Fred Asquith On Film

This week on FoF we open the floodgates to VOICE NOTES from the FoF community! I asked you to send in your hot takes and you didn't disappoint. We run through discussions about banning popcorn, Monster Movies, Classic Movies and the age-old star rating system debate. You can send me a voice note HERE: https://memo.fm/fredasquithonfilm/
I also vent about The Odyssey ticket release panic, before finishing off with my review of the funniest comedy of 2026 - Never Change!

SUBSCRIBE and join the FoF Family!
RATE & REVIEW! ("FoF IS ON THE UP")
Send FoF a voice note! https://memo.fm/fredasquithonfilm/
EXPLORE the FoF socials via my creepy website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fredasquith.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro & HELLO ALAN
(01:13) Send FoF a voice note!!! https://memo.fm/fredasquithonfilm/
(02:02) YOUR Hot Takes!!!
(02:17) Jack’s HOT TAKE on Dunkirk & Nolan https://letterboxd.com/fredasquith/list/fred-ranks-christopher-nolan/
(03:54) Dalton’s HOT TAKE on the next James Bond
(04:53) David’s HOT TAKE on cinema snacks
(06:56) Jaime’s HOT TAKE on 2001 A Space Odyssey
(08:37) Shiv’s HOT TAKE on Tarantino & Kill Bill
(10:47) Julia’s HOT TAKE on Star Ratings
(18:39) Jordan’s HOT TAKE on Monster Movies & Depth in Blockbusters
(23:52) Igor’s HOT TAKE on Classic Movies
(25:59) Tyler’s HOT TAKE on The Godfather Trilogy
(28:54) seriously tho...Send FoF a voice note!!! https://memo.fm/fredasquithonfilm/
-
(30:17) Missing Jackass & Supergirl :(
(31:45) NEVER CHANGE! Review (OUT NOW on Disney+) https://boxd.it/eJ9Q8L
(38:28) Mini Darling says hello

This week on FoF we tentatively turn to the world of Toy Story in hope that a 5th movie can recapture the magic of the original trilogy. I talk through how it hit me as a new Dad, and whether I thought it was successful on par with the previous classics.
This review is SPOILER FREE, meaning anything that is shown in the trailer is fair game.

SUBSCRIBE and join the FoF Family!
RATE & REVIEW! ("FoF IS ON THE UP")
EXPLORE the FoF socials via my creepy website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fredasquith.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Check out my interview with Director Andrew Stanton! https://youtu.be/rpFRZ697llM
(00:39) Toy Story 5 - setup/synopsis
(01:27) The franchise so far…
(02:13) The criteria for a good Toy Story movie?
(02:22) CONTEXT: I’m a new Dad
(02:43) Breaking news…
(03:19) The Gang vibes are done right.
(04:27) New characters
(04:49) Developing the animation
(06:24) Platforming different members of the gang
(06:56) Great pacing
(07:48) Some negatives
(08:42) It’s super funny, Conan especially
(09:19) Crying & Allowing It To Matter
(10:45) Not pandering to parents for the sake of it
(12:10) Should a 5th movie exist? Should it continue?
(12:53) Summary & Letterboxd Rating https://boxd.it/eKC3zb
(13:55) The FoF Disclaimer
(14:04) Kids enjoying it in the screening
(14:28) Post-credits sequence btw
(14:41) General Toy Story ranking
(16:00) Check out my interview with Director Andrew Stanton! https://youtu.be/rpFRZ697llM⁠
(16:22) NEXT WEEK!

This week on FoF we are reviewing Disclosure Day, the new blockbuster movie from Steven Spielberg about government extra-terrestrial cover ups. We discuss comparisons to his own movies Close Encounters and War of the Worlds (and…Crystal Skull), as well as Arrival from Denis Villeneuve. I go through what works, what doesn’t work, and whether Spielberg did enough Spielberging to make this worth a trip to the cinema.
This review is SPOILER FREE, meaning anything that is shown in the trailer is fair game.
We also find time to have a good impassioned rant about Scorsese joining forces with an AI company.

