Episodes

  • Ep 28: The Social Network

    Ep 28: The Social Network
    Sep 16 2020

    We're joined by Jenna Charlton to discuss David Fincher's critically-acclaimed Mark Zuckerberg biopic which straddles a very fine line between hero worship and cautionary tale.

    We talk about the pre-Facebook internet days of Angelfire and MySpace, how the movie mostly gets its tech correct for a change, and our real-life experiences with the privilege which the film displays.

    We get a bit serious in the middle as we unpack the overt misogynism on-display in the movie, discuss the impact of Facebook's push into the editorial and advertising spaces, and look at what happens when content moderation goes awry.

    There's some light-heartedness along the way as the crew discuss the feel-good programs that they use for respite, why Dan's name didn't meet AOL standards, and Neil shares a story of an unfortunate encounter with Justin Bieber.

    We'll see you again in October for our discussion on JURASSIC PARK!

    Twitters:
    @ScreenTesting
    @SheWrestlesTest
    @TheTestDoctor
    @neilstudd

    Emails:
    screentesting@gmail.com

    Intro music: The White Stripes - Ball and Biscuit
    Outro music: The Beatles - Baby, You're A Rich Man
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Ep 27: The Net

    Ep 27: The Net
    Jul 31 2020
    It's time for another long-overdue dive into technology in 90s movies, as we go deep into the "not as bad as you heard it was" Sandra Bullock thriller, The Net. We investigate whether Jack Devlin has the skills required to be an international spy, whether the film merited the little-known sequel and TV series which it received, and whether Angela should be briefer in her emails when she's being pursued. As usual, there are tangents upon tangents, as we uncover the secret behind Neil's unwritten novel, Dan's time spent working at the bleeding edge of the early days of the internet, and the time that Neil was framed as a pervert by a badly-trained keylogger. Films and TV shows mentioned: HackersSpeedDemolition ManSpeed 2Patriot GamesClear and Present DangerThe Hunt for Red OctoberIndependence DayGoldeneyeNorth by NorthwestNotoriousThe Net 2.0From Russia with LoveThe World Is Not EnoughNYPD BlueThe Bourne IdentityCasino RoyaleMr RobotLostThe Amazing Spider-ManJurassic ParkGravityBird BoxOcean's 8Our Brand Is CrisisCrashThe Blind SideAll About SteveThey LiveThe Silence of The LambsBill and Ted Face the MusicStar Trek: Short TreksStar Trek: Strange New WorldsDie Hard 2Doctor Who: EarthshockHannibalStrangers on a TrainDiagnosis MurderThe PunisherStar Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes BackStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeProximaHannaStar Trek: The Next GenerationThe MandalorianFireflyBad EducationPalm Springs Other references: Taken 3 - Liam Neeson jumps a fenceAnatomy of a Scene: fake breakdown of the Taken 3 fence jumpDwayne Johnson in The Net (TV series)Dwayne Johnson in Star Trek: VoyagerJeremy Renner in The Net (TV series)Ian McDiarmid "Do It"Shia Laboeuf "Do It"Ben Stiller "Do It" Blackadder Goes Forth - AlanDarknet DiariesIT Crowd - FireIT Crowd - 0118... (I was pretty close)IT Crowd - "behind the lady"Goldeneye - Sean Bean impaledCommando - Bennett impaledFamily Guy - Brian's novelStar Wars - Maclunkey!Bristol Tourist Board We'll be back at the end of August, hopefully with guests, to talk about THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Twitters: @ScreenTesting @TheTestDoctor @neilstudd Emails: screentestingpod@gmail.com Intro music: Mark Isham - The Net - Act I Outro music: Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade of Pale
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Ep 26: Independence Day

    Ep 26: Independence Day
    Jul 3 2020

    Trying to sync your episode with an immovable calendar date? Doing two recordings in one week? Suffering with kidney stones as well? It's no problem for your favourite (perhaps) test-focused movie buffs, who are here to talk about a sci-fi classic which has an unmentionable sequel, despite the fact that Neil keeps mentioning it.

