Clash of the Titles: Listeners take control!

Clash of The Titles is the podcast where two movies with something in common go head to head in a fight to the death. It’s a big-screen battle royale and you have front row seats! Spearheaded by Sky Cinema presenter Alex Zane, writer Vicky Crompton and film journalist Chris Tilly, Clash of The Titles came out of regular coffees between Alex and Chris in a Soho cafe on Dean Street. When they settled on the idea, there was only one person Alex would have join them and, after a little persuasion (a few pints at a North London pub), Vicky agreed.

Since the podcast launched in 2018, Clash of The Titles has fostered a real community of film buffs. From raucous live shows to fierce weekly Twitter votes and polls, listening to Clash of The Titles is like sitting down to a biweekly film club with three very funny and knowledgeable friends. And this year, Clashpodders are in control of the first two months of film pairings! Since opening submissions to Clashpodders, Alex, Vicky and Chris have already received hundreds of suggestions.

What’s the best listener suggestion you’ve had so far?

CHRIS: Shrek 2 vs Get Out. The request claimed that both films revolve around a person of colour visiting his rich girlfriend’s white family, only for them to try and steal his identity – which I guess is kind of true? Unfortunately, we already have Get Out plans for Valentine’s Day, when we are pairing it with a slightly more appropriate film, but I love the thought process behind this one.

ALEX: For me, it was The Rock vs Face/Off vs Con Air. A threeway brawl between Nic Cage actioners that resulted in things getting pretty heated in the studio and, while I won’t spoil the result here should you want to listen to that episode, in my opinion, the wrong film won. I was outvoted and yes, I’m still bitter about that. Nevertheless, it was a cracking listener suggestion and meant we were able to talk about the great Nicolas Cage for a whole week and I got to shout ‘CAGE RAGE!’ a lot.

VICKY: Clueless vs 10 Things I Hate About You – a truly fair fight, which led to the discovery that Alex and Chris think Paul Rudd is hotter than Heath Ledger, which is off-the-charts incorrect (no shade on Paul Rudd but please), and has since become my swiftest method for detecting friend from foe. Choose wisely – but in case you missed it the answer is always Heath Ledger.

Tell us about a memorable time you met listeners in person…

CHRIS: After our first live show – which was part of the London Podcast Festival – we invited everyone to a nearby pub. Most of the audience joined us, and we ended up crashing a wedding in the basement bar. Not sure how the bride felt about it, but we had a good time!

ALEX: At that same live show, a lovely listener named Aaron kept buying tequila for everyone. Apparently I tried to stop him from being so generous by taking away his bank card. I say ‘apparently’ because…well, tequila. Anyways, I woke up the following day, only to discover I still had his card in my pocket. So, basically: I stole a listener’s credit card. And that’s the kind of treatment you can expect at our live shows! Suffice it to say, I got it back to him and – there’s a happy ending – we’re off to see Pearl Jam in the Summer.

VICKY: I can’t say too much because I’m close to signing a lucrative deal with a widely available tequila brand, and to overly describe my tired and emotional state in front of our listeners recently due to consumption of the aforementioned tequila threatens my financial future.

Listen to Clash of The Titles now via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all podcasting platforms.

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Stak produces podcasts that entertain and inform, including some of the UK’s biggest and most popular shows – boasting a combined 4 million monthly listens and over 45 years of podcasting experience. Whether recording remotely or in our broadcast-grade London studio, we specialise in every stage of the podcasting process. To find out more or get in touch, visit our website at stak.london!

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