For November’s online MK3D, Mark welcomes three talented guests to the show. 

First, Mark catches up with Julien Temple to focus on his latest music documentary Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan. They enthusiastically discuss the ex-Pogue’s songwriting skills and music career. Julien further reveals how he overcame the challenges of addressing Shane’s private life and how limitations pushed him to make creative choices.

In the wake of the release of Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, legend Kathleen Turner joins Mark next to discuss the irrepressible American journalist. Having depicted her on stage, Kathleen gives Mark a taste of Molly’s wit and activism. Speaking from LA, she also gives an insight into topical issues including COVID-19 regulations on set and the 2020 American elections. 

Finally, filmmaker and youth worker Henry Blake talks to Mark about his debut feature County Lines. Describing his social issue drama as a “cinematic visual document”, Henry explains his approach to making a film about the delicate yet important matter of drug networks exploiting children.

Ending on a note of Sound and Vision, the show wraps up with a tribute to Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), featuring the one and only Kathleen Turner.

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In the 6^th online show, Mark is joined by 5 fantastic guests and takes a look back at the 64^th BFI London Film Festival.

Offering a round-up of this year’s LFF, Tricia Tuttle explains how the Festival successfully adapted to national restrictions and talks about her personal highlights. Tricia and Mark further discuss the safety measures cinemas have in place and are optimistic about the future of the industry.

Mark then chats to the creators of two of the Festival’s most talked about titles. First up is the star, producer and co-writer of Mogul Mowgli, the brilliant Riz Ahmed. An intimate and fantastical portrait of a British Pakistani rapper on the cusp of his first world tour, Riz describes the film as a Sufi Horror Musical Comedy. They also cover Riz’s personal links to the story and look at the film’s themes of art and identity.

Next up, Mark talks to some great minds behind another LFF favourite, After Love. Joanna Scanlan talks about her leading role as a widow who uncovers her late husband’s secret and Aleem Khan reveals the process behind writing and directing his very personal drama about duplicity and the construction of identity.

Moving on from the LFF, Mark welcomes back director Ben Wheatley to talk about his remake of Rebecca. They discuss updating the story for a modern audience and casting the iconic characters. Mark also quizzes Ben about his third collaboration with composer Clint Mansell.

Finally, the show pays tribute to David Byrne’s American Utopia, one of Tuttle’s festival favourites, for our concluding Sound and Vision moment.

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For September’s online edition of MK3D, Mark invites four fascinating guests on the show.

In response to a question from the virtual audience Mark looks ahead to the BFI London Film Festival (7 to 18 October 2020). As excited as Mark is for Steve McQueen’s opening film Mangrove and Francis Lee’s closing film Ammonite, he equally looks forward to stumbling upon unknown gems. Find out about Mark’s LFF experience in our next episode, out on 19 October.

Mark’s first guest is Be Manzini, founder of Caramel Film Club and trailblazing ‘film poet’. They talk about Chinonye Chukwu’s Clemency (2019), and Be recites her poetic response to the film. Based on real life events, Clemency follows the interweaving lives of the prison warden and her prisoner, an innocent man kept on death row for 22 years, and portrays the devastating effects of America’s death penalty system. Concluding with a look back on his illustrious career, Be pays an equally poignant poetical tribute to the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

Next up, Mark welcomes composer Segun Akinola to the screen. The two musicians get excited about tambourines and track Segun’s career. From Shola Amoo’s The Last Tree to the latest series of Doctor Who, there’s lots to unpack! Finally, you can find out what Segun thinks of Mark’s bass playing…

The final guests are writer-director Rose Glass and actor Morfydd Clark, who recently collaborated on Saint Maud. In this psychological horror a devout Christian nurse comes to believe that she must save the soul of her patient. Morfydd explains how she approached the titular role of Maud, and Rose talks about how she developed this sinister story.

To celebrate Chadwick Boseman Mark treats us to a clip of Chadwick’s role as James Brown in Get On Up (2014) for this show’s concluding musical moment.

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The fourth online edition of MK3D sees four big guests take to the screen to talk about the films that make them tick.

In response to questions posted on his Patreon page, Mark kicks off the show by discussing remakes of The Exorcist (again!), his desire for a TV adaptation of the story behind Stanley and Iris (1990), and his love for Altered States (1980). 

Ahead of filming the next Mission Impossible, Mark talks to Simon Pegg about his latest two movies. Simon delves into his recent roles in Inheritance, about a girl who inherits a terrible secret from her father, and Lost Transmissions, a drama about a schizophrenic music producer. For ‘Guilty Pleasures’, Simon chooses Italian sub Romero horrors Zombi 2 (1979) and The Beyond (1981). This quickly escalates into a gleefully gory discussion of video nasties. Moving from barfs to laughs, Simon selects Raising Arizona (1987) by the Coen Brothers for ‘The Film That Changed My Life’ and explains how it has influenced his comedy filmmaking.

