AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH: “like some nightmare furries convention”

Kermode & Mayo’s Take

Sony Music

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Tv Reviews, Tv & Film

4.3 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2025

⏱️ 93 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. Howdy Take listeners! We’re approaching the very end of the Christmas corridor—and we’ve got all the movie reviews you need to get you through the final push and onto the sofa eating Quality Street and turkey leftovers. First up, The Housemaid—Paul Feig’s psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney as a live-in maid for a family with dark secrets. Plus Marty Supreme, the high-speed Josh Safdie drama starring Timothée Chalamet as a aspiring table-tennis star in 1950s New York—and finally, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Regular listeners will know about Mark’s longstanding love for (slating) the Avatar films—so buckle up for a festive rant. The wonderful Paul Bettany—star of A Knights Tale, Dogville, and more recently the Marvel Cinematic Universe as both the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. and as Vision—is our guest this week. He’s with us to discuss the new Sky adaptation of Amadeus—in which he plays Salieri, the frustratedly mediocre nemesis of Will Sharpe’s Mozart. The Oscar-winning 1984 film adaptation is Simon’s favourite movie of all time—but will Bettany win him over to this new TV version? They unpack it and talk music, the truth about Mozart, and whether Paul will ever direct again. Thanks for listening, and Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free) The Housemaid review – 11:17 BO10 – 20:34 Paul Bettany Interview: 28:20 Laughter Lift – 53:55 Marty Supreme review 57:55 Avatar Fire & Ash review 1:10:24 You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Mooby, the global film company that champions great cinema.
0:05.7	From iconic directors to emerging otters, there is always something new to discover.
0:10.8	With Mooby, each and every film is hand-selected so you can explore the best of cinema.
0:15.5	This festive season, you can find a collection of film streaming on Mooby in the UK that explore the connections between
0:22.3	food and cinema.
0:24.5	Including streaming now on Mooby, Phantom Thread. If you've been to the cinema and you've seen
0:29.5	one battle after another and you think, wow, that Paul Thomas Anderson, he can really direct,
0:33.7	then check out Phantom Thread. Also, the fantastic performance by Daniel Day Lewis and Vicky
0:39.1	Creeps and a brilliant Leslie Manville with an amazing score by Johnny Greenwood, which is one of
0:44.1	my favourite scores of recent years. The whole film is an absolute miracle. Just don't eat the mushrooms.
0:49.6	You can try Mooby free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash Kermode and Mayo.
0:54.8	That's Mubi.com slash Kermode and Mayo for a whole month of great cinema for free.
1:02.2	Train Dreams is now nominated for five Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
1:09.6	And two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor Joel Edgerton.
1:13.6	I don't know where the years go.
1:15.1	It is also nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards.
1:18.4	Figured out, let me know. I'd like to ask for a few back.
1:20.9	And winner for Best Adapted Screenplay from National Board of Review.
1:25.0	New York Magazine hails it as the best picture of the year.
1:29.0	Train Dreams only on Netflix.
1:31.7	Before we begin, a quick reminder that you can become a Vanguard Easter and get an extra episode
1:36.7	every Thursday.
	...

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