Cinema Royale

After being away far too long, I've returned from Park City and that means Cinema Royale is back, too! I've enlisted some expert help in recapping the best of the Sundance Film Festival from Awards Circuit's Karen Peterson.   Plus, is The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part still awesome or what? And how does What Men Want hold up compared to Mel Gibson's What Women Want?   All this and more on a specia...

Two years after his groundbreaking Best Picture winner, MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins returns with a challenging adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 book, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Set in 1970s Harlem, the story follows Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James), two young lovers who see their future together torn apart when he is falsely accused of rape.  Jenkins and Layne joined me to talk about th...

It's the busiest movie weekend of the year! We've been waiting to see how this one would play out all year long, and now it's BUMBLEBEE squaring off with AQUAMAN squaring off with MARY POPPINS RETURNS squaring off with VICE squaring off with WELCOME TO MARWEN!  We've got reviews of them all so tune in to find out which are worth seeing this holiday weekend!

Holy crap they finally did it! Marvel has unleashed the AVENGERS: ENDGAME trailer on an unsuspecting world of fanboys! Not only did we just find out the movie's title, but the footage we got sets up one climactic clash with Thanos! I'm taking just a few minutes of Cinema Royale time to give my thoughts on the trailer and what to look forward to when the film arrives.

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston join me to talk about their anticipated Disney sequel, continuing Ralph's hero journey, the creation of Gal Gadot's character, and of course that Disney princesses scene!

'Creed II' director Steven Caple Jr. and star Florian Munteanu join me to talk about the latest chapter in the 'Rocky' saga. What pressure did Caple face stepping in for his friend Ryan Coogler? What does it mean to them to be part of the 'Rocky' family, one of the most beloved and respected franchises in movie history? And how did Florian deal with having to get physical with star Michael B. Jord...

It's Thanksgiving week, and like a holiday dinner spread there are a ton of options on the table. I'll be joined by fellow Punch Drunk Critic Mae Abdulbaki for a return to the Wizarding World with FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD! Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali travel the deep south in the buddy comedy, GREEN BOOK, and Viola Davis plans a heist in Steve McQueen's WIDOWS! And you kno...

'The Front Runner' director Jason Reitman and co-writers Matt Bai and Jay Carson join me to talk about their new political drama, starring Hugh Jackman as scandalized 1988 Presidential hopeful, Gary Hart!

It's been way too long but we are back! Cinema Royale returns with three huge reviews. The first is Luca Guadagninos long-awaited SUSPIRIA remake starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton! Next up is Joseph Kahn's battle rap flick BODIED that has been spitting fire all over the festival circuit. Finally, it'll be time to stomp our feet to the Queen biopic BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY! All this and more with...

On this week's show, me and fellow PDCer Roxana Hadadi take a look at two important films for this season. Sony's VENOM is the launch of their new cinematic universe but is Tom Hardy's bizarre performance enough for fans? And does its box office success signal an end to the conversation about "superhero fatigue"?  Plus, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's A STAR IS BORN has a ton of Oscars momentum beh...

On this week's Cinema Royale, me and Joblo.com's Chris Bumbray talk two of the most controversial films of the month. Shane Black's THE PREDATOR bombed at the box office but was it a worthy entry into the franchise? And Dan Fogelman erupted at critics over the reviews of LIFE ITSELF, but is he just deflecting blame from a bad movie?  All that and more, including first looks at Joaquin Phoenix as t...

On this week's show, I'm joined by Hannah Buchdahl of Blogtalkradio's Cinema Clash podcast to talk about Jennifer Garner's long-awaited (??) return to action flicks with PEPPERMINT! Was the wait worth it? Or is there nothing sweet about this comeback? Plus, the Academy decided to delay the controversial Best Popular Film category, but should it have been introduced in the first place? And will it...

On this week's Cinema Royale it's a tale of two very different potential blockbusters. Hollywood has been buzzing about CRAZY RICH ASIANS and what it could mean to have the first all-Asian romantic comedy in years be a huge success, but does it actually live up to all of the hype? And what does its box office success this weekend mean?  Plus, Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, and The Raid's Iko Uwais t...

