CB Podcast Ep. 111 – “Avengers: Infinity War” Review

Jake is away, so Sam and Joe tackle the biggest movie of the year and the culmination of the last 10 years of the MCU, “Avengers: Infinity War”.
Right Click and select “Save as…” to download.

Or choose your preferred listening app below.

Podcastaddict

Link Bank

  • Credits:
  • Hosts: Josiah Wampfler, Sam Wampfler & Jacob Wampfler
  • Produced by Josiah Wampfler
  • A Cinema Bros Network Podcast
  • Theme Music by Josiah Wampfler. Film clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders
  • Music clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.
  • Visit our website for show notes as well as articles covering film, television, video games, music & more!
  • Email us at cinemabrospod@gmail.com

CB Podcast Ep. 103 – Top Ten Films of 2017

It’s finally here! The Cinema Bros present their top ten lists and recap their full top 20s. They also give out awards for best underrated performances and the best new directors of 2017.
Right Click and select “Save as…” to download.

Or choose your preferred listening app below.

Podcastaddict

Link Bank

Credits:

  • Hosts: Josiah Wampfler, Sam Wampfler & Jacob Wampfler
  • Produced by Josiah Wampfler
  • A Cinema Bros Network Podcast
  • Theme Music by Josiah Wampfler. Film clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders
  • Music clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.
  • Visit our website for show notes as well as articles covering film, television, video games, music & more!
  • Email us at cinemabrospod@gmail.com

Joe’s Top Films of 2017: 20-11

By Josiah Wampfler


20. Gook

Directed by Justin Chon

Gook was a complete surprise that came out of nowhere. Starring Justin Chon, someone who I knew very little about, and directed by him as well, Gook is not only a great film, but a miracle and an inspiration. Made for pennies compared to most Hollywood productions (sub $100,000), Gook looks like it was made for several million dollars, is filled with wonderful performances and manages to authentically tackle an event from a point of view that we’ve never seen before. Telling the story of a wonderful friendship that crosses racial boundaries, Gook is set on the day the L.A. Riots broke out in 1992. As two Asian-American shoe store owners and a young black girl bond, we see a complexity to the issue of race and the city of Los Angeles that rarely gets shown in films.

One of Gook’s main selling points is how damn good it looks. Brilliantly captured in crisp black and white by cinematographer Ante Cheng (Who isn’t even out of film school yet), Gook, impressively, was one of the most visually stunning films I saw last year. It is not overly flashy with its camera movements, but when Cheng and Chon appropriately decide to get a bit more creative and artful in their composition, that is where the film truly shines.

What really anchors the film though are its performances and its wonderful story. Chon plays a man who took over his father’s shoe store when he died and is serious about running the place, but tortured by it. He did well casting himself in the role, because he is brilliant. David So plays his brother and brings an interesting counter point to Chon’s character as a man who knows he wants to get out of the shoe business by being an R&B Singer (An interestingly ludicrous dream). But, the performance that steals the show is from young Simone Baker as Kamilla, the young black girl who loves hanging out at the store. She is strong-willed, precocious and a delight to watch. She, along with her brother in the film (Curtiss Cook Jr.) are going to be two actors to watch in the coming years.

Gook is a triumph because it brings us a story that simply never gets told. It does not water-down the issue of race like so many films do, but presents us with a clear and realistic picture in all its messy complexity. The emotional core of the film is the friendship between Chon and Baker’s characters, but that is just what grounds all of the other interesting issues the film is dealing with. I’m so glad that this film was made and that I was able to watch it. It not only is Gook a wonderful film worth your time, but, as a filmmaker, it is also extremely inspiring. I can’t wait to see what all those involved do next.

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

19. Good Time

Directed By The Safdie Brothers (Josh & Benny)

Robert Pattinson is a great actor. I unfortunately had not been paying much attention to his career after the Twilight films, but he clearly proves he has shed the vestiges of the sparkling vampires of those films with the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time. In a completely tranformative role, Pattinson plays a New York City criminal named Connie who decides to rob a bank with his developmentally disabled brother Nick. When the robbery goes awry, the brothers are separated and Nick is arrested and sent to Rikers Island. Nick will not be the last person harmed by being involved with Connie as the older brother searches for a way to get his brother out of jail, leaving a path of destruction behind him for anyone whom he meets.

Good Time is electric. It has a interesting 90s feel to it, with its incredible helicopter shots of Connie racing through the city and the incredibly vibrant neon lighting (And a great electronic score to boot). It has this unique beauty to it, yet New York City also reflects the grimy and grungy state of Connie’s soul. It is thrilling, but it takes time for the little moments to build character and a real emotional core to the film. The Safdie Brothers throughout the film are able to walk a tight line in many different ways. They make some quite poignant commentary on race and our criminal justice system throughout, are able to deliver on some truly surprising twists and turns and brilliantly handle the issue of Nick’s disability in a way that is respectful and truly unique. Though Ben Safdie, who plays Nick, is not developmentally disabled, his performance is not a characiture and by the end of the film we realize that the film is more Nick’s story than Connie’s.

Through a knockout performance from Pattinson that slowly reveals his Connie to be less anti-hero and more villain, Good Time delivers on the complexity it is after. It is a dark and disturbing thriller in all the right ways. I was unaware of the Safdie’s and fairly ignorant of Pattinson’s brilliance before this film, but now I can’t wait to watch more from them. Good Time is certainly just a taste of what is to come for these men.

