#26: Portrait of a Murderer

The Links

0-05:30 – Intro: on David Bowie and Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Carrie Fisher tweet Anna mentions.

The Carrie Fisher interview Caroline mentions.

05:30 – Making a Murderer

Watch the whole thing on Netflix.

The science behind the confession of Steve Avery's nephew.

What that terrible courtroom sketch reminds us of.

19:15 – Fun Home

A good account of the feelings Fun Home gives you.

An example of the use of colour in the art.

A good interview with Bechdel about the process of creating Fun Home.

27:50 – Quartet

An interesting review with some insight into the original play.

Joan Sutherland and Pavarotti’s Quartet from Rigoletto.

Next week:

Caroline is watching Sheep in the Big City.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

PS If you missed #25, check it out here.

#25: Joy Meets World

Caroline and Anna discuss the new Jennifer Lawrence-Bradley Cooper film Joy, the Sherlock special, and Channel 4 series First Dates.

The Links

Joy

The trailer.

An on-the-fence review.

An interview with director David O Russell.

Sherlock

One of those super-positive reviews we mentioned.

Our friend E Minkel's blog about her feelings following the special.

First Dates

The show on All4.

A good "best bits" playlist on YouTube.

Next week:

Anna is watching the film Quartet.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#23: Love, Actually

It's the first of two SRSLY Christmas specials! First up, we revisit Love, Actually in great detail, with a little help from our friends. Joining Caroline and Anna are: Anoosh Chakelian, Barbara Speed, Stephen Bush, and Jonn Elledge.

The Links

The Jezbel piece that started the debate, by Lindy West.

The Hairpin weigh up the pros and cons of the film. It’s also worth checking out their Love Actually Week from 2013.

The New Statesman’s own Eleanor Margolis on that deleted lesbian scene. (Watch the scene here.)

The Definitive Ranking Of All Of The Turtlenecks In Love Actually.

On the Carol/Karen name slip.

I Will Not Be Ashamed of Loving Love Actually.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#21: Hide and Seek

Caroline and Anna go searching for the secrets of life and death with Paul McGuigan's Victor Frankenstein, sniff out success with Leslie Knope, and track down treasure with the Detectorists.

The Links

Victor Frankenstein

The trailer for the film (with bonus McAvoy/Radcliffe bromance).

Mark Kermode on VF – it’s no Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes, basically.

Parks and Recreation

This is a nice interview with the cast.

A helpful list of the ten best episodes.

Leslie falls in the pit.

Detectorists

All the info on the BBC website.

A small preview of the joy to be had watching this programme.

The lovely soundtrack for the show.

Will there be any more?

For next week:

Anna is watching Adventure Time.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#20: Friends, Lovers, Divers

Caroline and Anna talk albums from Joanna Newsom, Bjork and Grimes, Todd Haynes film Carol, and comedy web series Ex-Best.

The Links

Joanna Newsom, Bjork and Grimes

Joanna Newsom’s Divers doesn't seem to be on Spotify, but you can get it on iTunes here. Listen to Grimes’ Art Angels here and Bjork's Vulnicura here.

This is a good piece about Joanna Newsom.

This piece makes the comparison with Elena Ferrante that we talk about on the podcast.

Here's Grimes's own post about Bjork.

Tavi Gevinson's interview with Joanna Newsom (where she talks about liking Grimes).

Carol

Ryan Gilbey's review of Carol, which he calls “as tantalising as hearing a tender ballad on a tinpot transistor”.

Anna's piece about the photographers that influenced the visual style of the film.

An interesting Q & A with director Todd Haynes.

Ex-Best

The full series is available to watch for free here.

Meghan Murphy on friendship break-ups.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#19: Wishing and Screaming

We discuss teen horror TV show Scream Queens, the film adaptation of Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van and the children’s dog-based literary-TV crossover Wishbone.

The Links

On Scream Queens

All the episodes that have been shown in the UK so far are available here.

This review tries to pin down the "gleeful queasiness" of the style of horror in the show.

This piece looks at the horror-revival on American television at the moment.

On The Lady in the Van

The trailer.

Alan Bennett’s original 1989 memoir about Miss Shepherd in the LRB.

Maggie Smith makes some interesting observations about the character in this interview.

This is a good recent interview with Alan Bennett.

On Wishbone

The theme music for Wishbone.

The Pitch Meeting for Wishbone, according to the Toast.

Buzzfeed's 'Is this Wishbone or Porn?' quiz.

Next week:

Anna is watching the web series Ex-Best.

