Best Film Ever

“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind.”

Join Ian, Liam, Megs & Kev for our 321st episode as we piece together Polaroids, tattoos, and fragments of memory in Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending thriller Memento (2000). This week the BFE timeline runs forward, backward, and occasionally sideways — and somewhere in the chaos a mystery guest drops in to help us figure out what actually happened.

This week we discuss:

Christopher Nolan’s narrative construction — reverse chronology, fragmented storytelling, and whether genius sometimes requires a second viewing… or a flowchart.

Guy Pearce’s Leonard Shelby — sympathetic victim, unreliable narrator, or architect of his own personal myth?

The two timelines — black-and-white clarity vs colour confusion. How the film weaponises structure to manipulate the audience.

Megs explores memory as identity — if you can’t remember who you are, can you still be responsible for what you do?

Ian breaks down Nolan’s early thematic obsessions — time, perception, control, and why Memento feels like the blueprint for the rest of his career.

Liam questions the film’s internal logic — how much of Leonard’s system actually works, and how much depends on blind faith?

Natalie and Teddy — manipulators, victims, opportunists, or something much harder to categorise?

The mechanics of storytelling — how the film reveals information while simultaneously making us doubt it.

Our mystery guest joins us — helping us untangle the film’s structure and asking whether understanding Memento actually improves it.

The ending (or beginning?) — revelation, tragedy, or the ultimate self-deception.

And finally, whether Memento is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most brilliantly constructed puzzles cinema has ever produced.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

“If you argue correctly, you’re never wrong.”

Join Ian, & Liam for our 320th episode as we light up the slick, fast-talking, morally elastic world of Jason Reitman’s Thank You For Smoking (2005). It’s spin, satire, and strategic deflection this week as we ask whether winning an argument is the same thing as being right.

This week we discuss:

Aaron Eckhart’s Nick Naylor — charming, composed, and ethically slippery. Is this one of the great “bad good guy” performances of the 2000s?

The art of spin — how the film weaponises rhetoric, reframing, and misdirection to hilarious — and unsettling — effect.

Satire with teeth — does the film actually challenge corporate lobbying culture, or does it admire its own cleverness too much?

We break down the film’s tonal balance — sharp comedy undercut by quiet moments of moral reckoning.

Liam explores the father-son dynamic — does the film ultimately soften Nick, or does it merely reposition him?

Ian questions the target — is Big Tobacco the point, or is the film more interested in the machinery of persuasion itself?

The MOD Squad scenes — Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, Big Firearms. Broad caricature or disturbingly accurate power structures?

Katie Holmes’ subplot — narrative necessity, tonal misfire, or commentary on transactional journalism?

The ending — redemption arc, compromise, or simply another pivot in a long career of strategic positioning?

We debate whether satire ages well — does this feel timeless, or does it belong firmly to its Bush-era moment?

And finally, whether Thank You For Smoking is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the smartest, slickest comedies of its decade.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

“You said you couldn’t believe in someone who didn’t believe in you.”

Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 319th episode as we dive headfirst into lace gloves, record store shifts, and 1980s romantic angst with John Hughes’ Pretty in Pink (1986). It’s class divides, prom politics, and the eternal question of who really deserves Andie Walsh.

This week we discuss:

Molly Ringwald as Andie — resilience, insecurity, and whether she’s a fully realised protagonist or a Hughes archetype dressed in vintage.

Blane’s behaviour — romantic lead or emotional liability? Does the film let him off too easily?

Duckie’s devotion — lovable underdog, manipulative “nice guy,” or something more complicated?

The class tension at the heart of the story — is the film actually saying something about wealth and identity, or just dressing teen drama up as social commentary?

Megs unpacks the fashion — iconic, chaotic, deeply 80s. Does the final dress deserve its reputation?

Ian explores the alternate ending — what changed, why test audiences intervened, and whether the original choice would have made for a stronger film.

Liam questions the soundtrack supremacy — is this peak 80s needle-drop culture, or nostalgia doing heavy lifting?

The father-daughter dynamic — quiet emotional centre or underdeveloped subplot?  Are certain viewers predispositioned to be on board with this - or not?

The prom climax — catharsis, compromise, or cultural time capsule?

We debate whether the film romanticises inequality — and whether Andie’s final choice feels empowering or regressive.

