Initial Thoughts

Black Bat Productions' latest play, The Time Has Passed, premieres this week at VAULT's The Glitch - Weds 25th & Thurs 26th, at 8:30pm - so here's a quick ep about it. Directed by our very own Phoebe and starring Lydia Kirton and someone named Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, this new two-hander is about a first date between Cydney and Remo. She works in massive tech, he does the opposite, and both can barely contain their opposition to each other. But Cydney has brought along a device that gives her a unique upper hand as the acidic conversation flows, and resets...Catch The Time Has Passed on Weds 25th & Thurs 26th, at 8:30pm, on Lower Marsh in London. Tickets available here, at ⁠www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/2033557⁠, and at @BlackBatUK.The Time Has Passed has many inspirations, from Solvej Balle’s On The Calculation of Volume series of books to Casino to Dan Deacon and Daniel Lopatin's music, but its tone perhaps owes more to the Albert Brooks film Modern Romance than any other. Listen in to hear more - and see you at the show.

This is Part 2 of our Top Films of 2025 super-episode return. Here we tackle what Phoebe & Nathaniel make of this past week's Academy Award nominations. To hear them tell it, this is not a good year.Find out why they would think such a thing. Thank you as always for listening._____Music by White Bat Audio.

Welcome back. As we face fascism and lament a lamentable year for the Oscars, we also return to Initial Thoughts to discuss what the hell we've been up to and what the heck we made of the year in cinema since we last did this.What was Nathaniel’s favorite film of 2025? What was Phoebe’s favorite first-watch of the last 12 months? What did they think of Marty Supreme? Where do they think cinema is going? And does one of them believe Ella McCay could be the greatest film ever made?Find out in this year's Top Films episode. Part II, featuring our initial thoughts on the 2026 Oscar nominations, is right up next._____Tickets for The Time Has Passed on 25th & 26th February are available now at blackbat.uk, and at www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/2033557._____Music by White Bat Audio.

It's the 97th Oscars! Listen in! Conan made us laugh (mostly). Winners won well (mostly). We were pretty accurate (to a point). Intrepid correspondent Michael Zwiauer even joined us from sunny California. Not to be missed.Our hosts stayed up very, very late, so the least you can do is listen to them. Lots of love!_____Music by White Bat Audio.

Today this could be, the greatest pod of our lives. Phoebe and Nathaniel are back for Oscar Week, predicting (and in their own way, improving) the Academy’s cinematic selections. Tune in for ribald and robust discussion of each category, the safe choices, the sure surprises, and the Zag’s to be zagged. Plus, our host’s own choices of what they believe deserves recognition in each category - Oscar nomination or not.Plus, impromptu discussions of Nickel Boys, The Apprentice, I’m Still Here, The Brutalist, zoos, okapis, the Kennedy Center, and more. Enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday night! Initial Thoughts will be back with an Oscars Special next!_____Music by White Bat Audio.

Determine your nominees and initialize your thoughts, it is once again time for Phoebe and Nathaniel to weigh in on The Academy's choices! Did your favorite film of 2024 get enough love? Did ours? Find out! _____Music by White Bat Audio.

As Phoebe would say, we are so back. Initial Thoughts returns as if our last chat were only yesterday, to discuss a year of high highs, low lows, multiple plays directed, and quite a lot of films viewed. NBB & PRJ discuss their favorites, their also-rans, the films they wish they'd seen by now, and which not-new movies they most enjoyed seeing for the first time - including many from Initial Thoughts episodes! Tune in, find cheer, stay warm, and thank you for listening! Happy New Year everyone! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Hollywood is a killer. MAXXXINE is a movie. Initial Thoughts is a podcast. You are a listener. This is an episode. Listen in! Neither Phoebe nor Nathaniel have seen this week's film, though one of them has seen the previous two films in Ti West and Mia Goth's gooey trilogy of throwback mayhem. This film supposedly wraps up the story of these interlinked protagonists with an 80s-tastic slasher feel, but did our hosts buy it? Find out, on Initial Thoughts! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

We do this for a living. Does it star Tom Cruise? Who directed it? Do you believe in Santa Claus? Find out all these things and more as Phoebe and Nathaniel rev up their taxicab and drive through the streets of podcasting with 2004's Collateral. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

