If the events of the last year have taught us anything, it’s that cinema still has a vice grip on our collective consciousness. Whether you were living out your own Wes Anderson fairytale or doing your bit to facilitate world peace by bridging the gap between Barbie and Oppenheimer, we were all searching for ways to take the big screen home with us.
It’s a feeling that university friends George Pundek and James Briefel are all too familiar with. In late 2021, the duo started the Pulp Kitchen Podcast in James’ dining room to discuss their love of film and had little expectations that no one would listen apart from their mums. Two years and tens of thousands of social media followers later, and it’s safe to say that people are listening (their mums still tune in from time to time).
“We really didn’t expect people to respect our opinions. We didn’t think our opinions were necessarily any more valid or stronger than anyone else’s. It was more about creating a space where we could talk about films and have fun” says George.
Unlike the film critics of years gone by, the space that George and James are creating for their theatrical musings isn’t at the back of a dark and dingy cinema or in ineligible chicken scratch in a worn out notepad. They are part of the new wave of charismatic film connoisseurs; the kind you can find dressed to the nines, outside of Aubin’s flagship store in Soho. All while being every bit as knowledgeable as their more experienced peers.
As James would put it, “We’ve always felt quite liberated by the fact that we’re not mainstream reviewers working for an outlet and we can essentially have any
conversation we want. It could be a recent release like Dev Patel’s Monkey Man or something from our childhood like The Talented Mr. Ripley”.
“Before we found our voice, we were conscious that we wouldn’t be able to differentiate ourselves from the thousands of people on the internet who came
together in their spare rooms to talk about films. But once we found our voice, we grew in confidence and embraced the fact that our ideas were unique to us”.
In addition to finding their own voice, Pulp Kitchen is just as impressive at taking in the voice of others. Without warning, a seemingly irrelevant passing comment can activate their jukebox of impressions, ranging from Jerry Seinfeld’s nasally vocals to exaggerated versions of the commentary you’d hear on 90’s trailers. The pair’s trademark style of quickfire questions and puns zany has seen them earn admirers online, but also attract the attention of prestigious organisations like BAFTA and the BFI.
However, despite the one time hobby turning into a full-time job with perks (e.g. red carpet invitations and interviews with A-listers), the pair remain as grounded as ever. “Nothing’s changed for us. We’re still those little kids who used to sit in front of the TV watching Star Wars compilations, we’ve just got more eyes on us. We’re loving every moment of this journey and grateful to all of the people we’ve met along the
way.”
Spending the morning with George and James was an absolute pleasure and their encyclopedic film knowledge is pretty impressive so take a listen and see what you've been missing.
The Pulp Kitchen podcast can be found at the below links -
https://open.spotify.com/show/5qGrW9SOoEiuDvyHcoWzri
https://www.youtube.com/@pulpkitchenpodcast
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