Screenshot

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode discuss how restaurants are portrayed throughout cinema and the small screen, from Big Night to Ratatouille.Mark is joined by film and TV journalist Roxana Hadadi to discuss an overview of the best depictions of restaurants on the silver screen and to define which ingredients make for a good restaurant movie.And Ellen talks to Philip Barantini, the director of one-take restaurant film Boiling Point, about how his experience as a head chef has made him the director he is today. Ellen also speaks to restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa about how and why restaurants are the perfect setting for TV and film. This week’s viewing note is courtesy of food critic and broadcaster Jay Rayner.Producer: Hester Cant A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones take the scenic route through slow cinema - a genre of film that might challenge your attention span, but is almost guaranteed to change the way you watch. There is one particular film that’s inspired this week’s show, Chantal Akerman’s 3-and-a-half hour, slow moving masterpiece from 1975 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080, BrusselsIn December 2022, Jeanne Dielman topped Sight and Sound magazine’s Greatest Film of All Time poll. That caused quite a fuss because, for the last few decades, the poll has been dominated by Citizen Kane and Vertigo. Ellen speaks with critic Wendy Ide and film academic Dr Tiago de Luca to get deeper into the genre of slow cinema and explore this sea change in critics' tastes.One reason for Jeanne Dielman’s new found popularity is down to access. A film that was once almost impossible to see is now enjoying sell out runs in art house cinemas. In an extended interview, Mark talks with writer and filmmaker Adam Roberts who, along with director Joanna Hogg, has long been at the centre of the quest to take Chantal Akerman’s filmography from the underground into the spotlight. They discuss Akerman’s life, work and her unique creative vision.And in this week’s Viewing Note, friend of the show and director of the Cornish folk horror Enys Men, Mark Jenkin, shares his slow cinema recommendations.Producer: Freya Hellier A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

The Long Good Friday elevated the British gangster film to a level not seen for a decade since Get Carter, and sees London gangster Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) and his girlfriend Victoria (Helen Mirren) embroiled in a scheme to redevelop parts of London’s Docklands with finance from a New York mafia boss. The film features some prophetic scenes in which Harold espouses a new future for London, a London at the centre of Europe, with opportunity to create incredible wealth - a wealth he would most likely have made had the IRA not started interfering in his affairs.In this episode of Screenshot, Mark Kermode speaks to Dame Helen Mirren about the changes she made to the script and to her character's role, and also about how her uncle’s connections to the London underworld helped her in the part. Mark also talks to tour guide Rob Smith, who leads a tour of the film’s locations around London’s Docklands.Exploring the world of the British gangster film further, Ellen E Jones meets author Kim Newman who talks us through the changing nature of these films from the 1930s to the present day, and Louis Mellis who, alongside David Scinto, wrote a triptych of British gangster films including 2000’s Sexy Beast.Lynda La Plante, creator of the seminal British gangster crime drama Widows, drops in with a Viewing Note in which she makes an offer you can’t refuse.Producer: Tom Whalley A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore the dark arts of the film trailer, 110 years on from the first ever trailer, for Broadway musical The Pleasure Seekers. Ellen talks to writer and trailer aficionado Matt Schimkowitz about the origins of the trailer, its development since the early days of cinema, and the Christopher Nolan film that totally changed the landscape.And Mark speaks to director Edgar Wright about the film trailers that left the biggest impression on him growing up, as well as about his experience making a parody trailer - Don’t - for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse project. Mark also speaks to actor-turned-director Elizabeth Banks about the trailer for her forthcoming film Cocaine Bear, which has proved a huge viral hit. This week's Viewing Note is from Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro.Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Brendan Fraser has been garnering standing ovations and awards nominations for his moving performance as a reclusive, morbidly obese teacher in Darren Aronofsky’s film The Whale.His physical transformation into the 600lb Charlie, who is fighting for his life and his relationship with his daughter, required Fraser to gain weight and wear gruelling, high tech prosthetics. But in the 21st century, is it still ok to wear a fat suit? In this week’s Screenshot, Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones explore the history, ethics and changing landscape of fat representation on screen.Mark talks with writers Kayleigh Donaldson and Guy Lodge about the use of fat suits from Orson Welles to Friends, and The Whale. And they discuss why Hollywood rewards actors who undergo extreme physical transformations for their roles.And Ellen discusses fat icons, the roles available to fat actors and the politics of the F word with podcaster Annie Rose Malamet, and comedian, actor and star of Strictly, Jayde Adams.Also, writer, artist and broadcaster, Scottee picks his favourite viewing moments, in Viewing NotesProducer: Freya Hellier A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