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

18. Lady Macbeth

Directed by William Oldroyd

Both empowering and revealing, Lady Macbeth is the perfect twist on the period drama. Under the careful direction of newcomer William Oldroyd, Lady Macbeth starts in a fairly familiar place making you believe that it may just be a traditional period drama. But, very quickly, we discover the darkness underneath the surface. Buoyed by an incredible lead performance by Florence Pugh as Lady Katherine Lester that feels like watching a major star be born, Lady Macbeth brilliantly shows the complexity of oppression and how quickly the oppressed can become the oppressor. It is a slow descent into the darkness of Katherine’s soul as she attempts to gain her freedom in an oppressive 1860s England. Unfortunately for those around her, she will stop at nothing to fulfill her own desires and she doesn’t care who she has to hurt in the process. With a devilishly entertaining performance from Pugh and the thought-provoking way the film deals with oppression and race, Lady Macbeth easily rises above the rest.

Read Full Review Here

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

17. Strong Island

Directed by Yance Ford

Strong Island is such a striking film because, even though it revolves around a murder, it is not your typical crime documentary. In the film, first-time director Yance Ford investigates his brother’s murder, but we never see the killer’s face and his name is never spoken. When William Ford was shot and killed in 1992 by a white man, the case never even went to trial, and it has haunted the Ford family for years. Through extremely emotional and powerful interviews with his family and friends, Yance Ford explores the racial dynamics that led to the murder and the ultimate failure for the grand jury to indict. And though William’s case, we see parallels to more recent incidents of racial bias and the toll unjustified deaths like these take on families.

Strong Island, because it is so personal, hits home more than almost any other documentary I have seen. It is completely heartbreaking and incredibly revealing, really showing us the aftermath of a situation like this. It is as frustrating as reality, never giving us the answers and justice we desire. Yance Ford has crafted a visually unforgettable and incredibly emotional cry for justice for people of color in this country and the many families that have lost loved ones to racial violence. Hopefully, that cry will be heard.

Read Full Review Here

Currently streaming on Netflix

16. Dunkirk

Directed By Christopher Nolan

If Christopher Nolan hadn’t proven he was a complete master of the medium of cinema already, he certainly does so with Dunkirk. A visual feast and an insanely immersive experience, Nolan has crafted a surprisingly subversive war film in which our heroes are not the ones mowing down hundreds of people, but men just trying to survive. In Dunkirk, survival is its own type of heroism.

On every level Dunkirk is impressive. That starts with some wonderful performances from Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Fion Whitehead that really help to bring a good deal of emotion into the film. Nolan is able to completely immerse us in the experience of these characters, despite there being very little dialogue. That immersion is buoyed by all the other technical aspects of the film. Hans Zimmer’s incredible score completely melds with some of the best sound design I’ve ever heard in a war film. The score drives the entire movie forward, seemingly ascending upward infinitely and it uses and reacts to every explosion, gun shot, and footstep in the soundscape. All of this comes together with incredible visuals from Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. I have only seen Dunkirk in 70mm IMAX and it is a film that makes the case loud and clear for the importance of the theatrical experience. Through great CGI and insane practical effects, Nolan is able to create incredibly authentic war scenes all captured on a gigantic canvas with a beautiful color palette. With Dunkirk, Nolan finally received his long-waited Best Director nomination from the Academy and damn… It is well deserved.

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

15. mother!

Directed By Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s mother! is a film that is many things to many people. Interpretations of its meaning are myriad, as are reactions to its content. It is sad that it did not perform better in theaters because it was easily one of the best theatrical experiences I had last year. Part horror, part comedy and all batshit insanity, mother! is one of the most original films I have seen in years. Both in its plot and its presentation, Aronofsky has crafted a film that is maddeningly ambiguous and downright uncomfortable. I could not love him more for it.

Laughter is how I greeted the credits when they rolled on mother!. I wasn’t laughing at the film in a disparaging way, but because I needed to. Comedy comes from building up tension and anticipation that ends in a cathartic release. For two hours, Aronofsky builds that tension and the credits are his punchline. Much of that tension comes from one of the biggest horror aspects of the film, which is how damn uncomfortable it is. Through much of the film, people just keep on walking into the house and Jennifer Lawrence’s character is as confused and annoyed with them as the audience. These uninvited guests keep messing with her house and this affront to common courtesy feels as horrifying as any monster or demon in any other film. And besides the guests, the way Aronofsky chose to shoot the film is also a major part of what makes us feel unease. For much of the run time of the film we are in extremely tight closeup on Lawrence. So, not only are we connecting with her every feeling about all these people invading her space, but we also start to realize that we are invading her space as well.

The film is buoyed by some incredible performances as well. Javier Bardem is maddeningly likeable as a character we really want to hate. Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a deliciously catty and playfully devious performance. But, Lawrence is the one who sells the film. She gives what I believe is the best performance of her entire career in, easily, the strangest film she has ever done. She should have been nominated for all the awards for this one, because she is next-level incredible. From start to finish, Lawrence’s performance and Aronofsky’s intruding eye make mother! one hell of a ride. It is one of the most unique film experiences of last year and, I daresay, one of the most unique films of all time.

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

14. I, Tonya

Directed By Craig Gillespie

I, Tonya doesn’t fit neatly into any categories. Neither a biopic, conventionally speaking, or a full-on comedy, the film smartly eschews most conventions and does its own thing (Much like its main character). From the very start, director Craig Gillespie makes clear that this is based on true events, but the truth of the matter is very much in question. Taken from various interviews, no one may ever truly know what happened leading up to the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident and I, Tonya is comfortable with that. That’s because Gillespie isn’t after the truth of the events, but a higher truth about how Tonya Harding became both the first American woman to land a triple axle jump and a woman accused of having a fellow competitor injured. All of this centers on a truly revelatory story of abuse.

