Darren

432. The Green Mile (#25)

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guests Charlene Lydon and Cethan Leahy, The 250 is a weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users.

This week, Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile.

At the turn of the millennium, Paul Edgecomb reflects back on his time serving as chief guard overseeing death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the 1930s. Paul recalls the standard operation of that section of the prison, known as “the Green Mile”, but in particular the arrival of a unique inmate, John Coffey. Neither Paul, nor anybody else on the Mile, have any idea what Coffey’s arrival will herald.

At time of recording, it was ranked 25th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: 1990s, cethan leahy, character dynamics, charlene lydon, Christ-like figure, cinematic landscape, compassion, cultural impact, cultural significance, Death Penalty, emotional depth, emotional engagement, frank darabont, humanist message, injustice, John Coffey, michael clarke duncan, moral dilemmas, morality, narrative intricacies, podcast, race, race portrayal, societal themes, stephen king, The 250, the green mile, tom hanks, Wild Bill | Leave a comment »

431. Past Lives – Leaving Cert 2025 (#—)

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, with week with special guests Conor Murphy and Natasha Waugh, The 250 is a weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users.

This August, we are taking a look at the films on the Irish Leaving Certificate Curriculum. This week, Celine Song’s Past Lives.

Nora Moon was just twelve years old when her family emigrated from South Korea to Canada. Moving to New York to pursue a career as a writer, Nora tries her best to stay in contact with her childhood friend Hae Sung, who remained in Seoul. Time passes and the pair drift out of contact. Years later, Hae Sung reaches out to let Nora know that he will be visiting New York, causing Nora to confront and re-evaluate many of her life choices.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: Celine Song, character complexities, cinematographic techniques, conor murphy, emotional narrative, film education, immigration, Irish Leaving Cert, love, natasha waugh, past lives, podcast, Relationships, The 250 | Leave a comment »

429. Io Non Ho Paura (I’m Not Scared) – Leaving Cert 2025 (#—)

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, with week with special guest Conor Murphy, The 250 is a weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users.

This August, we are taking a look at the films on the Irish Leaving Certificate Curriculum. This week, Gabriele Salvatores’ Io non ho paura.

In Italy, during the late 1970s, Michele Amitrano is enjoying the pleasures of a youth that seems like it might last last forever. One day, Michele makes a strange and unsettling discovery about what lurks in a strange hole on the edge of the village’s golden fields. What Michele finds might shake his world to its very foundations.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: 1970s Italy, childhood innocence, coming-of-age journey, Gabrielle Salvatores, I'm Not Scared, Irish Leaving Cert, non-professional child actors, societal critiques, socio-political climate, visual storytelling | Leave a comment »

428. Aliens – Special Edition (#64)

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, James Cameron’s Aliens.

57 years after the destruction of the Nostromo, Ellen Ripley is found adrift in space. Her account of a strange encounter with a monstrous creature is met with ridicule and scorn, particularly considering the colonisation of planetoid LV-426, where Ripley claimed to have found the alien. However, when the colony suddenly falls silent, it becomes clear that Ripley may not be entirely free of her trauma.

At time of recording, it was ranked 64th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: alien, aliens, feminism, film, imdb, james cameron, Movie, podcast | Leave a comment »

427. Star Trek (#—)

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Darren

This week, JJ Abrams’ Star Trek.

Orphaned following an encounter with a strange and hyper-advanced alien ship, James Tiberius Kirk drifts through life in search of purpose. Prompted to enroll in Starfleet Academy, Kirk finds himself drawn into an epic web of fate that crosses time and space, seemingly drawing him towards the most unlikely of companions, a half-Vulcan named Spock.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: 2009 film, 2009 reimagining, character development, character portrayals, cinematography, contemporary storytelling, cultural significance, editing, emotional complexity, emotional connection, franchise impact, identity, J. J. Abrams, james t. kirk, kirk, legacy, narrative structure, new audiences, original series, paternal relationships, spock, star trek, supporting characters, Uhura, Vulcan culture | Leave a comment »

426. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (#—)

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guest Darcie Faccio, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Vol. 2.

Having crossed two names off her list, the Bride continues her rip roaring rampage of revenge against the people who put her in a coma. As she finds herself on a collision course with her mentor and lover Bill, the Bride races towards a revelation that she could not possibly predict.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: abuser-victim relationships, Beatrix Kiddo, character development, cinematography, cycles of violence, Darcie Faccio, female audiences, greatest films, identity, imdb, Kill Bill Volume 2, music, narrative style, non-linear storytelling, pacing, podcast, quentin tarantino, redemption, revenge narratives, The 250, traditional masculinity, uma thurman, Vengeance | Leave a comment »

425. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (#151)

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guest Darcie Faccio, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Vol. 1.

A brutal mass murder at a wedding in El Paso, Texas, leaves a sole survivor: an anonymous pregnant woman, a former assassin who tried to escape her life of murder and mayhem for something more tranquil and serene. However, her old life was not finished with her. Four years later, the would-be bride wakes up and embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge driven by a single objective. She is going to Kill Bill.

At time of recording, it was ranked 151st on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: action sequences, Beatrix Kiddo, betrayal, Bob Richardson, cinematography, cultural impact, cultural significance, Darcie Faccio, emotional themes, films, genres, identity, imdb, Kill Bill Volume 2, kill bill: volume 1, morality, Movies, podcast, quentin tarantino, revenge, stylistic choices, stylistic evolution, The 250, themes, violence | Leave a comment »

424. Maharaja (#218)

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Nithilan Saminathan’s Maharaja.

In Chennai, a barber stumbles into a police station with an unbelievable story. His home has been burglarised, but the only thing of value that the thieves stole was a trash can of huge importance to the man and his daughter. It quickly becomes clear that there is something more afoot, a more complicated narrative of revenge and betrayal spanning decades and culminating in an act of unimaginable evil.

At time of recording, it was ranked 218th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: diverse narratives, dual narratives, film, gender, imdb, indian, indian cinema, Maharaja, moral ambiguity, netflix, Nithilan Saminathan, podcast, rape revenge, representation of women, revenge, sexual assault, social justice, societal commentary, tamil, Tamil film, The 250, violence | Leave a comment »

423. Predator: Killer of Killers – All-ien 2025 (#—)

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Jess Dunne, this week with special guest Richard Drumm, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung’s Predator: Killer of Killers.

Across centuries, if not millennia, of human history, an alien species has journeyed to earth in the hopes of hunting the most dangerous game of all. This is a collection of three stories about three human beings who found themselves facing an extraterrestrial monster, and discovered something about themselves in the ensuing conflict.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: animated entry, animation, animation quality, anthology, anthology format, character development, dan trachetneberg, familial bonds, imdb, jess dunne, narrative elements, podcast, Predator franchise, Predator Killer of Killers, Predator mythology, richard drumm, The 250, the thrid floor, Vengeance | Leave a comment »

422. Ainda Estou Aqui (I’m Still Here) (#228)

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guest Ingrid Machado, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Walter Salles’ Ainda Estou Aqui.

In 1970s Brazil, the Paiva family lives a charmed and tranquil existence. As the country around them slips into dictatorship, the family has managed to hold on to something close to normality. However, that peaceful life is suddenly and brutally shattered as the outside world comes crashing in.

At time of recording, it was ranked 228th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.