
Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with screenwriter Philip Ralph, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Barton Fink impact, Big Night analysis, and Bloody Sunday influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Philip Ralph also discusses the ongoing, rolling paradigm shift/crisis in the TV industry (and film industry too), the impact on working class people entering/staying in the TV industry and what the TV industry could be doing to make things better.
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the ongoing, rolling paradigm shift/crisis in the TV industry and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[2:00] What do you mean by rolling paradigm shift/crisis in the TV industry?
[8:40] Philip’s open tweet to the industry goes viral
[12:00] The political argument for the cultural importance of public service broadcasting to the wider successes in UK TV (and film)
[15:00] UK TV has to be affordable to be sustainable and costs are rocketing.
[17:00] What are the opportunities to improve the UK TV industry? We need to go back to basics. You need to invest in the future of the industry. More low budget shows?
[21:00] Channel 5 resurrection of Play For Today
[23:40] We need a bit of punk ethos
[31:00] The pressure that every show has to sell around world stifles innovation/narrows the window of opportunity.
[34:00] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Barton Fink impact
[34:45] Philip Ralph saw Barton Fink at the now defunct Lumiere Cinema when he was studying at RADA. It really stayed with him and has become something incredibly important to his life.
Big Night analysis
[42:00] Philip Ralph says Big Night is his favourite film of all time. He could’ve done a whole podcast on Big Night he loves it so much. For Philip, Big Night is the perfect evocation of art versus commerce.
Bloody Sunday Influence
[48:40] Philip Ralph says that Bloody Sunday, over and above the execution of it, demonstrates Paul Greengrass’s unique ability to take you into the minutiae of a day like that and never dehumanises anybody, even the people who end up doing appalling things. The power of it as a piece of documentary drama, it inspired a whole strand of Philip’s writing life.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
Learn about the ongoing, rolling paradigm shift/crisis in the TV industry (and film industry)
What the we and the TV industry could be doing to make things better
Understand the impact on working class people
Understand cinema’s transformative power through Barton Fink (1991), Big Night (1996), Bloody Sunday (2002)
About the Guest:
Philip Ralph is a a multi-award-winning writer for screen and stage. Find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-ralph-1258a7260/
Philip's keynote speech on class in the UK TV industry given at Leeds University’s Media department in Ocftober 2025 - COMMON PEOPLE: Reclaiming The Narrative On Class in TV at a Time of Crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_66i8f815oA
Play for Today: The revival hoping to save British TV from a class crisis https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/play-for-today-channel-5-b2863772.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1763018711
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 26, 2025
58 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with the two Irish filmmakers: director Alan Hopkins and producer Husni Hafid in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Jurassic Park and The Virgin Suicides’ impact, Badlands and Shawshank Redemption analysis, and There Will Be Blood and Donnie Darko influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. They also discusses how they made their short films: JUNGLE and OGHAM
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the making of the short films: JUNGLE and OGHAM and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[1:20] The making of JUNGLE
[9:30] How did JUNGLE get broadcast on RTE?
[12:20] The making of OGHAM
[21:10] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Jurassic Park (1993) impact
[22:30] Alan Hopkins describes how he did apply to be a palaeontologist like many others as a result of this film, but more importantly for his generation this film is his E.T.
The Virgin Suicides (1999) impact
[27:06] Husni Hafid describes how the first time he saw this film was on TV in Libya. What he didn’t know at the time, Libyan TV edited the sex scenes but left any violence well alone.
Badlands (1974) analysis
[32:20] Alan Hopkins shares how Badlands was the film that changed everything about how he viewed films. It was the first time he was engaging with film as a higher art form.
Shawshank Redemption (1994) analysis
[37:55] Husni Hafid says Shawshank Redemption is the first film that stuck with him. To this day, he can go back and watch any time. Every time he watches it he gets something new from it. It is a film that can actively change his mood because it fills him with so much hope.
There Will Be Blood (2007) influence
[43:14] Alan Hopkins chose There Will Be Blood but what he means is the year 2007, the first year he went to film school. This was a time when he was all about cinema; going to the theatre every other day to watch films.
Donnie Darko (2001) influence
[49:24] Husni Hafid this is one of the first films where he saw the directors cut and it almost ruined it for him; realising how the theatrical cut had been edited so well. It is full of youthful energy and made him want to make a film.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how to make short films
Understand cinema’s transformative power through Jurassic Park (1993), The Virgin Suicides (1999), Badlands (1974), Shawshank Redemption (1994), There Will Be Blood (2007), Donnie Darko (2001)
Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest(s):
Alan Hopkins is a Dublin-based writer-director, and lead creative executive at HAL Pictures. His films have screened on national broadcasters and major film festivals across continents, picking up multiple awards along the way.