Through a powerhouse performance from Margot Robbie, I, Tonya shows a surprisingly realistic portrait of the cyclical nature of abuse. From the abuse Harding receives at an early age from her mother (played by an incredible Allison Janney) to marrying the abusive Jeff Gillooly (An equally impressive Sebastian Stan), we see a presentation of abuse that is surprisingly able to use both comedic and dramatic elements. The use of comedy is respectfully restrained and does not minimize the abuse, but instead makes a line from Harding later on in the film cut even deeper. After we have seen the full extent of the abuse she endured, Harding addresses the audience directly, telling us that we were her abusers too. Through experiencing the rush to villainize and make fun of Harding in the media through her eyes, we see how true that statement really is. The film may take Harding’s side a little too much in regards to the truth of the actual incident, but it gets at a larger truth about celebrity and abuse that rings quite true.

I haven’t even gotten to the technical achievements of the film, but suffice to say I, Tonya presents this insane story in an incredibly engaging and visually dynamic way. If NBC filmed Olympic figure skating like I, Tonya does, I would watch every single second of coverage. The skating scenes (mainly accomplished through literally having a cameraman skate with Robbie and her doubles with a 35mm camera on his shoulder) are some of the most dynamic sports scenes I’ve ever seen. And editor Tatiana Riegel got an Oscar nomination for a reason. With wonderful performances, a tight script and an exciting visual presentation, I, Tonya is the rare biopic that feels like it brings something new to the equation.

Currently In Theaters

13. War for the Planet of the Apes

Directed By Matt Reeves

War for the Planet of the Apes is an astounding achievement in filmmaking and the best finale to a trilogy I’ve seen since Peter Jackson’s Return of the King. And much like that trilogy capper, War also features an astounding motion capture performance from the great Andy Serkis. Director Matt Reeves renders the world in lush colors and brings a type of controlled, sure-handed cinematography rarely seen in modern blockbusters. The action is electric, but not chaotic. It is a type of filmmaking and a type of story that we simply don’t see on this scale anymore where every single frame is deliberate and every camera move is purposeful. With War, Reeves has crafted a modern biblical epic with apes at its core and, though the filmmaking is clearly inspired by cinema of old, it couldn’t feel more fresh. With War, Matt Reeves has made the new Apes trilogy one of the best of all time.

Read Full Review Here

Currently Available on VOD & Blu-ray/DVD

12. BPM

Directed By Robin Campillo

There were only a handful of films that I cried during last year. There were only two I full-on ugly cried during: To The Bone and the French film BPM. Set in 1980s Paris during the height of the AIDS epidemic, BPM focuses on two men involved in a protest group fighting against the disease. The men, Sean and Nathan, fall in love and form a relationship despite their differing diagnoses (Sean has AIDS and Nathan does not). With incredibly engaging cinematography and wonderful performances from the two leads, BPM captures the hard work that political action requires and shows a loving, vibrant relationship between two gay men despite the complication of the disease. The film does not shy away from showing the joy that these two men experience together, thus making the inevitable darkness that comes for them all the more devastating. Most importantly though, the film pays tribute to the men and women who took a stand against corruption and indifference during a time when thousands of marginalized people were dying. It gives these braves souls their full humanity and tells their story to a world which, especially right now, could stand to hear it. BPM is not an easy film, but it is a vital, beautifully made story that needed to be told.

Read Full Review Here

Currently Available on VOD

11. First They Killed My Father

Directed By Angelina Jolie

First They Killed My Father was one of the most beautiful, devastating experiences I had with a film all year. Through the eyes of five year-old Loung Ung, it shows the horrors of the Cambodian genocide, the love of family, the tragedy of war, the beauty of Cambodia and the resilience of its people. Sareum Srey Moch as Loung gives one of the best child performances of the year and, because director Angelina Jolie cast the film locally, you can feel the authenticity from the rest of the cast as well. That it is also told entirely in the Khmer language adds to that.

Jolie herself was deserving of awards recognition for her direction. The way she captures the experience of this girl, literally putting the camera at her height and viewing the world as she would, it is incredibly immersive and strikingly beautiful. And her clear respect for the Cambodian people and this story shines through. With First They Killed My Father, Jolie and her crew managed to make a film that is not only engaging and technically impressive; They made a film that is important.

Read Full Review Here

Currently Streaming on Netflix

Honorable Mentions

 

For my Top 10 films of 2017, please listen to the Cinema Bros’ Top 10 Podcast HERE

Cinema Bros’ Top 35 Shots of 2017

Cinematography is, in many ways, the most important aspect of the film. As the pen (or computer now I suppose) is to the writer or the brush is to the painter, so is the camera to the filmmaker. Cinematography is the language of cinema. Yes, the acting, costumes, set, sound and writing are also important, but choosing what to show the audience (or what not to) and how to show them is what makes movies, movies.

So, in order to recognize the great work cinematographers did last year, we have compiled our Top 35 Shots of 2017:

** We recommend you turn your screen brightness up. If you would like to view larger versions of the images, simply click/tap them.**


Super Dark Times

Director of Photography: Eli Born

By Jacob

This shot from Super Dark Times is every kid’s dream. Slicing things cleanly in half with very sharp objects should probably be a national pastime, right next to blowing stuff up on the 4th of July. It starts as harmless fun for these friends with a katana, but as the title might suggest things get super dark, super fast. Eli Born’s camerawork in this film is some of the most interesting stuff I saw from any film in 2017, and I’m actually somewhat terrified to see what he could do with a bigger budget. Super Dark Times is hauntingly beautiful to look at, and this katana slow-mo shot is only the beginning…trust me.


