identity | the m0vie blog

436. There Will Be Blood (#142)

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guests Phil Bagnall and Darcie Faccio, 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, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will be Blood.

Daniel Plainview is an oil man at the turn of the twentieth century. A prospector who struck lucky in California, Plainview has dedicated his life to the pursuit of black gold on the edge of the American continent. As he stumble across a potentially life-changing find, the veteran businessman finds himself thrown into conflict with that other great American industry: organised religion.

At time of recording, it was ranked 142nd on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: ambition, american cinema, character complexities, cinematography, contemporary societal issues, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Plainview, film, great american film, greed, identity, imdb, Jonny Greenwood, moral ambiguity, Movie, Paul Thomas Anderson, podcast, power, score, technical achievements, The 250, there will be blood, visual style | Leave a comment »

427. Star Trek (#—)

Posted on July 12, 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, 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 »

420. How to Train Your Dragon – Ani-May 2025 (#198)

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guests Deirdre Molumby and Graham Day, 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, Chris Sanders’ and Dean DeBlois’ How to Train Your Dragon.

On the island of Berk, the Viking settlers have found themselves engaged in a war against dragons spanning literal generations. Hiccup, the son of the town chieftain, struggles to find his place in a community that doesn’t value his unique strengths and attributes – he wonders whether he will even be manly enough to hunt and kill dragons. However, a chance encounter with a fallen dragon named Toothless leads Hiccup to question everything that he thinks he knows about dragons.

At time of recording, it was ranked 198th 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 film, animation industry, animation quality, Astrid, character development, character dynamics, connection, deirdre molumby, dragons, dreamworks, empathy, father-son relationship, friendship, gender representation, graham day, hiccup, How to Train Your Dragon, identity, imdb, IMDb top 250, legacy, live-action adaptation, personal growth, podcast, production challenges, sequels, storytelling, thematic elements, themes | 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 »

371. Poor Things (#246)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, and this week with special guests Deirdre Molumby and Ciara Moloney, 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 week, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things.

Bella Baxter is a most remarkable young woman. Although she has the body of an adult woman, she also seems to possess the mind of a child rapidly developing and growing. Under the guidance of her adoptive father Godwin Baxter and his assistant Max McCandless, Bella tries to navigate the complex and contradictory Victorian soiety, learning much about humanity – and herself.

At time of recording, it was ranked 246th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: This Just In | Tagged: barbie, Emma Stone, european, Filmmaking, formalism, frankenstein, gender, identity, imdb, lily gladstone, Oscars, podcast, poor things, sex, sexuality, Succession, The 250, This Just In, Yorgos Lanthimos | Leave a comment »

New Escapist Column! On How the Bad Batch Adds Nuance to the “Star Wars” Hero Mythology…

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Darren

I published a new piece at The Escapist last week. With the release of the second season of The Bad Batch, it seemed like a good opportunity to talk about one of the more interesting facets of the series.

The Star Wars franchise has become synonymous with the idea of bloodlines, particularly the Skywalkers and the Palpatines. This can lead to a sense that the heroes of this massive saga have to be “insiders”, that they have to belong to a particular grouping, the membership of which is determined at birth. Part of what is interesting about The Bad Batch is that the show is an explicit rejection of that. It focuses on a group of people who are genetically identical to the armies of the First Galactic Empire, but who still find the strength of character to stand against it. Heroism is a choice, not a pre-determined genetic destiny.

You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.

Filed under: Television | Tagged: bloodlines, choice, destiny, identity, politics, star wars, the bad batch, the escapist, the solitary clone | Leave a comment »

New Escapist Column! On How “The Rogue Prince” Lets “House of the Dragon” Reflect the Modern World…

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Darren

I am doing weekly reviews of House of the Dragon at The Escapist. They’ll be dropping every Sunday evening while the show is on, looking at the Game of Thrones prequel as it progresses from one episode to the next.

One of the more interesting aspects of Game of Thrones was the way in which it was a high fantasy series that used the language and conventions of the genre as what felt like a compelling commentary on American identity, filtering the anxieties of the War on Terror through the prism of dragons and free cities. House of the Dragon continues that trend, offering a show that seems to reflect a particularly anxious and unstable moment in American history.

You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.

Filed under: Television | Tagged: allegory, america, corruption, decay, fantasy, high fantasy, house of the dragon, identity, metaphor, politics, reflection, rogue prince, rome | Leave a comment »

New Escapist Column! On Matt Smith’s Complicated Men…

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Darren

I published a new In the Frame piece at The Escapist this evening. With the release of House of the Dragon last weekend, it seemed like a good opportunity to take a look at Matt Smith’s career. In particular, how the actor has cornered the market on a particularly modern take on masculinity.

As Daemon Targaryen, Smith was the breakout star of House of the Dragon. However, Daemon typifies the kind of roles that Smith has been drawn towards in the years following his departure from Doctor Who. In projects as diverse as The Crown, Last Night in Soho and Charlie Says, Smith exemplifies a fascinatingly contradictory portrait of masculinity, one that is by turns alluring and pathetic, powerful and fragile, arrogant and insecure. Smith’s ability to play these conflicting facets off one another is what makes him such a compelling performer.

You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.