Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast

Was Heretic   more of a thriller than a horror movie? What's the difference? Check out our article on the Cup of Tea Critiques Crumpets page, and join us on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast for a lively discussion on the distinctions and similarities between horrors and thrillers.  Send us a comment to let us know which is your cup of tea: horror or thriller?    For future updates, subscribe...

One of many challenges an actor can embrace is playing multiple roles in the same production. But what goes into the preparation and execution? What elements raise or lower the degree of difficulty? Join us on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast as we discuss both recent and long-ago examples of actors playing twins, clones and doppelgangers in film and television. We highlight some of the methods th...

Have you ever considered how much research is needed to ensure the style and fit of a character’s outfit matches the period of the film? What about something as benign as the badge on a police officer’s uniform, the walker a character uses, or just a clock on a living room wall? Now imagine watching a film from the Capone era where a microwave inadvertently appears in a kitchen scene. Talk about a...

There is no doubt that studios produce movies like Rocky , Creed , Cinderella Man , and Ali primarily for entertainment. What boxing movies like these typically have in common, though, is a hyperfocus on flawed characters—individuals struggling with emotional, familial, or social challenges that are visually battled if not pummeled in the boxing ring. Join us on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast as...

Remember when you watched cartoons as a kid? These times are likely some of your fondest childhood memories; you still recite some of the lines even today. A fair number of shows were centered around animals, and then later with people.  Think Looney Tunes , Tiny Toons , Garfield , Heathcliff , Doug , Hey Arnold! , and Charlie Brown . Animals or people, these were engaging, colorful, and hilarious...

We are familiar with the usual teasers, posters, and trailers that are par for the course in movie promotions. But what about the ad campaigns that go beyond these and show thinking way outside the box, like the one for Smile that sat people in the front row at baseball games showing a creepy smile for nine innings? Or the one for It where advertisers tied red balloons to sewer grates in various c...

Let’s say you’re not a vegan and there is suddenly no meat available because the animals were stricken by a virus and died. We recently saw a screening of director R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres that presents such a scenario and gives us a glimpse of what could happen when we don’t have something we have taken for granted. This got us thinking about how other films have imagined post‑apocalyptic existence...

Have you ever felt invested in a movie’s characters and had a pretty good idea of the plot’s trajectory less than halfway through the story? How did you feel when things shifted? A main character who had won your heart got whacked; the story suddenly grew darker, leaving you disoriented; or the character you thought you knew well revealed their identity as someone entirely different. Join us on th...

Remember when you watched cartoons as a kid? These times are likely some of your fondest childhood memories; you still recite some of the lines even today. A fair number of shows were centered around animals, and then later with people.  Think Looney Tunes , Tiny Toons , Garfield , Heathcliff , Doug , Hey Arnold! , and Charlie Brown . Animals or people, these were engaging, colorful, and hilarious...

The emergence of high-speed internet has led to shrinking DVD and CD sales over the last fifteen years or so. As seen in what we still refer to as our monthly “cable bill,” technological advances have expanded the options for watching movies and television shows and listening to our favorite music. But while the ease and convenience of streaming channels and digitized media add a level of convenie...

For decades, aspiring filmmakers have used short films as tools for learning their craft. Constrained by tiny budgets, small casts, and limited options for shooting locations, they produce complete stories ranging from five to thirty minutes in length. Visually, the films present like rough cuts. But artistically, they reveal the tendencies of these future auteurs. You might have heard of a few of...

You may remember movies like The Mummy , Pirates of the Caribbean , and Raiders of the Lost Ark . These family‑friendly films incited a sense of adventure and stirred the imagination. So, what happened to them? They seem to have disappeared from the movie landscape over the last generation or so. In this episode of the podcast, we take a deep dive into adventure films and explore the demise of thi...

Let’s say you’re not a vegan and there is suddenly no meat available because the animals were stricken by a virus and died. We recently saw a screening of director R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres that presents such a scenario and gives us a glimpse of what could happen when we don’t have something we have taken for granted. This got us thinking about how other films have imagined post‑apocalyptic existence...

