Cinema Callback

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Trust (1990), Hal Hartley’s breakthrough indie film that blends romance, comedy, and philosophical inquiry with a distinctly deadpan tone. Centered on the unlikely connection between Maria and Matthew, the film reframes young love as an act of resistance against social expectation and emotional inertia. Through the show’s voice note conv...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Jerry Schatzberg’s raw, unsentimental portrait of addiction and dependency in early-70s New York, starring Al Pacino and Kitty Winn. Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s stripped back realism, its immersion in street level life, and how it resists moralising o...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Scarecrow (1973), Jerry Schatzberg’s tender, wandering road movie starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman as two drifters moving across America with little more than dreams and unresolved pasts. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s loose, episodic structure and how it lets character take preceden...

This is a quick film-club preview of the next four Cinema Callback episodes. We’ll be covering Scarecrow (1973), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Trust (1990), and Possum (2018). , so if you want to watch along, now’s the time — and then check out the episodes when they drop. Scarecrow - 13/01/2026 The Panic in Needle Park - 20/01/2026 Trust - 27/01/2026 Possum - 04/02/2026

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss The Firm (1993), Sydney Pollack’s slick legal thriller starring Tom Cruise at the peak of his early-90s stardom. What begins as a glossy story of professional success slowly reveals itself as a paranoid nightmare about power, control, and the cost of getting exactly what you want. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the ho...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss 28 Years Later, the long-gestating return to Danny Boyle’s infected Britain and what it means to revisit a world that once defined post-millennium horror. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about how the film reframes rage, survival, and collapse through the lens of time, aging, and generational trauma. The...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss That They May Face the Rising Sun (2023), the quietly powerful Irish film adapted from John McGahern’s novel. Set in rural Ireland, the film observes everyday life, community bonds, and the passing of time with a patient, unshowy eye. Through the show’s voice-note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s observational style,...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael turn their attention to Faraway, So Close! (1993), Wim Wenders’ follow-up to Wings of Desire. Continuing the story of angels observing human life in Berlin, the film shifts tone, scale, and ambition — raising questions about freedom, consequence, and what it really means to be human. Using the show’s voice-note conversation format, the two hosts...

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael dive into Warfare (2025), Alex Garland’s tense, grounded drama built around real-world military events and the political fallout surrounding them. We look at how Garland handles the material, the performances that carry the film, and the film’s commentary on loyalty, power, and the human cost of conflict. As always, the episode is built around o...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes as they explore The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024), the moving documentary about Norwegian gamer Mats Steen — known online as “Ibelin”. Stricken by Duchenne muscular dystrophy and confined to a wheelchair, Mats found escape, purpose and connection within the world of World of Warcraft. Through interviews, archive footage and animated recreations of his in-game l...

Michael and Andy are back in each other’s voice notes — but this week they’re dodging slow-motion doves, leather jackets, and John Woo explosions as they dive into Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) . In this episode, the lads break down that wild tonal shift, the stunt-heavy insanity, the operatic melodrama, and whether the movie’s style-over-sense approach secretly makes it the most fun entry in the f...

Andy and Michael return with a new batch of chaotic, cinematic voice notes as Cinema Callback tackles Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025). In this spoiler-filled episode, the lads break down Tom Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt — the stunts, the twists, the emotional beats, and whether the franchise sticks the landing after nearly 30 years. Told through their signature voicemail-st...

Andy and Michael return to the line for a charged discussion of Sinners (2025), Ryan Coogler’s long-awaited comeback and one of the year’s most talked-about films. Told through their signature voice note exchanges, the pair unpack Coogler’s daring mix of faith, family, and moral collapse — a film that asks whether redemption is possible in a world built on compromise. Expect a raw, honest breakdow...

Andy and Michael leave voice notes across continents to discuss Black ’47 (2018), Lance Daly’s brutal revenge western set during Ireland’s Great Famine. In this emotionally charged episode, they explore how the film fuses genre grit with historical trauma — from James Frecheville’s haunted performance to Hugo Weaving’s moral complexity. They talk about its striking cinematography, mythic tone, and...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes about Black Bag (2025), Steven Soderbergh’s sleek return to the spy genre starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. In this episode, they unpack its tension, tone, and the director’s obsession with control — asking whether Black Bag feels like a comeback or a cold exercise in style. Along the way, they debate the movie’s surprising restraint, Fassbender’s pe...

Andy and Michael leave each other a string of voice notes about Robot Dreams (2023), the beautifully melancholic animated film from Pablo Berger. Through their conversation, they explore the film’s quiet emotional pull — a wordless story about connection, loss, and how even machines can make us cry. This week’s episode moves between laughter and reflection as the two hosts unpack how Robot Dreams...

In this episode, Andy and Michael swap voice notes about The Final Exit of the Disciples of Ascensia (2023) — a slow-burn cosmic animation that’s part cult study, part existential nightmare. As always, their conversation unfolds entirely through voicemail-style exchanges, exploring the film’s hypnotic pacing, religious mania, and sense of creeping dread. Is it a hidden gem or an endurance test of...

Andy and Michael return with another surreal entry in their ongoing voice-note discussions — this time exploring the nightmarish, hypnotic world of The Burning Buddha Man (2013). Told entirely through their real voice messages, the hosts unravel Ujicha’s eerie blend of stop-motion and horror, debating whether this “gekimation” experiment is a lost masterpiece or a fever dream gone too far. Expect...

On this episode of Cinema Callback , Andy and Michael exchange voice notes about This Magnificent Cake! (2018), the stop-motion anthology film from Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef. Set in 19th-century Africa under European colonial rule, the film tells five interconnected stories—ranging from absurd to tragic—exploring greed, power, and human fragility. We discuss: How can animation capture the...

On this episode of Cinema Callback , Andy and Michael leave each other voice notes as they dive into The Peasants (2023), the painterly animated adaptation of Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize–winning novel. Using hand-painted animation similar to Loving Vincent , the film portrays the brutal, beautiful, and often heartbreaking life of 19th-century Polish villagers. We ask: Can animation carry the s...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes about Commune (2005), Jonathan Berman’s documentary on the Black Bear Ranch collective of the late 1960s. In this special episode, director Jonathan Berman himself joins in, dropping his own commentary throughout the podcast — turning Cinema Callback into a hybrid film discussion and director’s track you won’t find anywhere else. 🌿 Expect insights into communal l...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes about Disney’s Strange World (2022), the sci-fi adventure directed by Don Hall. Through their voicemail-style back-and-forth, they ask why this ambitious, visually bold film — with themes of family, legacy, and environmental responsibility — failed to connect with audiences despite Disney’s usual magic. 🌍 Expect talk on pulpy sci-fi influences, representation in...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes about Todd Haynes’ infamous underground short Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987). Banned from official release due to copyright battles, this audacious film uses Barbie dolls to dramatize Karen Carpenter’s rise to fame and tragic death — and has since become a cult legend. 🎹 The conversation unpacks , whether a 43-minute banned short can feel more truthf...

Andy and Michael hatch a double-feature voicemail discussion, clucking their way through both Aardman classics — Chicken Run (2000) and its long-awaited sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023). 🐔 From the daring POW-style escape of the first film to the colorful, high-stakes rescue mission in the sequel, the two debate whether Dawn of the Nugget could ever live up to the original’s charm —...

Andy and Michael swap voice notes on Luc Walpoth’s 2024 thriller starring Emile Hirsch. Unpacking the film’s tense betrayals, moral stakes, and whether it really cashes in on its premise.