There's a difference between knowing the pod, and listening to the pod. So listen to the podcast! This week we're casting our mind back 25 years (or ahead 175?) to the world of green text, omnipotent agents, teleportation telephones, double-cats and existential choices of pill: it's The Wachowski's The Matrix. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Revisiting our second Picture Pitcher game, featuring remarkably... determined judge Richard McIver. As previously featured in our episode on Love Lies Bleeding, this round features sophomore efforts from the likes of Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright, Greta Gerwig, Sofia Coppola, and more! Enjoy! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Heists! LA! Queen Latifah! Jada Pinkett! Blair Underwood! More heists! It's a wonder F. Gary Gray's 1996 thrill ride isn't more of a household name, so Nathaniel and Phoebe set out to change that. N.b. Our pre-film conversation was recorded without ideal recording circumstances, so do excuse the atmospheric hum there, but post-film (starting at 20:16) is back to normal. Enjoy! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

80 years ago today, Allied forces landed on the beaches at Normandy, in an operation we now call D-Day. Perhaps the most famous and respected depiction of that operation takes place in Steven Spielberg's 1998 war film Saving Private Ryan - and our hosts watched it this week. They discuss how World War II tends to be depicted in film, how the film's acting affects its impact, where Spielberg soars and where he stalls, sentimentality vs. unsentimentally, and whether this really is the greatest Second World War film ever made. Plus: saying the name of the movie in the movie... what to make of that? Enjoy, and here's saluting the men who really did it. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Phoebe and Nathaniel rev their engines and expect an epic as they return to George Miller's Wasteland... but what did they find when they got there? (31:44) With Furiosa making headlines and proving historic (but not quite how many predicted), our hosts dive into a thorough and hard-driving discussion of the film's execution, its sociopolitical themes, Nathaniel's declaration about Revenge Films, and what a 'reverse blooper reel' is. Witness! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

If we're gonna pod, we're gonna pod historic on the Fury Road. WITNESS! Phoebe and Nathaniel rev their engines and take to the desert for George Miller's 2015 post-apocalyptic adventure starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Phoebe hasn't seen it and isn't so sure she'll enjoy the experience... listen in to hear her Initial Thoughts... Enjoy! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Thirty episodes in, time for an all-time classic. One of our hosts is passionately, quite openly an acolyte of this film, so the surprise element wasn't exactly front of our minds, but thankfully that didn't hinder discussion. Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 slice of hitman cinema has defined and redefined the crime genre for decades, and our hosts serenely gaze upon many elements of its power and legacy. Plus, Alain Delon's one-in-a-billion face must update a certain ongoing ranking... Enjoy! _____ Find Nathaniel's Bright Wall/Dark Room piece on Le Samouraï and its connection to African-American iconoclasm and noir here: https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2020/09/04/black-side-of-noir/. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

It's a mega-episode, but worth every minute! First off, our intrepid filmgoers Nathaniel and Phoebe wrap their muscly arms around Rose Glass' new film in cinemas, Love Lies Bleeding - a neo-noir thriller that bears discussion. So much discussion in fact that Richard McIver joins in for the second half! (1:46:25) This being Glass' second feature film, our hosts took the opportunity to play another Picture Pitcher as well (28:07), this time based on ten films that were prominent directors' sophomore efforts. It's a nail-biting game with some shocking moments as Phoebe and Nathaniel pitch, and Judge Richard judges. And boy oh boy, does he judge. Listen in! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

In Everglade Studio finishes this weekend! Get your tickets if you haven't already. We thank everyone who came to see the show, and look forward to the next Black Bat Productions venture... and to round out our Everglade series, Phoebe and Nathaniel watch a 1974 film of which many of the characters in the play would have been aware... Chinatown. Our hosts go on a real journey in this episode. For one of the most analyzed and revisited films of the 20th century, Phoebe and Nathaniel dig deep and discuss the textures and ramifications of both the film's internal story and its external place in the world. This film is not easy to talk about, and essential grounds for conversation piece as a result. Listen in. Then get yourself a copy of the In Everglade Studio script from Methuen Drama / Bloomsbury Publishing! The run at The Hope Theatre has been acclaimed as an "enthralling," "thoroughly entertaining," "clever and creative" piece of theatre, featuring "excellent written and composed" songs and "smart, twisted, dark creative drama" (★★★★ - A Youngish Perspective, ★★★★ - Everything Theatre). The run concludes Saturday, the 4th of May. _____ Episode music by White Bat Audio.