Atomic Blonde

Director of Photography: Jonathan Sela

By Josiah

Yahoo! Movies named this scene the best American fight scene of all time. I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it definitely is toward the top. Coming from a crew that worked on John Wick, it makes sense that we’d get a scene like this. Like the rest of the action in Atomic Blonde, this scene is brutal as hell. For nearly ten minutes and pretty much one shot (Though it was definitely multiple shots stitched together through the magic of CGI), Charlize Theron gets the ever-living shit beat out of her and kicks some serious ass of her own. The camera work isn’t overly impressive, but it does exactly what it needs to do which is let the performers bring the brutality. The audacity to attempt this is crazy. To actually pull it off is deserving of recognition.

Watch the full shot here


Lady Macbeth

Director of Photography: Ari Wegner

By Jacob

I don’t know how many total shots comprise Lady Macbeth, but the number is likely far lower than I could even guess. There is a sickening and horrific stillness to the film that I’ve not seen before. This shot encapsulates this unflinching eye perfectly. Lady Katherine does a lot of sitting. And while she sits, she thinks. These moments seem harmless, but they give way to scenes that make you beg for them to end. When you want the camera to cut away, when you desperately want the scenery to change, it’s as if the cinematographer says “no.” Lady Macbeth is a slow-burn thriller dressed up as a period-piece drama. You’ve been warned, so proceed with caution.


IT

Director of Photography: Chung-hoon Chung

 By Sam

This may be one of the most surprising and unsettling shots in all of It. It is a perfect jump scare as we suddenly see terrifying visage of Pennywise, larger than we’ve seen him before, burst from the projector screen. What makes it extremely effective is the use of the projector clicks to darken the screen periodically and give us a sense of dread of what might pop up next. What does pop up is entirely unexpected. How could anyone have expected a giant clown head. It is ridiculous and almost comedic upon further viewings. But the balance between comedy and horror is what makes It an incredibly entertaining film.


The Bad Batch

Director of Photography: Lyle Vincent

By Josiah

There are two reasons Blake Shelton should never have been named Sexiest Man Alive last year: The shot of Jason Momoa as Aquaman rising out of the water in Justice League and the entirety of The Bad Batch, though this shot in particular. There are so many incredible shots from The Bad Batch because director Ana Lily Amirpour and cinematographer Lyle Vincent have incredible eyes for visual storytelling. I could have gone with many others, but this one just seemed right. It is our first introduction to The Miami Man and it is also one of the first moments in the film that Amirpour signals that it is ok to laugh a little. The shot comes in the middle of showing the bro culture of the cannibal camp with a bunch of jacked people working out. The Miami Man stands apart though, looking off into the distance with his sweet ass shades and drinking a refreshing can of Jizzy Fizz. It says so much about the character and it is just a great, funny shot.


John Wick: Chapter 2

Director of Photography: Dan Laustsen

By Jacob

John Wick: Chapter 2 is my most beloved film of 2017. It might be one of my most beloved films of the last decade, maybe even of all time. It is so ridiculous, so asinine, so off-the-wall insane that it works absolutely and completely to perfection. From Keanu Reeves’ performance to the cartoonish villains to the filmmakers saying “Sure, let’s film an action sequence in a room full of mirrors!” this film has it all and then some. I picked this mirror trick shot because, well, there are 57 other shots I could have picked and this was the one I saw the most. John Wick, Baba Yaga, walks through some sliding glass mirror doors to off his umpteenth baddie of the film. Watch out, he might be coming for you next.  


Logan

Director of Photography: John Mathieson

By Sam

Up until this point in Logan we had not seen Laura’s true potential or her gruesome abilities. This is her last innocent moment before she slaughters the men on the TV screen she is looking at. It is a somewhat morbidly funny scene once you have seen the full context. The scene originally seems like a child eating cereal and watching TV, almost like a Saturday morning cartoon binge from back in the day. In no way would the normal viewer expect her to then murder a group of men with hand claws.  Dafne Keen is great in this scene as she is in the rest of this phenomenal film.


NEXT PAGE


“War for the Planet of the Apes” – A Beautiful Modern Biblical Epic… With Apes

By Josiah Wampfler


War for the Planet of the Apes is an astounding achievement in filmmaking and the best finale to a trilogy I’ve seen since Peter Jackson’s Return of the King. Director Matt Reeves renders the world in lush colors and brings a type of controlled, sure-handed cinematography rarely seen in modern blockbusters. The action is electric, but not chaotic. It is a type of filmmaking and a type of story that we simply don’t see on this scale anymore where every single frame is deliberate and every camera move is purposeful. With War, Reeves has crafted a modern biblical epic with apes at its core and, though the filmmaking is clearly inspired by cinema of old, it couldn’t feel more fresh.

For the first time in the new Apes trilogy, our main protagonist is Caesar and the film is told almost exclusively from the viewpoint of the apes. After the events of the previous film, Caesar and his apes are engaged in a war with the humans they don’t want any part of. But, after Caesar suffers unimaginable loss at the hands of Woody Harrelson’s character, known only as The Colonel, the war becomes too personal to ignore. In his lust for revenge, Caesar leaves his ape followers to track down The Colonel. The peace-loving ape is in danger of being consumed by his rage and the unintended consequences of his actions put both he and the entire ape nation at risk.

Just like that other great trilogy capper, The Return of the King, War for the Planet of the Apes also happens to feature an astounding motion capture performance from the great Andy Serkis, who deserved an Oscar nomination for his final outing as Caesar. Serkis has always been an incredibly talented actor, but this is the first time he’s had the opportunity to shine like this. Recalling biblical epics of old, War cleverly portrays Caesar as a Moses-like character and Serkis rivals Charlton Heston in the role. This Moses must grapple with his duty and commitment to the ape nation and his rage. And though Serkis does a wonderful job showing us a darker Caesar who’s love for humanity has run out, we can the turmoil raging underneath the surface that is exacerbated by the character of Nova.

