Cinecast #89: Inside Man/Top 5 Twist Endings

In honor of this week's Top 5 Twist Endings countdown, Cinecast decided to throw in a twist of their own -- a guest host. With Sam away in New York City, Chicagoist entertainment writer Scott Smith sits in to discuss Spike Lee's latest joint, "Inside Man," featuring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster. A heist movie that respects its audience's intelligence and knowledge of movie history, "Inside Man" is a taut thriller with great performances by its heavyweight cast -- OK, great performances by two of the heavyweights. Russell Gewirtz' lean, smart screenplay explores Lee's age-old problem of the powerful vs. the powerless without a moment of excess.

Also on the show: the battle over "V for Vendetta" begins in Listener Feedback ... and your chance to win a free DVD in Massacre Theatre.

Music by Anne McCue courtesy of Messenger Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

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Cinecast #89
:36-14:36 - Review: "Inside Man"
Music: Anne McCue, "Stupid"
15:20-22:51 - Peerflix winner, "Inside Man" cont.
22:52-30:42 - Thank you's/Listener Nicknames, Polls
Music: Anne McCue, "Tiny Little Song"
31:30-34:33 - Massacre Theatre
34:34-45:58 - Listener Feedback ("V for Vendetta")
Music: Anne McCue, "50 Dollar Whore"
46:56-1:02:35 - Top 5 Twist Endings (Spoiler Alert!)
1:02:57-1:04:11 - Bonus: "Tom Cruise: Dress Casual," Ben Stiller Show

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #88: Swing Time/Top 5 Dystopias

This just in: Ginger Rogers is a hottie.

The Musicals Marathon, like the previous Cinecast marathons, is intended to fill in the gaps in Adam and Sam's ongoing cinema education. But in this case, there is a secondary mission: to be "transported." The 70 year-old "Swing Time", the sixth on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, accomplishes just that -- and not just because Adam and Sam discovered what audiences in 1936 knew quite well: Ms. Rogers has got it going on, as an actress, dancer and pretty face.

Though, admittedly, the movie succeeds in fits and starts -- it's slow to get moving, the acting is mostly stagey, and the plot is positively ridiculous -- the dancing and music more than make up for any such deficiencies. And isn't that why we watch musicals to begin with? If you're not at least curious about "Swing Time" after hearing Adam and Sam gush about it for 15 minutes, you may have your Cinecrack Club privileges revoked.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback and our Top 5 Dystopias/Visions of the Future.

Music by Deadstring Brothers courtesy of Bloodshot Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.



Cinecast #88
:18-15:55 - Musicals Marathon: "Swing Time"
15:56-16:57 - Listener Voicemails
Music: Deadstring Brothers, "Toe the Line"
17:30-24:44 - More Snakes on a Plane, Cinecast Schedule
24:45-32:05 - Listener Feedback (Withnail and I edition)
Music: Deadstring Brothers, "All Over Now"
34:30-45:44 - Top 5 Dystopias/Visions of the Future

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #87: V for Vendetta

Sometimes you can have all the right ingredients -- venerable source material (Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel indictment of Thatcherism); pedigreed action movie team (screenwriters the Wachowski brothers and director James McTiegue are all "Matrix" trilogy veterans); and solid casting (Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving and Stephen Rea) -- but still come up short. An interesting premise and a bold, if unsuccessful, attempt at relevancy can't make up for "V for Vendetta's" deficiencies ... which are catalogued, at length, by your diligent hosts.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, a discussion of Premiere's 100 Greatest Performances, Massacre Theatre, and a preview of this week's Top 5 ... Dystopias.

Music by Johnny Society courtesy of Messenger Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.



