Episode 269 - Outbreak (and Five Year BFE Anniversary Musings)
(Deep Dive begins at 56:15)
"That monkey’s infected, Sam!" Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian and Liam (B-Tech Kev & Megs are in quarantine) – as we head to the world of deadly diseases, military cover-ups, and Dustin Hoffman yelling at Morgan Freeman in Outbreak (1995). We’re trading in our tiny law office for a hazmat suit and diving into our 269th episode as we discuss:
How Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, and Morgan Freeman bring gravity to this viral thriller.
Kevin Spacey might be a substandard person but he's an exceptional actor
Did this film need a love story?
Was Donald Sutherland the perfect villain, or just chewing the scenery?
Which actor surprisingly didn’t capture the essence of the part for one of us.
How realistic is Outbreak, and does it hit differently after recent real-world events?
How this movie has the ultimate magic do-hickey
How important is the final scene in a film?
Did Kevin Spacey’s character deserve better? What about the monkey?
We talk about containment protocols, rogue helicopters, and the ethics of bombing a small town.
Just how easy is it to steal a military helicopter?
Why does it take 3.5 hours to fly to a target to drop a bomb?
Whether Outbreak is the Best Film Ever.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
11/3/2025
3:38:40
Reel Roundtable #46 - The Resties (2024)
Happy New Year! (it still counts, right?) Another bonus episode for your listening enjoyment as we bring you another Reel Roundtable discussion. Ian, Liam, Megan, and B-Tech Kev look back on the films they've reviewed in 2024 (with a mail-in ballot from Georgia) and have some awards to hand out in the form of The Resties. Comments, banter, and flat out arguments can be found as we debate the worst that we saw in 2024 (A full list of award categories and eligible films are located at the bottom of these notes)
This year we're thrilled to have ballots from nine of our patrons (Shai, Foot, James DG, Hermes Auslander, Cheesy, Dirk, Ariannah, Norfolk Domus, and Richard) to help determine the winners and a couple of them cast some live tie-breaking votes.
The Awards:
Worst Screenplay
Worst Special Effects
Worst Score
Worst Song
Worst Musical
Worst Costume Design
Worst Art Direction
Worst Villain
Least Funny Movie (That was supposed to be funny)
Worst Plothole
Worst Cinematography
Worst Duo
Most Unlikeable (for a character we’re supposed to like)
Worst Child
Worst Context Corner
Worst First Watch
Worst Fall From Grace
Most Unnecessarily Sexualised Moment
Worst Aged Moment
Most Overhyped
Second Opinion (Down)
Biggest BFE Blunder
Worst Supporting Actor
Worst Supporting Actress
Biggest Therapy Session
Worst Actor
Worst Actress
Worst Film
Eligible Films:
(500) Days of Summer
3:10 to Yuma
A Bronx Tale
A Patch of Blue
Amadeus
American Beauty
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Beyond the Mat
Beverly Hills Cop
Boyhood
Chef
Clerks
Crazy Stupid Love
Dave
Dead Poets Society
Dumb and Dumber
Galaxy Quest
Ghostbusters
Gone Girl
Gremlins
Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
Her
In the Heights
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
Interstellar
Kramer v Kramer
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Logan
LOTR: The Return of the King
Mad Max
Moana
Mrs. Doubtfire
Mystic River
Nightcrawler
Patch Adams
Pulp Fiction
Say Anything
She’s All That
Shrek 2
Spider-Man 2
Star Trek
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
The Fifth Element
The Help
The Lego Movie
The Lion King
The Santa Clause
The Shawshank Redemption
The Sixth Sense
Trees of Peace
Up
When Harry Met Sally
07/3/2025
2:29:19
Episode 268 - Erin Brockovich
(Deep Dive beings at 16:55)
"They're called boobs, Ed." Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian and Megs (B-Tech Kev & Liam are off investigating contaminated water) – as we head to the world of legal battles, corporate corruption, and powerhouse performances in Erin Brockovich (2000). We’re trading in our Edinburgh flat for a tiny law office and diving into our 268th episode as we discuss:
How Julia Roberts delivers a career-defining performance.
The film’s balance of drama, humor, and real-world impact.
Was Albert Finney the perfect counterbalance to Erin’s fiery personality?
Which actor really didn't capture the essence of the part for one of us
How accurate is the film’s portrayal of the real-life case?
Would this movie work as well if it weren’t based on a true story?
Does Erin Brockovich deserve to be correct every step of the way?
Did George deserve better? What about the real life Jorge?
We talk about love languages, princesses, and saying goodbye to a friend
Whether Erin Brockovich is the Best Film Ever.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
04/3/2025
2:25:19
Episode 267 - Cinderella Man (w/ BFF of the BFE: Hermes Auslander)
See It or Skip It? - The Brutalist (w/ BFF of the BFE: Hermes Auslander)
FIRST 37:00: Spoiler-Free Review with our See It/Skip It Verdict
AFTER 37:00: Full Spoiler Review
Another Oscar week See It or Skip It has us exploring this year's Best Picture field a little deeper by diving into the striking The Brutalist (2024), now playing in select theaters. Directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce, this sweeping historical drama promises to blend grand ambition with intimate storytelling.
Join Ian and Hermes as we step into the austere world of The Brutalist to see if it delivers a compelling, thought-provoking portrait of art and survival or if it buckles under the weight of its own vision. Does it bring a fresh perspective to historical dramas while exploring deeper themes, or does it rely too heavily on its style without enough structural integrity?
We’ll examine the film’s storytelling—What larger themes and ideologies does it lean into? Is it a deeply personal immigrant story, a meditation on artistic resilience, or something else entirely? How does Adrien Brody’s performance anchor the film, and does he bring the emotional depth needed for such a role? And how does Felicity Jones complement or contrast him?
We’ll also break down the film’s visual and atmospheric elements. Did the stark cinematography and production design elevate the film’s themes, or did they overshadow its emotional core?
Finally, we’ll debate whether The Brutalist achieves its ambitious goals. Does it leave a lasting impact as a modern cinematic statement, or does it feel too detached for its own good? Yes, it's clever but is it fair to ask a film to 'get' a movie on such an abstract level?
We’ll tackle all these questions as we dissect the movie and tell you if we think you should SEE IT or SKIP IT!
Ireland