What truly makes War for the Planet of the Apes so surprising and wonderful is its boldness in being quiet and being still. While there is action (The film starts and ends with some incredible action scenes), the war that happens in the film is much more of an internal one. The quietness comes from the apes main mode of communication (sign language), but it also comes from the mute Nova. The young girl, played by a superb Amiah Miller, joins the group after her father is killed after attacking the apes and Caesar’s right-hand man Maurice can’t bare to leave her behind. She becomes a constant reminder for Caesar of the goodness of humanity, complicating his hatred and rage.

Due to the inclusion of another character who does not speak, the film quite impressively contains very little spoken dialogue. It is something that actually choked me up when the credits rolled and I thought about it: Matt Reeves delivered a beautiful, big-budget blockbuster that is told almost entirely through images and sign language and prominently features a mute girl who is a representation of the goodness of humanity. Instead of the cluster of noise that most Hollywood blockbusters bring us, War for the Planet of the Apes brings us back to the basics of cinema by truly sticking to the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

War for the Planet of the Apes contains a multitude of interesting themes that I could go on and on about, but I think it is mainly a film about the all-consuming nature of hatred and rage and the nature of humanity. It is a gorgeous and emotionally resonant end to Caesar’s story filled with incredible CGI from the folks at Wetta, incredible performances from the entire cast (I prefer to think Woody Harrelson’s Oscar nomination for for this film), a lovely score from Michael Giacchino and one of the best stories I’ve seen told in a modern blockbuster. With War, Matt Reeves has made the new Apes trilogy one of the best of all time.

 

War for the Planet of the Apes is currently available to rent through Google Play, Amazon Video and iTunes. It is also available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Cinema Bros’ Top 12 Underrated Performances of 2017

Every year, maybe even more this year, there are incredible performances that fall by the wayside. This last year gave us a plethora of wonderful performances from veterans and newcomers alike, but not all of them were given the awards attention they may have deserved. Here are the 12 best actors and actresses that didn’t receive major nominations for their stellar work:

** Nominees must not have been nominated for the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild or Independent Spirit Awards**


The Actors

Keanu Reeves – John Wick: Chapter 2

By Jake

It may have taken until he was in his early 50’s but Keanu Reeves was finally handed the role he was born to play. Using his background in weapons training and martial arts, Reeves commits one-hundred percent to the tortured hitman, John Wick, who also happens to really love dogs. For John Wick: Chapter 2, Reeves upped his training regimen to include judo, jiu-jitsu, and stunt driving on top of his training patterns from the first film. He also got involved in the screenwriting process – Reeves cut lines of dialogue he felt were too expository or talky for Wick’s character. His performance is intentionally cold and cut-off from the rest of the world. As such, Reeves has given us one of the best action characters in decades and John Wick’s story is far from over.  

Ray Romano – The Big Sick

By Jake

It is a very easy thing for a sitcom actor to get typecast and spend the rest of their career struggling to get meaningful roles. This seemed to be Romano’s fate ever since Everybody Loves Raymond concluded, but with The Big Sick he was finally given a chance to showcase his acting potential. Romano’s performance as the worried father of a daughter stuck in a coma is both delightfully familiar to his sitcom days and uniquely and deeply emotional. His conversations with Kumail, whether about life, love, or something more mundane, are extremely awkward, supremely entertaining and truly meaningful. Romano added so much to this film and I hope that because of this role he will be given more chances to show his more dramatic side.

Andy Serkis – War for the Planet of the Apes

By Joe

Andy Serkis has always been an extremely talented actor, but never before has he truly been able to let his talent shine like he does in War for the Planet of the Apes. A fitting close to his tenure as Caesar, the film rests largely in his performance. While war and battle bookend the film, this is not your usual war film; It is more of a war for Caesar’s soul as he must face the consequences of his lust for revenge. Serkis’ performance must convey the battle within Caesar almost wordlessly and he knocks it out of the park. This is, hands down, the greatest performance I have ever seen from Andy Serkis. He may be under layers of digital effects, but the performance is entirely his. Credit to the digital effects artists as well, but Serkis deserves awards recognition to his contribution to one of the best finale’s to a trilogy I’ve ever seen.

Hugh Jackman – Logan

By Jake

No matter the quality of the films in the X-Men franchise, there was always a constant: Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine, Logan. Rarely has a singular actor imbued an entire saga of films with such gravitas as Jackman brought to the screen in the character of Logan. Jackman made even the worst of the X-Men films slightly watchable with his brooding and ultra-violent portrayal of the ageless mutant. In Logan, James Mangold’s tribute to said character and Jackman’s final film as Wolverine, we see the culmination of all that came before it. My heart ached as I watched the character I had grown to love fading and dying on screen in front of me. However, that was Jackman and Mangold’s vision for the character – what happens when Logan’s time is up? It’s evident that Jackman put his entire being into his final film as Logan, and filmgoers were given one of the best films of 2017 as a result.

Daniel Craig – Logan Lucky

By Sam

It is always very interesting when an actor or actress completely transforms themselves for a role. Daniel Craig, who is known normally for his calm and cool performance as James Bond, did this for the unusual role of hillbilly inmate Joe Bang for Logan Lucky. Everything about him is so different that it is hard to believe it is the same actor. The most impressive aspect of his transformation is his over the top southern accent. He speaks in a higher pitch than he normally does and this helps him to really stick his most comedic lines (“I am IN… CAR… CER… ATED!). Before his turn as Joe Bang I had no idea how truly funny Craig can be and he is a major part of what made Logan Lucky one of the year’s best comedies.

