CinemaSpection

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of James Cameron's blockbuster sequel  Terminator 2: Judgment Day . Kyle Brunet joins us again to discuss this epic sci-fi action epic. Listen as we examine how parallels between this film and the original reflect the time paradox at the heart of the story, marvel over Linda Hamilton's amazing transformation as hardened heroine Sarah Connor, and comment on th...

We're getting a shot of 100% pure adrenaline as we experience Kathryn Bigelow's epic of surfboards and shotguns,  Point Break . Listen as we come to a fundamental difference of philosophies regarding this beloved action flick, debate whether Patrick Swayze's zen surf dude is a cult leader or just a scumbag, and bemoan one of cinema's most ridiculous character names. Warning: Contains explicit lang...

In the latest installment of  Cinemaspection: First Run , we spy on our neighbors with  The Woman in the Window , battle the dead for dollars with  Army of the Dead , and fall into a vortex of franchise fatigue with the Saw reboot  Spiral . Warning: Contains explicit language and mild spoilers. Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

This episode we're taking a wild, cross-century trip to meet the legends of time as we go on a heist with Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits from 1981. Along the way we'll explore Gilliam's themes of imagination and materialism, praise the underappreciated comedic abilities of David Warner, and identify with the problems of married ogres. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and THE PROBLEM!!!...

We're going back to 1951 and another formative film of classic science fiction as we discuss Robert Wise's  The Day the Earth Stood Still . Listen as we explore the film's political messages and religious subtext, praise Gort as one of science fiction's mightiest robots, and propose the existence of a cinematic universe built around bit player Roy Engel. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoile...

We're taking a trip back to the foggy moors of Scotland to meet up with a groundbreaking but not often celebrated figure in the history of science fiction: It's  The Man From Planet X ! Listen as we discuss how this idiosyncratic alien invasion flick from 1951 set the template for outer space menaces for decades to come, marvel over director Edgar G. Ulmer's resourcefulness in the face of a tiny b...

In our latest First Run episode, we're going ringside for the battle of the century as the Eighth Wonder of the World throws down with the King of the Monsters in  Godzilla vs. Kong . Who wins this gargantuan match-up? Can this epic creature feature live up to its titan-sized hype? How does director Adam Wingard fare with this blockbuster outing? Listen in to find out. Warning: Contains explicit l...

By listener request, we're answering that knock at the door and letting in The Babadook from 2014. Listen as we discuss the film's roots in fairy tales and silent horror films, examine director Jennifer Kent's meticulous visual style, and comment on the title monster's unlikely role as an LGBTQ pride icon. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and demonic pop-up books. Our theme song is "...

It's another nerve-shredding 24 hours of movie-watching for us as we yet again battle fatigue to record our experiences of the 46th installment of the Boston Science Fiction Marathon. Due to the quarantine, everyone will be viewing from home this year, but the 'Thon lives on. Join us as we witness gooey alien-human mating, evaluate the effectiveness of various alien-hunting squads, and debate movi...

As we mercifully close the book on the mess that was 2020, it's time to look back and discuss our favorite movies of the past year. As we count down our top ten, we also reflect on how the pandemic changed film distribution in positive and negative ways, celebrate the diverse stories presented in cinema throughout the year, and reveal how one of our favorite defunct movie theaters has been immorta...

For our first First Run episode in a long time, we're revealing the truth about the second cinematic adventure of DC Comic's greatest heroine by wrapping our golden lasso around Wonder Woman 1984. Amid the storm of criticism and controversy surrounding Patty Jenkins' follow-up to her 2017 hit, how does the movie fare with us? Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, but not nearly enough Rob...

The future is now and as we leave 2020, the future can't get here fast enough. We're ringing in the new year with the Coen Brothers' idiosyncratic homage to Hollywood comedies of yesteryear,  The Hudsucker Proxy . Listen as we fall (fail) into the verbal, narrative, and literal circles of the screenplay, examine the film's simultaneously idealistic and cynical look at American industry, and decode...

