Newton Talks

Newton Talks

In this podcast, filmmaker and academic James Edward Newton discusses topics (mostly) related to cinema, television, and culture. His guests include filmmakers, artists, historians, and writers, and the podcast takes the form of unscripted discussions. James Edward Newton is the director of the feature films When the Sun Stands Still (2025), KATERNICA (2023), and Black Lizard Tales (2020). As James Newton, he is the author of The Mad Max Effect (Bloomsbury, 2021) and The Anarchist Cinema (Intellect, 2019). YouTube: @JamesNewtonCinema **All opinions expressed in this podcast are the opinions of James Newton and guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Kent.

Episodes

47: R.M. Francis - Writing, Poetry, and Faith

October 9, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode, I talk to prolific novelist and poet R.M. Francis about his new collection, Palmer, which you can buy here: https://vpresspoetry.blogspot.com/2025/09/launching-palmer.html 
Listen
Mark as Played

46: Newton Talks #36 Tom Lee Rutter and The Pocket Film of Superstitions

June 26, 2024 • 53 mins
In this episode the acclaimed West Midlands based filmmaker Tom Lee Rutter joins me to talk about his new feature The Pocket Film of Superstitions.
Listen
Mark as Played

45: Newton Talks #35 Death Lines: Walking London's Horror History with author Lauren Jane Barnett

April 9, 2024 • 49 mins
In this episode, author Lauren Jane Barnett joins me to talk about her new book, Death Lines: Walking London's Horror History - a walking guide to horror movie locations in the capital city. The book is now available here: https://strangeattractor.greedbag.com/buy/death-lines-walking-londons-horr/
Listen
Mark as Played

44: Newton Talks #34 Nigel Kneale's Beasts, with author Andrew Screen.

February 12, 2024 • 41 mins
In this episode, I talk to Andrew Screen about his new publication, The Book of Beasts  (Headpress, 2023), which is an in-depth study of the Nigel Kneale anthology horror series called Beasts from 1976. You can buy the book here:
https://headpress.com/product/the-book-of-beasts/ 
Listen
Mark as Played

43: Newton Talks #33 American Shot-on-Video Horror with Vincent A. Albarano.

November 2, 2023 • 51 mins
My guest in this episode is Vincent A. Albarano, who joins me to talk about his new book, Aesthetic Deviations: A Critical View of American Shot-on-Video Horror, 1984-1994. You can buy the book here: https://headpress.com/product/aesthetic-deviations/ and go to the Headpress website to for more fantastic books on cult film and media: https://headpress.com
Listen
Mark as Played

42: Newton Talks #32 Namsploitation with Neil Jackson

March 16, 2023 • 54 mins
In this episode, I talk to Neil Jackson, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lincoln about his upcoming book, Combat Shocks: Exploitation Cinema and the Vietnam War (Bloomsbury, Forthcoming), which deals with exploitation films about the Vietnam war from the mid 1960s up until the late 1980s. We talk about the conventions and iconography of the cycle, as well as individual films such as Forced Entry (Shaun Costello, 1973), ...
Listen
Mark as Played

41: Newton Talks #31 Jackie Brown

February 24, 2023 • 40 mins
On the 25th anniversary since Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown had its UK release (the US release was Christmas Day 1997), Dr Chris Deacy joins me to discuss the casting and performances, the soundtrack and use of music, and the tone and mood of the film.
Listen
Mark as Played

40: Newton Talks #30 Director Lizzie Borden and Born in Flames

February 10, 2023 • 43 mins
In this episode I am joined by filmmaker Lizzie Borden to talk about her renowned 1983 feminist sci-fi movie Born in Flames. We also talk about her follow up feature film, Working Girls (1986). Lizzie's latest book, Whorephobia: Strippers on Art, Work, and Life (2022), is now available from Seven Stories Press. You can order the book here: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4430-whorephobia 
Listen
Mark as Played

39: Newton Talks #29 Horror Films for Children with Cat Lester

October 26, 2022 • 44 mins
In this episode I talk to Dr Cat Lester about her book Horror Films for Children: Fear and Pleasure in American Cinema (Bloomsbury, 2021), which looks at horror movies aimed at young audiences, including Gremlins, Coraline, and Paranorman, among others. 
Listen
Mark as Played

38: Newton Talks #28 Filmmaker Interview: Raya Films

June 19, 2022 • 55 mins
In this episode I am joined by the writer/director team of Caroline Spence and James Smith, who together make up Raya films. Their movies Do Something, Jake (2018), Cyberlante (2020), Agent Kelly (2020), and Surveilled (2021) are available now, and they are currently casting for their new project entitled Best Geezer. Go to their website for more information: https://rayafilms.com
Listen
Mark as Played

