Moderate Fantasy Violence

Osmosis shows technology cannot fix our flawed humanity

17th August 2021

Would you put a chip in your brain to find true love? This either romantic or dystopian question is the premise of Netflix’s French sci-fi thriller Osmosis.

The show is set in the eponymous tech company who are about to launch a product that does exactly this: implants a chip in your brain that will guide you to your soulmate. An AI called Martin uses sophisticated data processes to find the person who is the perfect match for you.

However, the trial of Osmosis doesn’t go entirely to plan. Partly because Osmosis’s creator, Esther Vanhove, plans to use the brainwaves of the initial test subjects to further her own research. What follows is a dark thriller about desire, the difficult road to finding a healthy relationship and the lengths people will go to save the ones they love.

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Episodes

MFV #142 – The plant/spade abomination Explicit

5th August 2021

This fortnight, Nick and Alastair return to big-name supercinema with The Suicide Squad, before reminding themselves of the inside world with Biohackers season 2.

In fact, there’s an uncanny amount of new cinema in this episode, as Nick’s talking about surreal French fashion-murder film Deerskin, while Alastair’s seen Edgar Wright’s rockumentary The Sparks Brothers.

Then, at last, The Suicide Squad (9:04) arrives to show us the fun, happy, almost uplifting side of murder. Surprisingly few spoilers in this one.

And in a short flashback to the pandemic world, Nick and Alastair return to the bizarre world of Biohackers (21:49) to see if the second season can live up to the first.

Meanwhile, Nick’s next comics Kickstarter launched the actual same day as this podcast – it’s FairyFare with his Little Deaths of Watson Tower collaborator Rosie Alexander, the story of the fairies finally joining the gig economy. Click on through to check it out.

Episodes

MFV #141 – Praising with faint damn Explicit

22nd July 2021

This fortnight, Nick and Alastair fully enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe at last, covering the omni-franchise’s latest movie Black Widow and TV show Loki.

But first, Nick’s briefly defected to the other superhero universe with Legends of Tomorrow, while Alastair’s turned to booze with Another Round (plus an update on his attempts to finally see Fast 9).

And at long last, they hit the bold new territory of a new non-Netflix movie with Black Widow (13:01), including scattered spoilers about the fates of a couple of characters and the post-credits scene.

Whereas in the subsequent review of Loki season 1 (33:00), Nick and Alastair go ahead and spoil everything from beginning to end, just like they do at parties.

Episodes

MFV #140 – I think I’ll cry again Explicit

8th July 2021

From one extreme to another this fortnight, as Nick and Alastair chill out with new Pixar movie Luca, then freak out into a numb depression thanks to Inside by Bo Burnham.

But first, Nick’s read classic horror-action comic Hellboy by Mike Mignola, while Alastair’s making do with new Roman drama series Domina, because Covid wouldn’t let him see Fast 9.

And finally, they head on their Italian holiday with Luca (13:10), only to immediately disagree over whether this is standard Pixar fare or a particularly delightful entry.

However, they can definitely agree the last year was a bummer, and that Bo Burnham captured that glum vibe with his hit musical comedy special Inside (25:13).

25 years of my love for Mission: Impossible

5th July 2021

On an episode of the Moderate Fantasy Violence podcast, I described Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible films as “the little franchise that could,” alluding to the streak in the British character that always roots for the underdog. Yes, Mission: Impossible lacks the sun eclipsing profile of Disney mega-franchises such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars, however, this little franchise stars, arguably, the world’s highest profile movie star and grosses millions of dollars with every release. If it is an underdog, it’s a very popular and successful one.

What’s surprising about the Mission: Impossible franchise is its staying power. This year the franchise will turn 25. In that time, both Batman and James Bond descended into self-parody and needed dark and gritty reboots to regain their appeal, two trilogies of Star Wars films divided fan opinion, superhero films rose to their dominant position and Lord of the Rings had its moment. Despite all this, Mission: Impossible soldiers on, remaining popular but not reaching the culture defining heights of the mega-franchises.

Throughout my entire cinema going life I have been a fan of the Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible films. At every stage of my life, a new installment reliably pops up to offer up something that reflects my mood at the time. The films also chart how the world has changed, from Cold War hangovers, to the war on terror, to our current age of global paranoia.

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Episodes

MFV #139 – Alexarama Explicit

24th June 2021

This fortnight, Nick and Alastair take a walking tour of the local streaming services with Netflix’s Sweet Tooth and Amazon’s Solos.

But first, they’ve stretched their reach all the way to Disney+’s Loki and Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 game.

And then it’s time to begin the real business with Sweet Tooth (13:05) as they ask exactly what kind of dystopia this is and whether that’s okay.

Last of all, it’s Solos (30:08), a show which begs all kind of questions about exactly what Amazon think of their own talking products.

Episodes

MFV #138 – The thinking man’s Rock Explicit

10th June 2021

This fortnight, a classic combination of creatives with The Nevers, a new TV show created (though no longer run) by Joss Whedon, and Army of the Dead, the latest movie directed by Zack Snyder.

But first, Nick’s watching Lucifer again, but in a more topical way, while Alastair’s enjoying new punk rock sitcom We Are Lady Parts.

And then it’s finally time to travel back to Victorian times with The Nevers (10:28), discussing its many plot elements, some extreme comparisons to X-Men and, for once, not too many spoilers.

Last of all, they’ve seen Army of the Dead (28:30) – has it been long enough since Nick’s last Walking Dead episode to finally give zombies a chance?

Ten more new songs to get through lockdown

31st May 2021

Now that lockdown is ending and we’re taking our first tentative steps outside again, I have decided to write a tribute to Tom Coley’s list of the new music he discovered during lockdown. My list celebrates the songs that have been my soundtrack to the pandemic and have captured this strange time we’re living through.

Most of these tunes were released in the last year and a bit, some weren’t, but they’re all tunes I discovered during lockdown that helped me get through the last 15 months or so. Now, without further ado, the list:

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Episodes

MFV #137 – Robots, Robots & Robots Explicit

27th May 2021

Relentless robots and never-ending Netflix this fortnight, as Nick and Alastair do Love, Death & Robots season 2, followed by The Mitchells Vs The Machines.

But first, Alastair’s still in the Netflix scifi ballpark with Oxygen, while Nick’s way off the reservation with new crime graphic novel Friend of the Devil by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Their main course, though, is the next helping of Love, Death & Robots (9:35), including general chat about the new run and your hosts running down their top 3 episodes from it.

Finally, after rave reviews from all quarters, Nick and Alastair sit down to discover the happier side of androids with The Mitchells Vs The Machines (26:31).