Cinema Effect

For the second time in the history of Cinema Effect, we have the pleasure of reviewing a brand new film from one of our most talked about directors on the show. The one and only David Fincher. After an attempted hit goes terribly wrong for a (usually) highly skilled modern day assassin (played expertly by Michael Fassbender), a globe trotting mission ensues. Since we've discussed a vast array...

Move over Marty! It's time to dive into the highest of cinemaaaaa in the form of prime Arnie's sci-fi action flick, Total Recall. Mr. Arnold starts the film trying to play a totally regular construction worker who wants more from his life. This is the least believable thing ever put to screen (have you seen how massive this dude was?!). So thankfully we learn pretty quickly he is actually...

Cinemaaaaaa is saved! Friend of the show Martin Scorsese returns with a 200 million dollar historical epic that has been universally praised up until now. The film follows what is probably the grimiest gold digger in history through Leonardo Di Caprio's Ernest Burkhart, fiending after Lily Gladstone's Molly and her oil money. The film is massive and through the central relationship examine...

Before we go all the way back to the beginning in the new prequel releasing next month, we must first bring the current Hunger Games saga to a close with the epic finale, Mockingjay Part 2. The film finally sees the sparks of revolution started by Katniss culminate in full scale war between the Districts and the Capitol. And while our main characters travel into the heart of the city in an attempt...

The Prince of Egypt is a classic 1998 DreamWorks Animation film, and acts as an adaptation of the Book of Exodus. You probably know this already, but the gist is that Moses (Val Kilmer) is tasked by God with leading and saving his fellow Israelites after learning his true identity. It's an absurdly stacked cast. Rendered in still stunning 2D animation, the film represents the end of an era for...

We hope your thoughts and prayers are with us as we endeavour to tackle our first ever quadruple feature on the show! In the past few weeks, four short films written and directed by auteur filmmaker Wes Anderson have released on Netflix. All of which are based on stories by Roald Dahl. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Poison, The Rat Catcher, and The Swan each possess strikingly similar approac...

As we return to the world of Panem this month for the beginning of the end to The Hunger Games saga, we find it in even more of a mess than usual. Having arrived at District 13, Katniss has become the face of a revolution in open war against The Capitol. And as we discuss in this very podcast, it has become clear that the approach of the rebels is increasingly scummy. We're basically on Team S...

This week Liam and Zac venture to a far, far away land where hell smells real bad, and David Bowie himself presides as the Goblin King. This is Jim Henson's Labyrinth, a cult classic family/horror movie from 1986. Starring a young Jennifer Connelly as she traverses a fantasy land and meets a fellowship of diverse characters, the story actually does somewhat resemble the Wizard of Oz. A key dif...

We're back for the second week in a row covering a Damien Chazelle joint. That's really no bother because his films are pretty damn good. But also because First Man marks a significant departure for Chazelle's filmography. The 2018 film is a biopic about Neil Armstrong and the triumphs and tribulations proceeding the Apollo launch in the 1960s. And I think it's fair to say that sto...

La La Land is not only one of the most popular and well regarded films of the last decade, but also marks Damien Chazelle's second go around on Cinema Effect this year (with more to come next week). Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, the movie plays as an idealistic whimsical musical, with some strong character drama still inserted throughout. The story believe it or not takes place in Los...

Detective Pikachu is not only the first live action Pokémon film, but also Jayden’s favourite movie of all-time!! So we had to review it on the show. Tim (Justice Smith) teams up with a very adorable talking Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) on a case to find his missing father. Seeing many fan favourite Pokémon beautifully brought into the real world on screen is an absolute joy. And while it is...

We're not only back on The Hunger Games train, but can happily confirm on this rewatch that the sequel, Catching Fire, is a step up from the original film in almost every way. In a plot twist genuinely shocking to some, and painfully obvious to most sane people, our protagonist Katniss (alongside her completely useless husband Peeta) must once again compete to survive in the arena. It's ju...