Ryan Gosling – Blade Runner 2049

By Joe

Ryan Gosling is almost always underrated it seems. Despite putting in awards-caliber performances year in and year out, he only has two Oscar nominations and there always seems to be some kind of knock against him. Once again, 2017 was a year that people didn’t seem to notice how great he was as he delivered yet another stellar performance in Blade Runner 2049.

In the film, Gosling plays K, a replicant cop who discovers reality-altering things about himself and world he’s living in throughout the course of the film. What I loved about Gosling’s performance is how controlled it is. Throughout much of the film, he is the intense, stoic cop, but as the story progresses he become more and more unhinged. We feel the characters anxiety and dread as he learns every new bit of information. Every revelation is not only understood, but felt because of Gosling’s performance. By the end of the film and one of the most beautiful moments of the entire performance, Gosling has not only led us on a journey filled with heady, philosophical questions, but a journey of real emotion. Blade Runner would not be the film it is without Gosling.


Cinema Bros’ Top 12 TV Episodes of 2017

We mainly focus on films on the Cinema Bros Podcast, but we wanted to recognize what a great year 2017 was for television. While we didn’t see everything – In this age of “Peak TV” there is just too much sometimes – there were many individual episodes that struck a chord with us over the course of the year. An episode is just one part of a bigger whole when it comes to TV but, rather than run the risk of spoiling entire seasons for those that may have not seen them yet, we have decided to highlight our favorite individual episodes from the year. So, in no particular order, here are our favorite television episodes from 2017:


Game of Thrones (S7) – “The Spoils of War”

By Jake

For a series laden with the constant, looming threat of warfare, the viewer sees very little of the actual battlefield in Game of Thrones. This is largely driven by logistics – it takes millions of dollars and hundreds of hours to construct a Thrones battle sequence. Wisely, the showrunners have chosen to make this show about its characters and their interactions with one another. Since it’s very first season Thrones has upended genre convention by largely being a show in which people talk to each other in an assortment of different rooms. Once or twice a season, however, Thrones fans are given a gigantic battle set-piece. “Blackwater,” “The Watchers on the Wall,” “Hardhome,” and the magnificent “Battle of the Bastards” established Thrones as a show that can deliver one hell of a battle sequence. “The Spoils of War” is now added to that list of seriously epic battles in Game of Thrones lore.

What comes before the battle in this episode is largely forgotten once the clash begins. The plot necessarily moves along up to the point at which we are introduced to one of the most satisfying and unforeseen bouts in Game of Thrones history. As the Lannister army prepares its final caravan to leave Highgarden with supplies, a faint sound is heard in the distance. As the earth shakes, Jaime and Bronn realize that Daenerys has mounted a full-on attack with her Dothraki horde – followed by Dany herself on the back of the mighty Drogon. What follows is nothing short of masterful skill and attention to filmmaking detail. The director, Matt Shakman, has referenced films such as Stagecoach, Apocalypse Now, and Saving Private Ryan as inspirations for this battle sequence, and it shows…big time. The end result is one of the best-ever episodes of Game of Thrones and one of the greatest battles ever seen on television.


Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S4) – “Moo Moo”

By Sam

Brooklyn 99 is a hilarious show and it never fails to make me laugh, but buried beneath this outright hilarity is a need to inform. This is a show that from its very start tried to comment on the difficulties facing the homosexual community as much as possible. This season, the delightfully titled “Moo Moo” deals with a similarly tough topic: racism.

Terry Crews’ character, SGT Jeffords, is stopped by a white police officer while walking through his home neighborhood. He is only let off the hook when he is able to prove that he is also a police officer. This sets up a few different encounters that really pave the way for this episode’s most brilliant moments. The most painful of these moments is when Jefford’s daughters ask their babysitters (Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero) if it is “bad to be black.” Jeffords himself also has significantly difficult discussions with his police chief Raymond Holt. Holt, who is also a black man, believes he is doing the right thing by stopping Jeffords from complaining about the incident in order to save his career. In the end Holt realizes that if not for this moment why else did he rise to the rank of captain. The ending, for a comedy, is not happy. Nothing is wrapped up in a neat little bow. But that is what makes this episode a standout for the series. It recognizes the problem, puts it out there in accessible terms, and hopes that someone will start on the path to fixing it.  


Room 104 – “The Internet”

By Joe

I don’t know if you can even call “The Internet” an episode. Like all of the Duplass brothers’ Room 104, it is essentially a short film and the only connection to the other entries in the series is that it is set in Room 104 of a motel. And is what makes the entire series so incredibly compelling and allows for such a beautiful work of art as “The Internet” to exist.

Directed by long-time cinematographer Doug Emmett and starring Karan Soni in the best performance I have ever seen from him, “The Internet” tells the story of a young man in the 90s on the verge of a big meeting with a book publisher trying to instruct his mother on how to send him an email. After rushing into his motel room and excitedly telling his mother about the meeting, he realizes he forgot his laptop at home, and thus the book he was going to pitch at the meeting. He then tries to walk his mother through sending him a copy of the book over email, a process that is hampered by the fact that she has never used a computer.