Husni Hafid is an award winning producer born in Libya and raised in Co Sligo, Ireland. He has a proven track record of bringing films to completion across projects of varying scale.
Their website : halpictures.com
Jungle Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM3RTmBD5co
Ogham Trailer : https://vimeo.com/967751228
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 19, 2025
56 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with the author of the self-help book “Good Stuff To Read When You're About To Lose Your Shit”, Amanda Graham, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Pee Wee's Big Adventure impact, Edward Scissorhands analysis, and Gone With The Wind influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Amanda Graham also discusses how and why she wrote the self-help book Good Stuff To Read When You're About To Lose Your Shit
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the writing of Good Stuff To Read When You're About To Lose Your Shit and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[1:00] Talking about the self-help book “Good Stuff To Read When You're About To Lose Your Shit”
[19:20] How much has your perception of losing your shit changed since writing the book?
[23:00] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Pee Wee's Big Adventure impact
[23:40] Amanda Graham describes how she was in a apocalyptic cult and there was no joy in it. And how watching Pee Wee's Big Adventure was so joyful and it was the first time she felt real. It was such a double fingers to everything she had been dragged through.
Edward Scissorhands analysis
[29:30] Amanda Graham shares how when Edward Scissorhands came out she was attending Liberty University, which is an exceptionally conservative, religious American university. It was miserable and she was in a group called ‘The Liberty Freaks’. Outside the university was a $1 theatre and you weren’t supposed to go. You would get in trouble for going to see a movie. And when Edward Scissorhands came out, she saw it 14 (fourteen) times.
Gone With The Wind Influence
[35:00] Amanda Graham talks about how watching Gone With The Wind was super impactful. She watched it on VHS, and what made her uncomfortable was the way it was re-writing history. She watched it with her mom and she remembers her mother saying: “I wish we could go back to those days” and thinking ‘are you kidding me?’ She went off and did some research into book and found it was written in homage to the Ku Klux Klan.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about why Amanda Graham wrote the self-help book Good Stuff To Read When You're About To Lose Your Shit
Understand cinema’s transformative power through Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Gone With The Wind (1939)
Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Amanda Graham is a screenwriter whose past work includes writing 23 eps of Apple/BBC TV and script editing, ghostwriting and punching up scripts and pitch decks for 90+ film and TV development projects including for the BBC, Channel 4, and Zero Gravity Group.
Her self-help book Good Stuff to Read When You’re About to Lose Your Sh*t which gathers everything she learned, tried, and ignored during the worst decade of her life to help others not feel alone) is out now
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 13, 2025
43 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with the director of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre documentary CHAIN REACTIONS, Alexandre O. Phillipe, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Vertigo impact, Bladerunner analysis, and All Tex Avery Cartoons influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Alexandre O. Phillipe also discusses how he directed CHAIN REACTIONS
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the making of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre documentary CHAIN REACTIONS and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[1:00] Describe CHAIN REACTIONS
[3:00] Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an extraordinary film
[5:20] Texas Chain Saw Massacre is pure cinema
[7:20] Texas Chain Saw Massacre looks amateurish is part of the charm of the film
[9:00] What changes in perception did Alexandre have from making CHAIN REACTIONS?
[13:00] Gaining new readings of Texas Chain Saw Massacre from those interviewed.
[14:00] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Vertigo impact
[14:43] Alexandre O. Phillipe describes how Vertigo goes really deep and was his first film memory.
Bladerunner analysis
[20:20] Alexandre O. Phillipe shares how Bladerunner was a film he watched in theatres, in Paris, when he was 10. He got the VHS as soon as he could and there was a time in his youth when he watched the film every day of his life.
All Tex Avery Cartoons Influence
[26:00] Alexandre O. Phillipe talks about how watching Tex Avery Cartoons were a huge part of his pre-school routine when he was growing up in Switzerland. The absurdity and over the top humour and how Tex Avery could escalate every situation. Alexandre thinks that Tex Avery was the greatest.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how Alexandre O. Philippe decided on the style and format of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre documentary CHAIN REACTIONS
Understand cinema’s transformative power through Vertigo (1958), Bladerunner (1982), All Tex Avery Cartoons
Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Alexandre O. Philippe is a Swiss American film director. Philippe is also the Creative Director and co-owner of Denver-based Cinema Vertige
Fifty years after Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shocked the world, this feature-length documentary charts the film's profound impact and lasting influence on five great artists – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King and Karyn Kusama.