Your questions:

We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

Wham Bam - Clooney

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: II. Romanze, Larghetto - Chopin

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#18: Home from home

Caroline and Anna chat the film adaptation of Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn, Aziz Ansari's new show Master of None, and the 2005 film Transamerica.

The Links

On Master of None

Aziz Ansari's New Girlfriend Turned Him Into a Feminist.

Call Your Girlfriend on Master of None.

Emily Nussbaum on the surprising depth Ansari brings to the show.

Brooklyn

The trailer for Brooklyn we didn't like.

Julie Walters discussing her role on Graham Norton.

A good dissection of Saoirse Ronan’s performance in the film.

TransAmerica

The trailer for the film.

Roger Ebert’s original review, in which he finds parallels between the character of Bree and a Jane Austen heroine.

This review highlights some of the problems with the film that we discussed.

Next week

Caroline is watching the children’s TV series Wishbone.

Your questions:

We loved reading out your emails this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

Eno - Burning Airlines Give You So Much More

Audimachine - Changing Heart

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#16: Lorde, lobsters and lonely hearts

This week, we talk modern dystopia The Lobster, fangirl over Lorde, and remember 90s sitcom on As Time Goes By.

The Links

On The Lobster

Ryan Gilbey's review of the film.

Mark Kermode and Peter Bradshaw's reviews at The Guardian.

On Lorde

The videos for Magnets and Yellow Flicker Beat.

This interview by the wonderful Tavi Gevinson.

On As Time Goes By

We love the outtakes from the show.

Next week:

Caroline is reading the seminal feminist memoir, I Love Dick.

Your questions:

We loved reading out your emails this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

The B-52's - Rock Lobster

Disclosure ft. Lorde - Magnets

Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat (Kanye West Rework)

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#15: Women on the Edge

We discuss Suffragette, the Channel 4 TV series Chewing Gum, and Kim Kardashian’s Selfish.

The Links

On Suffragette

Anna’s article on what the Suffragette movement in Britain really looked like.

Helen's interveiw with Abi Morgan, screenwriter of Suffragette.

On Chewing Gum

The trailer for the series.

Chewing Gum on All4.

An interview with writer and star Michaela Coel.

On Selfish

This is the book.

Sam Riviere on the technological progress documented by Kim Kardashian’s selfies.

This Twitter thread about Kim Kardashian vs Paris Hilton is very informative.

Next week:

Anna is watching the BBC sitcom starring Judi Dench, As Time Goes By.

Your questions:

We loved reading out your emails this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

Trills - Oh Freedom

Amerie - 1 Thing

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#14: Interns, Housemaids and Witches

We discuss the Robert De Niro-Anne Hathaway film The Intern, the very last series of Downton Abbey, and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s novel Lolly Willowes.

The Links

On The Intern

Ryan Gilbey’s discussion of Robert De Niro’s interview tantrums.

Anne Helen Petersen for Buzzfeed on “Anne Hathaway Syndrome”.

On Downton Abbey

This is the sort of stuff you get on the last series of Downton Abbey.

Elizabeth Minkel on the decline of Downton Abbey.

On Lolly Willowes

More details about the novel here.

Sarah Waters on Sylvia Townsend Warner.

Next week:

Caroline is reading Selfish by Kim Kardashian.

Your questions:

We loved reading out your emails this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

i - Kendrick Lamar

With or Without You - Scala & Kolacny Brothers 

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#13: Take Two

We discuss Michael Fassbender’s Macbeth, the recent BBC adaptations of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Cider with Rosie, and reminisce about teen movie Shakespeare retelling She’s the Man.

The Links

On Macbeth

Ryan Gilbey’s review of Macbeth.

The trailer for the film.

The details about the 2005 Macbeth from the BBC’s Shakespeare Retold series.

On Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Cider with Rosie

Rachel Cooke’s review of Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Sarah Hughes on Cider with Rosie, and the BBC’s attempt to create “heritage television for the Downton Abbey age”.

On She’s the Man (and other teen movie Shakespeare retellings)

The trailer for She’s the Man.

The 27 best moments from the film.

Bim Adewunmi’s great piece remembering 10 Things I Hate About You.

Next week:

Anna is reading Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner.

Your questions:

We loved talking about your recommendations and feedback this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

See you next week!

#11: Years of England

This week the past haunts the present: we talk about new film 45 Years, the This Is England series and The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.

The Links

On 45 Years:

The director of the film, Andrew Haigh, talked on the Barbican film podcast about 45 Years and working with Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.

“Amid the suspicion there is tenderness too”, writes Mark Kermode of the film.