What I love about “The Internet” is that, much like the Duplass’ other works, it starts from a very relatable, uncomfortably funny place and then goes to extremely emotional places from there. Through a powerhouse of a performance from Karan Soni (And an equally impressive voice performance from Poorna Jagannathan as his mother), the episode tackles so much. We see the frustration of trying to explain a process you know extremely well to a parent who knows nothing about it, we see Soni’s character realize his mother’s true love for him even as he is furious with her, and we also see how sometimes destruction is a necessary part of creation. Much like another piece of art I saw this year (Lady Bird), “The Internet” will make you want to call your mother and thank her for all she’s done for you. Beautifully captured and expertly performed, “The Internet” is a representation of the best that television can bring us and it left me completely broken and thankful for the love I have received.


Broadchurch (S3) – “Episode 5”

By Sam

I started this British crime drama mainly to get a sense of what kind of actress Jodie Whittaker is, seeing as how she will soon be taking up the mantle of The Doctor in Doctor Who. I had heard good things about Broadchurch and the rest of the cast is spectacular so I knew it would at least be an interesting watch. What I didn’t expect was that this would be one of the most beautifully shot and ridiculously relevant shows I would see all year. This is especially true of its third season which shifts its focus to the problems of sexual assault and rape.

There are so many subjects and situations that this season shines a light on of which I was completely oblivious. The most heartbreaking of these is the difficulty that victims of rape have in assisting in the investigation of their rape. The first four episodes of season three show the pain that the character Trish goes through in even remembering the events that led up to her assault. Episode five serves as both a turning point for the show and as another example of the trauma these women go through. A new victim of possibly the same man reveals herself to the police. The difference here is that she has waited two whole years to tell anyone about what happened to her. Towards the end of her testimony she reveals that she sees it as her fault that Trish was raped since she chose not to talk. Trish and another rape victim also echo this sentiment that they are somehow to blame for what has happened to them.

With sexual harassment and assault so prevalent in our minds right now I feel that the third season of Broadchurch is amazingly relevant. It pinpoints the problems in the system but it also shows that there are good people trying to help in many different ways.


 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (S12) – “Hero or Hate Crime?”

By Jake

In a series that has long hung its metaphorical hat on shock and awe offensiveness, “Hero or Hate Crime?” finds Sunny going all in. The premise is simple: each member of the Gang are outside doing typical Gang things. Dee drops a scratcher lotto ticket and Mac sees it blowing down the sidewalk. Rushing to get it, Mac finds himself under a piano being hoisted into a building. As the rope breaks and the piano begins to fall, Frank yells out a homophobic slur to get Mac’s attention. Mac narrowly escapes death, but the philosophical conundrum has been planted – and the Gang certainly won’t skip an opportunity to cash in.

Working with three different arbiters over the course of 17 hours, and using a few more common slurs for black people, gay people, and women throughout the episode, the Gang wants to know the answer to one question: who gets the lotto ticket? This simple focal point is Sunny at it’s finest. It’s merely peripheral that Frank used an offensive slur to get Mac’s attention. At the peak of their despicable natures, they just want to know who gets the money. Money, by the way, that may not even exist – the lotto ticket is unscratched. What ensues is a cringe-worthy yet relevant episode of comedy gold. As far as I’m concerned, the team behind Sunny can keep making new episodes forever if they are anything like the episodes contained in Season 12.


Bojack Horseman (S4) – “Time’s Arrow”

By Sam

I started Bojack Horseman for no other reason than I had run out of other things to watch and I randomly happened upon it on Netflix. Now, after four seasons, I am so happy that I started this incredible show. From the very beginning it was doing some astounding things with animation and diving into subjects that no cartoon show about an anthropomorphic horse should be expected to.

Season four’s penultimate episode dives deeper than most before it. It follows Beatrice, Bojack’s mother, who up until this point in the show has been a side character used to show why Bojack ended up as cynical and uncaring as he did. The twist here is that Beatrice is in the late stages of dementia so we follow her on a visually confusing trip down memory lane. This trip includes her childhood, the year she met Bojack’s father, and her life raising Bojack and having to live with a husband she no longer loves. The animator’s outdid themselves in this episode by creating the terrifyingly bizarre world of a dementia riddled mind. Anyone of too small of note in her memories is given a blank white slate for a face. The coloring and lighting of the episode changes to depict whether the memory was happy or sad. The writing on signs and doors is in constant flux showing the indecision in her mind of how her life actually happened. It is an altogether jarring experience, but there is a sad beauty beneath it all. We finally see who this character is and by the end of the episode, in a way, so does Bojack.


Dear White People – “Chapter V”

By Joe

Not only was “Chapter V” of Dear White People a deeply affecting episode in an incredible show, but it also contained the most emotionally resonant shot of any show I watched all year. That shot is the image you see above: The image of Reggie (Marque Richardson), a fierce activist for black rights shaken to his very core after being yet another victim of police violence.

I could have honestly chosen almost any episode in the debut season of Justin Simien’s Dear White People. It is a show that is filled with so many incredible performances, biting commentary on the black and queer experience, visually sumptuous images and it tackles the issues brought forward by looking at them from different perspectives. What makes “Chapter V” so special is it is our first glimpse of Reggie’s perspective, it is directed by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins and it tackles one of the most talked-about topics when it comes to race in America: Police violence against non-white people. What Simien and Jenkins do in showing a fearless, proud man become the victim staring down the barrel of a gun is heartbreaking, powerful and an episode of television I won’t soon forget.


Orange is the New Black (S5) – “Sing it, White Effie”

By Jake

Orange is the New Black has been pushing the boundaries of television since it began in 2013. It’s also a show that is constantly recreating itself – it never fails to surprise in profound and deeply relevant ways. Season five takes place during a prison riot following the death of a black inmate and thus records some of the most urgent social commentary in television/film of last year. It comes as no coincidence that 2017, the year in which this season was released, was a year marred by racism, sexual assault revelations, and the continued disproportionate incarceration and killing of people of color in the United States.