Chain Reactions will be available on Digital and Blu-ray from 27th October
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 4, 2025
33 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with the director of GAME, John Minton, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Le Jetee impact, 2001: A Space Odyssey analysis, and The Clock influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. John Minton also discusses how he directed GAME
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the making of GAME and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[0:42] What is the film GAME about?
[1:20] How a short film idea turned in to a feature film
[4:50] Invada Records to Invada Films - a 20 year journey
[9:00] How did you cast Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson for the role of the poacher?
[10:20] How do you make someone trapped upside down in a car visually interesting? What were the challenges?
[20:00] What new story was discovered during the editing process?
[24:30] Marc Bessant’s upside down performance
[29:45] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Le Jetee impact
[30:10] John Minton describes how Le Jetee was a film he was introduced to on a graphic design course and he fell into the moving image as a result. How it showed him he could make films.
2001: A Space Odyssey analysis
[35:20] John Minton shares how 2001: A Space Odyssey is all about the dawn of man; the cut from the bone to outer space. How he will always be impressed by it.
The Clock Influence
[42:50] John Minton talks about how The Clock is about the whole of the 20th century cinema. How he found himself checking he own time, all the time, while watching nearly five hours of it.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how an independent film is made and how to make a contained thriller on a low budget
Learn about how GAME starring Jason Williamson and Marc Bessant was made
Learn how to expand a short film idea into a feature film
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through Le Jetee (1962), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Clock (2010)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
John Minton is a Bristol-based UK filmmaker, known for his experimental, lo-fi, and hallucinatory style. Characterised by grainy super-8 textures, a palette of iridescent, glowing hues, and mesmerisingly evocative imagery. John’s distinctive visual flair has lent itself to music videos for Noel Gallagher, Portishead, and Savages amongst others.
For more about John’s work see https://www.mintonfilm.co.uk
For details about November 2025 screenings: where and how to see GAME click the following link for more info https://linktr.ee/InvadaFilmsGame
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 28, 2025
54 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with independent distributor Jonny Tull, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Three Colours Whiteimpact, Dawn Of The Dead analysis, and The Ladykillers influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Jonny Tull also discusses why he formed the independent film distributor Tull Stories
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about the independent film distributor Tull Stories and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[1:00] What and who is the film distributor Tull Stories?
[5:30] What gaps in the UK distribution have you discovered since setting up Tull Stories
[9:24] What has been the steepest part of the learning curve since starting Tull Stories?
[11:50] What is your biggest change in perceptions about the role of the distributor since you have become one?
[16:40] The importance of national newspaper coverage to independent film distribution
[20:00] The importance of working with the filmmaker to independent film distribution.
[24:00] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Three Colours White impact
[24:10] Jonny Tull describes Three Colours White as his career starter via work placement he got at the Tyneside Cinema and was bungled into the cinema by the woman who would later become his wife just to get rid of him and the second film he saw that day was Three Colours White.
Dawn Of The Dead analysis
[29:40] Jonny Tull shares how Dawn Of The Dead was a formative film for him. It was how he started to understand what he really liked about film.
The Ladykillers Influence
[35:40] Jonny Tull talks about how The Ladykillers is about British cinema. It was one of those films that was always on the television when he was growing up. Watching now it’s as fantastic and as good he remembers it and ever performance is just brilliant as well. It’s post-war Britain under the microscope.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
-Learn about independent film distribution
- Learn about what Tull Stories can offer you
- The power of a mentor to a screenwriter
- What is good script coverage
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through Three Colours White (1994), Dawn Of The Dead (1978), The Ladykillers (1955)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Jonny Tull has over 25 years of working the UK film exhibition sector and has been working in film distribution since 2017.
Coming soon from Tull Stories:
GOING TO THE DOGS - NOV 7
https://tullstories.co.uk/films/going-to-the-dogs/
STILL PUSHING PINEAPPLES - NOV 28
https://tullstories.co.uk/films/still-pushing-pineapples/
MOTHERBOARD (released in August), was nominated for a Grierson award and been BIFA longlisted today:
https://tullstories.co.uk/films/motherboard/
A new title for 2026. Incredible Film has locked a distribution deal with UK-based Tull Stories for the Dutch-English feature The North: https://tullstories.co.uk/deadline-incredible-film-inks-distribution-for-the-north/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 21, 2025
46 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with filmmaker and film festival director Heidi Hornhacher, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Monty Python and the Holy Grail impact, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade analysis, and French Kiss influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Heidi Hornhacher also discusses Pagecraft and the power of mentoring
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about Pagecraft and the power of mentoring with screenwriting Heidi Hornhacher and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright on his movie podcast.
