Wrong Reel

This episode we review the season 5 premiere of one of the greatest and most cinematic television shows ever produced, "Game of Thrones", based on the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin. Loosely inspired by the War of the Roses, we stay on the topic of dynastic wars and succession by revisiting Fred Zinnemann's classic adaptation of Robert Bolt's play "A Man for All Seasons", an es...

This episode we review Alex Garland's directorial debut, "Ex Machina", a dark and erotic new science fiction film that is sure to delight fans of the genre for many years to come. While on the subject of stunningly beautiful AI, we look back at the cyberpunk classic "Ghost in the Shell" (1995) by Mamoru Oshii. 00:00 - 20:55 - Introduction/News 20:56 - 54:19 - "Ex Machina" Review 54:20 - 01:18:55 -...

With "Furious 7" shattering box office records for the month of April around the world, we sit down with guest host Brittany Starna (and rabid connoisseur of the series) to review the latest installment in the franchise and discuss why audiences are in such a frenzy over this movie. 00:00 - 16:10 - Introduction/News 16:11 - 01:36:59 - "Furious 7" Review 01:37:00 - 01:24:30 - Closing Remarks/Bloope...

It is Generation X versus the Millenials as James Hancock and Mikhail Karadimov put their chins down and their fists up for a heated discussion about "Repulsion", "Citizen Kane" and a variety of other topics upon which they don't agree. Parker Dixon wisely chose to start recording about halfway through the argument, one that was never intended to be an episode. Enjoy.  (no animals were harmed in t...

In anticipation of the theatrical and digital release of his new animated feature film Cheatin' , Wrong Reel sits down with Indie Animaton legend Bill Plympton and executive producer Adam Rackoff to discuss Plympton's career to date and where it is headed. Full disclosure, Wrong Reel co-host James Hancock is one of the executive producers on  Cheatin'  so any notion of objectivity is completely ab...

Will Ferrell's latest outing "Get Hard" (directed by Etan Cohen) might not be his strongest vehicle but we used the film as an excuse to dig into the career highlights of one of the greatest comedic performers of his generation. Kevin Hart manages to shine in the movie as well, but we're all hoping he and Ferrell get hooked up with better material in the future. 00:00 - 23:07 - Introduction/News 2...

This is a special episode for gear heads and alcoholics alike as guest host Brittany Starna and Mikhail Karadimov introduce us to their favorite drinking game while providing color commentary to Justin Lin's "Fast Five" (2011). James Hancock and his little brother Chunk tie on a nice buzz in the process. #NSFW

With David Robert Mitchell's new horror film "It Follows" delighting horror fans across the country, we take a look at what makes the film tick before diving into one of the most beautiful black and white horror films ever made, Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" (1965). Featuring guest host Nick Stevens. 00:00 - 17:42 - Introduction/News 17:43 - 01:17:51 - "It Follows" Review 01:17:52 - 01:59:47 - Roma...

In honor of Friday the 13th, we take a look at two of the finest horror films ever made, F. W. Murnau's silent film classic "Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens" (1922) and Werner Herzog's 1979 remake "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht" (1979). Featuring special guest host (and Mikhail Karadimov's producing partner), Brittany Starna.  00:00 - 13:48 - Introduction/Frozen Debate 13:49 - 35:16 - F. W. M...

A key figure in the New German Cinema of the 1970s, Wim Wenders is one of the most distinctive, original voices in film working today. The Museum of Modern Art has assembled an extraordinary retrospective covering much of his career from his award winning "Wings of Desire" (1987) to his more recent films like "Pina" (2011), giving the folks at Wrong Reel the chance to see his films in the best way...

In this episode, the gang delves into the life and work of one of film's biggest contributors to the art of film of the latter half of the 20th century, John Cassavetes.  Paying particular attention to "Faces" and "A Woman Under the Influence," Parker, James, and Mikhail discuss the raw emotional power of Cassavetes' undisputedly unique style of filmmaking. 00:00 - 19:55 - Introductions/News 19:56...