As In Everglade Studio enters its final week of performances at The Hope Theatre, Nathaniel and Phoebe reconvene for the third in their Everglade series: Robert Altman's revered 1975 film Nashville. They discuss the connections aplenty between this film and In Everglade Studio, including the highlighting of specific and multifaceted contexts in which musical performances unfold, the looming metaphorical interpretations of how environments shape creative expression, and really cool cowboy hats. Enjoy! The published script of In Everglade Studio is now available to purchase from Methuen Drama / Bloomsbury Publishing. The run at The Hope Theatre has been acclaimed as an "enthralling," "thoroughly entertaining," "clever and creative" piece of theatre, featuring "excellently written and composed" songs and "smart, twisted, dark creative drama" (★★★★ - A Youngish Perspective, ★★★★ - Everything Theatre). The run concludes Saturday, the 4th of May. _____ Episode music by White Bat Audio.

In Everglade Studio is coming to The Hope Theatre, and co-directors Phoebe and Nathaniel are featuring some of the films that inspired it! Second in our series is the moving, deeply profound story of Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly), whose life was immortalized in this cradle-to-grave story - which also functions as a ruthlessly and hilariously thorough send-up of cradle-to-grave stories. This 2007 parody of the Music Biopic has been revisited and lauded elsewhere both for its commitment to the feature-length Hollywood satire bit, and for its astonishing prescience - comparisons between this film and the countless Music Biopic rehashes of the late 2010s onwards have been rife - but do our hosts agree?! Find out! Then book your tickets to In Everglade Studio here! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Five-star play IN EVERGLADE STUDIO comes to London for a three-week run at The Hope Theatre 16 April - 4 May! Buy your tickets here! We are delighted to be joined by one of the show's shiniest stars, Hannah Omisore, who plays Matilda. Hannah joins Phoebe and Nathaniel to discuss Jeremy Saulnier's gnarly 2015 film Green Room - which shares plenty of DNA and provided some inspiration for In Everglade Studio's musically-tinged darkly comedic psychological thriller atmosphere. Enjoy the episode, and join us at the show! Phoebe and Nathaniel directed it! And Nathaniel wrote it! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Call it, friendos. As we continue our way through all cinema great and small, Phoebe encounters the Coens for the first time this week. What did she already know? Which Oscars did this film win, and why? How has this one affected Nathaniel's view on genre? Find out! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary war film, and Nathaniel and Phoebe leapt at the chance to watch and discuss it. Nathaniel's history with the film goes back at high school, while, as the premise would suggest, Phoebe is experiencing it for the first time. They had lots to discuss, including what the film achieves from an artistic and sensory perspective, how its formal and narrative qualities have aged, and a particularly hot Film School Take from Nathaniel. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Our hosts share a birthday, and but have never shared a screening of their respective favorite films with each other - until this week! As they celebrate the birthday season, Phoebe and Nathaniel swap their #1 picks: Phoebe's is Ang Lee's beloved 1995 Austen adaptation Sense & Sensibility, and Nathaniel's is Quentin Tarantino's 2012 barn-burner western, Django Unchained. It's a very special Initial Thoughts, squeezing the two films into a sweeping double-bill no one would put together otherwise, but with some insights and conversations that draw more parallels between the films and our hosts' feelings on them than you might expect... _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Join Phoebe and Nathaniel as they play Oscar Bingo, tussle over a ranking of the ten Best Picture nominees this year, and react in real-time to wins and surprises into the wee hours of the night and into the pages of film awards history. Plus, after the show (1:03:09), as tomorrow the 12th is their birthday... some birthday presents are exchanged! Enjoy! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Wormsign ahead. As this film grabs headlines and accolades, Phoebe and Nathaniel head to the cinema for Denis Villeneuve's blockbuster sequel. Plus, our hosts take a swing at predicting who will take home Academy Awards this Sunday, March 10th, including Nathaniel's special approach this year: The Zag Awards (22:04). And another thing: it's Nathaniel and Phoebe's birthday this week! So keep that in mind! As for the Dune of it all - did this trip to the desert prove different than the first? Did they get sand down their trousers? Tune in for their very own Initial Thoughts... (1:11:16). _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Journey with us to Arrakis, where Nathaniel has never been before, as Phoebe hosts an Oscar-appropriate revisiting of Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed Dune. Then, in preparation for the 96th Academy Awards later this month, we welcome the appropriately-named Oscar Brudenall-Jones to the show, as we play our first ever Picture Pitcher! This brand-new Initial Thoughts movie game sees Phoebe and Nathaniel compete in various categories relating to a selection of ten films, and this week, of course, it's the ten Best Picture Oscar nominees (24:01). Tune in! Then we jump back in (1:36:12) for our reactions to Dune, and what we expect we'll say next week - when we watch Dune: Part Two... _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Light the fuse. Phoebe and Nathaniel are back in action, discussing the daring do's and don'ts of Agent Mark Sanders, in possibly the most thrilling, rewatchable, and death-defying Mission: Impossible entry yet. But what did our hosts make of this particular outing? Find out! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Happy Valentine's Week! Phoebe and Nathaniel discuss a highly acclaimed, much beloved film about romance, but were they in the mood themselves? Find out! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

