I really love movies. I don’t think I have exceptionally exacting tastes — I tend to enjoy being entertained and I usually don’t think a lot about what I’m watching, though like anyone there are films and genres I like or don’t like. I also really love smart people. And the combination of loving smart people and loving movies is why I absolutely adore Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review, the best English-language film review show on the planet Earth and probably on other planets. Mark Kermode is a film reviewer with both a brain and a heart, and he’s willing to put both into constant use to help us navigate the hundreds of films released each year. Simon Mayo is both delightful and necessary as the Everyman host who keeps us grounded and also sneakily inserts even more heart into the show. If you listen for a few weeks, you’ll start to become familiar with the in-jokes and nuances that make the show such a delight to listen to, and make people so fervent in their support. I’ve been saying this for years, and I’m still saying it: All I want in life is a friend who also listens to this show so we can talk about it and say “Hello to Jason Isaacs” together. So listen, OK? You’ll be so glad you did.
[…] Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review: The BBC’s flagship film review program, and one of the best things you can possibly put in your ears. I wrote about it at length here. […]