Sonic Cinema Podcast

The American experiment with Democracy is in a perilous place with the re-election of Donald Trump. Art, and cinema, is inherently political by virtue of the time it was made, as well as the time in which we watch it. In the first episode of what will be a miniseries for the Sonic Cinema Podcast, we begin looking at the ways in which films have portrayed fascism and authoritarianism over the years...

To kick of 2025 for the Sonic Cinema Podcast, we first return to 1999, and one of the most enjoyable movie surprises from that year. It's time to discuss "Galaxy Quest," and joining me is Robert Yaniz Jr. of Crooked Table podcasts and Back to Bluey to talk about why this comedy continues to endure after 25 years. I hope you enjoy!

We wrap up the Sonic Cinema Podcast for 2024 with an episode that I've had on the brain for a couple of years. The topic is Christmas movies, and the mainline between the two is director Bob Clark, who in 1974 directed the slasher classic, "Black Christmas" , and a decade later, directed the beloved "A Christmas Story" . My guest is once again Phil Fasso, and we had an enjoyable discussion on thes...

Hello readers and listeners! We're wrapping up 2024 with a handful of "Class of 1999" discussions, and this is one I'm delighted to share with you. The film is John Lasseter's "Toy Story 2" , and joining me is returning guest Darin Lundberg of NostalgiaCast . This was such a wonderful dialogue and experience.

Hello readers and listeners! It's time, once again, to dive back into the movie year of 1999, and the film in question is from a venerable franchise, but a film that doesn't necessarily hit all the right notes that franchise desires. The film in Michael Apted's "The World is Not Enough" , and joining me is returning guest Kevin Thomas . Our discussions comes to some unusual conclusions. I hope you...

As we wrap up the horror month this year, Phil Fasso and I dig back into three absolute classics that turned 50 this year. The subject is horror of 1974, and the films are Brian De Palma's "Phantom of the Paradise" , Larry Cohen's "It's Alive" before concluding with Tobe Hooper's " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" . I hope you enjoy! The track at the end of this episode is "Symphonic Guitar Dread" by...

It’s October, and that means a double dose of Phil Fasso this year. In our first discussion, Phil and I review Gary Dauberman’s recently-released ”Salem’s Lot” . We discuss the previous adaptations of Stephen King’s novel, why a feature film may not be the best format for this story, and what engaged us in this film. I hope you enjoy! The track at the end of this episode is "Fear: The Giving and R...

This is an episode I've been looking forward to for a while. After a long hiatus, I welcome back to the podcast my friend- and original Yahoo With a Microphone commentator- Ronnie Haynes. While the primary cinematic discussion centers of Kevin Smith's "Clerks" films, we also discuss our friendship and cosplaying Jay and Silent Bob, as well. I hope you enjoy!

Given the timing of the podcast's latest episode, it should not surprise you that the topic is my adventures at DragonCon this year. I also discuss what this time of year means to me now. I hope you enjoy!

Hello readers and listeners! It's time, once again, to dive back into the movie year of 1999, and this is a fun, silly movie to finish off the summer with. The film is Renny Harlin's "Deep Blue Sea" , and joining me in discussing it is podcaster Robert Yaniz Jr. of Crooked Table Productions and the Back to Bluey podcast. You even get a brief cameo from my wife, Meredith. I hope you enjoy!

In this episode of the podcast, we take a left turn into anime, and a long-running manga character and a couple of their adventures. The character is the colorful and arrogant but wonderful Lupin the 3rd. Bringing two of the character's adventures- "Jigen's Gravestone" and "Goeman's Bloody Spray"- to the podcast is fellow podcaster Robbie Sherman, whose show- Conversations with Robbie Sherman - I...

This is an episode that I wanted to do because it gives me a chance to discuss movies I've been a fan of since my early years of movie fandom. I have never read any of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, but in particular, two film adaptations of his work- 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger" - were films I really loved watching. We don't strictly stick to those two films, howev...