    Dan and Neil are your guides on a trip through that most traditional of holiday tales, featuring a weird mix of American bravado and hubris. The explosions are almost as large as the plot conveniences, as they set out to answer all of the most important questions: Is there such a thing as too much backstory? Was Randy Quaid really abducted by aliens? And does this film feature the most expository line of dialog of all-time?

    Oh, by the way, the show that Neil was thinking of which featured a Pringles can antenna was Mr Robot (S2E4, "Master-Slave"). However, any attempt to link to it was MAJORLY spoiler-ridden, so you should just watch all of Mr Robot instead.

    Films and TV shows mentioned:

    • Independence Day: Resurgence
    • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
    • Jurassic Park
    • The Fly
    • The Tall Man
    • Battlestar Galactica (TV series)
    • The Lost World: Jurassic Park
    • Men in Black
    • Godzilla
    • Armageddon
    • Deep Impact
    • Titanic
    • Goldeneye
    • Ant Man
    • The Legend of Bagger Vance
    • Six Degrees of Separation
    • Enemy of the State
    • Gemini Man
    • Memphis Belle
    • Rocky Balboa
    • The American President
    • The West Wing
    • House of Cards
    • Stargate
    • Mr Deeds
    • The Mummy
    • Planet of the Apes (2001)
    • Doctor Who TV movie (1996)
    • Airport
    • Airplane!
    • The Wonder Years
    • Jason Bourne (2016)
    • Arrival
    • Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    • Hidden Figures
    • Star Wars
    • Independence Day (1983)
    • Avengers: Age of Ultron
    • Hamilton

    Other references:

    • Orion Cinema, Burgess Hill
    • Empire magazine
    • Amazon: Chris Hadfield - An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
    • YouTube: Independence Day UK radio play
    • Wikipedia: Star Trek: Short Treks
    • SETI@home
    • YouTube: Riskstorming the Death Star
    • Image of the British army official who doesn't know how to handle guns
    • YouTube: James Brown and the upside-down Empire State Building

    Join us again later in July for a long-overdue romp through THE NET!

    Twitters:
    @ScreenTesting
    @TheTestDoctor
    @neilstudd

    Emails:

    screentestingpod@gmail.com

    Intro music: David Arnold - 1969 / We Came In Peace
    Outro music: REM - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
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    53 mins
  • Ep 25: The Return!

    Ep 25: The Return!
    Jun 30 2020
    Where have the last two years gone? Neil and Dan reunite as they attempt to quantify the many things that have kept them away from their microphones, whilst also focusing on some of the bigger issues of today (virulent or otherwise). As well as the many subjects of births, deaths, marriages and bubbles, we attempt to put a positive spin on COVID, discuss the ever-evolving impact of Black Lives Matter on historical media, and there's a rundown of the mixed bag which is the current UK box office for 2020. Films and TV shows mentioned: ContagionDeep Blue Sea Brexit: The Uncivil WarDoctor Who: The Talons of Weng ChiangFrozen 2Space ForceHunters (Amazon Prime)Star Trek: Discovery S1SerpicoTrolls World TourThe Hunt7500The Walk (not Man on Wire!)The Dark Knight RisesInceptionThe PlatformHigh RiseUncut GemsPunch Drunk LoveThe Wedding SingerGood TimeThe Invisible ManThe Handmaid's Tale S1Hollow ManEmma.Jojo RabbitThor RagnaraokAvengers: EndgameThe Mandalorian S1What We Do In The Shadows S1Birds of PreyParasiteGet OutThe GentlemenLock, Stock & Two Smoking BarrelsKing ArthurAladdinPaddington 2DolittleBad Boys For LifeLethal Weapon 4Transformers: The Last Knight6 UndergroundSonic The HedgehogPokemon: Detective Pikachu1917RopeDunkirkNo Time To DieBlack WidowTenetDuneArrivalBlade Runner 2049Dune (1984 version)Hamilton Other references: Testers' Island Discs - Episode 25MoneySupermarketScott LogicDan's fundraising page for Macmillan Cancer ResearchPostman events (including Twitch streams)Twitch: Automation in Testing OnlineClifton Suspension BridgeBBC News: UK virus-tracing app switches to Apple-Google model Quality Remarks podcast Episode 12 - Ethics PanelBBC News: Liverpool fans flock to Anfield to celebrate Premier League titleBBC News: Beach litteringBlack Lives Matter BBC News: George Floyd deathBBC News: Edward Colston statue torn downBBC News: John Cleese speaks out about Fawlty Towers removalBBC News: 30 Rock: Tina Fey apologises as blackface episodes are withdrawnBBC News: Little Britain pulled from iPlayer and NetflixMeetup: Ministry of Testing ManchesterMeetup: Ministry of Testing BuckinghamshireTestBash Home 2020Upcoming TestBashes Kiuwan: Busting the Security Myths in DevOps The Motrix: Transcendental Learning from the Space Time ContinuumAgile Testing DaysBBC News: The Hunt release cancelledStar Trek: The Next Conversation We'll be back again by the weekend, with our timely take on the sci-fi classic INDEPENDENCE DAY! Twitters:@ScreenTesting @TheTestDoctor @neilstudd Emails: screentestingpod@gmail.com Intro music: Pearl and Dean Theme Outro music: Depeche Mode - Shake The Disease
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    49 mins
  • Ep 24: Sully

