get here? And why did it explode (and flop) so gloriously in the 80s?

108. Lamberto Bava - 1980 to 1992

Steven and Sean continue their exploration of Italian genre cinema with a laid-back chat about the filmography of Lamberto Bava.

Unlike his father, horror maestro and Giallo godfather Mario Bava, Lamberto carved out his own unique legacy by straddling the line between art horror and sleaze – usually opting for the latter – with a mix of gore, kinetic pacing and trashy fun; trading in typical Giallo elegance for rubber demons, dodgy cash-in knock-offs, synth soundtracks, and pure VHS-era pulp.

On this episode we discuss Macabre (1980), A Blade in the Dark (1983), Blastfighter (1984), Devil Fish (1984), Demons (1985), You’ll Die at Midnight (1986), Demons 2 (1986), Delirium (1987) and Body Puzzle (1992).

107. David Lynch Part 2 - 1990 to 2017

Steven, Benjamin and Sean conclude their retrospective of the late director, David Lynch, and find themselves heavily in agreement in some areas of the auteur’s directorial filmography, but completely opposed in others. On this episode, we discuss Twin Peaks (1990 – 1992, 2017), Fire Walk With Me (1992), Lost Highway (1997), The Straight Story (1999), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).

106. David Lynch Part 1 - 1977 to 1990

With the recent passing of auteur filmmaker David Lynch fresh in mind, Steven Benjamin and Sean reflect on the director’s legacy and discuss their thoughts on his innovative and influential theatrical filmography. In part one we cover Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild At Heart (1990).

105. James Bond - 2025 Update

With Amazon Studios now in control of the Bond franchise, we thought we’d share our hopes and fears for the future of 007. At least, that’s how this episode was originally planned! However, as Sean wasn’t part of our original Bond retrospective review series back in 2015 that we’ve just republished over the last 10 days, we have decided to hear out his ranked list of the 25 Eon produced Bond films, in ascending order, while Steven and Benjamin chime in with any updated opinions they have of each film as well as lambast Sean for his placement of certain films in the series! At the end of the episode we talk a little about what we originally planned, and lament over the direction we assume Amazon will be taking James Bond.

104. ARCHIVE EPISODE (2021): Bond Part 9 - No Time to Die (2021)

Originally recorded and published in 2021. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality efforts back then!

With Bond in the news again, and in the run up to our 2025 Bond update episode coming later this month, we’ve decided to reach way back into the depths of our archives and resuscitate one of our classic filmography review series’, our nine-part, complete James Bond movie retrospective, originally released back in 2015 to coincide with the release of Spectre (2015), plus a single-episode, stand-alone return in 2021 for a review of No Time to Die (2021).

On the final part of our Bond retrospective series, Steven and Benjamin reconvened in 2021 for a response to the release of the latest film, No Time to Die (2021).

103. ARCHIVE EPISODE (2015): Bond Part 8 - Spectre (2015)

Originally recorded and published in 2015 for our former podcast, Filmwerk. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality efforts back then!

With Bond in the news again, and in the run up to our 2025 Bond update episode coming later this month, we’ve decided to reach way back into the depths of our archives and resuscitate one of our classic filmography review series’, our nine-part, complete James Bond movie retrospective, originally released back in 2015 to coincide with the release of Spectre (2015), plus a single-episode, stand-alone return in 2021 for a review of No Time to Die (2021).

On the final part of our original archive series from 2015, Steven and Benjamin review Daniel Craig’s 4^th outing as James Bond in Spectre, which was just out in cinemas when this episode was originally published. Additionally, in the second half of this episode, Steven and Benjamin reflect upon the film series as a whole and share some of their favourite moments, cars, henchmen, villains and music from across the Bond films as well as some of their not-so favourites!

102. ARCHIVE EPISODE (2015): Bond Part 7 - Daniel Craig (2006-2012)

Originally recorded and published in 2015 for our former podcast, Filmwerk. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality efforts back then!

With Bond in the news again, and in the run up to our 2025 Bond update episode coming later this month, we’ve decided to reach way back into the depths of our archives and resuscitate one of our classic filmography review series’, our nine-part, complete James Bond movie retrospective, originally released back in 2015 to coincide with the release of Spectre (2015), plus a single-episode, stand-alone return in 2021 for a review of No Time to Die (2021).

On part 7, Steven and Benjamin explore the first three movies from the Daniel Craig Bond era and talk about the stunts, the cars, the villains, the music and all the rest of it! Covered on this retrospective are Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012). Please note: Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021) were originally presented as stand-alone episodes and will be re-published as such over the next two days following this.

101. ARCHIVE EPISODE (2015): Bond Part 6 - Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002)

Originally recorded and published in 2015 for our former podcast, Filmwerk. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality efforts back then!

With Bond in the news again, and in the run up to our 2025 Bond update episode coming later this month, we’ve decided to reach way back into the depths of our archives and resuscitate one of our classic filmography review series’, our nine-part, complete James Bond movie retrospective, originally released back in 2015 to coincide with the release of Spectre (2015), plus a single-episode, stand-alone return in 2021 for a review of No Time to Die (2021).

On this episode, Steven and Benjamin stride into the 90s and early 00s with Eon Productions’ latest James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, to share their thoughts on Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).

100. ARCHIVE EPISODE (2015): Bond Part 5 - Timothy Dalton (1987-1989)

Originally recorded and published in 2015 for our former podcast, Filmwerk. Please excuse our less-than-stellar audio quality efforts back then!

With Bond in the news again, and in the run up to our 2025 Bond update episode coming later this month, we’ve decided to reach way back into the depths of our archives and resuscitate one of our classic filmography review series’, our nine-part, complete James Bond movie retrospective, originally released back in 2015 to coincide with the release of Spectre (2015), plus a single-episode, stand-alone return in 2021 for a review of No Time to Die (2021).

On part 5, Steven and Benjamin share their thoughts on the two Timothy Dalton outings as MI6 spy, James Bond with The Living Daylights (1987) and License to Kill (1989).