Determined to show that Fresh Air isn’t the only student society who can broadcast to the masses, the Edinburgh University Film Society (FilmSoc) have started their own podcast.
Okay, the show is not as slick as Fresh Air’s student radio, but it is a lot of fun. Episode seven starts off with a dance remix of a scene from Man of Steel, culminating in Michael Shannon screaming at people. That kind of bonkers approach pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the podcast. While there is some structure, the breadth of discussion is really broad. Many different topics come up, somehow fitting nicely into a 45-minute show.
Regular hosts Elliott Gruzin and Michael Hughes (both FilmSoc committee members) form a likeable double act. Their colloquial chatter and jokes take on the serious topics from the film society’s weekly films in the best way possible. In Bruges (2008) was under the spotlight in this episode. Elliot thoroughly enjoyed it, but Michael was not so convinced, and had a script excerpt ready to prove his point. The accents put on for the read through are the highlight of the podcast – it feels like the film is actually playing in the background.
The meaty part of the podcast is the discussion of Nicholas Cage’s filmography. This was always going to take some time – he released seven films last year alone. Elliot and Michael find infectious joy in how absurd and terrible most of Cage’s movies are. Their blunt and humorous insights make for some easy listening. It is a perfect podcast to indulge in; listening to these two passionate film lovers gorge themselves silly on the world of Nic Cage is the recipe for any brilliant podcast.
They clearly love Nicholas Cage more than they do romantic comedies. When Michael on two occasions tries to explain the plot of ‘When Polly Came Along’ – when he actually means Along Came Polly (2004) – their expertise can be questioned somewhat. The pair more than redeem themselves though with what turns out to be a clever and insightful discussion of the genre, in anticipation of the rom-com quiz FilmSoc were holding later that week.
The FilmSoc Podcast delivers serious discussions topped off with laughs and smiles like a hard whisky topped off with a mixer. A potentially unforgiving discussion is made delightfully simple and accessible for all. They also promote the events run by the Film Society, remembering to highlight the great work undertaken by those who helped make the podcast possible in the first place.
Image: Elliott Gruzin
