conor murphy | the m0vie blog

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 »

393. The Banshees of Inisherin – Leaving Cert 2024 (#—)

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Conor Murphy, this week with special guest Ciara Moloney, 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 Saturday at 6pm GMT.

This September, the podcast is going back to school, covering the films on the Irish Leaving Certificate that we have yet to cover. This time, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin.

As the Civil War rages on the mainland, an even more intimate conflict is brewing on the idyllic Irish island of Inisherin. For years, Pádraig and Colm have been the best of friends, but that all changes one day when Colm decides the dissolve their acquaintance. Neither man is fully prepared for the consequences of that decision, and how it tears the island apart.

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: brenadan gleeson, ciara moloney, colin farrell, conor murphy, culture, diaspora, emigration, identity, irish, irish cinema, irish leaving certificate, irishness, leaving cert, leaving certificate, leaving certificate english, martin mcdonagh, podcast, Podcasts!, Stage, The 250, Theatre | Leave a comment »

391. Barbie – Leaving Cert 2024 (#—)

Posted on September 14, 2024 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Conor Murphy, this week with special guests Aoife Barry and Deirdre Molumby, 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 September, the podcast is going back to school, covering the films on the Irish Leaving Certificate that we have yet to cover. This time, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

In Barbieland, every day is perfect. Just like yesterday. And just like tomorrow. However, one morning, Barbie wakes up and realises that things are not perfect at all. She finds herself contemplating mortality, tumbling through the air and walking on the soles of her feet. Thus begins an epic adventure that will take Barbie into a brave new realm: the real world.

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: aoife barry, barbie, blockbuster, brand-o-pics, buy-o-pics, capitalism, conor murphy, deirdre molumby, feminism, Greta Gerwig, i'm just ken, imdb, leaving cert, leaving certificate, margot robbie, masculinity, oppenheimer, podcast, pop cinema, Ryan Gosling, The 250, toxic masculinity | Leave a comment »

347. On the Waterfront – Leaving Cert 2023 (#187)

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Conor Murphy, this week with special guest Donald Clarke, The 250 is a weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released Saturdays at 6pm GMT.

This September, we are running a season looking at the films on the Irish Leaving Cert English Curriculum. So this week, Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront.

A down-on-his-luck former prizefighter, Terry Malloy finds himself doing oddjobs for the local union boss Johnny Friendly. When one of these jobs ends with dock worker Joey Doyle thrown to his death before he was due to testify to corruption within the union, Terry begins to question and doubt his involvement. A burgeoning romance with Joey’s sister Edie gradually awakens Terry’s conscience, throwing him into conflict with everything that he has ever known.

At time of recording, it was ranked 187th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: america, blacklist, Cold War, communism, conor murphy, donald clarke, education, elia kazan, english, history, huac, leaving cert, leaving certificate, leonard bernstein, marlon brando, on the waterfront, Russia | Leave a comment »

346. Mustang – Leaving Cert 2023 (#—)

Posted on September 23, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Conor Murphy, this week with special guest 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. New episodes are released Saturdays at 6pm GMT.

This September, we are running a season looking at the films on the Irish Leaving Cert English Curriculum. So this week, Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang.

In a remote Turkish village along the Black Sea, five young sisters find themselves locked inside the family house. Destined to be married off one-at-a-time, the five girls struggle to hold on to their humanity and their spirit in the face of soul-crushing oppression. Can they escape this captivity and can they emerge with their selves truly intact?

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: authenticity, awards, conor murphy, conservatism, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, feminism, foreign film, islam, Misogyny, mustang, natasha waugh, Oscars, religion, trigger warnings, Turkey | Leave a comment »

345. Diego Maradona – Leaving Cert 2023 (#—)

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Conor Murphy, this week with special guest Ross Whitaker, The 250 is a weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released Saturdays at 6pm GMT.

This September, we are running a season looking at the films on the Irish Leaving Cert English Curriculum. So this week, Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona.

In 1984, Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona transfers from F.C. Barcelona to S.S.C. Napoli. Less than a decade later, he will leave the club and the city under a cloud of controversy. In those intervening years, Maradona is everything: hero, villain, saviour, devil, man, legend. Is it possible to make sense of all the contradictions that bind the legendary footballer together?

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