Cinema Effect

As we continue following the journey of Jason Bourne, The Bourne Supremacy shows us how personal tragedy can cause an elite secret operative to come out of hiding. While it sucks for old mate Jason, it's great for us because the story that follows is packed with just pure awesomeness. Unique direction, killer pacing, super fun action set pieces, and an even stronger performance from Friend Of The...

We welcome Steve McQueen back to the show (not literally unfortunately), as we review his 2013 Best Picture winning film, 12 Years A Slave. In the 19th century US, wealthy black man Solomon Northup is abducted and sold into slavery. The movie is based on his remarkable true story, as it depicts the stories and struggles of those "living" as slaves pre-civil war. Plus, it packs some terrific perfor...

Brand new 2021 Netflix release Malcolm & Marie comes to us from the mind of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. The film was entirely conceived during COVID, and can easily be described as Zendaya and John David Washington engaged in an at times heated argument for over 90 minutes. Does that sound interesting to you? Hopefully our differing perspectives will help you determine if you would enjoy it at...

Our newest friend of the show is none other than Mr. Steven Spielberg, thanks to us this week reviewing a second film of his, being 2005's remake of the classic War Of The Worlds. Shockingly this particular motion picture is about an army of Martians who pilot giant killer robots, and the terror they inflict on the human race for a couple of days. We witness this through the lens of dickhead fathe...

It's the end of the month, which means it's time for us to find a new franchise to review. We settled on Matt Damon's collection of spy thrillers (except for that one with Jeremy Renner), the Bourne films. The first instalment is The Bourne Identity, which has super secret assassin Jason Bourne completely forget who he is due to an untimely case of amnesia. Jason must embark on a quest to discover...

This week we're taking a look at Infernal Affairs, a 2002 Hong Kong crime film which inspired Scorsese's The Departed. What happens when a police officer goes undercover working for the mob, but that same mob has an inside man working for the police? Someone's going to get found out. Filled with surprising moments and engaging action set pieces, we really enjoyed this film!

The first Steven Spielberg movie we're reviewing on the show is Munich. After the Black September attack at the 1972 Olympics killed many Israeli athletes, Avner (Eric Bana) and his team embark on a secret government assignment to eliminate those responsible. There's a lot to like about this historical drama. Plus, Deadpool is coming to the MCU! And we chat about our most anticipated films of 2021...

Welcome to a whole new year of Cinema Effect! Getting 2021 off to a pretty poor start for the podcast, Zac accidentally watched the wrong movie called "Undertow". Thus, today we are reviewing two movies with the same title. The 2004 film is a family drama set in the Southern US. And the 2018 film depicts a woman's experiences after losing her baby in Geelong, Australia. We hope you enjoy.

2020 draws to a close (hurray!), meaning we have completed our first year of our beloved Cinema Effect podcast. Somehow we haven't missed a single week since the show began, so there is plenty of movies and shows to reflect on. That's why today we are holding the first annual (?) Official Cinema Effect Awards. Listen to us breakdown our top five movies released this year culminating in a definitiv...

David Fincher is one of our favourite working directors, so his latest film, Mank, is a must-watch for us. The Netflix release gives us a glimpse at the life of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, during his time navigating Hollywood studios in the 1930's and completing the screenplay for Citizen Kane. We'll chat about Gary Oldman's performance, the film's technical attempts to remain authentic to...

Knowing is a 2009 sci-fi drama starring Nicolas Cage. The movie deals with science and religious themes, as a mysterious numbers found in a time capsule accurately predict tragedies on Earth. A ton of the movie was shot near where we live, so let's talk about that... as well as give our review of the film itself. In this week's episode, we also chat about all 2021 WB movies releasing on HBO Max, a...

The incredibly divisive finale to the legendary Godfather Trilogy is shockingly titled The Godfather: Part III. The film picks up with Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) much later in life, and showcases his final years and attempts to finally make his family empire legitimate. Despite Francis Ford Coppola's reluctance to make the film coupled with larger production issues, the conclusion to Michael's s...