With the release of David Cronenberg's new Hollywood satire/ghost story "Maps to the Stars" we take the opportunity to review the new film and compare the two major stages of Cronenberg's career as bodily horror maestro and art house director. 00:00 - 10:47 - Introductions/News 10:48 - 43:32 - "Maps to the Stars" Review 43:33 - 1:12:50 - "Dead Ringers" Review 1:12:51 - 1:17:59 - Closing Remarks/Up...

"Wild Tales" is not only the biggest indigenous hit in Argentina's history, but also puts the world on notice that a filmmaker named Damián Szifrón is out there making some of the most blackhearted, hysterical cinema imaginable. In this episode we also look back at Lucrecia Martel's film "La Ciénaga" (2001), a movie often described as Chekhov in contemporary Argentina. 

In this week's episode we offer up some Oscar predictions before diving into an intense discussion of the films of John Carpenter, a director whose films had an enormous impact on our childhoods. 

Matthew Vaughn's latest film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is not just a deliriously entertaining nod to the classic spy movies of the past, the movie also tips its hat to the Arthurian Legends that were captured so well in John Boorman's classic "Excalibur" (1981) now playing at the New York Film Forum alongside his other films. In this episode we leap to the defense of Matthew Vaughn's latest m...

In honor of the retrospective of John Boorman's work at the Film Forum (Feb 11th-17th) we recorded our second commentary episode while watching Boorman's truly strange and offbeat post-apocalyptic adventure film "Zardoz" (1974). Starring Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling in a film often described as the best bad movie ever made, we try and determine for ourselves if this is a misunderstood class...

This week we review the latest sci-fi extravaganza from the imagination of the Wachowskis. Sadly the experience fell short of our expectations. Thankfully we rebound with the animated cult classic "Heavy Metal" (1981) and wallow in all of its juvenile glory.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" is a groundbreaking new film employing a rare 1:1 aspect ratio. After our review we look back at the classic "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945), a movie often described as a film noir in color starring Gene Tierney in the role of a lifetime.

We enter strange new territory in the world of S&M as depicted in Peter Strickland's new film "The Duke of Burgundy" now available in limited release in the US and on VOD. We close the episode with a look at the dark, often misunderstood, films of Todd Solondz and his masterpiece "Happiness".

In an episode that will go down in infamy as the one that nearly killed the podcast, we celebrate the centennial of Orson Welles and discuss the incredible retrospective of his work at the New York Film Forum.

We sit down with the brilliant animator Signe Baumane and her voiceover director/co-producer Sturgis Warner to discuss her new feature film "Rocks in My Pockets". Available for pre-order at rocksinmypocketsmovie.com

If you have a weak heart, turn back. This episode is not for you. For our first audio commentary track, we settled on Pier Paolo Pasolini's controversial film "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" (1975), a movie that shocks and polarizes audiences to this day. There was no shortage of screams as we plunged into the abyss of Pasolini's notorious statement on the horrors of Fascism. (fast forward to 01:...

Grab yourself an espresso and get ready for our epic discussion about the best films of 2014. Some call movies like "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Godfather" epics. They pale in comparison to the marathon we ran in producing this episode of our top ten movies of the year. It has been a great year for cinema.

2014 was an amazing year for movies and there are no two examples that are better than Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Leviathan" and J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year". Mikhail Karadimov discusses how he was moved on a personal level by the new film from Russia while James Hancock and Parker Dixon enjoy a friendly debate over Chandor's best film to date.

With the Film Society of Lincoln Center exhibiting their remarkable John Huston retrospective Let There Be Light until January 11th, we decided to go deep into the career of one of the greatest filmmakers in history. A larger than life individual whose personal life almost overshadows his amazing filmography, we go over several of his career highlights before taking the proper time to relish one o...