7/4 - Anatomy of a Movie Trailer

"We are going to lie to you, if we really have to. We have to get you to come to the cinema"

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Why are movie trailers more beloved and enduring than other forms of advertising?

How has the medium changed, to keep the video-game generation engaged? And what tricks do editors use to keep us watching, and returning to the flicks, week in week out?

In this episode, editor Gareth Davies sits down with Olly to review some classic examples of the genre, and provides a masterclass in how to market a movie - from the choice of soundtrack, to navigating plot spoilers, and defining the right pace.

Listen Now:

You can watch all the trailers discussed in the interview - Rear Window, Alien, Three Kings, A Serious Man and The One I Love - here:

Hey Siri - Can you tell us how to play our podcast? PLEEEEASEE?

Elsewhere, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart uncovers a plot to sell Guy Fieri’s hair follicles, explains why Google opening up its Maps API could be a game-changer for game developers, and reports back on his challenge to find the perfect combination of words to make this podcast play on Apple Homepod, Amazon Echo and Google Home.

If you have a challenge to set Ollie for a future episode - or think you know how to program an Alexa skill in ways he could only dream of - don’t hesitate to get in touch via our Feedback form.

Meanwhile, in this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox considers the merits of a reusable tampon applicator, and tackles a buxom listener question: is it possible to have an orgasm solely through licking, flicking and lightly squeezing your nipples?

The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. They have a great range of toys and protection at incredibly good value prices. Check ‘em out, and remember to use our code ‘Foxhole’ to get an astonishing 15% Off!

If you have a question of sex for Alix to answer on a future episode, stick it in her box via our Feedback page - you can remain completely anonymous if you prefer.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Habibi’, the haunting debut single from half-Egyptian, half-Belgian singer Tamino. It's available to stream now, courtesy of Communion Records:

If you enjoy the show, please support us by buying us a beer for just £3.60 (around $5) via MoonClerk or via PayPal. Your contributions help keep us on the air; funding our independent podcast series so we can continue making episodes you love. Thanks!

See You Next Tuesday...

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Seven and tagged jack lucy.

7/3 - Nature, Nurture

"In the theatre of war, the theatre of wildlife kept me alive."

Ex-soldier Craig Jones escaped a brutal father and found solace in the natural world.

Now a distinguished wildlife photographer and conservationist, the aftermath of his traumatic childhood and military training informs his approach.

In this candid interview with Olly, he explains how his kinship with wild creatures has helped him survive, thrive and start afresh.

LISTEN:

Elsewhere, in this week's Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart uncovers the secret world of 'millenialingo', explains why Basil Fawlty might feel at home in the world of self-driving cars, and reveals the results of his challenge to make £150 in one week of matched betting. 

If you have a challenge for Ollie to attempt, submit it here!

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from swotting up on Norwegian vaginal trivia, considers a question of split condoms and unwelcome pregnancies. 

If you have a question of sex for Alix to answer on the show, submit it here - you can remain completely anonymous if you wish.

The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com - remember to use our discount code, 'FOXHOLE', at Checkout to get 15% off!

This week's Lifehack comes courtesy of Studio Unwired's Ula Maria - RHS Young Designer of the Year - who reveals her Top 3 tips to make a beautiful urban garden. 

Finally, our record of the week is the new one from Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. It's called Childhood Goodbye, and it's out now on Glassnote Records:

This show is only possible thanks to the support of amazing listeners like you. 

If you value the show, and you want to keep us going, please buy us a beer.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Seven and tagged julian homeless.

7/2 - The Headhunter

On a bad day, what are you like to work for? When was the last time you felt professionally vulnerable?

You’ve probably never been asked these questions in a job interview - but they’re bread-and-butter to executive headhunter Kathleen Saxton.

In this conversation with Olly, she reveals the tricks she uses to ‘see through the professional mask’ to catch the eye of high-flying CEOs, ponders the future of workplace culture in an always-connected environment, and explains why employing a borderline psychopath isn’t *necessarily* a bad thing…

LISTEN:

Elsewhere, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from experiencing an ‘earthquake’ in Dorset - explores the deeply-felt nostalgia that surfaced on #PokemonDay, considers the benefits of living in the office, and updates us on his mission to live plastic free for a week. If you have a challenge for Ollie to attempt on a future edition, get in touch.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox has a jolly story about bacterial vaginosis, and much to say on the topic of ‘watersports’: is it pleasurable and/or safe to bring piss into the bedroom? If you have a question of sex for Alix to address on a future edition, get in touch - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our sexy friends at mycondom.com - remember to use our discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get a titillating 15% off!

For this week’s Lifehack, Camilla from waste food distribution charity Foodcycle offers her three top tips for using up your food: plan ahead, don’t confuse Best Before dates with Use Bys, and freeze your herbs. 

