A Celebration Of Powell & Pressburger ft. Thelma Schoonmaker & Kevin Macdonald

The Empire Film Podcast

Bauer Media

Tv & Film, Film Reviews

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A Matter Of Life And Death. The Red Shoes. Black Narcissus. The Tales Of Hoffmann. The Small Back Room. The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp. I Know Where I'm Going. We could just fill this blurb box by simply listing the films of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, the filmmaking duo who might just be British cinema's greatest double act, but we won't. Instead, we'll tell you that their work is currently being celebrated in an amazing nationwide BFI retrospective called Cinema Unbound (check it out and book tickets for screenings and events etc. at bfi.org.uk), and that put us in the mood to put together a special in their honour. And what's truly special about it is the interview that John Nugent conducted with Thelma Schoonmaker, the legendary editor of Martin Scorsese's films, and who was married to Powell until his death 1990 (in fact, Scorsese introduced her to Powell); and Kevin Macdonald, the Scottish film director who is Emeric Pressburger's grandson. On the other side of that wonderful, warm interview, Chris Hewitt invites P&P superfans Ian Freer, Nick de Semlyen and the aforementioned John Nugent into the podbooth to wax lyrical about their favourite Powell & Pressburger moments, movies and more. It's a belter. Enjoy.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're going to be. Hello, I'm Chris Hewitt, and welcome to this very special edition of the Empire
0:18.7	Podcast dedicated to arguably the greatest filmmaking duo in the history of British cinema.
0:25.2	No it's not Ant and Decke only made one film.
0:28.4	Masterpiece though it is.
0:29.9	Alien autopsy doesn't qualify them for special podcast status.
0:33.3	I'm talking to say it about Powell and Pressburger.
0:36.2	Oh yes indeed, Michael Powell and Emmerich Pressburger, whose work is being celebrated
0:41.3	right now as we speak in a colossal and amazing
0:45.1	BFI retrospective that spans the length and breadth of the country it is called
0:50.0	Cinema Unbound the Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger and joining me to discuss
0:56.4	Powell and Pressburger over the next half hour, 45 minutes or so, our three colleagues of such lethal cunning, Ian Freer is here.
1:06.0	Hello Chris, how are you, Ian? I'm good man. I'm going to go down to the BFI exhibition and try on those red shoes.
1:12.0	Really?
1:13.0	I look great in those.
1:15.0	They won't cart me out or put me in prison or anything,
1:18.0	will they? No, they won't, they want.
1:19.0	Yeah, I think it's great that you've come dressed as a nun.
1:21.0	I mean that's really a dedication to the thing. Yeah yeah yeah I know
1:25.8	where I'm going I'm going next to Nick Desemline who was also here hello Nick.
1:28.6	Hello Nick. Very happy to be part of this Powell Wow. Power Wow.
1:31.8	Powell. Ple pleasure to be here.
1:34.0	This is the high brow stuff.
	...

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