[1:00] What is Pagecraft?
[3:28] Common mistakes Pagecraft can help make your screenplay better
[5:40] What are the benefits of the two weeks residential in Italy?
[7:00] What is the key to good script coverage?
[9:20] How can a screenwriter get the best out of script coverage?
[11:50] What is the power of mentoring and why might it be important to a screenwriter?
[17:30] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Monty Python and the Holy Grail impact
[18:20] Heidi Hornhacher saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail when she was far too young and has lost count the number of times she has rewatched it.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade analysis
[23:30] Heidi Hornhacher shares how Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the first movie she waited in line at her local, Larkspur cinema, northern California, to see it. When she finally got in, there were no seats left and Heidi had to sit on the carpets in front of the front row to watch it.
French Kiss Influence
[25:40] Heidi Hornhacher talks about how French Kiss is a perfect Romcom structure. There’s motif. There’s transitions. It’s a screenplay she teaches, but surprisingly, it’s unavailable to stream anywhere.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about what Pagecraft can offer you
- The power of a mentor to a screenwriter
- What is good script coverage
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), French Kiss (1995)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
A graduate of UCLA’s screenwriting program, Heidi Hornbacher has written numerous features, treatments, and TV pilots for both studios and independent producers.
For more about Pagecraft see https://www.pagecraftwriting.com/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 14, 2025
38 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with filmmaker and film festival director Steven Sheil, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Theatre Of Blood impact, Deep Red analysis, and Texas Chain Saw Massacre influence on his personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Steven Sheil also discusses the origins and evolution of 21 years of Mayhem Film Festival and highlights three films to look forward to in 2025’s edition: 1) GAME directed by John Minton, 2) BULK directed by Ben Wheatley and 3) REDUX REDUX directed by Kevin & Matthew McManus
Mayhem Film Festival runs 16-19 October 2025 at the Broadway Cinema. For tickets and more details about https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about 21 years of MAYHEM FILM FESTIVAL with filmmaker and co-founder Steven Sheil and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright’s movie podcast.
[0:30] The origins and evolution of Mayhem Film Festival and horror cinema over the last 21 years.
[11:43] Three films to look forward to in 2025’s Mayhem Film Festival: 1) GAME directed by John Minton, 2) BULK directed by Ben Wheatley and 3) REDUX REDUX directed by Kevin & Matthew McManus
[14:18] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Theatre Of Blood impact
[15:13] Steven Sheil watched a lot of horror as a kid and Theatre Of Blood was one of the inappropriate films he saw back then that stuck with him. In particular the open scene where Michael Horden is stabbed to death by a bunch of homeless people.
Deep Red analysis
[20:20] Steven Sheil shares how he’d moved to Nottingham in the early 1990s, had fallen in with a local group of burgeoning filmmakers where he met Chris Cooke - co-founder of Mayhem Film Festiva. Chris lent Steven a DVD of Deep Red and that became his gateway to Dario Argento’s films. His favourite Argento is INFERNO, the sequel to SUSPIRIA.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre Influence
[25:40] Steven Sheil talks about how Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the greatest horror film ever made. It was a huge influence on his debut feature, MUM & DAD. He even pitched that film as the Heathrow Airport Chain Saw Massacre showing how much it’s in the DNA of the film.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how Mayhem Film Festival grew from an evening of short films to a four day event
- Understand how horror has evolved over the first quarter of the 21st century
- Three films to look forward to in 2025’s edition: 1) GAME directed by John Minton, 2) BULK directed by Ben Wheatley and 3) REDUX REDUX directed by Kevin & Matthew McManus
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through Theatre Of Blood (1973), Deep Red (1975), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Steven Sheil is a screenwriter and director. His first feature film, the microbudget Mum & Dad (2008) was described by Total Film as 'one of the defining British horrors of its generation'. His second feature, the Indonesia-set action-horror Dead Mine (2012) was HBO Asia's first home-grown production.