    Ep 24: Sully
    Jun 1 2018
    We're back from a brief hiatus with - unbelievably - a film which actually deeply relates to testing! We're joined by Mark Tomlinson, who brings his own experiences of dealing with the National Transportation Safety Board, to discuss a film about a remarkable moment of true-life heroism, and the decisions that we make in the heat of the moment. The events of the movie give us a chance to get into in-depth discussions about the challenges of testing within regulated industries, developing risk mitigation strategies in life-critical environments, debugging/monitoring, and whether quality is a team effort. There are remarkably few distractions, although we get into some meta-discussion about whether it was correct to portray the NTSB as pantomime villains, a general critique of Clint Eastwood's agenda, a surprising number of references to metallurgy, and we give Mark an introduction to 1980s UK gameshows. YouTube trailers for films mentioned: EquityMiss SloaneFlightUnforgivenBridges of Madison CountyEvery Which Way But LooseMillion Dollar BabyThe 15:17 To ParisGran TorinoEx MachinaDeepwater HorizonRunawayJumanji: Welcome To The Jungle Miscellaneous links: Amazon.co.uk: Captain Chesley B Sullenberger III - Highest Duty TestBash Philadelphia 2017 TestBash San Francisco 2018 Del Dewar - Dressing Up the Spinning CatWikipedia: Yanny or LaurelWikipedia: US Airways Flight 1549National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Wikipedia: 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash AP News: Real-life investigators object to portrayal in 'Sully' movieFederal Aviation AdministrationWikipedia: HagiographyYouTube: Clint Eastwood RNC speech interviewing an empty chairEarwolf: James Bonding podcast /r/MovieDetails: Poster for Gran Torino visible in SullyYouTube: Eddie Izzard - Glorious (Birdstrike)YouTube: Agile Testing Days 2015: Richard Bradshaw - Automation in TestingYouTube: Brendan Gregg - Shouting in the DatacenterYouTube: Austin Powers (1, not 2!) - Bathroom BreakYouTube: Sully EPIC SPEECHWikipedia: The Krypton FactorYouTube: The Krypton Factor - Flight simulator roundYouTube: The Krypton Factor - Rearranging perspex shapesYouTube: The Krypton Factor - Tony Slattery and Roger Lloyd Pack in "Dead Ringer" sketchRailPlan 2020 Twitters: @MarkOnTask @TheTestDoctor @neilstudd Emails:screentestingpod@gmail.com Intro music: Christian Jacob - Sully Suite Outro music: Christian Jacob - Flying Home (Sully's Theme)
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Ep 23: Speed

    Ep 23: Speed
    Apr 6 2018

    Pop quiz, hotshot! You want to record a new podcast episode, but you also want a break from some of the darker plots that you've talked about recently. Plus, you're snowed-in at home. What do you do? Dan and Neil decide not to shoot the hostage, but to instead kick back with a discussion about Speed.