Jason Statham needs a MUCH bigger boat! On this week's show we'll take a look at his prehistoric shark flick, THE MEG! Plus, a review of Spike Lee's racially-charged blaxploitation comedy, BLACKKKLANSMAN! Is this a return to form for the director of DO THE RIGHT THING and MALCOLM X?  Flixist.com's Matt Razak joins me to talk about those films, plus we'll take a look at the Academy Awards and their...

And we are back!! After taking a break to head to San Diego Comic-Con and deal with some other nagging concerns, Cinema Royale returns and of course there's another Disney film waiting to be reviewed. But first I'll fill you in on where I've been and why the show has been away for so long.  My Comic-Con roomie Wilson Morales of Blackfilm.com will then join me to talk Disney's live-action Winnie th...

The Coup frontman and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU director Boots Riley talks about his debut film, the influences behind it, and the politics of breaking into Hollywood!   

Marvel's stranglehold on the summer continues with the tiniest Avengers of all, ANT-MAN & THE WASP! Following on the heels of the tremendous and vitally important INFINITY WAR, can Marvel's comedic sequel possibly compare? I'll be joined by Jeff Lyles of Lyles' Movie Files to talk about it and the future of the MCU! Plus, there's big news on Scarlett Johansson's latest controversy, and the impact...

On this week's Cinema Royale it's all about two movies that arrive on opposite ends of the anticipation scale. First up, SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO is the sequel to 2015's intense film that nobody thought had more story to tell. Can Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro live up to the original and possibly build a franchise?  Next is LEAVE NO TRACE starring Ben Foster and newcomer Thomasin McKenzie. F...

Cinema Royale is joined by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie to talk about LEAVE NO TRACE, the first film by Debra Granik since 2010's WINTER'S BONE. The film, which already has McKenzie being compared to Jennifer Lawrence, centers on a war veteran suffering from PTSD, and his daughter who have been living off the grid in the forests of Portland. When they are discovered by the authorities, it forc...

On this week's Cinema Royale, Blackfilm.com's WIlson Morales joins in to talk JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM and if the Jurassic period is indeed over. With San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner we'll talk about what to expect at Hall H, the Chris Hardwick controversy, and more! Plus news on the Star Wars spinoffs, The Last Jedi fan remake, Chloe Moretz on Kick-Ass 3, and directors for the B...

Cinema Royale is joined by director Silas Howard who talks about his new film A Kid Like Jake starring Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, and Octavia Spencer. The film follows a Brooklyn couple whose preschool aged son is showing signs of gender nonconformity. Howard talks about what drew him to the film, his career as a trans filmmaker and how the industry has changed since LGBTQ movies have grown in pro...

This week belongs to the villains as Cinema Royale takes a look at two movies centerd on criminals. The first is the anticipated all-female Ocean's 8 with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and a costume budget bigger than any Avengers movie! Then, Jodie Foster and Dave Bautista lead another all-star cast in Drew Pearce's Hotel Artemis, where the bad guys come to get all patched up. Ha...

Barry Keoghan joins Cinema Royale to talk about his starring role in American Animals, the new heist movie from writer/director Bart Layton that blurs the line between fact and fiction. 

Ten years have passed since the first time I interviewed director Leigh Whannell, for a little horror film you may have heard of called SAW. Now he's back and more enthusiastic as I've ever seen him for his new movie, UPGRADE, a wild sci-fi revenge flick starring Logan Marshall-Green. Whannell talks with me about finally getting to make a movie to call his own, working with the geniuses at Blumhou...

It's another Star Wars weekend as Solo: A Star Wars Story flies into theaters. I won't be flying solo on this review, though, as my homie Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com and The Beard and the Bald podcast joins in to talk about the anticipated prequel. Plus we'll look at Paul Schrader's latest, First Reformed, starring Ethan Hawke as a priest suffering through a crisis of faith.  Finally we'll take a l...