Up next is Salvador Simó who talks about his film Buñuel: in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (2018) following its release on BFI Player. Based on the graphic novel by Fermín Solís, this animated feature tracks the filmmaking journey of Luis Buñuel’s hard-hitting documentary in 1930s Spain. Salvador explains his motivation behind adapting this provocative true story.

With no shortage of talented guests, Mark then welcomes comedian, actor and writer Shazia Mirza to the show. Shazia tells Mark about seeing The Jungle Book (1967) on her first trip to the cinema, and offers two surprising choices for ‘Guilty Pleasures’ – she explains why she can’t stop watching the awful Bitter Moon (1992) and how Raging Bull (1980) inspires her comedy writing.

Mark’s final guest is the fantastic Brian Cox. Ever productive, Brian updates Mark on his recent and current projects, including his roles in the virtual lockdown film, The Agoraphobics Detective Society, the third season of Succession, and the upcoming Ian Rankin adaptation, Detention. Brian joyfully delves into his choice for ‘Guilty Pleasures’ – the quick-fire, mistaken-identity comedy The Court Jester (1955). And Mark rounds up the conversation by inviting Brian to the BFI Southbank in 2021 to celebrate his sixty-year career. 

Lastly, as a tribute to the late, great composer Ennio Morricone, the show plays out to his music with a clip from The Mission (1986). For extended versions of tonight’s interviews, check out the Kermode On Film podcast on all platforms, or on Twitter and Instagram @kermodeonfilm.

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For the third online edition of MK3D, Mark welcomes five fascinating guests to the screen to chat about their careers and current projects.

Mark kicks off the show with a Q&A, answering questions from the Patreon page. He reveals the theme of his new book, discusses remakes, and considers rewatching Kansas City (1996). 

For ‘Coming Attractions’, Mark’s first guest is Sam Riley, a winner of the prestigious (“better than an Oscar!”) Kermode Award for his role in Control (2007). Sam discusses co-starring opposite Rosamund Pike as the physicists Pierre and Marie Curie in the new biopic Radioactive. He also hints at what to expect from the upcoming remake of Rebecca.

Next up are Fyzal Boulifa, writer and director of Lynn + Lucy, and Roxanne Scrimshaw, who plays Lynn. The film tells the story of two school friends who fall out when one loses her child. Fyzal reveals the inspiration behind his tragic tale and Roxanne talks about the experience of being cast in her first professional role.

Mark is delighted to talk to Noel Clarke in the wake of the second season of the hit detective series Bulletproof, which Noel created and stars in. They look back at the successes and challenges of Noel’s career so far, from Kidulthood (2006) to Doctor Who to Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). Noel highlights pressing problems within the British film industry and, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, discusses his own experiences of discrimination and racial profiling.

There is no shortage of brilliant guests as Mark welcomes Caitlin Moran to talk about her new, semi-autobiographical film, How To Build A Girl. Starring Beanie Feldstein as a working-class teenager from Wolverhampton, this coming-of-age story follows her boldly try to find her feet in the masculine world of ’90s music journalism. Caitlin cringes as Mark reminds her about the first time they met when she was just 16. She goes on to tell outlandish true stories behind How To Build A Girl and reveals that her next film will be sci fi with a twist. 

Finally, ending with the usual celebration of sound and vision, Mark chooses a clip from Control showcasing Sam Riley’s unique rendition of Joy Division’s “Transmission”. For extended versions of tonight’s interviews, check out the Kermode On Film podcast on all platforms, or on Twitter and Instagram @kermodeonfilm.

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Following 50 entertaining live shows and a packed first Mark Kermode Online in 3D last month, the second online edition sees Mark welcome four talented guests to talk about the movies that are getting us through lockdown.

Mark’s first guests are Simon Bird, director of Days of Bagnold Summer, and Monica Dolan, who plays Sue Bagnold. The film tells an all-too-familiar story about a mum and her son who find themselves spending 6 weeks at home together after their summer holiday plans are cancelled. Simon and Monica explore the processes of adapting a graphic novel and giving ordinary lives a cinematic platform.

Catching up for the first time since MK3D’s epic 50^th episode celebration, Jason Isaacs has Mark in stitches as he shares what he has been up to in lockdown. They take their minds off the pandemic by talking about our favourite ‘meddling kids’ in the family feel-good animation Scoob. Jason discusses his voice-acting work and an impromptu encounter with his co-star Zac Efron in an elevator. And Jason asks Mark’s advice on the age-old dilemma of how to settle on what film to watch with your family, to which Mark offers a solution: Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life And Death (1946).