And finally, whether Pretty in Pink is the Best Film Ever — or simply one of the most enduring teen romances of the 1980s.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

Happy New Year (eventually)!  Another bonus episode for your listening enjoyment as we bring you another Reel Roundtable discussion.  Ian, Liam, Kev, and Megan look back on the films they've reviewed in 2025.  Comments, banter, and flat out arguments can be found as we debate the best that we saw in 2025 (A full list of award categories and eligible films are located at the bottom of these notes)

This year we're thrilled to have ballots from seven of our patrons and Ariannah, Synthia, & Paul join us to settle any and all tie-breakers (and there were a few).

The Awards:

Best Screenplay

Best Special Effects

Best Costume Design

Best Art Direction

Best Cinematography

Best Context Corner Highlight

Best Duo

Best Villain

Best Animated Film

Best Voice Actor

Best Musical

The John Williams Award for Best Score

Best Song or Theme

Best Soundtrack

Best Tearjerker

Funniest Film

Best BFE Moment/Rant/Quote

Best BFE Argument

The Abigail Breslin Award for Best Child Actor

The Steel Magnolias Award for Best Representation of Women

The Natalie Portman Award for Most Attractive Female on Film

The Ryan Gosling Award for Most Attractive Male on Film

Best Plot Twist (no spoilers)

Episode of the Year

Best Patreon Film

Best First Watch

Most Improved Viewing Experience

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Actor

The Frances McDormand Award for Best Actress

Best Film

 

Eligible Films:

300

American Psycho

Babylon

Black Swan

Cinderella Man

Crash

Dirty Harry

Erin Brockovich

Field of Dreams

Ghost

Heneral Luna

Idiocracy

Inception

It

Jackie Brown

Jaws

Karate Kid

Mask

Million Dollar Baby

Mission: Impossible 2

Moneyball

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Ordinary People

Out of the Furnace

Outbreak

Poltergeist

Predator

Rocky Horror

Ruby Sparks

Rush

Shallow Grave

Shutter Island

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Superman (1978)

Sweeney Todd

The 40 Year Old Virgin

The Fighter

The Goonies

The Holiday

The Naked Gun

The Shining

The Social Network

To Die For

Toy Story 3

Tremors

V for Vendetta

What We Do In The Shadows

Witness

X-Men

“We’re all in this together.”

Join Ian, Megs & Kev for our 318th episode as we lace up the Wildcats, grab the basketball (and the sheet music), and head back to East High for Disney Channel’s cultural phenomenon High School Musical (2006). It’s jazz hands, jump shots, and mid-2000s sincerity this week — and yes, we’re absolutely committing to the choreography.

This week we discuss:

The lightning-in-a-bottle appeal — how a made-for-TV movie became a generational event - especially for one member of the panel.

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens — chemistry, charisma, and the myth-making of teen stardom.  Does Hudgens get enough credit for the success of the franchise?

Ashley Tisdale’s Sharpay Evans — villain, icon, or misunderstood theatre kid with ambition? Is she too good to dislike?

Megs breaks down the musical structure — why the songs are catchier than they have any right to be, and which ones still slap.

The team talks about the difficulty about the audition process - on both sides of the equation 

We talk about the differences in social cliques in the North American school system versus the British school system

Ian talks about how the whole plot is a conceit that he can't fully buy into - but why?

Thematically — identity, peer pressure, and the fear of stepping outside the box. Why this simple message resonated so hard.

The “show, don’t tell” debate — does the film trust visual storytelling, or does it lean on dialogue and lyrics to do the heavy lifting?

The Disney machine — how the film’s success reshaped the network’s future output.

The ending performance — triumphant, predictable, or perfectly engineered for maximum serotonin?

And finally, whether High School Musical is the Best Film Ever — or simply the most aggressively rewatchable Disney Channel Original Movie ever made.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at
https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Hermes Auslander

James DeGuzman

Synthia

Shai Bergerfroind

Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most

Paul Komoroski

Andy Dickson

Chris Pedersen

Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)

Randal Silva

Nate The Great

Rev Bruce

Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)

Richard

Ryan Kuketz

Dirk Diggler

Stew from the Stew World Order podcast

NorfolkDomus

John Humphrey's Right Foot

Timmy Tim Tim

Aashrey

Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/