Welcome back to the ATRM Newsletter! As summer rolls on, we're here with another month of film discussion, community chat, and movie discoveries from the world of All The Right Movies.

This month, we're excited to introduce Matt Lumb - an accountant turned beauty industry CEO whose passion for film is rivalled only by his love for Liverpool FC. Then, in our Spotlight feature, Luke takes us back to 1947 with a noir masterpiece that proves some films only get better with age.

So pour yourself something cold, find a shady spot, and let's dive in...

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Catch up with the newest episodes from our flagship podcast, ATRM Classic...

John Cusack's hitman heads home for his high school reunion in this darkly comic gem. Join the ATRM crew as we unpack the film's perfect blend of romance and violence, discuss the killer soundtrack, and explore why this smart, subversive comedy has become a beloved cult classic.Available anywhere you get your podcasts!

John, Westy, and Matt take us back to dystopian Los Angeles in the sequel that dared to follow a masterpiece. The team dives into Denis Villeneuve's direction, Roger Deakins' breathtaking cinematography, Ryan Gosling's nuanced performance, and how this belated follow-up managed to honour its predecessor while carving its own path.On every major podcast streaming service.

Our August POTM is a beauty industry CEO who judges both hair products and BBC contestants with equal expertise.

This month, we're delighted to feature Matt Lumb - a Liverpool-supporting accountant who spent 15 years scaling start-ups in the hair and beauty world, including stints as CEO at Tangle Teezer and War Paint For Men. When he's not at Anfield with his son Harry or planning his upcoming wedding, Matt can be found in his home "snug" working through his 4K collection on a proper Dolby Atmos setup - because as any true movie fan knows, sound matters just as much as picture.

Matt outside Anfield - the only place with drama to rival his favourite film, Heat (1995).

Hello, Matt. Please tell us a bit about yourself.An accountant by trade I've spent the last 15 years in the hair and beauty industry. I was CEO at UK hairbrush brand Tangle Teezer for 7 years and then CEO at UK men's cosmetics brand War Paint For Men for 5 years helping both scale from start ups. More importantly than either of those I'm dad to a wonderful 15 year old young man called Harry and we share many interests including going to watch Liverpool every other week, playing the odd round of golf and travelling where and when we can. Unsurprisingly my own interests include all things movies including cinema, physical media and of course great quality podcasts. My wonderful fiancé and I get married next year, but sadly she's not quite as passionate as I am about movies!

Also, I was a "judge" on the BBC's The Apprentice tv show a couple of years ago (although Luke let that cat out the bag when he told everyone I "damned a contestant to hell" on a pod last year 😂😂😂)

What's your all-time favourite film?This is such a difficult question to answer! I think it has to come down to which film do I revisit the most and the answer to that would be a toss up between Jaws and HEAT. I think I'm going to go with HEAT. It never gets old for me and so many things resonate. The performances of so many characters are flawless. The sound design is incredible. De Niro is absolutely superb. Michael Mann is one of my favourite directors and it frustrates me that he hasn't made a truly great film in over two decades.

How long have you been part of the ATRM Community?I first found the ATRM podcast at the start of the first Covid lockdown around May 2020. Working from home my only respite was an hour or two walking outside and I did so listening to (mostly movie related) podcasts. A good pal of mine sent me a link to the ATRM pod on Se7en and that was it, I was in and I was a Patreon member shortly afterwards and have been ever since. I love how the pod has evolved over the years and the community you guys have created is fantastic.

What was your cinematic "awakening"?One my earliest cinema going experiences was Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I was just too young to see Ep IV at the cinema, but Empire blew me away. I think that's why I said it was the more nostalgic one for me when you did the Star Wars pod. I was a wide eyed 7 year old mesmerised to the screen. I'd never seen a screen so big or heard a movie so loud before.

What's a film everyone seems to love that you just can't stand? (And vice versa - a "bad" movie you secretly adore?)I wouldn't say I can't stand it, but I've never got the hype around Fight Club! Saw it at the cinema, tried rewatching it once since and didn't finish it. In terms of a guilty pleasure I thoroughly enjoyed a very small budget, indie horror movie called Unfriended released back in 2014. Has a mere 5.6 on IMDb, but I think it's terrific! It's only 83 mins long as well so Luke will love it.

How do you typically watch films?Never a laptop unless I'm in transit. I'm here not just for the big screen, but equally as important, for me at least, is the sound. I love the cinema, but have to admit I don't go as often as I used to and can't really explain why. I used to go every other week whereas now it's once every month or two. I have a "snug" at home that I use to watch movies, many of them on 4K physical media. I have a good sized tv and a Dolby Atmos set up. I spend far too much time in there! It's far too easy to "second screen" at home though. It can take me three hours to watch a two hour movie, something I wouldn't dream of considering doing in a cinema. So stopping doing that is a ritual I'm working on!