Did it make you afraid to go into the water? Maybe you remember the frenzy around the blockbuster movie, Jaws . This month is the 50th anniversary of its release, and we are celebrating with personal remembrances and our thoughts on Jaws ’ contribution to both movie and mainstream culture. Grab and brew and join us. Don’t worry; you won’t have to go into the water! Leave us a comment with the titl...

Ever hear of “hate-watching?” It is the tendency to watch movies and television shows that do not appeal to you. Some go beyond lacking appeal to making you cringe every time you see them. Indeed, occasionally you watch the shows just for the sake of mocking them. Psychologists say that this strong negativism makes us happy and even strengthens bonds among friends and community. In this week’s epi...

Have you seen the new John Wick movie, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina ? Ana de Armas plays the lead and she is a badass in the film! It got us thinking how rare it is to see women presented as the lead in action movies. While they are prevalent in ensemble casts of action productions like Fantastic Four , X-Men , Game of Thrones , and name any Avengers feature you like, women are rarely fe...

Consider for a moment your go-to movies or television shows. You know, the ones you stream decades (or perhaps just a year or two) after their release and they still make you laugh, make you cry, or just stir something inside you. Would you consider these works to be “classics” and, if so, why? The answers often spur intense debate because the subject is personal. In this episode, we discuss what...

Last fall, COTC reviewed the Peacock series, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist , starring Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Don Cheadle. The series is based on a true story about a robbery that occurred at a party after the Muhammad Ali‑Jerry Quarry fight in Atlanta in 1970. Big afros, platform shoes, and even plaid suits abound in this story. Seeing the eig...

Remember movies like Little Big League , Any Given Sunday , Mighty Ducks , Major League , and Sandlot ? From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the film industry released about four sports movies like these every year. But in recent years, we’re lucky to see two such films in theaters. What happened? Why have sports movies all but disappeared from the big screen? Join us as we discuss several contribut...

Ryan Coogler’s recent hit movie, Sinners , starring Michael B. Jordan, has sparked a lot of buzz. What is the appeal of vampires and what adds credibility to a vampire production? In this episode, we dive into the mystique of this century-long cinematic spectacle. After sharing our thoughts on the new blockbuster, we discuss the classic vampire movies, like Dracula and Nosferatu , as well as the c...

In this episode, we delve into cinema on difficult topics and social issues. Be aware that samples of these works and some aspects of our discussion may be triggering for some listeners. Many movies and TV series mirror real‑life circumstances and experiences. When handled deftly, the works often resonate with us or at minimum inform our perspectives about aspects of life or life encounters that a...

Have you ever wanted to remove your name from something that turned out badly? Maybe it was a group project, a paper you wrote, or a decision with an undesirable outcome. A little-known pseudonym adopted by the Directors Guild of America has allowed its members to do just that when their films don’t turn out as planned. In this episode, we dive deep into the Alan Smithee moniker, exploring its his...

Music can certainly exist outside of movies, but do you think movies can thrive without music? Have you ever thought about the crucial role that music plays in film? Or is music so integrated into film today that it is tough to think about the latter without the former? In this show, we take a deep dive into the undeniable value of music in film, beginning with early movie industry strategies to b...

Do you consider the rating of a film before deciding if you will go to the theater to see it? While they may be useful now, those seemingly benign letters that make up the ratings carry a lot of historical weight. For much of the 20th century, they were used as a means of defining morality for the movie-going public while suppressing freedom of speech and expression for filmmakers. Based on the Cu...

Do you consider the rating of a film before deciding if you will go to the theater to see it? While they may be useful now, those seemingly benign letters that make up the ratings carry a lot of historical weight. For much of the 20th century, they were used as a means of defining morality for the movie-going public while suppressing freedom of speech and expression for filmmakers. Based on the Cu...