    In an episode recorded at the beginning of March (hence some timeline discrepancies and weird Oscar predictions), they find many parallels with Die Hard, and manage to work-in a surprising number of testing elements, including setting/reviewing acceptance criteria, pairing in the workplace, communicating information, and using psychology to analyse a situation.

    Miscellaneous Links:

    • BBC News: The Beast from the East
    • How Did This Get Made? podcast
    • Den of Geek: The strange history of the Die Hard movies
    • Dailymotion: Mythbusters - Speed Bus Jump
    • TV Tropes: Camera Spoofing
    • Dailymotion: The A-Team: Trouble Brewing (skip to 34:00 for the Polaroid scene)
    • YouTube: The West Wing - In Excelsis Deo (Richard Schiff Emmy win)
    • The West Wing Weekly podcast
    • YouTube: Austin Powers - Head Puns

    Films and TV shows mentioned:

    • Die Hard 2
    • The Thing
    • Pingu
    • Speed 2: Cruise Control
    • The Net
    • The Lake House
    • Jurassic Park
    • Twister
    • Independence Day
    • Die Hard
    • Black Rain
    • The Hunt For Red October
    • Basic Instinct
    • The Jewel Of The Nile
    • The Matrix
    • Point Break
    • Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
    • The Haunting
    • Under Siege
    • Equilibrium
    • Minority Report
    • Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
    • Tomb Raider (2018)
    • The Rock
    • Swordfish
    • The Martian
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • Star Trek: Generations
    • The Corner
    • The Wire
    • Lenny The Wonder Dog
    • I, Tonya
    • The Hateful Eight
    • Lady Bird
    • Game Night
    • The Game
    • The Mercy
    • Finding Your Feet

    As hinted near the end, our next episode will be based on the true-life story of SULLY with special guest Mark Tomlinson!

    Twitters:
    @ScreenTesting
    @TheTestDoctor
    @neilstudd

    Emails:
    screentestingpod@gmail.com

    Intro music: Mark Mancina - Speed (Main Title)
    Outro music: Billy Idol - Speed
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    43 mins
  • Ep 22: The Silence of The Lambs

    Ep 22: The Silence of The Lambs
    Feb 14 2018
    We return a little later than planned, as we discuss one of the greatest thrillers of our time, getting into discussions about psychology, interviewing, misogyny and gender politics, and appropriate occasions for purchasing FBI-themed cakes. We also salvage the best bits of our failed Oscars announcement episode, highlighting a few nominations that we hope will win big, and staking our reputations on a few predictions of our own. Miscellaneous Links: Ministry of Testing charity calendar Saving Linnea Wikipedia: List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nomineesYouTube: The Silence of The Lambs as a Romantic Comedy Wikipedia: The Silence of The Lambs: Accusations of homophobia, transphobia and sexismYouTube: Frasier - Dan Butler as BulldogYouTube: The Silence of The Lambs - Chris Isaak cameoYouTube: The Silence of The Lambs - George Romero cameoYouTube: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault YouTube trailers for films and TV shows mentioned: Hannibal (movie)SawRed DragonHannibal RisingManhunterHannibal (TV series)Casino RoyaleIt Happened One NightOne Flew Over The Cuckoo's NestAmerican HustleLa La LandThe WireBreaking BadSe7enTrue DetectiveCriminal MindsPrime SuspectContactNellThe Killing (Danish version)SpiralSicarioSicario 2: SoldadoThe X FilesThe Day of the JackalI.T.The Crying GamePhiladelphiaThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertTo Wong FooThe Danish GirlHeatMonkDiagnosis: MurderColumboDetroitWonder WomanJustice LeagueThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriMoonThe Shape of WaterThe PostDarkest HourSaving Private RyanDunkirkBlade Runner 2049Molly's GameLoving Vincent Twitters: @ScreenTesting @TheTestDoctor @neilstudd Emails: screentestingpod@gmail.com Intro music: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - American Girl Outro music: Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses
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    50 mins
  • Ep 21: La La Land