In both its flashbacks and present-day events, this episode is a constant reminder of white privilege and the suppression of minority voices. In flashbacks, we see a young Janae Watson visit a wealthy, white private school that may allow her to attend because of her high marks and intelligence. Upon touring the theater auditorium, Janae witnesses a young, white girl audition for a part in a Dreamgirls production as the character Effie. Janae (and the viewer) hear the white character sing a nauseating rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”- originally recorded by a black singer. Janae’s eyes fill with angry tears, for good reason.

The finest moment of this episode, however, is delivered by the fan-favorite Taystee. Agreeing to release the celebrity inmate, Judy King, Taystee and company are advised to let King – notably white – do the talking for them. They exit the prison with King, who begins to give a statement. Taystee begins to shake her head “no” and steps forward. What unfolds before the viewer is one of the most impassioned, powerful, and relevant speeches about the suppression of black pain and injustice that I have ever heard; it brought tears to my eyes. For Taystee, this is real. Her friend was the inmate that was killed prior to Season five, and Danielle Brooks’ portrayal of Taystee makes you feel her loss and anger in your bones. As such, Orange is the New Black remains essential television as social commentary. With current events as of late, showrunner Jenji Kohan shouldn’t have much trouble picking what she wants to tackle next.


Legion – “Chapter 4”

By Sam

From the very beginning Legion was a trippy and wonderful delight. From the random man camouflaged against a bush (which has yet to be explained) to the French dance number appearing out of nowhere in the first episode (not the only dance sequence in the season), this was one of the most insane viewing experiences I have had in a while. I knew that this show was something special from the beginning but “Chapter 4” really solidified that for me.

The very first visual in this episode is actor Jemaine Clement in a yellow leisure suit against a icy blue background. This in itself was surprising, not only because of the astounding array of colors and textures in the shot, but also because I had no idea Clement was even in the show. They use him perfectly. He proceeds to start rambling about philosophy quotes, children’s stories, and the difference between right and wrong. It is awkward, somehow deep, and altogether entertaining. Although Clement is more than just a one-off character in the introduction of this episode, I think it speaks to how crazy Legion is that having him be a one-off would have totally fit.


Master of None (S2) – “Thanksgiving”

By Joe

The best episode of Master of None Season 2 and the best episode of television I saw in 2017 was “Thanksgiving”, the hilarious and touching story inspired by Lena Waithe’s own coming-out story. Waithe, who also co-wrote the episode with her co-star and showrunner Aziz Ansari, delivers the best performance in the entire series as we see her character, Denise, discover and reveal her identity as a queer woman over the course of several Thanksgivings.

The episode is beautifully bookended by symmetrical shots looking down at Denise’s family (and Ansari’s Dev) at the dining room table; One of the many fantastic visual touches director Melina Matsoukas brings to the episode. Between those two shots, we see that symmetry crack when Denise comes out to her mother (played by the brilliant Angela Bassett). Unlike the support she received from Dev, her mother is devastated at hearing that her daughter is gay. But, as much as the episode is an exploration of the cold reactions many queer people face when coming out, it also is a wonderfully hilarious (NipplesandToes23) and heartwarming story (The scene between Denise’s mother and her girlfriend in the kitchen is brilliant) of a family learning acceptance. With “Thanksgiving”, Waithe and Ansari gave us an incredible story of symmetry and love being restored, something that I think was much needed in our current times.

CB Podcast Ep. 92 – “Creep 2” Review

This week, the bros bring you recommendations is film, TV, video games and music! Plus, a review of the Mark Duplass starring “Creep 2.”
Right Click and select “Save as…” to download.

Or choose your preferred listening app below.

Podcastaddict

Link Bank

Credits:

  • Hosts: Josiah Wampfler, Sam Wampfler & Jake Wampfler
  • Produced by Josiah Wampfler
  • A Cinema Bros Network Podcast
  • Theme Music by Josiah Wampfler. Film clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders
  • Music clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.
  • Visit our website for show notes as well as articles covering film, television, video games, music & more!
  • Email us at cinemabrospod@gmail.com

CB Podcast Ep. 81 – “Dunkirk” Review

This week, the bros present Trailpocalypse Now as they break down 10 trailers that dropped recently and review Christopher Nolan’s latest, “Dunkirk”.
Right Click and select “Save as…” to download.

Or choose your preferred listening app below.

Podcastaddict

Link Bank

Credits:
  • Hosts: Josiah Wampfler, Sam Wampfler & Jake Wampfler
  • Produced by Josiah Wampfler
  • A Cinema Bros Network Podcast
  • Theme Music by Josiah Wampfler. Film clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders
  • Music clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.
  • Visit our website for show notes as well as articles covering film, television, video games, music & more!
  • Email us at cinemabrospod@gmail.com

CB Podcast Ep. 80 – “The Big Sick” // “War for the Planet of the Apes” Reviews

This week, the bros bring you two reviews for the price of one. The new romantic comedy comedian Kumail Nanjiani wrote with his wife, “The Big Sick”, and the final chapter of Caesar’s story, “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Right Click and select “Save as…” to download.

Or choose your preferred listening app below.

Podcastaddict

Link Bank

Credits:
  • Hosts: Josiah Wampfler, Sam Wampfler & Jake Wampfler
  • Produced by Josiah Wampfler
  • A Cinema Bros Network Podcast
  • Theme Music by Josiah Wampfler. Film clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders
  • Music clips used under fair use. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.
  • Visit our website for show notes as well as articles covering film, television, video games, music & more!
  • Email us at cinemabrospod@gmail.com