Legends of the Fall

Legends of the Fall

This week we are reviewing the 1994 American epic historical Western drama Legends of the Fall, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas. Based on the 1979 novella by Jim Harrison, the film follows three brothers and their father living in the wilderness and plains of Montana in the early 20th century — and how their lives are shaped by nature, history, war and love. The timeframe spans nearly 50 years, from World War I through the Prohibition era and into a brief final scene set in 1963. We kick things off with a travel story — and this one does not end well for a small boy who performs a good deed and receives a pocket lolly from the Aussie as a reward. A pocket lolly. Fluff and all. The Scotsman is disgusted. And he is already feeling sick — because this week introduces a brand new segment. Rob's Rant. A one-off, five-minute monologue. No interruptions. Scathing, unfiltered, and delivered with the full force of a man who cannot believe this film was brought to the podcast. The Scotsman gives Legends of the Fall the lowest rating in the history of the show. He is furious. Hold on to your cowboy hats. Before the rant, he shares a story about a family faux pas — and that is what tips him over the edge. The Aussie is heartbroken. His genuine joy when the Scotsman reveals he has not seen the film is one of the highlights of the episode — and it is shattered almost immediately. The pain is palpable. The Aussie tries to mount his defence, but every attempt is met with the Scotsman hammering back: "defend it, defend it, defend it" — a callback to the Aussie's own interrogation tactics during the Duel episode. We try to get to the root of the Aussie's deep, lifelong love of this film. And he tells us. It is Brad. It has always been Brad. Brad on a horse. Brad on a horse. Brad on a horse. He is dreamy. "Did you miss out on romance growing up?" asks the Scotsman. "Is that a serious question?" replies the Aussie, genuinely surprised. It takes a full 37 minutes before the Aussie finally removes the rose-coloured glasses and admits what this film really is — Brad Pitt's vehicle to superstardom. Nothing more, nothing less. Rohan Reminisces takes us back to 1994 — a decent segment this week, with some genuinely fun facts. The Aussie then surprises everyone with a brilliant Jim Carrey impression, before immediately going bashful and refusing to continue. The Scotsman steps in as director: "take a beat," he instructs. The Aussie has absolutely no idea what that means. There is also singing. And crying. Crying and singing. Out now on YouTube and also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hit subscribe or follow — it genuinely helps the show keep growing. Thanks for the support.

Anora

This week the lads review Anora, the 2024 American romantic comedy-drama written, directed, produced and edited by Sean Baker. The film stars Mikey Madison as Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a New York lap dancer who impulsively marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch, played by Mark Eydelshteyn. Supporting performances from Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Darya Ekamasova, and Aleksei Serebryakov round out a film that swept awards in 2024. Both hosts loved it. Properly loved it. A genuine cracker. The Aussie finally brings a decent opening story — which immediately triggers the Scotsman to ask the logical question: what’s the succession plan for the podcast if one of them meets their maker? From there, things drift into strip clubs past and present (the Aussie goes slightly bashful), and a shout-out to American listeners — roughly 25% of the audience tuning in from the States. When they finally get into the film, it’s detailed and thoughtful — until the Aussie corrects the Scotsman one time too many. Was it “kicked” or “punched” in the face? Does it matter? Apparently it does. The Scotsman flips. Flow ruined. A firm declaration follows: no more interruptions. Ever. There’s a strong debate about the meaning of the ending — two very different interpretations. At one point the Aussie tells the Scotsman, “That’s your best 90 seconds in 200 episodes.” Want to know why? You’ll have to listen. Rohan Reminisces takes us back through 2024 — including Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, and Poor Things — alongside the major global headlines of the year, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The Scotsman isn’t firing on all cylinders this week and misses a few quiz questions. He also pulls out Russian and Italian accents, then demands to know why that doesn’t make him a racist. The pronunciation of “pho” somehow becomes another battleground. The podcast is out now on YouTube and also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Please click subscribe or follow — it genuinely helps us be seen among the thousands of other podcasts.

Scarface

This week the podcast revisits Scarface, the 1983 crime epic directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone. A remake of the 1932 original, it stars Al Pacino as Cuban refugee Tony Montana, alongside Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock and Steven Bauer as Manny Ribera. Arriving in Miami during the Mariel boatlift, Tony claws his way from dishwasher to cocaine kingpin through ambition, violence and pure ego. As the empire grows, so does the paranoia. Addiction, pride and distrust burn every bridge in sight, building to one of cinema’s most operatic downfalls. And then the shock. A 5/5 from the Aussie. Rare air. First one of the year. Before they get to the film, there’s another travel story. The Aussie meets up with Chris, the independent airport driver again, and appears to be paying way over the odds, but apparently, he can afford it. He also bumps into Stan Wawrinka at the airport, causes mild chaos by acknowledging him publicly, and that opens the floodgates to name-dropping: Tiger Woods, Shane Warne, Nadia Bartel, Clayton Oliver, Eddie Betts and Heather Graham. The debate quickly shifts to whether celebrities are public property. The Scotsman counters with a far less glamorous update: his heating and cooling unit has died and it’s going to cost a fortune. And he asks if he can borrow some money from the Aussie. Once the intro dust settles, the Scotsman waits for the verdict on the movie. Drum roll. The Aussie "absolutely loves it" and breaks down why. The discussion goes deep. This film earns the time. They dissect the final scene and inevitably act out the immortal line "say hello to my little friend". The Scotsman tells the story slightly wrong. The Aussie corrects him.  Rohan Reminisces takes us back to 1983. The Scotsman demands better questions next week. They touch on Cheers, favourite cast members, Trading Places, Risky Business and the Aussie sings "Flashdance... What a Feeling" from Flashdance. You may need earplugs. Then the biggest shock in 225 episodes: the Scotsman forgets to prepare trivia. The Aussie goes low with "are you embarrassed and going to have a cry". No tears. Professional recovery. Comes back swinging. The episode is out now on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you enjoy it, hit subscribe or follow — it genuinely helps the show stand out among the many movie podcasts out there. Thanks for tuning in.