    Ep 21: La La Land
    Jan 12 2018
    We begin 2018 with a discussion of Neil's favourite film of 2017, and a worrying early revelation about Dan's general problems with musicals. But we persevere, and discover not only a few musical gems in Dan's closet, but also a shared appreciation for some of the plot elements in La La Land. Things get a bit philosophical and introspective as we dig into how we motivate ourselves (and others) when we (or they) suffer setbacks, how we tell our own stories about the world around us, taking the opportunities that come your way, avoiding being paralysed by "what if", and a few of the many screw-ups we've made in our past relationships. As usual, we get sidelined by literal vs metaphor, fantasy physics, childhood dreams, Neil adopting some of Mia's vocabulary, and using BCC in emails. At the end we have a very brief discussion about The Last Jedi, which is basically spoiler-free, but if you want to be really careful then you might want to fast-forward a couple of minutes! YouTube links to songs referenced from La La Land: Another Day of SunSomeone in the CrowdMia and Sebastian's ThemeTake On Me / I Ran / Tainted LoveA Lovely NightPlanetariumStart A FireAudition (The Fools Who Dream) Miscellaneous references: Neil's profile on UntappdDan's profile on UntappdYouTube: Kermode and Mayo's Film Review channelEmpire podcastHistory vs Hollywood: The Greatest Showman vs The true story of P.T. Barnum Empire: Rogue One interview about the missing TIE Fighter TestBash San Francisco 2018Curbed: La La Land - The ultimate filming location mapGame of Thrones location toursYouTube: A-Ha - "Take On Me"YouTube: A Flock Of Seagulls - "I Ran" Hollywood Reporter: How La La Land Got Its 6-Minute Sunset Dance Just Right (In Only 4 Takes)YouTube: Wayne's World 2 - Kenny GYouTube: Wayne's World - Bohemian RhapsodySpeak EasyThe BRIT SchoolYouTube: Galileo Observatory in Grand Theft Auto V vs the real-life Griffith ObservatoryBBC News: Golden Globes 2018 Prince Charles Cinema - Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049 double-feature (some tickets still available!) Amazon.co.uk: Ben Elton - The First Casualty YouTube trailers for films and TV shows mentioned: Monty Python and the Holy GrailThe Producers (1968)Les Miserables (theatre)Miss Saigon (theatre)Baby DriverSaturday Night FeverStaying AliveMamma Mia!Mamma Mia! 2The Greatest ShowmanMoulin RougeThe Umbrellas of CherbourgRogue One: A Star Wars StoryThe CommuterSingin' In The RainRebel Without A CauseThe Lion King (movie)The Lion King (musical)Beauty and the Beast (2017)The Big Bang TheoryMulholland DriveLA ConfidentialThat Thing You Do!Sliding DoorsDoctor Who - Turn LeftQuantum LeapDriveBlade Runner 2049Molly's GameStar Wars: The Last JediStar Trek: Discovery - Despite YourselfBlack Mirror - The National AnthemBlack Mirror - USS CallisterBlack Mirror - ArkangelDoctor Who - Twice Upon A Time (Christmas 2017 episode)Blackadder Goes Forth endingHannibalRed Dragon As we discuss in the episode, January is a bit manic, but if all goes to plan then we'll be back with THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS in two weeks' time! Twitters: @ScreenTesting @TheTestDoctor @neilstudd Emails: screentestingpod@gmail.com Intro music: Another Day Of Sun (Instrumental Version) Outro music: City of Stars (Humming)
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    1 hr and 6 mins