This time on Film Swap, we’re joined by David Blakeslee of the Criterion Reflections podcast to explore paranoia, power, and political corruption in two landmark works of European cinema.We begin with Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), directed by Elio Petri—a surreal, biting satire that examines how authority can warp the individual psyche. When a high-ranking police official commits a crime to prove his own immunity, the film becomes a disturbing study of ego, control, and the seductive nature of unchecked power.In the second half, we turn to Z (1969), directed by Costa-Gavras—a gripping political thriller that shifts the focus from individual corruption to systemic failure. Based on real events, Z exposes how institutions can manipulate truth, resist accountability, and ultimately protect themselves at all costs.Together, these films trace a chilling progression: from the corruption of a single individual to the resilience of corruption within the system itself. Along the way, we discuss themes of justice, institutional trust, political violence, and the uneasy tension between scepticism and belief in the structures that govern society.Brought to you by those funky film guru’s at the Film Swap podcast—your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.Visit our website at filmswap.ukVisit our Letterboxd profile for capsule reviews and our essential cinema lists!Check out David Blakeslee's Criterion Reflections podcast at CriterionCast.com

What happens when humanity is seen through alien eyes?In this episode of Film Swap, we are joined by special guest Jack Wyer as we explore the theme of the outsider perspective through Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin (2013) starring Scarlet Johansson. One tells the story of a young man raised in total isolation and released into society. The other follows an extraterrestrial predator observing — and imitating — human behaviour in modern Scotland.Together, these films strip away the familiar and force us to confront the strange rituals, social conditioning, language, cruelty, and vulnerability that define human life. What looks “normal” to us becomes alien, awkward, and often disturbing when seen through unconditioned eyes.We discuss:The idea of the “pure” or unformed mind.Social conditioning and the construction of identity.The uncanny nature of everyday human behaviour.Empathy, alienation, and moral development.How Herzog and Glazer use perspective to defamiliarise the mundane.From Kaspar’s childlike reasoning to the silent observation of an extraterrestrial drifter, both films challenge us to reconsider what it means to be human — and whether civilisation refines us or simply masks our instincts.If you’re interested in outsider narratives, existential cinema, arthouse film analysis, or deep dives into philosophical themes in film, this episode is for you.Brought to you by those funky film guru’s at the Film Swap podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.LINKS:An interview with the sound designer for Under the Skin: Interview Herzog's Minnesota Manifesto Article about Bagan in Myanmar/Burma (where Herzog actually replied to the blogger's email): Dream Vision in classic Herzog film Episode of Criterion Reflections where David was a guest and discussed Herzog's Land of Silence and Darkness with host David Blakeslee: Criterion Reflections 80 Land of Silence and Darkness Visit the Film Swap website at: filmswap.ukFilm Swap on Letterboxd

In this episode of Film Swap, we explore the idea of “dropping out” through two very different but unexpectedly connected films: Nicholas Roeg’s Castaway (1986) and Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic (2016). Both films centre on characters who reject modern life in favour of isolation, self-sufficiency, and alternative ways of living — but crucially, they take other people with them.

Starting with Roeg’s under-seen Castaway, based on a real-life experiment, we discuss the uneasy dynamics between Oliver Reed and Amanda Donohoe as two strangers retreat to a remote island with radically different expectations of intimacy, purpose, and freedom. The film becomes less a survival story than a study of desire, power, and the fragility of shared escape.

In the second half, we turn to Captain Fantastic, starring Viggo Mortensen as a fiercely principled father raising his children outside conventional society. When tragedy forces the family back into the world they’ve rejected, the film raises complex questions about ideals, responsibility, education, and whether independence can ever be imposed without consequence.

Along the way, we connect both films to themes explored previously on the podcast — including Bergman’s Summer with Monika — and reflect on why stories of withdrawal, self-reliance, and alternative living remain so compelling.

Films discussed:

Castaway (1986), dir. Nicholas Roeg

Captain Fantastic (2016), dir. Matt Ross

Brought to you by those funky film gurus at the Film Swap Podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.

Article and Video about Lucy Irvine: https://psyche.co/videos/for-lucy-surviving-on-a-remote-island-was-hard-but-returning-was-harder

Lucy Irvine on BBC's Desert Island Discs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mhjg

Film Swap on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/elv4x

Visit our website: filmswap.uk

It’s been a tough year, so the Film Swap podcast is doing what cinema does best — bringing people together. In this special Feel Good Film Festival episode, we’re joined by returning guests Brad McDermott and David Blakeslee to share four films that lift the spirits without ignoring the world.

From classic Hollywood warmth and impeccably crafted mystery, to acts of radical generosity and a road trip that sparks an awakening of empathy, these films remind us why cinema still matters. We discuss what “feel good” really means, how kindness can be quietly subversive, and why comfort films don’t have to be shallow or sentimental.

Featured films include The Shop Around the Corner, Death on the Nile (1978), The Motorcycle Diaries, and Babette’s Feast — stories shaped by human connection, moral clarity, and moments of grace.

A holiday-season conversation about compassion, community, and why sometimes the most restorative films are the ones that believe in people.

Visit Brad McDermott on the web: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbradmcd?i...letterboxd: https://boxd.it/jpwFBrad's portfolio at Artgalleria: https://www.artgalleria.com/folio/art...David Blakeslee's Criterion Reflections podcast:https://criterioncast.com/category/po...

Our website: filmswap.uk

Film Swap is on Letterboxd!

Filmmaker Ken Williams joins us in this episode of Film Swap, as we tuck into two extraordinary food-centric films that explore how cooking brings people together: Juzo Itami’s joyful ramen romp Tampopo and Michael Sarnoski’s soulful drama Pig, starring Nicolas Cage.

We dig into the craft, care, and human connection at the heart of both stories — from Tampopo’s playful food adventures and ramen mentorship to Pig’s heartfelt exploration of memory, flavour, and the quiet power of a shared meal.

Join us as we celebrate food as cinema’s most delicious storytelling tool, swap favourite moments, and discover why these very different films make such a satisfying double bill.

A warm, thoughtful conversation about nourishment, creativity, and the dishes that stay with us long after the credits roll.

Film Swap on Letterboxd

The Film Swap Website

On this episode of Film Swap, we dive headfirst into the wild world of Mondo cinema. We’re joined by special guest and genre film specialist Richard Doyle to explore two notorious shockumentaries that blur the line between documentary, exploitation, and cultural provocation.

We begin with The Killing of America (1982), directed by Sheldon Renan, a chilling and controversial chronicle of violence in the United States that still packs a disturbing punch decades later. Then we head into the chaotic, anarchic energy of late-80s New York with Mondo New York (1988), directed by Harvey Keith, a psychedelic street-level collage of performers, punks, artists, and provocateurs.

Together, we unpack the ethics and aesthetics of Mondo filmmaking, discuss the shockumentary’s strange cultural afterlife, and question what these films reveal—intentionally or not—about the societies that created them.

If you’re interested in exploitation cinema, Mondo documentaries, cult film history, transgressive nonfiction, or the evolution of shock media, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Brought to you by those funky film gurus at the Film Swap podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.

Music has the power to turn chaos into beauty — and few films prove that better than The Sea Wolf (1941, dir. Michael Curtiz) and Hana-Bi (1997, dir. Takeshi Kitano).

In this episode of Film Swap, we’re joined by special guest William Remmers, director of New York’s Utopia Opera Company, to dive into the wild seas of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s lush orchestral drama and the quiet intensity of Joe Hisaishi’s minimalist poetry.

From the tempestuous decks of The Sea Wolf to the serene violence of Hana-Bi, we explore how two very different scores shape the emotional heart of their films — turning havoc into harmony through melody, silence, and mood.

Brought to you by those funky film gurus at the Film Swap podcast — your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.

Utopia Opera Company

Filmswap on Letterboxd

Filmswap The Website

In this episode of Film Swap, David and Jonathan are joined by returning guest Clare Clark for a lively deep dive into Hawks and Heroes.

What happens when you place Howard Hawks’ classic Western Red River (1948) alongside Marvel’s dazzling Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman)? You get a conversation about the very meaning of heroism across generations of American cinema.

Seventy years apart, these films reflect radically different visions of what it means to be a hero. John Wayne’s domineering cattleman in Red River embodies the myths of the American frontier—rugged individualism, manifest destiny, and patriarchal authority—but ultimately undermines his own leadership by disregarding his men and community. By contrast, Spider-Verse redefines heroism for a new generation through Miles Morales, a teenager whose strength comes from collaboration, diversity, and shared responsibility.

Together, the trio explores how these films mirror conservative and progressive ideals, the shifting shape of American hero myths, and what it means to move from the lone cowboy to the multiverse of heroes.

Brought to you by those funky film gurus at the Film Swap podcast. Your calm oasis for fun and thoughtful film discussion.Visit us on ⁠Letterboxd⁠: https://boxd.it/elv4xVisit our website at ⁠filmswap.uk⁠

Clare Clark's novel The Sealed Knot is available on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/6GIWXlS