Netflix's recent release, The Trial Of The Chicago 7, is an Aaron Sorkin written & directed film in which a group of individuals are charged with various crimes related to inciting a protest in opposition to the Vietnam war. Based on real events in 1968 Chicago, the movie showcases some appalling moments and behaviours from people of importance in the US justice system (that damn judge!), with som...

Gretta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of the oft-remade Little Women is a fabulous slice of domestic life in post civil war USA. This coming of age story of four sisters is packed with acting talent, and so much personality in its dialogue and direction. It's easy to see why the story has endured in the hearts of many for over a century. We'll chat about its many strengths and Emma Watson's American acc...

Nocturne is a brand new Blumhouse pseudo-horror film, in which a rivalry between twin sister piano proteges turns somewhat satanic. The movie's horror elements are questionably implemented and the ending left us bewildered, but there are a lot of things to appreciate as well. Let's jump right into it... just not off a balcony.

Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 sequel to The Godfather is considered by many to not only be one of the greatest films of all-time, but superior to its predecessor. The Godfather: Part II continues the story of Michael Corleone as he heads his crime family's aggressive expansion in the late 50's. But of course the film's secondary plot line follows the rise of a young Vito from the original, played by...

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a long-running animated series set in the prequel era of the galaxy far, far away. The show was revived on Disney+ earlier this year for one final season after its initial cancellation in 2014. We're so glad the team at Lucasfilm Animation finally had the opportunity to complete their vision and provide a fitting end to the story George Lucas created himself. Throughou...

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is a 2019 French film from Celine Sciamma. It sees a high born lady fall in love with the woman tasked with painting her, back in the olden days when people somehow survived without such basic human needs as electricity and social media. The movie is shot in 8K which provides a stunning range of colours, enhancing the stellar visuals. Listen to our review, along with our...

Following his Best Picture win with Birdman, The Revenant is a vastly different film from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. It sees frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) fight for his survival after a bear attack, and eventually seek out revenge on his son's killer Fitzpatrick (Tom Hardy). The filmmakers do a spectacular job at capturing the scale and realism of this gruelling journey of survi...

Beginning in 1990, Twin Peaks is a cult classic TV Show that has been infinitely influential. From the... let's say intriguing, mind of David Lynch, the show is packed with personality and quirky characters. But most importantly, it presents the now age old question - who killed Laura Palmer? Let's try and figure it out in our discussion of the first season.

This week's review is all about Francis Ford Coppola's legendary film, The Godfather. Marlon Brando plays Vito Corleone, the head of one of New York's top crime families. The story spans the waning years of Vito's career, as the family faces conflict with rivals, and his initially reluctant son Michael (Al Pacino) prepares to succeed him. The movie, which holds up spectacularly, is packed with now...

Sharknado is a god awful movie which premiered on SyFy channel in 2013. Follow a group of painfully dull characters as they deal with, and eventually put a stop to, the fishiest natural disaster ever conceived. Littered with terrible performances, editing, writing, and practically everything, we don't envy anyone who suffered through this one. Listen to us discuss Sharknado's many issues and the l...

Brand new Netflix film, I'm Thinking Of Ending Things, comes to you from writer/director Charlie Kaufman, who gets the opportunity to go all in on his abstract style this time around. I guess the story could be best described as a young woman visiting her boyfriend's parents house, before madness inevitably ensues. Listen to us try and decipher the movie's true meaning and what's actually going on...

PTA's There Will Be Blood is a story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business (I had to use that amazing synopsis). Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Daniel Plainview in this critically beloved historical drama. Some may even argue it was robbed of Best Picture in 2007. Damn you No Country For Old Men!

In 2003 indie film The Station Agent, Peter Dinklage stars as Fin, who moves into an abandoned rural New Jersey train station. It is there he forms new connections, learns the power of friendship, and all that. Plus, we chat about all of the trailers revealed at DC FanDome!