SUBSCRIBE and join the FoF Family!
RATE & REVIEW! ("FoF IS ON THE UP")
EXPLORE the FoF socials via my creepy website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fredasquith.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro, No Spoilers etc
(01:13) My Stance on Spielberg (Recent Work, Sci-Fi)
(03:03) My Stance on Aliens
(04:25) My Review Anxieties
(07:16) The Review starts, Approach to Aliens vs Arrival & Close Encounters
(12:44) Failure to Explore Themes
(14:08) Road Movie, comparison to War of the Worlds
(15:26) Performances
(17:49) Spielberg knows what he’s doing
(20:36) General Story Logic
(22:07) General thoughts, anxieties and confusion
(23:55) Summary, Letterboxd Rating & FoF Disclaimer https://boxd.it/eIQZ4P
———
(25:42) Scorsese Joins AI Storyboarding Company
(37:05) NEXT WEEK!

Today on FoF we discuss 2 Dad movies of differing quality. In the case of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE I have not had a more baffling, disorientating cinema experience in quite some time, so we have a nice big giggle about that in my first EVER non-Review Movie Review.
Moving onto POWER BALLAD (via a little OBSESSION update) I talk about how it tapped into my new Dad perspective, made me realise Nick Jonas has talent and earnt my forgiveness for its frailties.
Both these reviews are SPOILER FREE, meaning anything that is shown in the trailer is fair game.

SUBSCRIBE and join the FoF Family!
RATE & REVIEW! ("FoF IS ON THE UP")
EXPLORE the FoF socials via my creepy website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fredasquith.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro
-
(00:23) MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Review (Spoiler-Free)
(00:57) I have no idea what is happening
(01:50) A message to He-Man fans
(02:42) How has this passed me by
(04:24) The whole premiere experience
(05:58) Movie started
(06:49) I can’t even dog on this movie
(07:27) I feel asleep
(08:40) I walked out
(10:30) Not giving it a Letterboxd rating https://boxd.it/eyqcmN
(11:18) What happened to Idris Elba’s American accent?
(11:50) The FoF Disclaimer
-
(12:10) OBSESSION Box Office - we were there at the start
(14:15) Cinema Air Con Reviews
-
(14:40) POWER BALLAD Review (Spoiler-Free)
(15:10) Synopsis
(15:59) Funny angry comedy and references
(16:30) Paul Rudd in his element
(17:09) It’s funny! And interesting!
(17:40) Rudd & Jonas chemistry & talent
(18:08) Great depiction of the Creative Process
(19:33) Lip Syncing was offputting
(19:56) Cheap visuals and scale
(21:09) But it works overall
(22:00) My First Dad Movie Experience
(23:14) This could be a Family Favourite
(24:16) Summary & Letterboxd Rating https://boxd.it/eyqmop
-
(24:55) Next Week!

Today on FoF we enter the BACKROOMS, a new horror(?) movie directed by Kane Parsons off the back of a very successful YouTube mini-series of the same name. I review it's visual and tonal strengths, whilst discussing why I think it is lacking in the scares department. This review is SPOILER FREE, but in this case that means providing context on what you may already know from the general YouTube mini-series premise, as well as what is shown in the trailer (which isn't much).
I also find time to have a quick rant about how long the Bond casting is taking, before letting you in on a little secret about my new baby's Letterboxd account!!!!

SUBSCRIBE and join the FoF Family!
RATE & REVIEW! ("FoF IS ON THE UP")
EXPLORE the FoF socials via my creepy website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fredasquith.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro
(00:59) Origin / Context about Backrooms (Important)
(03:33) Synopsis & Set Up
(04:21) The Therapisation of Horror
(05:28) Strong foundational premise
(06:24) Strong visuals & initial tone
(07:50) Not scary enough
(09:35) Found footage sequences
(10:30) Over explanation diluting the horror
(12:25) The evil presence was not revealed effectively
(14:11) Something’s been lost from the original image/series
(18:10) Visual strengths
(18:52) The performances are strong
(19:43) Which audience will this work for?
(20:23) Summary & Letterboxd Rating https://boxd.it/ewY8Qz
(21:07) The FoF Disclaimer
-
(21:21) Bond Casting RANT
(23:31) Mini Darling’s Letterboxd!!?
(26:28) Next week…