Season 3 Episide 3 - Van Helsing vs. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

After an over-long hiatus, Malc and Benjy rip into their respective Worst Films (coincidentally both starring Hugh Jackman), Van Helsing by Stephen Sommers and X-Men Origins: Wolverine by a bunch of twits.

We are now on Twitter (@malcandbenjy) so please go and follow us!

What could have been... *sigh*

Season 3 Episide 2 - Singin in the Rain vs. South Park - Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Malc & Benjy discuss two extreme opposites of the Musical Cinema genre - Singin in the Rain and South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.

Season 3 Episode 1 - Thor vs. Captain America: The First Avenger

Malc & Benjy kick off their third season with a look back on two of the Geekiest films of 2011, Marvel Studios' brace of comic-book adaptations, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.
In summary: We're geeks = we like them.

Malc & Benjy's Feature Presentation #2 - Braveheart

Scot Malc and Englishman Benjy debate a landmark "Historical" Epic about the strife between England and Scotland... Braveheart! Can the pair survive? Actually, as it turns out, they can!

William Wallace wasn't going to let laryngitis get in the way of his motivational speech...

And, because we promised, here is the most Inspirational 2 minutes you'll ever see;
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And some more Braveheart related madcap humour;
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Malc & Benjy's Box Set Easter Special - The Alien Tetralogy

In Pod, no-one can hear you Cast!

Malc & Benjy travel to LV-421 to deconstruct the most influential Sci-fi Horror franchise ever. This time, it's war.

Malc & Benjy's Box Set Easter Special - Teaser

Coming soon to Malc & Benjy's Double Bill - A beautiful reflection on fertility and rebirth in the movies.

Season 2 Episode 6 - Nineteen Eighty-Four vs. THX 1138

Big Brother is Watching You. We're the ones who watch back. Malc & Benjy go all totalitarian for this, the final episode of Season 2.

Season 2 Episode 5 - Chinatown vs. Brick

Malc & Benjy tackle two Neo-noir masterpieces, Chinatown and Brick, and discuss film endings.

SPECIAL - Benjy's Retrospective of 2010

Due to my body being the latest battleground in the ongoing war against the Influenza bug, I have chosen - rather than wallowing in self pity - to record a Retrospective of last year.

I'd love to hear any comments from listeners, either emailed to churchofben@googlemail.com or comment on this blog post.

- Benjy

Season 2 Episode 4 - Unforgiven vs. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Youth vs. Age, Money vs. Redemption, Violence vs. Intensity
Two films involving the legendary Clint Eastwood - one from the height of his acting career, one from the beginning of his heyday as a Director. Similarities and differences abound in equal measure - lets see what we can say about each.

Malc & Benjy's Box Set - The Star Wars Holiday Special

Malc & Benjy open another box set.
This time, our Dynamic Duo tackle The Star Wars Trilogy (Proper, not prequel).

Retraction - Ian McDiarmid was the artistic director at the Almeida Theatre, not the one Benjy said.

Season 2 Episode 3 - Tron vs. The Matrix

This episode, Malc & Benjy explore Cyberspace with two computer-based tales of man vs. machine;

Tron (1982) and The Matrix (1999)

Season 2 Episode 2 - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra vs. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Malc & Benjy tackle the modern big screen adaptations of two of the biggest toy franchises of the 80's.

To pilfer the tagline from another terrible franchise, "Whoever Wins, the Audience Loses"

"This is all your fault!"

Malc & Benjy's Top Ten... CARS

Cars are awesome. They get you from A to B, they act as a status symbol and they can mean life or death when being chased by gangsters/monsters/cops/robots/aliens/[insert movie villain of your choice].
However, there are times - rare times, admittedly - when the humble automobile stretches out beyond the confines of the celluloid and grips your mind with the tenacity of a Great White Shark at Amity Island. Either through use, through design, through the way the damned thing is lit and shot, these vehicles imprint themselves on our mind and we... don't deny it... we drift off into our own fantasy world where we are driving that car.

Before we get to our favourites, we would like to explain the criteria that we set ourself;
To be included on the list, the vehicle must have four wheels and an engine.
It must not be alive or a regular car which has been possessed (Horror Cars may come later).
We are judging the car, not the film.
We're trying not to repeat ourselves in the list. (Though there are 3 police cars!)
I'm sure there are more rules, but we can't remember them.

So, without further ado - Malc & Benjy's Top Ten Movie Cars!

1) The DeLorean (Back to the Future Trilogy) - Because if you're going to travel through time, you might as well do it with some class.

2) The Batmobile (Batman, 1989) - This is the Batmobile that made the Batmobile cool - every one since this owes it a debt of gratitude.

3) The Interceptor (Mad Max) - Sleek, black, stylish - the best way to prowl the post-apocalyptic outback.

4) Bullitt's Car (Bullitt) - Because how could you possibly do a feature on cars and not include this?

5) Ecto-1 (Ghostbusters) - The look, the gadgets, the sound, the awesome stuff in the boot! This is the car that the child in all of us would have.

6) B.A.'s Van (The A-Team) - Rubbed out all to quickly in the movie, this iconic vehicle is both a workshop-on-wheels and a mobile gun platform. And who doesn't want a red swish on their vehicle?

7) The A.P.C. (Aliens) - Wouldn't you love this car in a traffic jam? Big, blocky in a way that only 80's military sci-fi can seem to manage and beweaponed. Also, consistantly shot from low angles just makes it look cooler.

8) The Detroit P.D. Cruiser (Robocop) - Bog standard, endlessly replaceable, and yet a beautiful car!

9) "The Classic" Oldsmobile (Any Sam Raimi film) - It's as much a milestone of cinema as it is a cool car. Destroyed and rebuilt more times than

10) Charlie Crokers Mini (The Italian Job, 1969) - Forget the new film, forget the new mini. This film put small cars on the map as objects of utter cool.

Honourable Mentions:

• The Tumbler (Batman Begins) - A superb "Bat-tank" but not groundbreaking enough in style to warrant inclusion above Burton's Batmobile.
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) - A timeless classic, but would you take one out for a spin around town?
• Optimus Prime (Transformers) - Disqualified for not really being a vehicle, this guy would definitely be number one in a "Top Ten... ALIEN ROBOTS" list.
• The Spinner (Blade Runner) - Doesn't count as a car, because it has no wheels, but Syd Mead's design and Jordan Cronenwerth's cinematography, every frame containing this car emblazons it on the history of cinema.
• The Knight Bus (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) - Better than any real bus, even with the risk to life and limb.
• The Harley (Terminator 2) - It all boils down to that slow-mo shot with Not-Arnie chasing down an articulated lorry. Amazing!
• Herbie (Various) - Too twee. Probably an Autobot deserter.

Malc & Benjy's Emergency Broadcast

Due to the worst snow to hit Britain in 17 years, Malc & Benjy cannot offer you a full double bill - but would like to offer you this tidbit to tide you over in trying times.

I don't know why they called it Hoth. They should have called it Coldth!

Pic, courtesy of Avenaut

Season 2 Episode 1 - Bram Stoker's Dracula vs. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula vs. Kenneth Brannagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein!!!

The two definitive Gothic Horror Stories receive the 90's treatment, and then - almost twenty years later - the Malc & Benjy treatment.

This is a GENUINE poster from a 70's b-movie - not  out twisted invention.

Episode 5 - Die Hard with a Vengeance vs. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Malc and Benjy discuss a pair of Surprising Third Installments; Die Hard with a Vengeance

and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Episode 6 - The Cable Guy vs. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Malc & Benjy discuss two highlights/lowlights of the career of Ben Stiller - his directorial effort The Cable Guy and his starring role in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Episode 4 - Pulp Fiction vs. Forrest Gump

Malc & Benjy discuss two of 1994's most accoladed films - Forrest Gump (Oscar for Best Picture) and Pulp Fiction (Palme D'Or)

Episode 3 - The Mummy (2009) vs. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Malc and Benjy talk about two films loosely inspired by the Indiana Jones Trilogy...