Our record of the week comes from chill-out GENIUSES Another Sky. It's called Forget Yourself and it's out now on Fiction Records: 

Thanks to Harry’s for sponsoring this episode. They deliver stunning German-engineered razors to your door. Take advantage of our special offer and get a shave set worth £11.50 for just £3.95 at Harrys.com/MANN

If you enjoy the show, please tell your friends on social media, review us on Apple Podcasts, or buy us a beer to say thanks.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Seven and tagged sperm.

7/1 - The Two Billion Dollar Man

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In his 20s, yet running a $50billion book, Kweku Adoboli had worked his way up the trading floor at the very point the market crashed.

His actions wiped £2.7bn from the UBS share price, prompted the resignation of their chief executive - and got him a seven-year jail sentence for fraud.

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In this remarkable interview with Olly, he reveals a corporate culture of ‘wilful blindness’, explains how he fell foul of the UK’s hostile environment policy for migrants - and re-lives the moment he realised that, having taken responsibility for his actions, he would forever be known as Britain’s biggest ‘rogue trader’...

LISTEN:

If you’d like to sign the petition to stop Kweku’s proposed deportation, you can do so here.

Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart highlights ‘anonymous work talk’ app Blind, and the trend for ‘baby sculpting’ in gross-out cake baking. He also reports back on his attempts at ‘neuro-priming’. If you have a challenge for Ollie to try in The Zeitgeist, drop us a line.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox sheds light on British attitudes to sex in the dark, and advises an HIV-positive listener about alternatives to penetration when his viral load hits detectable levels. If you have a question for Alix to answer - you can remain completely anonymous if you wish - submit it here.

The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com, who provide a brilliant range of toys, contraceptives and lubes at great value prices. Use our code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get 15% off!

This week’s Lifehack comes courtesy of Kinfolk magazine’s Harriet Fitch Little, who offers up her three top tips on ‘How To Network’: stop thinking you’re sleazy, remember not to fist-pump around the room, and word your emails *very* carefully! You can hear more from Harriet on the podcast 'Friends Who Freelance', launching March 2018.

Finally, this week’s record of the week is the lovely ‘Strangest Of Ways’, by Lucy Rose. It’s out now on Communion Records:

Big thanks to Harry’s, who deliver stunning German-engineered razors to your door, and have sponsored this episode of the show. Take advantage of our SPECIAL OFFER - get a shave set worth £11.50 for just £3.95 at Harrys.com/MANN. 

That's it for this week's show - it's great to be back.

If you enjoy the show, support us by buying us a beer, leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or just by telling your friends.

See You Next Tuesday!

Additional incidental music in this episode by David Hilowitz, by kind permission under creative commons.

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Seven and tagged Maxwell Bunting sue.

6/10 - The Truth About Clean Eating

‘Any health claims connected to coconut oil have no basis in fact’

Are you doing 'Dry January'? Experimenting with gluten-free snacks? Or stocking up on 'superfoods'?

If so, Anthony Warner warns, you are, in fact, building up a damaging relationship with food, and should probably stop it, now...

In this insightful interview with Olly, he takes on the bad science of the 'clean eating' movement, explains the reality of 'anti-oxidant' blueberries, and will make you think twice before you ever cook in coconut oil again.

LISTEN:

Elsewhere in our season finale, Ollie Peart - the man who predicted we’d all be wearing flared velvet by now - predicts the year ahead in this week's Zeitgeist: from metallic hair to Bitmoji, taking in backwards-looking technology and the threat of increasing earthquakes along the way.

And, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - dismayed yet galvanised by a recent set of STI statistics - is on hand to advise a listener who wants to explore whether her husband should find sexual salvation with a transexual woman. (The Foxhole is sponsored, as ever, by our friends at mycondom.com - head on down now to their JANUARY SALE - and get 15% OFF when you use our discount code, Foxhole.)

Meanwhile, our Lifehack this week comes courtesy of our very own Producer Matt, who offers up his Top 3 tips to make a successful podcast. (Oh, and if you're inspired to create a podcast of your own, check out Lifehack sponsors Squarespace.com - they make it easy to create beautiful websites to support your show, like, er, this one!)

Finally, our record of the week is Shiva by new act Azusena, out now on Fiction Records:

Thanks to the sponsors of this week's show, Tenga. Their excellent new electronic toy for men, the Flip Zero EV, is out now. (If you'd like to sponsor a future episode of the show, be in touch!)

That's it for this season of The Modern Mann. We'll be back for a brand new series from Tuesday February 27th: if you have an idea for a future episode, be in touch. We are only able to continue to make the show thanks to your generous support - so, if you can afford to, please please buy us a beer. Every penny goes back into making the show.

See you in the Spring!

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Six and tagged Stu booze fur vegan.