Cinema Fix

After spending 25 years in development hell, the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's bestselling sci-fi novel Ender's Game is finally in theaters! In this episode, Andrew and Monica give their general spoiler-free thoughts on the translation from page to screen. Monica hasn't read the book, but Andrew is a big fan--does that impact how they each responded to the film? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 3:03 - General thoughts on Ender's Game 13:44 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Cormac McCarthy's work is always bleak and pessimistic, but that's not always a bad thing. Is The Counselor a subversive masterpiece or too distant to be effective? In the second part of their review, Andrew and Monica discuss everything from the depiction of women to whether or not there's political subtext. Is there anything special about how Ridley Scott presents violence? Is the Counselor a symbol of America? And does Andrew's response towards some of the dialogue reveal some unintentional racism? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:46 - Malkina vs. Laura 6:40 - Archetypes, not characters 8:38 - Figuring out the narrative 11:15 - Themes and performances 14:25 - The depiction of Mexico and the drug war 16:16 - McCarthy's prose and whether Andrew is unintentionally racist 21:47 - The depiction of violence 23:25 - Political subtext? 28:00 - Reboot This! 32:15 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Tha

Cinema Fix Overdose is back with an extra bonus set of reviews! Monica and Andrew discuss a variety of films both old and new, and offer some recommendations for films that were released on DVD/Blu-Ray during the month of October. Plus, they also get into a small discussion about target demographics and how to treat a film aimed at a group to which you don’t belong. Titles discussed include: The Naked City, Baggage Claim, Instructions Not Included, Rush, The Canyons, Masters of Sex and a whole lot more! SHOW NOTES: 1:42 - Intro 3:23 - Naked City (buy it) 5:58 - Baggage Claim 12:45 - Instructions Not Included 17:05 - After Tiller 22:20 - Before Sunrise (watch it) 26:43 - The Canyons (buy it) 30:33 - The Rep (watch it) 34:50 - Rush 39:00 - Abuse of Weakness 41:50 - Masters of Sex 45:47 - DVD/Blu-Ray Recommendations 56:40 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

The Counselor is the latest film directed by Ridley Scott, and the first theatrical screenplay written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy. It also boasts an ensemble cast including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem. But is it worthy of all the talent involved? Tune in to hear Andrew and Monica give their spoiler-free thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:54 - General thoughts on The Counselor 10:30 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Special guest Charlie Nash stops by to help Monica argue with Andrew about Kimberly Peirce's version of Carrie. Is the film really a total waste of time? How is Carrie different in this version? What are the main themes it's exploring this time? Are the supporting characters better drawn in this version or the original? Tune in to find out. NOTE: There's a lot of talk about the De Palma film, so beware of a few spoilers if you haven't seen it! SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 4:06 - Comparisons to Let Me In 11:40 - On remakes in general 14:53 - Carrie as a character 35:48 - Margaret's rape, themes of blood and trauma 43:57 - Supporting characters and their development 1:01:12 - YouTube and Tommy's demise 1:04:09 - Tuxedos! 1:06:42 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