Brothers

This week on Aussie and the Scotsman, the lads take on Brothers (2009), the American psychological thriller directed by Jim Sheridan starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Sam Shepard, Clifton Collins Jr., and Mare Winningham. SPOILER ALERT - Watch before listening. This is an absolute must watch The film follows Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire), a US Marine. It’s heavy, confronting, and — according to the Aussie — essential viewing. “Watch this before listening,” he insists. “It’ll shake you to your soul.” The episode opens with the Aussie calling the Scotsman his brother, while the Scotsman is already deep in complaint mode — this time about parking meters. The Aussie, once again, arrives with “no stories,” which pushes the Scotsman to the brink… until a surprising revelation about how much the Aussie’s kids can bench press. Things escalate when the Aussie declares himself the Tobey Maguire of the friendship — a man of honour — and makes it abundantly clear that the Scotsman is not. A brief detour into the Scotsman’s former life as a daddy blogger (yes, adadslife.com.au [http://www.adadslife.com.au] gets dragged up) threatens to derail the episode entirely. The big moral questions raised by Brothers take centre stage — guilt, loyalty, trauma, and what honour really means. And then there’s Rohan Reminisces. Set in 2007, it collapses in real time when the Aussie abandons the segment mid-flow to search for a song on his phone, ask for wiring, and destroy what little structure remained. The Scotsman issues a final ultimatum over the complete lack of preparation. For the first time ever, Rohan Reminisces is shut down early — leaving the Scotsman in a spiral of despair and the Aussie largely unfazed. The podcast is out now on YouTube and also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Please hit subscribe or follow — it genuinely helps us cut through the noise. Thanks for your support.

Munich

This week we are reviewing Munich, the 2005 thriller directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, starring Eric Bana as Avner Kaufman — a Mossad agent chosen to lead a five-man team tasked with hunting down the eleven men responsible for planning the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre. Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush and Mathieu Kassovitz round out a cast in one of Spielberg's most morally complex and politically courageous films.   This is a heavier episode than most. Both hosts are Jewish, and they say so up front. This is a film about Jewish revenge for Jewish deaths, and they are going to try to be fair. They mostly manage it.   The episode opens with the Scotsman offering something approaching an apology for his behaviour during the Oceans 11 episode — not a full apology, he makes clear, just an acknowledgement that he was, in his own words, a bit manic. The Aussie accepts this with more grace than the Scotsman deserves.   Then Munich. And the conversation that follows is one of the most serious and genuinely moving the podcast has produced. The Scotsman walks through both sides of the argument with real care — the Israeli case for Operation Wrath of God, the Palestinian context in which Black September emerged, what the film gets right, what it omits, and why Spielberg was attacked by both sides simultaneously and responded by saying he was not interested in making a political argument. He was interested in making a human one.   The moment that stops the episode cold is Golda Meir's line — delivered quietly, with the weight of someone who has just heard something she cannot unhear. "I normally speak about peace. But today I listen with new ears. The world needs to know you cannot do this. This decision is solely on me." The Aussie says it is the best line in the film. He is not wrong.   They debate the Daniel Craig line — "the only blood that counts is Jewish blood" — and both hosts reject it immediately. That rejection leads into one of the most honest conversations the podcast has had about antisemitism in Australia right now, armed guards at every Jewish school, the Bondi attack in December 2025, October 7, and what it actually feels like to live as a Jewish person in this country today. It is uncomfortable. It is important. It earns its place.   Eric Bana's performance gets enormous credit — Spielberg called it the finest he had directed since Liam Neeson in Schindler's List. The safe house scene, where an Israeli agent and a Palestinian operative share a stairwell and a conversation, is singled out as one of the great scenes in the film. The final intercutting of the sex scene with the massacre flashbacks is described as unforgettable and haunting.   The Aussie's son Oliver also sent through his written analysis of the film — read out in full — and it is genuinely excellent.    Rohan Reminisces takes us back to 1972 — the French Connection winning Best Picture, Gene Hackman taking Best Actor, the Godfather, American Pie, Watergate, Gough Whitlam, and the introduction of the CT scan.    Ratings: 4.4 from the Aussie, 3.95 from the Scotsman. The Scotsman closes with a stiff whiskey. It feels right.   The podcast is out now on YouTube and also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hit subscribe or follow — it genuinely helps the show keep growing. Thanks for listening.