Finally, Andy Serkis tells us when we can expect to see Venom 2 and shares his experience recording the Hobbitathon. He also takes part in two much-loved segments of the show, choosing apocalyptic comedy This Is the End (2013) for ‘Guilty Pleasures’ and all-time classic Apocalypse Now (1979) for ‘The Film That Changed Your Life’. The conversation rounds up with Mark and Andy discussing the technological advancements of the past few decades, which are leading to an exciting future in theatre and film.

As usual, the episode ends with its iconic celebration of sound and vision, playing out to the raucous ‘Boss Bitch Fight Challenge 2020’. For extended versions of tonight’s interviews, check out the Kermode On Film podcast on all platforms, or on Twitter and Instagram @kermodeonfilm.

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Our first ever digital edition of the duly renamed Mark Kermode Online in 3D was just as packed as our usual live shows. Joining Mark from across the globe, our seven guests brought the same animated brilliance to their video interviews as can be counted upon in an evening at the BFI Southbank.

Gugu M’batha Raw joined Mark first, talking about her starring role in the recently digitally released Misbehaviour. All the way from LA, she talked about the many-sided story of the 1970 Miss World protest told by the film, and its relevance to today. Plus, she and Mark revisit her breakthrough role in Amma Assante’s Belle.

Bringing the “party on the top, comfort on the bottom” with his tuxedo and PJs videocall combo, Jack Howard joined Mark next. They talked lockdown life, isolation film clubs, and in a truly shocking admission Jack revealed that he’d never seen The Exorcist. Frankly, we’re surprised Mark didn’t just hang up.

Sharing his film club choices too was comedy legend and ‘Smartest Man In The World’ Greg Proops. Another of our guests calling from California, he also gave us a peak at the surprising result of a garage clear-out – his lockdown ‘shrine’. 

Show day marked the digital release of Calm With Horses, Nick Rowland’s gritty drama set amongst small-town crime in rural Ireland. Patching in its stars Niahm Algar and Cosmo Jarvis, Mark got the inside perspective on the development process behind their characters Ursula and Arm  ̶  with the help of crisps and cans by the canal. That’s a method approach we could get behind…

Translating our regular ‘Here’s The Thing’ feature into the lexicon of lockdown, Mark interviewed brand new BFI CEO Ben Roberts, who’s had to incorporate a global pandemic into his handover. He shared details of the BFI’s Britain In Lockdown video preservation project, and offered his reassurances about the future of cinema beyond.

Meera Syal joined Mark for ‘The Film That Changed My Life’, choosing Douglas Sirk’s Immitation Of Life for itscompassionate approach to identity and belonging. Treating us to her ‘Guilty Pleasure’ too, she revisited the guiltlessly wonderful When Harry Met Sally.

The show stuck to its trademark ‘Sound & Vision’ finale, playing out to Frances Ha’s joyous invocation of Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’. We wish we could all skip down the Southbank again, but until then you can join us online for the next digital MK3D.  For extended versions of tonight’s interviews, check out the Kermode On Film podcast on all platforms, or on Twitter and Instagram @kermodeonfilm.

This month’s MK3D was an especially lively evening to mark a very special occasion: our 50^th show. A ‘Sound & Vision’ extravaganza, the night celebrated those golden moments when music and film intersect to create goosebumpy cinematic perfection  ̶  and we were thrilled to share it with some exceptional guests dear to us at MK3D.

First up, Mark’s partners in skiffle The Dodge Brothers – tonight consisting of guitarists Mike Hammond and Aly Hirji, with Neil Brand on the keys  ̶  joined him onstage. Bringing back the magic of the pre-talkie era for a few moments, they performed a live improvised score to the 1930 silent film City Girl. Neil stuck around onstage to revel with Mark in his favourite musical screen moments, from the sweeping orchestral notes of Murder On The Orient Express to the spine-tingling synths of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

Director Amma Assante joined Mark next to discuss her upcoming project Mrs America, a 1970s-set drama about the backlash against the American Equal Rights Amendment. Like Neil, she shares her favourite movie music moment – an altogether more comic choice.

A Bond-themed number was the favourite of composer David Arnold, who also took to the piano to perform his own captivating piece inspired by the nation’s favourite secret agent. Sanjeev Bhaskar showed his range with picks from Hollywood and Bollywood alike, and final guest Jason Isaacs was his usual sweary self with a scene from The Godfather and a gangster anecdote to match.

A raucous rockabilly playout of Rocket In My Pocket saw the night end on a high note, with the whole gang – and producer Hedda – jumping onstage to join in. Here’s to the next 50!

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