From the legendarily cheeky opening shot to its ambiguous climax, Sofia Coppola's Academy-Award winning Tokyo-set film brings to mind what's changed and what hasn't in the two decades since its release. We dive into the ins and outs of Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray's central dynamic, the cultural and emotional questions the film raises, the ones it sidesteps, and some intermittently woke Initial Thoughts, this week! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

This podcast will self-destruct in approximately as long as it takes to thoroughly discuss our Initial Thoughts on Brian De Palma's 1996 blockbuster starring one Tom Cruise. How does it age? Is Phoebe a spy? Should we have called this Mission: ImPodible? Find out! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Excerpted from our mega-episode on Oppenheimer, these are our initial thoughts on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' picks for the upcoming Oscar ceremony. Enjoy!

With an epic episode to accompany this epic film, Nathaniel and Phoebe get their arms around Christopher Nolan's latest, the three-hour biographical box-office behemoth Oppenheimer. But that's not all. Our intrepid duo also parse through this week's nominations announcement by the one and only Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - better known as The Oscars - and weigh in with their gut reactions, biggest relief, favorite nominees, and dream nominations they would have added in (25:49). But that's also not all! Joining us for a wide-ranging conversation on this film is lifelong Boston resident Michael Zwiauer. The intrepid trio address the film, its cast, its relevance, Mr. Nolan, and each other, covering such topics as how directing Batman compares to unleashing nuclear weaponry into the world, whether Phoebe is better at recognizing sound cues than men, why you should live in a culturally important city, and in which of the film's many characters our hosts most saw themselves (55:01). Many Initial Thoughts to be had this week - tune in!

Get busy living, or get busy podding. Thirty years on from its release, The Shawshank Redemption has gained an astonishing reputation for its greatness - and Phoebe and Nathaniel have thoughts about that. Listen to them! Stay tuned 'til the end for a genuine on-air surprise... Topics discussed include the film's legacy, the most affecting scenes, its relation to Stephen King, whether Christ was dumb, and many other unrelated films for some reason. We hope you're enjoying these Initial Thoughts! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Whether you think of it as the all-time Dad Film, a uniquely lighthearted prison-camp adventure, one of Steve McQueen's finest hours, or just a swinging nostalgic time, Phoebe and Nathaniel have opinions on The Great Escape! For an Initial Thoughts first, as well, neither of us had seen this film before, so it's doubly initial! Do enjoy. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

