Mixed Bag

116 - The Adjustment Bureau

How much you would run for a dumb hat? That's what 2011's The Adjustment Bureau dares to ask. Our third entry into the Dream Blunt Rotation, Emily is sporting full 2010s fashion in this one but she never gets to wears that trilby.

We also welcome back Spirit himself, Matt Damon. Now we can see him in the flesh instead of his expertly animated horse design and we are disappointed.

FIGHT FOR YOUR FATE.
A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he’s ever loved. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

Will David choose between love and his career? Where did John Slattery go? And when will Emily get to a real character again? Also, a final chat of the 2023 Oscar predictions as it drops today!

115 - Wild Mountain Thyme

The Dream Blunt Rotation continues with John Patrick Shanley's Wild Mountain Thyme. But is this truly a dream blunt? After the reaction to Jungle Cruise, the Mixed Bag crew are hoping the Emerald Isles of Ireland and performances therein can dazzle us with their Irish charm.

THERE’S NOTHING MORE DANGEROUS… THAN AN IRISH WOMAN IN LOVE.
Headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon has her heart set on winning her neighbour Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is, Anthony seems to have inherited a family curse, and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. Stung by his father’s plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew, Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

Will this be another Moonstruck for the Irish community? How will Blunt fare with the accent? And WHERE. IS. FIONA?? Find out if we're buzzing or feel drowsy in need of some honey from Wild Mountain Thyme.

114 - Jungle Cruise

That's right, it's time for a new miniseries, Mixed Bag presents DREAM BLUNT ROTATION.

We've got four perfect puffs of the wonderful Emily Blunt for you to take a toke of. Relax enjoy and take a cruise down the jungle with our very first offering, 2021's Jungle Cruise, directed by none other than Non-Stop's Jaume Collet-Serra! Two Mixed in a row, well done Jaume!

Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

How come Jungle Cruise sports not one but two actors currently nominated for the 2023 Academy Awards? (shout out Pauly G!) Will Dwayne ever be as charismatic as an igneous? And will the lightning of Disney theme park adaptation strike twice?

113 - Non-Stop

"I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want. But if it's Taken you're looking for, I can tell you, this is only a knock-off."

RRRR! That's right, it's another JetBag 🚨 Emergency Landing 🚨 and this time we're covering Non-Stop (2014) with Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore and Lupita Nyong'o.

Bill Marks is a burned-out veteran of the Air Marshals service. He views the assignment not as a life-saving duty, but as a desk job in the sky. However, today’s flight will be no routine trip. Shortly into the transatlantic journey from New York to London, he receives a series of mysterious text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million into a secret account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.

Who is the killer in this star-studded flight? Will Liam be able to survive a flight without manhandling every single passenger? And is there any moment that will rival the pencil attack from Red Eye? All this and a hearty Oscar nomination chat with Non-Stop.

112 - Wonka (and top tens of 2023)

Another year has passed and it's time to look back on the year and remember the chocolatiers of 2023. Wonka, Barbie, J. Robert Oppenheimer and more.

We've taken one last trip to the chocolate factory to snack upon the confections of Paul King's Wonka starring Timothy Chalamet, Hugh Grant and Olivia Coleman. 

Willy Wonka – chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time – is proof that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

We've also taken the liberty to share our personal top tens of 2023, visit our Letterboxd pages (James, Cass, Matt) and follow us for more movie updates!

Will we (Hugh) grant this film a bag? Or will we use our pure imagination to dream up a superior version of favourite enigmatic chocolate bud?

111 - Love Actually ft Lucas Neal

Christmas is all around you BagHags and so it's time for our Christmas tradition, Lucas Neal joins us once again for a Christmas Mixed Bag! It's a big one this year, long requested, Love Actually (2003) by Richard Curtis!

THE ULTIMATE ROMANTIC COMEDY.
Follows seemingly unrelated people as their lives begin to intertwine while they fall in – and out – of love. Affections languish and develop as Christmas draws near.

Were the hosts and guest prepared for quite so much fatphobia? Is Alan Rickman 'adorable' as James says? The film attests that it's possible to be "gay as a maypole" and "gay as a picnic basket" but which is more gay? And will we finally view the film from Both Sides Now?

All this and more in our epic two hour episode that concludes our viewings for 2024 (we're taking a break on Christmas Day). Thanks for being with us for another year and merry Mixed Bag viewings this holiday season. 

110 - Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (2005) ft Dryw McArthur

The chocolate factory is back open! To coincide with the upcoming release of 'Wonka', a definitely not mixed film, we thought we'd take a trip down memory lane to the last Wonka release, Tim Burton's version in 2005 and we are joined by special guest Dryw McArthur!

A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world’s most unusual candy maker.

Are we able to stomach a Johnny Depp film? What elements of the tale have aged badly? Are you pro or anti Grandpa Joe and why is Christopher Lee playing Wonka's dad in this movie?!

We had some minor technical issues on this ep fam but you'll barely notice them.

See you next time for our annual Christmas special episode!

109 - Crossroads

It's Britney, b*tch.

To coincide with the book of the year The Woman in Me, we're looking back to 2002 when Britney made a big swing making a coming of age, road movie with Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning, Crossroads!

DREAMS CHANGE. FRIENDS ARE FOREVER.

Three estranged friends reunite to travel to LA to chase fame, family and romance. 

Does this pop star vanity project pay off? Which is girl is each host? And how will Britney write her hit single, I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman?

108 - Carrie (2013) ft Mike Bryant

Happy Halloween Baghags! We hope your lolly bags are never mixed and it's bottles all the way down.

We're celebrating the Spooky Season with our Foe of the Pod, Mike Bryant, bringing us another scary movie of the mixed variety for our hosts to feast upon! This year, we're going to the prom with Carrie, 2013 edition. 

A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

How will Hit Girl (aka Chloe Grace Moretz) fare when compared to Sissy Spacek? Will Oscar winner Julianne Moore hold a candle to Piper Laurie? And why are they playing WATERPOLO? We all know Matt is a professed landlubber.

All this and more in our Halloween special of Mixed Bag.

107 - Van Helsing

Oh the Hugh-manity! It's another Hugh Jackson flick and we're warming up to Halloween with this action adventure Van Helsing (2004) directed by Stephen Sommers of The Mummy and G.I. Joe fame.

Famed monster slayer Gabriel Van Helsing is dispatched to Transylvania to assist the last of the Valerious bloodline in defeating Count Dracula. Anna Valerious reveals that Dracula has formed an unholy alliance with Dr. Frankenstein’s monster and is hell-bent on exacting a centuries-old curse on her family.

Can a film hold the combined might of Van, Frank, Drac, Wolf and Jek/Hy?? When is David Wenham getting his comedic roles back? And will Matt finally be convinced by Hugh?

Also, we do a massive deep dive on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour to kick off Popcorner! Listen in Swifties.