Film4 have got a longish interview with Haigh, Rampling and Courtenay:

On This is England:

All4 has all the episodes here.

The Guardian is doing recaps of This Is England 90 here.

Louisa Mellor on Den of Geek takes a look back at the whole series.

On The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus:

Here's a clip:

A bit more background on how the show came to be here.

Next week:

Anna is reading The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne-Jones.

Your questions:

We loved talking about your recommendations and feedback this week. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Music

The music featured this week, in order of appearance, is:

1) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters
2) Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses
3) Sympathy for the Devil (Live) - The Rolling Stones (from The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus)

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons. 

See you next week!

#10: Catch Me If You Can

We talk genre-twisting action movie American Ultra, new Channel 4 series Hunted and BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure. Also: what TV shows you should watch if you're ill, sequels vs "original" screenplays and how good would we be at being on the run?

The Links

On American Ultra

Ryan Gilbey for the NS on the appeal of American Ultra:

The idea that there are buried and unknowable parts of ourselves that can be triggered at will is an attractive one that has its roots in psychoanalytic theory. It means that no matter how mundane our lives, how dismal or underdeveloped our personalities, there is another us lurking within. A spectacular us.

Mark Kermode's review of the film.

A summary of Max Landis’s tweets about the box office potential of “original” cinema.

On Channel 4’s Hunted

The trailer:

This reviewer found it "enlightening and scary". This one didn't.

If you're considering going on the run from the surveillance state yourself, here are two handy guides.

On Cabin Pressure

Listen to clips from the show on YouTube.

Caroline's article about radio comedy, which includes an interview with Cabin Pressure writer John Finnermore.

Find “the fandot” on tumblr.

For next week:

Caroline is watching The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus. A preview:

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

#9: Falling Girls

The Links

On Katy by Jacqueline Wilson

Here’s an article by Jacqueline Wilson introducing her adaptation of Susan Coolidge's original novel.

A video of her talking about it.

And here’s a lovely review of it by a child.

On Boy Meets Girl

Watch the first episode of Boy Meets Girl on iPlayer.

Read this interview with the star, Rebecca Root.

Here's some background on the show and how it came to be.

On The Falling

Mark Kermode has written a very perceptive review of the film.

A long piece by director Carol Morley on her fascination with the mass hysteria phenomenon.

Here she is listing the films that inspired The Falling.

For next week:

Anna is listening to Cabin Pressure. A preview:

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

#8: Graphic Teens

The Links

Find out more about Let's Talk Intersectionality here.

On Diary of a Teenage Girl:

Here is Barbara Speed's piece about the film and its approach to sexuality.

She has also written in more detail about the controversy surrounding its 18 certificate.

We really liked June Eric-Udorie's piece about the film for the Independent.

On Agent Carter:

Caroline has written about Agent Carter and female invisiblity here.

This is also quite a perceptive review of the series.

Make sure you read this excellent piece about the real-life Peggy Carters.

On Persepolis:

Get the book!

You can see the trailer for the film adaptation here:

Three great interviews with Marjane Satrapi.

For next week:

Caroline is watching The Falling. The trailer:

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

See you next week!

#7: Paper Boys and Paper Towns

The Links

On One Direction:

One Direction fans are fiercely intelligent. From day one, they engineered the band’s success on their own terms: demonstrating their appetite for the boys’ music on social media sealed the original record deal; calling out the band’s management for tweeting from their accounts forced a closer relationship between the boys as individuals and their fans; downloading specific songs multiple times ensured they would get radio play and a place in the charts. When One Direction unequivocally thank their fans for their success, it goes beyond the usual media-approved cliché, because it is unavoidably, undeniably true. One Direction is a towering monument to the power of teenage girls. It is a phenomenon so much greater than the four or five mediocre men that constitute it."

Anna has written a great piece about the One Direction fandom and her own relationship with it.

You should also check out the 1D starter playlist she made for Caroline a while back, and listen to SRSLY #1, where Caroline listens for the first time.

Samantha Hunt's amazing essay "There Is Only One Direction" for New York Magazine is here.

On Who Killed Elsie Frost?:

You can find all the episodes and more info here.

This Guardian report has some useful background to the case.

On Paper Towns:

Watch the trailer:

Here is John Green's answer on Manic Pixie Dream Girls and his story.

He's also written more on this subject here.

On Broad City:

There are clips and stuff on their YouTube channel.

Our colleague Stephanie Boland has written about why you should be watching Broad City.

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

See you next week!