There have now been three screen adaptations of Stephen King's debut novel, Carrie, most notably a 1976 version from director Brian De Palma. The latest one is directed by Kimberly Peirce and stars Chloe Grace Moretz in the role famously performed by Sissy Spacek. How does this version compare? Is it even fair to judge it in light of the De Palma movie? Andrew and Monica give their general thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 1:47 - Listener feedback/question 4:57 - General thoughts on Carrie 13:15 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Andrew and Monica are joined by special guest Kenji Fujishima from In Review Online to discuss how Captain Phillips depicts true events and the degree to which an artist should be judged for how a film touches on (or doesn't touch on) real-life issues. Is Paul Greengrass' approach an objective one? Is not taking the stand actually a stand itself? Does the film fully humanize all of its characters? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and clip 4:05 - Kenji's thoughts on Captain Phillips 7:36 - Paul Greengrass' style and approach to real events 12:44 - Basic attempts to humanize the pirates 17:20 - Is it biased? 21:40 - The final scene 26:26 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Andrew and Monica give some spoiler-free thoughts on Captain Phillips, the new film directed by Paul Greengrass that stars Tom Hanks as a commercial shipping boat captain whose vessel is hijacked. Does it do the real-life story justice? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:46 - General thoughts on Captain Phillips 12:48 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Andrew and Monica analyze the different themes running through Gravity. There's a lot of religious symbolism and rebirth imagery. Does that fit with the primary arc? Is it a movie about hope or coming to terms with death? Is there such a thing as too intense? Tune in to find out. Plus, they pitch some pretty artsy ideas for a sequel in Reboot This! SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:20 - Too intense? Not knowing how it will end 5:50 - The primary character arc 9:29 - Themes of rebirth and evolution 13:26 - All alone 15:54 - The guy on the radio 19:38 - Regaining confidence, really intense moments 25:25 - Reboot This! 30:32 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

It's been seven years since Alfonso Cuarón's last film, Children of Men. His new film Gravity follows two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who find themselves floating in space after a debris storm cuts off their communications and destroys their shuttle. Is it another masterpiece? In this episode, Andrew and Monica give their spoiler-free thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 3:50 - General thoughts on Gravity 13:07 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Prisoners clearly wants to be viewed as a "serious" movie with "serious" performances in order to attract awards attention, but Andrew and Monica aren’t sure it’s deserving of that recognition. In fact, they aren’t really sure they can explain the convoluted plot of the film. In this episode, they break it down and try to figure out the multiples layers on which it’s attempting to function. Is there any political subtext commenting on post-9/11 America? Does the Bob Taylor subplot make any sense at all? And what’s up with all the religious imagery? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 3:35 - A broadly-painted answer to complex questions 8:36 - Torturing Paul Dano; political subtext? 13:31 - Trying to make sense of the plot 19:42 - The truth about Paul Dano 23:23 - Other random stuff 28:24 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

If there's one thing you should never do, it's kidnap the daughter of Wolverine. In this episode, Andrew and Monica give their spoiler-free thoughts on Prisoners, the new drama from director Denis Villeneuve starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. This has the look and feel of a prestigious award-worthy drama, but does its quality extend beyond the surface? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 3:49 - General thoughts on Prisoners 10:58 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

If you thought the third act of the first Insidious was too over-the-top, you might not be ready for Chapter 2. In this episode, Andrew and Monica try to figure out just what exactly is going on. How does Josh’s possession work? Is The Further a time machine, an Inception-style dream machine, or a bit of both? What’s up with all the gender identity issues and ghost psychology? Tune in to find out. Plus, Reboot This! SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:30 - What’s going on with Josh, exactly? 7:22 - Figuring out how The Further works 11:36 - Why haunt Josh? 14:04 - Interacting with ghost psychology 16:53 - Too many unanswered questions 19:50 - The climactic scene 22:17 - Teasing Insidious 3 at the end 27:29 - Is it aware of its own campiness? 29:01 - Reboot This! 33:42 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

James Wan has already released one critically-acclaimed horror film this year in The Conjuring. Now, he's back with the sequel to his 2010 film Insidious. Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) isn't acting the same since he returned from The Further--has something evil come back with him? Tune in to hear Andrew and Monica give their general, spoiler-free thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 1:46 - Brief thoughts on Riddick 3:10 - General thoughts on Insidious: Chapter 2 11:46 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Just when you thought Film Geek Radio couldn't get any cooler... we did. This is the first of a monthly series of bonus episodes of Cinema Fix! Are you a true movie addict looking for recommendations on what to check out and what to avoid? Don't worry: Andrew and Monica OD'd on movies so you don't have to. In Cinema Fix Overdose episodes, they'll discuss other movies they've seen over the past 30 days, plus provide some DVD recommendations for the upcoming month. This month, they discuss Face/Off, Day For Night, Mud, The Invader, I Declare War, Purple Rain and more! SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 5:00 - Face/Off (watch it) 9:50 - No (watch it) 15:25 - Day For Night (watch it) 17:30 - I Declare War 21:46 - Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (watch it) 31:40 - Drug War 34:09 - Devdas (watch it) 36:18 - Mud (watch it) 40:45 - Purple Rain (watch it) 45:00 - The Invader 48:35 - DVD/Blu-Ray Recommendations 1:00:19 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for li

Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez star in Getaway, which follows Brent Magna, an ex-racer who is forced to follow the instructions of a mysterious stranger when his wife is kidnapped.  He races through the streets of Bulgaria, destroying everything in sight, but is this movie as fun as it sounds? Tune in to hear Andrew and Monica give their spoiler-free thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro and clip 2:15 - Wait, that's not Jon Voight's voice? 4:35 - A Cabin in the Woods-style genre critique? 7:30 - The one shot that has everyone talking 10:13 - Making the viewer complicit; is this some Michael Haneke-style commentary? 17:05 - Selena's story is stupid 20:20 - Ridiculous action and plot stuff 24:20 - The silly ending 28:46 - Reboot This! 35:31 - Show close Correction: In this episode, Andrew and Monica mistakenly refer to the directors of 21 Jump Street as "Lord and Phillips." They should have said "Lord and Miller." DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks

Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez star in Getaway, which follows Brent Magna, an ex-racer who is forced to follow the instructions of a mysterious stranger when his wife is kidnapped.  He races through the streets of Bulgaria, destroying everything in sight, but is this movie as fun as it sounds? Tune in to hear Andrew and Monica give their spoiler-free thoughts. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro and clip 3:18 - General thoughts on Getaway 11:46 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

You know it's gonna be a good episode when Monica starts dusting off her sociology textbooks. In Part 2 of their discussion on You're Next and The World's End, she and Andrew dive into all the various layers of subtext that exist beneath both films. Is You're Next a critique of the political left? Are Adam Wingard and his filmmaking buddies trying to make a statement about the state of the industry? Is The World's End a critique of Hollywood remake culture? How does it critique free-market capitalism while also celebrating individualism, and how does that get a bit messy when dealing with the topic of alcoholism? Grab a beer, make sure no masked killers are around, and tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro 2:15 - Good kills in You're Next 3:40 - Thoughts on the Final Girl 6:15 - Tone and family dynamics 12:46 - A cast of filmmakers 15:08 - The ending, possible political subtext 21:56 - Weird sex stuff 27:36 - The World's End intro and clip 29:25 - Gary King as symbolic of Hollywood 31:31 - A critiq

Andrew and Monica are doing something new this week--they're giving you two movie discussions instead of one! In this episode, they give their general thoughts on the home invasion horror film You're Next before moving on to the new comedy from Edgar Wright, The World's End. Which of these films is worth your time to see? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro and clip 3:08 - General thoughts on You're Next 12:00 - General thoughts on The World's End 22:58 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing cinemafix@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Film critic Simon Abrams from RogerEbert.com joins Andrew and Monica to discuss the original Kick-Ass comics and how the film adaptations compare. Does Millar succeed in making a satirical point? Is the film version of Kick-Ass 2 an improvement in any way? What's up with the class warfare allegory? And is Hit Girl an example of a strong female character? Tune in as they try to find the answers to all these questions and much more. Plus, you'll definitely want to hear what Simon pitches for a prequel in Reboot This! SHOW NOTES: 0:22 - Intro and clip 4:44 - Simon's overall thoughts on the film and comic 12:58 - Hit Girl trying to be popular 21:30 - Allegory for class warfare 29:50 - Cutting things for the big screen; too safe? 33:40 - Use of music during action to make a point... or not 38:05 - Comparisons with the satire of the first film 42:17 - Differences with the comic: Chris' uncle, Kick-Ass' girlfriend 46:24 - Hit Girl and depictions of "strong" women 53:43 - Reboot This! 57:56 - Comic book recommenda