In the latest episode of the podcast, Brian works through a long-time filmmaker blind spot. For a long time, I had not watched the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger- aka The Archers- but this discussion is a good time to do that. Joining me in talking about these great British filmmakers is film critic, and return guest, Matthew St. Clair , as we discuss "The Life and Death of Colonel...

For this episode, I go a bit more introspective to lead into discussing a film that has had a profound impact on my life this year. I talk about what led me to my current profession, what I value in life, and how it relates to Wim Wender's wonderful 2023 film, "Perfect Days" . I hope you enjoy! You can read more of my thoughts on the film's use of a personal soundtrack here .

Earlier this month, the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival came to a close. Today, my coverage of it does, as I discuss some of the experiences I had, the thoughts on modern politics some films inspired, as well as name check my favorites of the festival. Also included are red carpet interviews with director Michael Showalter and cinematographer Jim Frohna ( "The Idea of You" ), director Tyson Horne ( "Th...

In July 1994, my moviewatching trajectory was changed forever when I finally watched Alex Proyas's "The Crow" . The film had already become a cult hit, and had been on my radar, but it wasn't until I saw it for myself that I just came out of the theatre different. As it turns 30, it is time to finally have a discussion of the film, and its legacy, on the Sonic Cinema Podcast. Joining me on the pod...

As we hit 25 years after one of the greatest film years of my lifetime, I thought it would be a good idea to begin adding more films to this podcast series. We start with the wonderful teen rom com, "10 Things I Hate About You," adapted from Shakespeare, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Joining me in the discussion is critic and podcaster Morgan Roberts, host of Female Gaze: The Film Club ....

For this discussion, I bring in Darin and Jonny from NostalgiaCast to discuss some classic films they were introduced to as kids, and which gives them that hit of nostalgia, as a result. We begin with Jonny's choice of "The Sting" , and continue with Darin's selection of "The Sound of Music" before concluding with my choice of "Arsenic and Old Lace" . I hope you enjoy!

It's that time again. Amanda Spears returns to discuss the Oscars and help predict the winners. I also share my 10 Best list for 2023. I hope you enjoy!

In the first episode of the podcast in 2024, I bring back Phil Fasso to discuss an actor he has always loved, Joseph Cotten. As we went through George Cukor's "Gaslight", Carol Reed's "The Third Man" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt", we get an idea of his full range as an actor, and wonder further why he feels so underrated. I hope you enjoy!

To wrap up the 2023 season of the podcast, I'm pleased to bring a different type of guest for a different type of discussion. The subjects are the 1975 and 2004 adaptations of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives. The guest bringing the discussion to the podcast is Ella Dawson , a culture critic, blogger and author whom I wanted to have on to get her ideas on the ways movies bring relationship issues to...

The last few months have been rough in terms of getting podcasts recorded- you'll notice that November had no episodes released. The truth is, with my new work schedule, as well as my review schedule, it's hard to watch stuff for the podcast as well. But I hope to get back in the habit for 2024. That said, for now, I've got a couple of great episodes to finish up on. We're starting with a long-in-...

To close my October, I am so pleased to share this discussion. World cinema is important to look at as a way of exploring the breadth of cinema. Vietnamese cinema is something I have not really delved into...until now. My guest is Nguyen Le , a Vietnamese critic who can be found at various places, and hopes to bring more recognition to his home country's films. For this episode, we talk about the...

As we begin our month of horror at the podcast, frequent guest Phil Fasso and I decided to take a different perspective on the genre. Inspired by two big swings at bringing Dracula to the screen, our discussion today centers on the history of Bram Stoker's Prince of Darkness onscreen, and why the iconic ones stand out to us. The piece at the end of the episode is "The Dreadful Tick of Time," from...

With so many unknown films right now, what does it mean to have Oscar buzz? Do any films actually have Oscar buzz? In a bit of a change from what I was planning, and what we typically do when it comes to the Oscars, I bring back Amanda Spears to talk about Barbenheimer, filmmakers making movies for Oscar consideration, "Dune" delay theories and what could- or could not- get nominated. It's a wild...