We kick off 2024 with a super-sized episode, featuring what many have called The Greatest Film of All Time - Orson Welles' 1941 directorial debut, Citizen Kane. How's that for some Film Canon! Joining us to dive into all things C.F.K., is a great friend, actor, intimacy coordinator, and major cineaste Richard McIver. Nathaniel, Phoebe, and Richard talk through the film's accomplishments and complexities, its legacy, whether it suffers from 'Beatles Syndrome' and more. It's one of the most-discussed pieces of work ever, but there's something for both seasoned film-heads and those brand-new to Welles! So listen in! Wishing everyone a happy new year - well, everyone who subscribes to Initial Thoughts, that is! Enjoy. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Happy New Year! Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Let’s find out! To celebrate a film that memorably uses New Year’s Eve this New Year’s, Phoebe and Nathaniel watch When Harry Met Sally and hear Phoebe’s Initial Thoughts! Listen in for Meg Ryan talk, love talk, Phoebe’s opinion on beards, and Nathaniel’s broad theory about romantic comedies. For auld lang syne, dear listeners!  _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Happy Holidays! As the year draws to a close, Phoebe and Nathaniel count up their respective Favorite Films of 2023, in two categories: their five favorite new releases from this year, and their five favorite first-time watches in the last twelve months. Plenty of surprises, revisitings, appreciations, and questions (one per new release), plus one or two crossovers, some agreeable disagreements, and lots of film fan fun. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Initial Thoughts! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Merry Happy everyone - it’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights. It’s time to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol with Phoebe and Nathaniel on Initial Thoughts tonight! Whether you’re a long-time Dickens fan and hungry for some sweet-hearted nostalgia, or a surprisingly intense Muppets purist who wants to pay tribute to Jim Henson’s imagination (as one of us turns out to be), listen in for some wintry fun. Then! We count up our Top Five Festive Season Movies -  and both Phoebe and Nathaniel have some surprising recommendations for the holidays (1:02:40).  We discuss where The Muppets Christmas Carol is coming from, how it’s aged, what Michael Caine was up to, the meaning of Christmas, how Cillian Murphy and Christian Bale fit into all this, and whether the film, to quote David Ehrlich, can be called another “holiday film that’s tried to make some money by selling audiences on the magic of giving it away.” Also we briefly resemble a right-wing talk show argument. All this and more, for your festive ears, this week. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Border crossings, ballistic vests, betrayals and Bernthals collide in 2015’s Sicario, starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, and two supporting actors very dear to our hearts. Directed by Denis Villneuve and scripted by the emperor of Montana himself, Taylor Sheridan, this is the film that may finally shake the foundations of Initial Thoughts to its very core. Also, “it’s girl’s night, motherfucker” — hear that in context, this week. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Return to Isla Nublar with us, as we dive into our first Spielberg and biggest, most ferocious blockbuster yet, 1993’s Jurassic Park! Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! It’s dinosaurs galore this week, plus our reactions to Mr. Jeff Goldbum’s chest, Ms. Dern’s makeup, and the T.Rex’s rizz levels. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Phoebe and Nathaniel follow David Lynch into the Hollywood Hills this week. Or do they? _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

What would Reynolds Woodcock (née Stanley) do? _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

It's Casablanca! Revisit the all-time classic, find out if we agree it's an all-time classic, and hear Phoebe say "Make Christmas White Again." _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

A different type of episode! This time Phoebe has already seen the film at time of pre-recording! Witness Nathaniel's Initial Thoughts on David Fincher's brand-new Fassbender-starring Netflix film The Killer... It's another Noirvember pick, a day-and-date tie-in with the film's online release, and an in-depth look at one of the year's (and Nathaniel's) most anticipated new features... welcome back! _____ Speaking of noir, don't miss NBB’s Must-See Pre-1970 Film Noir List, as featured on Episode 3! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Happy Noirvember all. To kick off this chilly month and pay tribute to this lovely genre, we're watching the film some call "Hollywood's last great noir" - L.A. Confidential. Hear what NBB & PRJ made of this star-studded 1997 blockbuster, how it relates to the noir genre (defined as: "Rain, and people being a bit sad, and shadows, and people being involved with crime, but being upset about it") and Phoebe's pitch for LADY Confidential. Please enjoy, Initial Thoughts! _____ Hungry for noir? Check out NBB’s Must-See Pre-1970 Film Noir List! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

A Spooky Season Special Welcome back to Initial Thoughts! We return for Episode Number Two with (some say) Spooky Movie Number One. Please enjoy. Music by White Bat Audio.

Welcome to Initial Thoughts! Kicking things off by viewing and discussing a story of egomaniacal misuse of social media, which seems appropriate! Please enjoy. Music by White Bat Audio.