REVIEWS
THE BOOK OF JOE – Recent Podcast Highlights #008
Every fortnight, guest writer Joe Ducarreaux picks out his recent podcast highlights in an effort to provide yet more wonderful content for your ears. Joe is an avid podcast listener who has been known to listen to over 40 episodes in just one week. To be honest we’re surprised he found time to write this column…
THIS WEEKS MUST LISTEN:
BLOCKBUSTER
This is a sensational listen. Blockbuster is clearly a labour of love, telling the parallel stories of two plucky upstarts beginning what they hope to be illustrious careers in moviemaking, namely, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Featuring a full cast performance, this six-part series follows Spielberg’s arduous journey to making Jaws and Lucas’ struggle with the creation of Star Wars. Perhaps the series’ greatest achievement is making the listener forget that this story ends with Lucas and Spielberg enjoying massive financial and cinematic success with their features, so engrossing are the stories of the filmmakers’ difficulties. Blockbuster also features incredible sound design, boasting scores, ambient noise, dialogue and sound effects throughout. An absolute triumph of a show!
EPISODES WORTH A DOWNLOAD:
ELLIS JAMES AND JOHN ROBINS – 5 LIVE
Fresh from their long-running podcast on Radio X, Elis and John have been brought in to “introduce a youth audience for BBC Radio 5Live.” This produces mixed results right from their very first show- a particular highlight is having Elis and John reading out negative and abusive tweets from unimpressed listeners. This is my first listening experience from this pair and while there are features and jokes brought across from their old show, they still manage to achieve inclusion from new listeners. Definitely a new regular listen for me!
MARVEL’S WOLVERINE: THE LONG NIGHT – EPISODE 1: A THOUSAND WAYS TO DIE IN ALASKA
Another fictional podcast this week, Wolverine has been in my To Be Listened pile for quite some time. Presented as primarily an investigation into a spree of crimes, we get to know our detectives and residents of Alaska long before we are introduced to the veteran X-Man. As before, with Blockbuster, The Long Night features a full cast production, with Richard Armitage voicing the great clawed one. The soundscape is second to none, enhancing the story and immersing the listener into the Alaskan cold (I actually shivered and one point, listening to the howling winds!). This show proves that comics can work as podcasts!
Joe Ducarreaux is a podcast host, film enthusiast and gardener. For more of his ineffectual and disposable opinions, you can listen to him here or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