David Fincher once again makes his triumphant return to Cinema Effect (at this point we may as well endeavour to review his entire filmography), as we discuss his acclaimed 2007 movie, Zodiac. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. as real-life characters involved with the decades long investigation into the Zodiac murders in Northern California. Each of whom have their live...

We were lucky enough to attend an early screening of Past Lives at the Melbourne International Film Festival (or MIFF if you're so inclined), and of course we had to invite Andy Lau himself back on the show to breakdown the film. The movie spans decades, focusing on two childhood friends reunited after 20 years. And this being Celine Song's directorial debut, we were very impressed with ma...

This week we kick off a new franchise with the world's introduction to the Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a teenager who (as you already know) in place of her sister volunteers to participate in a large-scale fight to the death masquerading as a reality TV show. It's pretty messed up. So can Katniss, and her annoyingly named boyfriend Peeta, survive?! In revisit...

Our most anticipated film of the year has arrived. No, not Barbie! But REAL cinema in the form of Christopher Nolan's latest. Oppenheimer simply being Nolan's next project may be enough for a lot of moviegoers to take a trip to the theatre ASAP. But if you're unaware, prepare to witness a fast-paced and dialogue heavy biopic spanning decades of J. Robert Oppenheimer's life over thr...

Friend of the Show Tom Cruise is back on the big screen. And this time he rode a damn motorcycle off a cliff in Norway. As you do. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One is a huge movie, with major set pieces in some of the world's most recognisable locations. We'll debate some of the narrative choices, including certain characters and the ending. But continuing the strong trend for t...

The rest of July is going to be packed with reviews for the latest big 2023 films on the show. And this week we're kicking that off with Netflix's latest animated release called Nimona. Set in a medieval/sci-fi hybrid world, young knight Ballister (played by Riz Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn't commit. So in order to survive and save The City, he must team with his ancient enemy,...

Harrison Ford returns again to arguably his most iconic role, Indiana Jones. And does so over 40 years after his first rodeo as the character! In the newly released Dial Of Destiny, a crew of wannabe Nazis pursue a dial that can alter the course of history. So it is of course Indiana Jones (along with his new sidekicks Fleabag and Short Round Knockoff) who must stop them, while acquiring the artef...

In the world of Succession, winning is becoming the CEO of Waystar Royco. And losing means getting a $2 billion payout. High stakes! As huge fans of the show, we can't say enough nice things about the writing and performances throughout its run. And somehow the cast and crew have once again delivered ten episodes of peak cinema for the final season, filled with the usual power plays, dysfuncti...

Jim Carrey being discussed on Cinema Effect for the first time? Allll... righty then! He may be one of the most iconic comedic actors of his time but today we venture through one of his few dramatic works. Follow the introverted Joel as he seeks to erase the bittersweet memories of his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet) from his mind. As his memories of Clementine begin to deteriorate, the audi...

The highest rated film of all time???? This week we review Spider-Man into the Multiverse of Everything Everywhere No Way Endgame. The umpteenth multiverse film recently released but quiet possibly the strongest. The follow up to the acclaimed 2018 film 'Into The Spider-Verse' again follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as the one and only Spider-Man as he tries to navigate being a teen an...

Experience the best marketed horror indie film of all time! Or at least the discussion of it. The Blair Witch Project is a famous (or infamous) found footage horror film about three student filmmakers who get lost in the forest in search for the Blair Witch of local legend. Will they find her and make the ultimate student doco? Will she find them first? Will the characters ever stop yelling at eac...

Commies, I hate Commies! Indiana Jones returns. With a child? Nuclear tensions and the red scare run hot in Spielberg's return to the iconic franchise 20 years post the end of the original trilogy. When a strange kid (Shia LaBeouf) contacts Indy desperate for help finding a mutual acquaintance, the pair get roped into a South American caper the likes of which haven't been seen since the co...

The original Indiana Jones trilogy comes to an epic conclusion (until it was revived almost 20 years later, but we'll get to that) with The Last Crusade. Indy's father Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has vanished in the most Indiana Jones way possible: in pursuit of the actual Holy Grail. Thus a rescue mission begins in Venice which spans many countries, with lots of Nazis to be fought along th...