Ep 66 – The Imitation Game – Alan Turing, Oscar Bait and the Spy Subplot No One Asked For
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on The Imitation Game (2014) and unpick all the ways it does Alan Turing dirty. With guest George (our usual SAS Rogue Heroes correspondent) taking on several sidequests with us this summer), we tackle the unnecessary spy plot, the myth of the lone genius, and why turning one of history’s most brilliant minds into a socially inept robot is just lazy, disrespectful writing. Sam did all the reading, Maartje Googled for one minute and George has actually been to Bletchley Park. All of us instantly agree: this movie is not it.We talk queer erasure, posthumous pardons, codebreaking accuracy (or lack thereof), and Sam explains EXACTLY how Turing's codebreaking machine works ;). This movie is Oscar bait biopic mayhem (it worked, I guess), and we have some strong thoughts. What are yours?🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpodcast💬 Join the conversation and leave a review x!
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Ep 65 – Ballad of a Soldier – The Sweetest Russian War Movie You’ve Never Seen
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss the beautiful Ballad of a Soldier (1959), a Soviet-era WWII film that might just be the gentlest war movie we've ever seen. The film follows a young soldier named Alyosha as he travels across Russia to visit his mother on furlough. Along the way, he meets the love of his life. Not a very outspoken war movie, but a gentle story with sincere performances from main cast and supporting actors. 🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpodcast💬 Join the conversation and leave a review — we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Ep 64 – The Devil's Brigade – The Birth of the Black Devils on Monte la Difensa
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on the 1968 WWII film The Devil's Brigade, a movie full of misfit characters, Italian mountains, and a whole lot of bagpipes. Based on a real American-Canadian commando unit known as the Devil's Brigade or the Black Devils, the film mixes adventure with questionable casting choices (why does everyone look 47 or up?) and a fun hour long training session. We talk about William Holden, snake collections, the birth of the Green Berets, and good old Americans scrapping with Canadians. Also: fake red berets, what's up with that?💻 Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpodcast💬 Join the conversation and leave a review — we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Ep 63 – Clare Mulley on the Women Who Fought – Polish Paratroopers, Nazi Test Pilots & Churchill's Favourite Spy
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by award-winning historian Clare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved..., The Women Who Flew for Hitler, and Agent Zo. We talk about Polish paratrooper Elżbieta Zawacka (Zo), Nazi-resisting test pilot Melitta von Stauffenberg, and the razor-sharp Christine Granville. Clare shares how she builds trust with her readers, balances storytelling with historical rigour, and restores women to their rightful place in the WWII record. And, this episodes is full of stories about the heroic women Clare writes about. You'll want to pick up a book or two after this!🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpodcast💬 Join the conversation and leave a review — we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Ep 62 – X Company Season 3 – Closing Up Camp X
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we break down the final season of X Company, the gripping Canadian WWII spy series set at Camp X. We discuss what worked, what felt rushed, and what made us yell "girl, no, don't kiss that Nazi!" Season 3 brings heavy losses, moral complexity, and a too early farewell to our favourite Canadian covert operatives. From Krystina's subterfuge, Faber’s redemption arc, to how the show handles antisemitism, resistance, and trauma without easy answers.Bye, X Company. Gone too soon. 🖥️ Visit our website: www.rosiethereviewer.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @rosiethereviewerpodcast💬 Join the conversation and leave a review — we’d love to hear your thoughts!
New Zealand