37: Newton Talks #27 The Vigilante Thriller, with Dr Cary Edwards

May 31, 2022 • 56 mins
In this episode, Dr Cary Edwards joins me to discuss his new book The Vigilante Thriller: Violence, Spectatorship, and Identification in American Cinema from 1970-1976 (Bloomsbury, 2022). We discuss films such as Death Wish, Joe, Dirty Harry, and Taxi Driver, among many others, and the cinematic and social context that created the revenge and vigilante motif in 70s film. 
Listen
Mark as Played

36: Newton Talks #26 Best Films of the 2000s

March 17, 2022 • 43 mins
In this follow up episode to my best of the 1990s podcast I work through the Newton Talks top twenty films of the years 2000-2009, and I am joined by Dr Jennifer Wallis and Dr Chris Deacy, who give me nominations for their favourite movie of the decade.
Listen
Mark as Played

35: Newton Talks #25 Director Interview: Andrew Elias and Tales from the Great War

February 2, 2022 • 44 mins
In the latest of my filmmaker interviews I talk to Andrew Elias, writer and director of the upcoming Tales from the Great War (2022), a horror movie set in World War One. We discuss the making of the film, the inspirations for the stories it contains, and how Andrew approaches working with actors and crew. You can see the trailer here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P39nh8IzF8
Listen
Mark as Played

34: Newton Talks Cult Film Microcast #10 Showgirls

January 26, 2022 • 6 mins
In the tenth episode of my Cult Film microcast, I examine Paul Verhoeven's notorious Showgirls (1995), which failed with both critics and audiences on release, but which has since become a noteworthy cult movie. 
Listen
Mark as Played

33: Newton Talks #24 No Time To Die in-depth discussion with Lee Kenny

December 2, 2021 • 85 mins
This episode is the second of two on the 25th EON produced James Bond film, No Time To Die. In this one, I am joined by New Zealand based journalist and Bond fan Lee Kenny. We discuss the plot and characterisation in detail, and also get into where the series can go next.
Listen
Mark as Played

32: Newton Talks #23 No Time To Die reactions

December 2, 2021 • 45 mins
In this first of two episodes on the 25th EON produced James Bond film, No Time To Die, I am joined by journalist Lee Kenny, Dr Chris Deacy, who is a Reader in Theology and Religious Studies, and media lecturer Will Hill, to talk through our initial reactions to the film. 
Listen
Mark as Played

31: Newton Talks #22 Director Interview: Charlie Steeds and Making Low Budget Horror

November 8, 2021 • 63 mins
In this episode Charlie Steeds, who has directed more than ten horror feature films since 2016, joins me to discuss his career and the challenges of low budget filmmaking.  Charlie's films include Escape from Cannibal Farm (2017), An English Haunting (2020), and Death Ranch (2020), which has recently been released on DVD and VOD. You can visit his production company website here: https://www.darktemple.co.uk
Listen
Mark as Played

30: Newton Talks #21 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Watergate, with author Martin Harris

October 21, 2021 • 51 mins
In this episode author Martin Harris of the University of North Carolina, discusses his new book, Leatherface Vs Tricky Dick: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as Political Satire, which provides an in-depth commentary on the links between Tobe Hooper's film and the Watergate scandal involving Richard Nixon. You can buy the book here: Headpress, 2021 - https://headpress.com/product/leatherface-vs-tricky-dick/. 
Listen
Mark as Played

29: Newton Talks #20 Author R.M. Francis and The Wrenna

August 2, 2021 • 49 mins
I am joined in this twentieth episode of Newton Talks by Black Country author and lecturer R.M. Francis to discuss his new novella called The Wrenna, set on the Wren's Nest Estate in Dudley. We discuss the book's influences in both social realism and horror, its fractured structure, and its relationship to sex, violence, and the abject. We also talk about working class representation, culture, and history. You can order The Wr...
Listen
Mark as Played

28: Newton Talks #19 The Asylum in Cinema, with Dr Jennifer Wallis

June 24, 2021 • 43 mins
In this episode, historian of medicine and psychiatry Dr Jennifer Wallis joins me to discuss the relationship between the Victorian asylum and cinema, particularly the representation of the asylum in the horror film. We discuss 70s Amicus productions, Session 9 (2001), the reality of asylum life, and how cinema was used as entertainment in the West Riding Asylum in the 1920s. Jennifer is author of Investigating the Body in the...
Listen
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Fudd Around And Find Out

    Fudd Around And Find Out

    UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    Betrayal Season 5

    Betrayal Season 5

    Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Wearables

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices