Cinema Sleuths

Space. The final frontier! 60 years ago, STAR TREK was released on the small screen. And nearly 50 years ago, STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE hit the BIG SCREEN! To celebrate TREK, this week, you Cinema Sleuths investigate Robert Wise’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), the ambitious science-fiction epic that brought the original Star Trek crew to cinemas for the first time.

Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig, the film reunites the crew of the USS Enterprise for a mysterious mission involving an enormous alien entity known as V’Ger, which approaches Earth with seemingly unstoppable power.

Based on the television series created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was written by Harold Livingston, with story contributions from Harold Livingston and Alan Dean Foster, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Wise.

In this episode, we put Star Trek: The Motion Picture under the magnifying glass, investigating the extraordinary journey from beloved television series to blockbuster movie. And we are joined by special cinema sleuth Ayesha Khan, host of Every Sci-Fi FIlm Ever podcast! 

We explore the film’s troubled and famously expensive production, the pressure to bring Star Trek to the big screen after Star Wars' success, and the ambitious decision to make a slower, more cerebral science-fiction film rather than simply turning the Enterprise crew into action heroes.

We investigate the movie’s visual effects, Jerry Goldsmith’s iconic score, V’Ger mystery, philosophical themes and spectacular Enterprise flyby, and so much more.

We also look at the movie’s initial reception, its reputation as “the slow one”, and the reassessment it has received over the years.

CASE FILE: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)

Directed by: Robert Wise
Written by: Harold Livingston
Based on: Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera / Adventure / Mystery

Was Star Trek: The Motion Picture a misguided attempt to compete with Star Wars — or a bold, beautiful piece of science fiction that was simply misunderstood in its time?

 
CREDITS

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Music by Luke Deckard 

Logo by Phil Dragash 

 

DISCLAIMER:

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

The Rip (2026), starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and directed by Joe Carnahan, is a Netflix crime thriller that raises the question: has the era of prestige filmmaking left Netflix?

NETFLIX's The Rip (2026), starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and directed by Joe Carnahan, raises the question: has the era of prestige filmmaking left Netflix?

In this episode, we look at The Rip and how Netflix’s increasingly familiar style of spoon-fed storytelling is responsible for dumbing down movies and shows. We also ask why Netflix keeps avoiding theatrical releases and whether The Rip would have been better served on the BIG SCREEN.

 

We are joined by returning guest Cinema Sleuth, author/podcaster Steve Hunt, host of The Boxing Movie Podcast and Desert Island Fights. 

 

CASE FILE: THE RIP (2026)
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Written by: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Luciana Barroso, Dani Bernfeld

 

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard & Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Theme song by Luke Deckard 

Logo by  Phil Dragash 

 

DISCLAIMER

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

*All movie and TV clips used in this episode are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used here for the purpose of review and commentary under Fair Dealing / Fair Use. No copyright infringement is intended.*

Lanterns is the latest DC property that has enraged the internet. Some fans seem to love it while others are infuriated. Do they have a good reason, or has fan discourse gone too far? We discuss that and whether this show is really worthy of the hate.

Is Lanterns actually one of DC’s strongest new shows, or is the internet reacting to another divisive addition to the DC Universe? The investigation is on!

Lanterns is the latest WB/DC outing to ignite a fierce debate among fans. Some viewers love the new HBO Max show, while others have been deeply unimpressed. But does Lanterns really deserve the backlash — or has online fan discourse gone too far?

In this episode of Cinema Sleuths, we investigate Lanterns, the new DC series created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. We look at what the show gets right in the pilot and whether the criticism surrounding Lanterns is justified

 

CASE FILE: LANTERNS - PILOT (2026)
Created by: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre and Kelly Macdonald
Genre: DC / Superhero / Mystery / Drama
Streaming on: HBO Max

 

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard & Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Theme song by Luke Deckard 

Logo by  Phil Dragash 

 

DISCLAIMER

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

*All movie and TV clips used in this episode are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used here for the purpose of review and commentary under Fair Dealing / Fair Use. No copyright infringement is intended.*