Get to know Mark Kermode

Mark Kermode has been with us at Scala Radio since day dot, providing listeners every Saturday with the best film music and as a film critic and expert - he's the right man for the job. But there's much more to Mark Kermode than that...

Who is Mark Kermode?

Scala Radio Presenter, Mark Kermode, is an English film expert and critic. He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and a Radio presenter on Saturday afternoons, here on Scala Radio.

Where is Mark Kermode from?

He is from Hertfordshire, England. He was educated at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, as well as Sacha Baron Cohen, David Baddiel and Jacon Isaacs. He now lives in the New Forest.

Mark Kermode’s career so far

Mark’s career begin while studying a PhD in English at the University of Manchester in 1991, writing a thesis on horror fiction. He then became a print journalist, writing for Manchester's City Life, and then Time Out and NME in London.

Kermode began working as a film reviewer on the radio in 1993 on a regular Thursday night slot called Cult Film Corner on Mark Radcliffe's BBC show. He later moved to Simon Mayo's Radio 1 morning show. Between February 1992 and October 1993, he was the resident film reviewer on Danny Baker’s Morning Edition.

In 2001 Mark Kermode started his show with Simon Mayo for Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review on BBC Radio.

Kermode started writing for The Observer in 2009 with weekly film reviews and in 2013 he became Chief Film Critic.

In 2018, he began to present his own documentary series Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema on BBC Four. A second series followed, as well as Disaster Movie, Christmas, and Oscar Winners specials.

In 2019 Mark Kermode joined us at Scala Radio to host a weekly show on Saturdays exploring the world of movie music.

Mark Kermode film reviews

As a film expert and critic, Mark reviews films and their soundtracks. On his Scala Radio show, Kermode will talk about latest film releases and their composers.

He is the chief film critic for The Observer, writes weekly film reviews for the Guardian and presents the BBC Four documentary series Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema.

You can also find his reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Here are a few of our favourites from him on films such as No Time To Die and The Exorcist.

No Time To Die

The long awaited 25th Bond movie and Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 became the first high-profile release to announce a major Covid-related postponement.

Was it worth the wait? Mark claimed that it was much better than he had expected - “It’s not perfect but it’s a very solid Bond movie… I did not come out unsatisfied.”

Mark also crowned Daniel Craig as the best bond, saying, "I think this is really good film for him to go out on, he’s made the role his own… the brutality of his character and also the frailty he has been able to embody, and he’s done it terrifically."

Watch Mark Kermode interviewing 007 composer David Arnold about Hans Zimmer's score for 'No Time To Die'.

The Exorcist

This could arguably be Mark's favourite movie, or certainly the most rememberable one. Perhaps because when it was first released, Mark had to wait six years before being old enough to watch it in the theatre.

Mark remembers watching the film for the first time like it was yesterday, stating that 'it's something that I think about pretty much every day'.

In fact, he loved it so much the he even wrote a book about it.

You can check out more film reviews from Mark, including his film's of the week here.

When is Mark Kermode on Scala Radio?

Mark's show is on Scala Radio every Saturday afternoon from 1-3pm. Mark brings his movie music knowledge to Scala Radio, as he champions up-and-coming composers and takes us on a journey through the film-scoring process.

Each week Mark features a Triple Bill, playing three back-to-back tracks marking an event - from award nominations to a composer’s birthday and much more!

How to listen to Mark Kermode?

You can listen to Mark's show every Saturday on Scala from 1pm on your digital radio, via the Scala website, on our Scala Radio app or on Sky channel 0216. You can even listen on your smart speaker, just say 'Play Scala Radio'.

How many books has Mark Kermode written?

Kermode has written 10 books, including: The Movie Doctors (with Simon Mayo), The Exorcist - BFI Film Classics, Silent Running, It’s Only A Movie, The Good The Bad and The Multiplex, Hatched Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics, Postcards to Europe and most recently, How Does It Feel: A Life Of Musical Misadventures.

Is Mark Kermode in a band?

Kermode is a founding member of the skiffle band called the Dodge Brothers, for which he plays double bass. The band are from Southampton and they play Americana, rockabilly, bluegrass, folk, country and blues music.

Mark Kermode has also played with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Mark Kermode’s Best of the Year

Each year, Kermode produces an annual Top Five Film Score's List, where he reveals his favourite film scores of the year from across the globe with an overview with his critical preferences.

In 2021 his top pick was the film score by Eiko Ishibashi from the film Drive My Car - a composer who was new to Mark until he saw the movie, where he felt himself completely spellbound by the score.

Also included in the list are composers such as Jonny Greenwood (Spencer), Nainita Desai's (The Reason I Jump) and Daniel Hart (The Green Knight).

How to listen to Scala Radio?

Listen to Scala Radio on DAB nationwide, on our free app, online or via your smart speaker (“Play Scala Radio”).

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Listen to Scala Radio

Listen to Scala Radio on DAB nationwide, on our free app, online or via your smart speaker (“Play Scala Radio”).

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