As director Damien Chazelle's sprawling period epic Babylon hits UK cinemas, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode travel back to the Wild West of Hollywood's early years. Mark tries to sort fact from fiction with author Shawn Levy and critic Christina Newland, as they discuss Kenneth Anger's notorious gossip bible Hollywood Babylon, and explore some of the most progressive and scandalous movies being made in the 1920s and 30s.And Ellen talks to critic Pamela Hutchinson and historian Shirley Jennifer Lim about the trailblazing career of Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong.Also, director Todd Field tells us about the Hollywood history TV series he's been rewatching, in Viewing Notes. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

As new film Tar hits UK cinemas, starring Cate Blanchett as a brilliant, highly-celebrated and highly-problematic conductor, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore how genius is portrayed on-screen - and celebrated off-screen. Mark speaks to director Nick Moran about his 2008 film Telstar: The Joe Meek Story, which focused on another problematic musical genius, and to journalist Jon Ronson about 2014's Frank, co-written by Jon and inspired by his time working with comic musician Chris Sievey, aka Frank Sidebottom. And Ellen looks at EGOTs - the extraordinary performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony - speaking to film star, TV host and EGOT Whoopi Goldberg. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar shares his favourite genius on screen in Viewing Notes. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore folk horror on screen. The genre is commonly associated with British film from the 70s, but Ellen and Mark investigate how it resonates across the globe and its resurgence over the last decade.Ellen speaks to the author and director of the folk horror documentary, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched, Kier-La Janisse about the first folk horror films, the hallmarks of the genre and folk horror's depiction of pastoral and urban settings.Ellen then talks to director Nikyatu Jusu about her recent film Nanny which won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance last year. They discuss how she uses West African folklore in the film and why she thinks folk horror is culturally specific.Mark talks to director Mark Jenkin about his upcoming film, Enys Men. They consider the film's relationship to Cornish identity and the landscape as well as why he prefers to call Enys Men a folk film rather than a folk horror film.And the director of some modern takes on folk horror such as The Witch and The Northman, Robert Eggers, recommends a couple of underseen folk horror gems.Producer: Freya Hellier A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore the legacy of Rashomon, directed by Japanese cinematic master Akira Kurosawa. Mark examines Kurosawa's enduring screen legacy and why he is one of the most influential directors in film history. He talks to director Asif Kapadia, who is co-programmer of the BFI's upcoming Kurosawa retrospective. They discuss Kurosawa's filmography and what makes him one of the greatest directors of all time as well as Kurosawa's influence on his own work. Mark then speaks to author Kazuo Ishiguro, screenwriter of the recent film, Living, a remake of Kurosawa's 1952 film, Ikiru. They discuss how Rashomon became one of Kurosawa's and Japan's most iconic films as well as debating how successful cinema is at depicting memory.Ellen investigates the longlasting impact of Kurosawa's 1950 film on the small screen. The film inspired the term 'the Rashomon effect' which is used to describe a narrative technique where different characters offer differing opinions and perspectives on the same event. Ellen talks to TV and film critic Roxana Hadadi about how this has become a staple of television storytelling. She then speaks to Chris Lang, creator of the TV series Unforgotten, who explains how Rashomon has influenced his work and why exactly it's so well suited to the crime genre.And director and Kurosawa super fan Alex Cox tells us his favourite Kurosawa film.Producer: Tom Whalley A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore how a couple of Christmas TV traditions have developed over the years - the made-for-TV Christmas romcom and the festive ghost story.Inspired by The Hallmark Channel's first ever gay Christmas film, Ellen speaks to made-for-TV film aficionado Linda Holmes. They discuss what The Hallmark Channel is and why it has taken until 2022 for the channel to feature a gay lead in one of its films. Ellen also speaks to critic Caspar Salmon about what the recent increase in queer Christmas romcoms might mean for LGBT+ audiences. And Mark explores how the ghost story became a British TV Christmas staple, talking to writer and director Mark Gatiss about the 1968 film Whistle and I'll Come to You, which inspired the A Ghost Story for Christmas series, continued by Gatiss to this day. Mark then speaks to composer Rachel Portman about her score for the chilling 1989 ITV adaptation of Dame Susan Hill's The Women in Black.And Tangerine and Red Rocket director Sean Baker shares what he'll be watching this festive season. Producer: Jane Long A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4