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Cinema Sleuths

Cinema Sleuths

Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth 115 Episodes Sep 14, 2026

Cinema Sleuths is a podcast hosted by crime fiction authors Dr Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth. They investigate the movies and TV shows that shape pop culture. Each episode tackles a different cinematic case, examining the stories and themes behind popular films and series. The hosts bring their background in crime fiction to offer unique perspectives on the media they discuss.

Episodes

Case 100: PREDATOR (1987) — If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It!
Case 100: PREDATOR (1987) — If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It! Sep 14, 2026 5923 For our 100th investigation, we head deep into the jungle for John McTiernan’s Predator (1987) — the iconic genre-busting science-fiction action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Kevin Peter Hall.At first, Predator looks like the ultimate testosterone-fuelled 1980s action movie!In this episode, we investigate what makes Predator such an enduring classic. How did John
Case 99: STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) | Celebrating 60 Years of TREK!
Case 99: STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) | Celebrating 60 Years of TREK! Sep 7, 2026 6513 Space. The final frontier! 60 years ago, STAR TREK was released on the small screen. And nearly 50 years ago, STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE hit the BIG SCREEN! To celebrate TREK, this week, you Cinema Sleuths investigate Robert Wise’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), the ambitious science-fiction epic that brought the original Star Trek crew to cinemas for the first time.Starring Will
Case 98: THE RIP (2026) | Dir Joe Carnahan | A Netflix Hit or Miss?
Case 98: THE RIP (2026) | Dir Joe Carnahan | A Netflix Hit or Miss? Aug 24, 2026 5052 The Rip (2026), starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and directed by Joe Carnahan, is a Netflix crime thriller that raises the question: has the era of prestige filmmaking left Netflix?
Case 97: LANTERNS (2026) — The DCU's Brightest Day or Darkest Night?
Case 97: LANTERNS (2026) — The DCU's Brightest Day or Darkest Night? Aug 19, 2026 4058 Lanterns is the latest DC property that has enraged the internet. Some fans seem to love it while others are infuriated. Do they have a good reason, or has fan discourse gone too far? We discuss that and whether this show is really worthy of the hate.
Case 96: THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946) | Dir Tay Garnett |
Case 96: THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946) | Dir Tay Garnett | Aug 17, 2026 4948 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) is widely regarded as one of the classic film noirs — but does this celebrated adaptation of James M. Cain’s iconic hard-boiled novel still deserve its reputation? In this episode of Cinema Sleuths, we put The Postman Always Rings Twice to the test. We investigate Tay Garnett’s 1946 film and what made it a landmark of classic Hollywood and film noir.
Case 95: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) | Dir Steve Barron | A Shell Of Hit!
Case 95: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) | Dir Steve Barron | A Shell Of Hit! Aug 10, 2026 5399 Was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) the perfect adaptation of the original comics — or simply a very different movie hiding beneath the shadow of Turtle-Mania?
Case 94: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026) | Dir Destin Daniel Cretton | A Spectacular Return to Form
Case 94: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026) | Dir Destin Daniel Cretton | A Spectacular Return to Form Aug 3, 2026 6769 THWIP! The summer blockbuster has swung into town — and it’s a giant Spider-Man-sized case for Cinema Sleuths. Has Marvel finally moved on from Iron Man Jr and delivered a great Spider-Man movie again?  Does Spider-Man: Brand New Day capture what makes the character so special? And can this new chapter give Peter Parker the fresh start that the title promises? That’s what we want to know
Case 93: DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN S2 + PUNISHER - Marvel's Violent Revival
Case 93: DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN S2 + PUNISHER - Marvel's Violent Revival Jul 27, 2026 7919 Have Daredevil and the Punisher finally brought the old Marvel television magic back — or has the MCU moved on without them?
Case 92: ROBOCOP (1987) | Dir Paul Verhoeven | A Masterclass In Movie Making
Case 92: ROBOCOP (1987) | Dir Paul Verhoeven | A Masterclass In Movie Making Jul 13, 2026 6167 Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth investigate Verhoeven’s 1987 classic, exploring its savage satire of corporate America, privatisation, consumer culture, sensationalist news and a society increasingly obsessed with violence and entertainment
Case 91: SHERLOCK MANIA — THE GREAT HOLMES BOOM OF THE 2010s
Case 91: SHERLOCK MANIA — THE GREAT HOLMES BOOM OF THE 2010s Jul 6, 2026 7710 In this episode of Cinema Sleuths, we investigate the strange era when two wildly different Sherlock Holmes franchises became mega-hits at almost exactly the same time.
Case 90: SUPERGIRL (2026) - An Unfortunate Flop + TOY STORY 5 & DISCLOSURE DAY
Case 90: SUPERGIRL (2026) - An Unfortunate Flop + TOY STORY 5 & DISCLOSURE DAY Jun 29, 2026 5963 What went wrong with the early summer blockbusters, from Disclosure Day to Supergirl?
Case 89: THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) | Dir Robert Altman | A Misunderstood Adaptation?
Case 89: THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) | Dir Robert Altman | A Misunderstood Adaptation? Jun 22, 2026 4756 Did Robert Altman misunderstand Chandler’s iconic detective? Or did he create one of the most fascinating reinventions of the noir detective story? Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth investigate Altman’s The Long Goodbye, exploring Elliott Gould’s brilliantly unconventional Marlowe!

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