What to our wandering eyes should appear? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a weird attempt at a Christmas franchise? We're trying to stay off the naughty list as we watch the 1985 yuletide family film Santa Claus: The Movie ! Listen as we discuss how the film serves as a superhero origin story for Kris Kringle, explore the film's confused portrait of Christmas commercialism and capitalism, and d...

Our license to kill is renewed as Bob Chipman returns to discuss George Lazenby's sole outing as 007, the divisive  On Her Majesty's Secret Service . We compare Lazenby's take on James Bond to Sean Connery's, debate whether Telly Savalas is the best Blofeld, and speculate on what audiences thought of the movie's notorious ending. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and the birth of a ne...

In our latest edition of  Fantasy Casting , we follow up our previous episode on Psycho with special guest Kyle Brunet by presenting our selections for who we would like to see star in a modern version of the film. Listen as we poach actors from the  Spider-man  movies, discuss the complications of increasing the story's diversity through casting, and continue the age-old debate of whether the fil...

60 years ago, the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock created a film that would slice its way into the memories of filmgoers everywhere and redefine the horror genre, paving the way for the slasher film as we know it:  Psycho . Kyle Brunet joins us again as we discuss the startling impact of this seminal suspense film, explore Hitchcock's techniques to shock and terrify his audience, and note the...

It's October again and time for some serious horror movie watching! But what if you have little ones and are looking for some gentler scares for the kids? Worry not because we've brought back Chris and Sarah, hosts of the Creating Geeks parenting podcast, to help us select some perfect movies to share with the family for the Halloween season. Listen as we discuss traumatic childhood cinematic expe...

We're gunning for the big cash and prizes as we try to keep pace with Arnold Schwarzenegger by watching another of his 1980s sci-fi flicks,  The Running Man . Listen as we examine how the film was transformed from Stephen King's grim novella into a Schwarzenegger action vehicle, uncover the stinging satire hidden beneath the movie's colorful blockbuster surface, and contemplate how the film makes...

Introducing  Fantasy Casting , a new feature in which we suggest our preferred actors for films, including adaptations and remakes, that have not yet reached a theater near you. With the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, the film rights to the Fantastic Four have returned to the Marvel banner and the introduction of comics' First Family into the MCU is inevitable. So it's clobberin' time...

We're using our enhanced vision to take a good look at the 2000 sci-fi monster flick  Pitch Black . Listen as we examine the film's revamping of a classic western plotline, navigate the dramatic pitfalls of "cool" characters, discuss the career trajectories of lead actors Radha Mitchell and Vin Diesel, and speculate on the life cycle of the movie's photosensitive creatures. Warning: Contains expli...

We're rolling the dice on one of the first motion pictures based on a board game, a film that would transcend its reputation as a box office bomb to become a cult classic:  Clue  from 1985. Listen as we discuss the pros and cons of the film's multiple ending gimmick, investigate the story's backdrop of red scare paranoia and 1950s American hypocrisy, and marvel over the cast's amazing comedic chop...

We've reached episode 100 and what better way to celebrate than to offer our views on one of the most debated motion pictures of all time? We're getting lost in the hedge maze of Stanley Kubrick's iconic horror film  The Shining and to up the ante, we're making this our first audio commentary. Watch the movie with us as we identify differences between Stephen King's novel and Kubrick's adaptation,...

In this episode we face nurse sharks, a relatively large squid, and Kirk Douglas' bare chest as we take a cruise with Disney's live-action classic adventure  20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . Along the way, Tim discusses Walt Disney's quest for revenge over the loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit while Corinne reminisces about Disney World's clunky Nautilus ride. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoi...

We all may be stuck at home at the moment but for this episode we're taking a cinematic road trip as we watch  Midnight Run  from 1988. We discuss the film's mix of crime and comedy, the conflicted morality of De Niro's bounty hunter character, and our different reactions to Danny Elfman's bluesy score. Meanwhile Corinne shares her legal expertise (courtesy of Law and Order) and Tim notes which me...

Once again we're staying up all night as we keep pace with the big closing event of the annual Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, the brain-melting 24-hour Sci-Fi Marathon! During this year's stellar movie line-up, we'll expose unsafe experimental practices, explore the role of giant animals in food supply research, and go on the run with super-powered families. Warning: Contains explicit langu...