"At my signal, unleash hell"
The keyword this week is EPIC as we watch Ridley Scott's Gladiator, and we quickly discover that our very own Rachael actually worked on this movie! She lets us in on the experience of making a wig for the modest and self-effacing Russell Crowe and decries the lack of credit given to wig makers in movies.
Paul has been working on his best Maximus Decimus Meridius impression, eulogising Oliver Reed and spotting "The Voice of Iggle Piggle", and the team are mystified at Russell Crowe's Oscar win and come to the conclusion he won it mainly for "squinting a bit". And we hear about a cancelled sequel which would have featured a time travelling Maximus in Vietnam – which Paul swears he hasn't made up.
Meanwhile, Andy's verdict: "It was good".
Elsewhere in a packed show, Rachael is inspired by one of the famous improvised lines in Gladiator to look at some more unplanned moments in movies, including Pretty Woman, Good Will Hunting and Harry Potter. And Andy is surprised by the appearance of UK comedian Omid Djalili in Gladiator and seeks out some more unexpected appearances of UK television stars in big Hollywood movies, including Leonard Rossiter and Keith Chegwin!
This week's scale: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down
SPOILER Animation Specials: Sheldon Cohen (The Sweater, My Heart Attack)
SPOILER Animation Specials: John Weldon (Special Delivery, Real Inside)
SPOILER Animation Specials: Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis (When The Day Breaks, Wild Life)
SPOILER Animation Specials: Joanna Quinn (Girls' Night Out, Famous Fred)
SPOILER Animation Specials: Jerry Rees (The Brave Little Toaster, Tron)
Birdman (2014, Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton): SPOILER Episode 31
Romeo & Juliet (1996, Baz Luhrmann, Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes): SPOILER Episode 30
Children of Men (2006, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine): SPOILER Episode 29
Fleabag (2016, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman): SPOILER Episode 28
The Truman Show (1998, Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris): SPOILER Episode 27
Die Hard (1988, Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman): SPOILER Episode 26
Composer Special featuring Stephen Rennicks (Room), Debbie Wiseman (Wolf Hall) and Deborah Lurie (An Unfinished Life): SPOILER Episode 25
When Harry Met Sally (1989, Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal): SPOILER Episode 24
High-Rise (2015, Ben Wheatley, Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller): SPOILER Episode 23
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: SPOILER Episode 22
Mulholland Drive (2001, David Lynch, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring): SPOILER Episode 21
Humans Season 1 (Gemma Chan, Katherine Parkinson, John Hurt, 2015): SPOILER Episode 20
Withnail & I (Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, 1987): SPOILER Episode 19
The Breakfast Club (Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, 1985): SPOILER Episode 18
Room by Emma Donoghue (2010 book) and Room (2015 film): SPOILER Episode 17
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