#6: Inside Fandom

We get all weepy over Pixar's Inside Out, delve into the world of the Cumberfandom, and get acquainted with The Wicked and the Divine.

The Links

On Inside Out:

This is the trailer we feel really didn't represent the film:

Here's a piece making the case that Inside Out fails at body positivity.

And here is the piece where Peter Bradshaw compares the emotions to the Scooby Doo gang.

On Benedict Cumberbatch and fandom:

The man himself, asking people not to film him:

Here's Caroline's piece about the CumberHamlet, and here is her one from last summer about Martin Freeman's Richard III and the clap-shaming.

Here we are talking about the Shakespeare side of things with Helen Lewis on the NS podcast.

This is Elizabeth Minkel's piece about fanfiction and the imbalance of power between celebrities and fans.

On The Wicked and the Divine:

There's an introduction to the series here.

More info and notes from the creators are on their tumblr here.

Writer Kieron Gillan is on Twitter @kierongillen. Illustrator Jamie McKelvie is @McKelvie.

For next week, Caroline is watching the US TV series Broad City.

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

See you next week!

#5: Our Mad Ant Diary

We talk Taylor vs Nicki, the therapeutic qualities of My Mad Fat Diary (with Barbara Speed), the gender issues in Marvel's Ant-Man (with Stephen Bush) and applaud the way Obvious Child handles abortion.

The Links

On Taylor vs Nicki

This is most of what happened.

We recommend Yomi Adegoke on the race dimension to this story.

On My Mad Fat Diary

Karen Onojaife on why the character of Rae meant so much to so many.

Rae Earl, who wrote the original diary on which the show is based, on why today's teenagers still want to take a peek inside My Mad Fat Diary.

Libby Hill on how TV deals with the burden of being a fat girl.

On Ant-Man

Mark Kermode summarises the Edgar Wright element to this film.

Maria's excellent tweet about the gender prejudice in the film.

Wordsworth's bit about "thou monstrous ant-hill" is in book seven of The Prelude.

On Obvious Child

The trailer:

This is a good review.

For the next episode, Anna is taking a look at the comic series The Wicked and the Divine.

Your questions:

If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Next episode:

We're going on our summer holidays for a couple of weeks, so we'll be back with a new episode on 17 August. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter @srslypod for a few specials and outtakes to tide you over.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

#3: Sense8 and Sensibility

This week, we analyse the many layers of Arnold Schwarzenegger with Yo Zushi, examine Sense8's overly sentimental moments with Caroline Criado-Perez, and wish that Rookie magazine had come along ten years earlier.

The Links

On Arnie:

Yo's piece is here.

Here's the trailer for Terminator Genisys:

On Sense8:

This is the trailer for Sense8:

The whole series is available on Netflix.

The Guardian's catch up blog on the series makes some interesting points about the way different characters were used (and underused).

Wired's Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast talked about the show's queer themes and the way different critics have reacted to the diversity of its cast.

Bram E Gieben at io9 points out the parallels with Philip K Dick.

This roundup of the ten most ludicrous moments from the series is also good.

On Rookie:

This week, Caroline read Rookie for the first time. She particularly enjoyed this piece about masturbation, this coming out story, and this article about eyebrows.

For next week, Anna is watching Masters of Sex. If you'd like to watch too in preparation for next week's episode, there are lots of clips on the show's YouTube channel or you can get full episodes on iTunes.

Your questions:

It was really exciting to hear from some of our listeners - if you have thoughts you want to share on anything we've discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com, or @ us on Twitter @srslypod, or get in touch via tumblr here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.

See you next week!

#2: Rippling Torsos and Rihanna

In this week’s episode, we discuss Rihanna’s new video with guest June Eric-Udorie, reveal our love for Magic Mike XXL and work out why Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice totally works on YouTube.

The Links

On Rihanna:

June’s piece is here.

(Helen Lewis and Margaret Corvid have also written excellent things on BBHMM that are worth checking out.)

Sunny Singh’s piece is here.

Doreen St Felix’s piece is here.

On Magic Mike:

Watch the trailer now, thank us later:

Anne Helen Petersen at Buzzfeed has explored the film’s expression of female desire here.

Alison Wilmore, Buzzfeed's film critic, has written about the film's fanservice and how smart it is.

And here are two pieces about the both films’ relationship with the female gaze.

On the Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

As a taster, here’s episode one:

The full web series is available in this playlist here. Or if you don’t have time for all of that, Caroline’s made a highlights version which you can see here.

For next week, Caroline is reading Rookie – and you can too, here.

Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra), licensed under Creative Commons.