For this year’s Christmas episode, Film Utopia heads back to Middle-earth as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean tackle The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in full – from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Return of the King. Not a misty-eyed holiday special, but a long, honest fireside reckoning with one of cinema’s most beloved trilogies.

While still a fan overall, Steven uses the extended runtime to reflect on the criticisms he’s developed over the years, particularly with Return of the King, from its ever-stretching length to its ageing CGI. Benjamin finds his affection for the finale has also waned, taking issue the Witch-king’s demise, and Smeagol’s transformation.

Sean remains the trilogy’s most steadfast defender Though he acknowledges many of the same flaws, his love for the films endures. Especially The Two Towers, much to Steven’s ongoing bafflement.

What IS unanimous, however, is the enduring brilliance of The Fellowship of the Ring: Ian McKellen’s Gandalf, the location shooting, Howard Shore’s iconic score, the majesty of Rivendell, and the purity of its single-journey structure remain untouchable.

Join us for a festive return to Middle-earth, brimming with admiration… and the occasional raised eyebrow.

This week on Film Utopia, Steven, Benjamin, and Sean hop in the cinematic time machine and cruise back to 1995, a year stacked so high with bangers, bruisers and cult classics that even John Doe would struggle to catalogue them.

We stroll month-by-month through our first-watch memories and rediscover why ‘95 was an all-timer. There’s expected reverence for Se7en, Casino, and Heat (the holy trinity of grimy crime masterpieces); love for Crimson Tide, 12 Monkeys, The Usual Suspects, and Strange Days, and even a warm salute for Tank Girl. Yes, even Steven, who has bizarrely softened on the film since his last watch.

From prestige thrillers to neon-splattered comic chaos, from time-travel gloom to mobster cool, 1995 gave us a cinematic buffet we’re still chewing on today.

With Benjamin off-world, Steven, Sean, and special guest Max suit up for a deep-dive reaction to Predator: Badlands. After a quick surveying of the state of the modern Disney/Trachtenberg-verse, touching on Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, we zero in on the new film itself and each give our tuppence on this latest entry in one of our most beloved movie series’.

How does Badlands stack up against the broader Predator legacy? How does the series fare as a whole compared to other long-running favourites like Terminator and Alien? Short version: It’s holding it’s own better than most! We get into the Riddick-alike plot, the sound design, score, visual style, the Predator creature design, and even the evolving Predator language with largely positive remarks on all aspects. But looming over it all is the question we keep circling back to:

“It’s a tidy, punchy sci-fi action romp – but is this what we want from a Predator movie?”

This spooky season, Film Utopia sharpens its glove and dives head-first into the complete A Nightmare on Elm Street movie series; the final corner of what we lovingly call “the Big Four” of 80s horror, following our previous years’ deep dives into Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Hellraiser.

Steven, Benjamin, and Sean stalk their way through the original six films plus Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Freddy vs Jason, and… yes, even that 2010 remake (which everyone happily agrees belongs in the bin).

Along the way, we chart Freddy’s evolution from terrifying dream-stalking boogeyman to latex-grinning stand-up comic, debate the best Elm Street entry (no one agrees), and celebrate the gloriously ridiculous mayhem of Freddy vs Jason. Sean compares Freddy’s Dead to Malcolm in the Middle, Benjamin vents his disdain for Part 4 and confesses he didn’t realise Tuesday Night’s Kristen was supposed to be the same character portrayed by Patricia Arquette, and Steven once again professes his love for New Nightmare - and shockingly defends Freddy’s Revenge!

Expect sharp claws, sharper opinions, and the cosy comfort of horror nostalgia. Sweet dreams…

Occasional Film Utopia collaborator and Alien nut Max joins Steven and Benjamin for their reaction to the new Disney+ series, Alien: Earth. With somewhat mixed expectations from the gang due to varying opinions on Disney's efforts with last year’s Alien: Romulus, will Noah Hawley’s series hit the spot, or will it be a nuked site from orbit?

From interesting plot points to bizarre design choices, underdeveloped characters to missed opportunities, have a listen to see what we think. Spoiler alert: it’s not great.

Film Utopia’s epic 1980s Fantasy retrospective reaches its end as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean look beyond their beloved decade to see what became of the genre in the years that followed. From Disney’s magical 90s renaissance to Tim Burton’s gothic daydreams, through to Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter reviving the genre in the 00s, we briefly trace fantasy’s evolution and slow retreat into remakes, reboots and rehashes.

There’s grumbling over The Hobbit, apprehension over The Hunt for Gollum, and tentative hope that Henry Cavill might manage to become “the only one” in the upcoming Highlander remake. Along the way, we wonder if modern fantasy has lost its daring spirit… and unanimously agree to return soon to tackle Middle-earth as a three man team.

Join us for our reflective wrap-up to our summer quest through the worlds of 80s fantasy and what came after!

Film Utopia’s summer quest reaches the tail end of the 1980s as Steven Benjamin, and Sean reminisce about the fantastical twilight of the decade. From the muscle-bound chaos of The Barbarians, to the satirical fairytale perfection of The Princess Bride, the surreal stop-motion wonder of Alice, the “best leave that one in childhood’s memory” Willow, and the gleeful absurdity of Erik the Viking, we explore how the fantasy boom began to wind down in the late 80s.

Steven’s love for The Princess Bride remains barely containable, Sean forgets yet more actor names, and Ben gleefully goads Steven into conceding that Masters of the Universe does, in fact, count as fantasy. Along the way, we tip our hats to fantasy-adjacent oddities like The Witches of Eastwick, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Vice Versa, and Mannequin.

It’s a nostalgic, irreverent look back at the last hurrah of 80s fantasy. Equal parts insight, banter, and affectionate mockery.

The Film Utopia summer quest thunders onward as Steven, Benjamin, and Sean venture into the fantastical mid-80s; 1984 – 1986. An era when fantasy cinema became darker, more kid-friendly, and occasionally farcical.

From the dreamy surrealism of A Company of Wolves and the childlike wonder (and childhood trauma-inducing) The NeverEnding Story to the neon-drenched Dungeonmaster, the ever-present loincloth-clad barbarian sights of Red Sonja and Barbarian Queen, and the iconic delights of Legend, Labyrinth, Return to Oz, and Highlander, we dig into a treasure chest of magic, monsters, and questionable wigs.

Along the way, we bicker over whether Weird Science counts as fantasy, swoon over Clancy Brown’s Kurgan (with inevitable, but requisite impressions), and wax lyrical about the era’s unforgettable music; from Bowie’s magic to Queen’s immortal Highlander score, via Jerry Goldsmith vs. Tangerine Dream’s duelling Legend soundtracks.

Come join us for a trip aboard the nostalgia express as we take a wild ride through one of fantasy cinema’s boldest chapters.