What's the most memorable cinema experience you've ever had?I have several I think. When I was 10 my nana and grandad took me to see Jaws 3D. Of course the movie is rubbish, but it was my first time wearing the paper 3D glasses and I remember I kept jumping out of my seat every time they did a cheap 3D jump scare. Why they chose that film I'll never know, I was terrified the whole time! More recently, albeit over 25 years ago, I'd have to say The Matrix. It blew my mind. More recently again I'd probably say Tenet for a few reasons. It opened in the UK at the cinema despite us being in between lockdowns. So it stuck with me as I'd missed being able to go out, but also because all the seats were spaced out for social distancing. Feels like a lifetime ago.

What film do you think ATRM Classic absolutely needs to cover?Collateral. It's one of Cruise's best performances and one of Mann's best movies as well as being his last brilliant one. It makes me wonder why Cruise hasn't played the bad guy more often instead of playing it safe with MI every time.

Is there a specific genre you feel doesn't get enough critical attention?I'd probably say horror or comedy, but then they don't really make good comedies anymore do they? They make plenty of horrors, but I'm still not sure they're taken all that seriously despite there being some great ones released the last few years.

What's a film recommendation you're passionate about that you think most of our listeners haven't seen?Haha! Neither you nor long time listeners will be remotely surprised to hear me say Dead Man's Shoes. I think this is one of the best British films ever made. It's 20 years old now and it still holds up, still hits so hard. Incredible performance by Paddy Considine and brilliant writing by Shane Meadows. It's been on the polls a few times now, but I've accepted it's too niche to ever make it to a classic pod. But people should check it out for sure and thank me later.

Is there a film that holds a special memory for you?I remember watching The Money Pit, aged 13, with my old man on VHS at home on one of his rare days off work. I was laughing so hard I kept rolling around/off the sofa and, in turn, this made him laugh so hard! We were both just crying laughing! He's no longer with us, but that's a memory I'll always cherish.

If you could resurrect any discontinued film franchise?I think between them Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise have rebooted every franchise ever created at this point so I'm struggling!

Thanks a lot, Matt. Do you have any creative ventures to promote?I do and I'd love to be able to tell you about it and have you plug it for me, but I can't say anything just yet!! I'm hoping to launch my own brand later this year but it's all very much under wraps for now.

You can also keep an eye out for Matt's contribution in this month's Double Feature episode - his choices (Collateral and Minority Report) went into our poll alongside Luke, Westy, and Matt's choices. And Matt only went and won, the first patron to do so, so keep an eye our for that dropping on Friday 22nd August.

Each month, one of the ATRM team shines a light on a hidden gem that deserves your attention. This month, Luke takes us into the shadows of 1947 with a film noir that reminds us why the genre cast such a long, dark shadow over cinema history.

Reviewed by: Luke

Sometimes you encounter a film that makes you remember exactly why you fell for a particular genre in the first place. Out of the Past is one of those films - a reminder that when all the noir elements align perfectly, the results can be genuinely extraordinary. Director Jacques Tourneur (who'd already proven his atmospheric credentials with Cat People) delivers what feels like a masterclass in genre filmmaking. When small-town garage owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) gets dragged back into his past life as a private detective, we're treated to everything that makes noir compelling: the doomed protagonist, the serpentine plotting, and one absolutely unforgettable femme fatale.

Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past - where cigarette smoke and moral ambiguity hang equally thick.

Mitchum is magnetic here, cementing that laconic, world-weary persona that would define his career. There's something mesmerising about watching him chain-smoke his way through increasingly dangerous situations, always seeming to know exactly how trapped he is. Jane Greer matches him perfectly as Kathie, delivering a performance that's both seductive and genuinely chilling.

What sets this apart is Tourneur's visual sophistication. Cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca creates these stunning contrasts between light and shadow that make every scene feel deliberately composed. And the cross-country narrative is a joy to behold, Out Of The Past provides a one-way ticket across North America, stopping off at Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and Acapulco to name a few. The dialogue crackles with that hard-boiled wit and Kirk Douglas brings real menace as the gangster orchestrating much of the chaos. The plotting is genuinely complex without becoming unnecessarily convoluted, building to an ending that captures noir's beautiful fatalism perfectly.

This sits comfortably in the top tier of film noir - expertly crafted without feeling showy, with every element working in harmony. For anyone who appreciates the genre, it's essential viewing that demonstrates exactly why noir worked so brilliantly when all the pieces fell into place. And any film that Roger Ebert calls 'the greatest cigarette-smoking movie of all time' is alright by me.

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