Mayhem Film Festival runs 16-19 October 2025 at the Broadway Cinema. For tickets and more details about https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 10, 2025
33 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with DEAD DUCK FILM CLUB founder Sebastian Toursel, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring impact, Avatar analysis, and The Memento influence on her personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Sebastian Toursel also discusses Dead Duck Film Club and the inaugural Dead Duck Cult Film Festival, a day of the New French extreme cinema: Titane, High Life, Revenge & Martyrs
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about how Dead Duck Film Club was able to grow from one off screenings to an all day film festival and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright’s movie podcast.
[1:30] Why Dead Duck film club?
[6:10] The ups and downs of showing people films.
[9:50] Why a festival about the New French Extreme horror cinema movement?
[16:40] What is the New French Extreme panel about? Who is on it?
[22:30] The vendors at the Dead Duck Cult Film Festival.
[25:20] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring impact
[26:00] Sebastian Toursel says as a nineties kid, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the film where the world just opened up for him. He’s watched it every year since he was eight.
Avatar analysis
[32:20] Sebastian Toursel shares how Avatar was the most mindblowing experience of his life. He went to see it in cinemas six times. Each time with different people, but same cinema.
Rec Influence
[37:40] Sebastian Toursel talks about how Rec is the film where horror became his thing. It is intense and amazing. There’s a fantastic scene around a group of people have a conversation on the ground floor and a jump scare where for the very first time he almost peed himself.
Key Take Aways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how Dead Duck Film Club grew into Dead Duck Cult Film Festival.
- What is the New French Extreme horror cinema movement
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Avatar (2009), Rec (2007)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Sebastien Toursel is the founder of the Dead Duck Film Club, Nottingham’s home for cult cinema. He screens the weird, the rare, and the unforgettable. His events celebrate global cult films, from Korean thrillers to French horror, all presented with a DIY spirit and a love for the offbeat. He collaborates with local cinemas like The Savoy to bring these unique films to the big screen. Each screening is accompanied by fan-made posters and a community eager to discuss and appreciate the art of cult cinema.
https://deadduckfilm.com
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 7, 2025
46 min

Join screenwriter Stuart Wright as he dives into movies that changed your life with filmmaker Matt Harvey, in this engaging episode of 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life. Explore Mad Max: Fury Road impact, A Clockwork Orange analysis, and The Memento influence on her personal growth and cinema’s transformative power. Matt Harvey also discusses the creation of the powerful artwork and making of the album A SINGLE FLOWER
Movies That Changed Your Life
Find out about how and why screenwriter Matt Harvey turns her screenplays into novels and the lasting impact of cinema with Stuart Wright’s movie podcast.
[1:45] Why should you be thinking about turning your screenplays into novels.
[6:50] The music is abstract and cinematic
[8:30] How do you know a song is done?
[14:30] The artwork joins the narrative of music together.
[16:00] Contribution of Godspeed You Black Emperor!’s Sophie Trudeau
[18:00] Pulling the artwork together – influences and inspirations
[16:30] 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life
Mad Max: Fury Road impact
[17:15] Matt Harvey says Mad Max: Fury Road is the film he judges all other films against. How it encapsulates everything about why you want go to movies.
A Clockwork Orange analysis
[35:30] Matt Harvey shares how A Clockwork Orange was an important film for him as a young film lover in high school, university era, pretending to be a film buff but still has at least 1000 other films before he could claim to be that.
Parasite Influence
[27:43] Matt Harvey talks about how Parasite is a film that stayed in his mind for a long, long time after he left the theatre. Everything is so well crafted. The storytelling is amazing. It gets under your skin. An instant masterpiece.
Key Takeaways:
- Discover how movies that changed your life shape personal and professional growth.
- Learn about how WE LOST THE SEA create their instrumental post-rock music
- Learn about Matt Harvey’s influences and inspirations, and the process for coming up with the artwork for the album.
- Understand cinema’s transformative power through Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Parasite (2019)
- Full show notes and transcript:
About the Guest:
Matt Harvey is a graphic designer and guitarist in the instrumental post-rock band WE LOST THE SEA.
We Lost The Sea’s website https://www.welostthesea.com
Matt Harvey’s website http://www.graphicatharsis.com/about-me
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts for more movies that impacted your life!
Share your favourite movies that impacted your life on X (@leytonrocks) and leave a 5-star review and tell us which 3 films impacted your adult life. Best ones get read out on the podcast.
Credits:
Intro/Outro music: *Rocking The Stew* by Tokyo Dragons (https://www.instagram.com/slomaxster/)
Written, produced, and hosted by Stuart Wright for [Britflicks.com](https://www.britflicks.com/britflicks-podcast/)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 1, 2025
50 min
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