Cinecast #87
:18-15:24 - Review: "V for Vendetta"
Music: Johnny Society, "I Can't Win"
16:59-24:43 - Peerflix winner, "V for Vendetta" cont.
24:42-34:28 - Thank you's, Cinecast Poll, 100 Greatest Performances
Music: Johnny Society, "Popular Man"
35:02-38:25 - Massacre Theatre
38:26-42:36 - Listener Feedback (Night Watch)
42:37-46:02 - Top 5 Preview: Dystopias

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #86: Yankee Doodle Dandy/Drinking Movies

"Give My Regards To Broadway," "Harrigan," and "Over There" -- all penned by "Yankee Doodle Dandy" subject George M. Cohan -- aren't exactly the hippest tunes in music history; and maybe that's why this 1942 biopic failed to completely thrill at least one of the Cinecast hosts. But the film has its charms, namely, movie tough-guy James Cagney in the lead. Cagney's performance is so transcendent, it's easy to overlook some of the film's more conventional and less compelling features. A fine intro to a six-week Musicals Marathon -- and a timely one for St. Patrick's Day considering Cohan's Irish heritage -- Sam and Adam both expect to be even more transported by the remaining five titles ... maybe as early as next week with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in "Swing Time."

Also on the show: our Overlooked Auteurs Marathon Awards (The Andy's, as in Sarris), Listener Feedback and our Top 5 Drinking Movies.

Music by Cordero courtesy of Bloodshot Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Sundays at 10 P-M/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.



Cinecast #86
:34-14:48 - Musicals Marathon: "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
14:49-16:28 - Listener Voicemails
Music: Cordero, "En Este Momento"
17:19-30:14 - Voicemail Responses, Overlooked Auteurs Awards
30:15-33:38 - Listener Feedback (Cop Movies)
Music: Cordero, "Matadora"
35:33-41:46 - Listener Feedback cont., Dan Bern in Chicago
41:47-49:41 - Top 5 Drinking Movies

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #85: Night Watch

Night Watch: Ever wonder what would happen if you took a half dozen of the biggest blockbusters from the last 30 years, added a liter of vodka and tossed it into a blender? If Adam and Sam had thought of it sooner, they would now be the most successful filmmakers in the history of Russian cinema. Night Watch, the new Russian import that's equal parts "Matrix," "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," among others, broke box office records in its native country and is just getting a subtitled release here in the States. Striking an impressive balance between originality and homage, "Night Watch" turned out to be a real surprise for Adam and Sam. Exactly what kind of surprise? Tune in to find out.

Also on the show, Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and a preview of this week's Top 5... Drinking Movies.

Music by Jude ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Premieres this Sunday March 12th at 10 P-M/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.

This week's Peerflix DVD giveaway: "Good Night, and Good Luck"



Cinecast #85
:32-15:21 - Review: "Night Watch"
Music: Jude, "Black Superman"
16:55-20:47 - "Night Watch" cont.
20:48-26:37 - Corrections, Thank you's, Notes
26:38-34:00 - Poll questions, Renaming Cinecast
Music: Jude, "You and Me"
34:50-40:53 - Renaming Cinecast cont.
40:54-44:28 - Massacre Theatre
44:29-49:28 - Top 5 Preview: Drinking Movies

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Schedule Note

Sam's on the road for work and will not return until Wednesday morning, so I'm afraid this week will be another Thursday-Friday rollout. Look for Cinecast #85 with a review of "Night Watch," Massacre Theatre and more. In honor of St. Patrick's Day on Friday, Cinecast #86 will feature our Top 5 Drinking Movies -- movies about drinking/alcoholism, movies with copious amounts of drinking, good movies to watch when drinking, good movies to watch the day after drinking... you get the idea.

We'll get back to our normal Wednesday-Friday routine next week.

Cinecast #84: Floating Weeds/Top 5 Cop Movies

Floating Weeds/Top 5 Cop Movies: By the end of the Overlooked Auteurs Marathon, Adam and Sam were starting to feel like selfish lovers. It was good for them ... but was it any good for you? They certainly hope so. Cinecast wraps up its Overlooked Auteurs Marathon with Yasujiro Ozu's 1959 film "Floating Weeds." More accessible, and only slight less profound, than Ozu's "Tokyo Story," "Weeds" provided further proof that Ozu is without question one of the most unique filmmakers of the 20th century. Next week -- because who doesn't love an awards show? -- Adam and Sam will hand out their Best of the Overlooked Auteurs Marathon awards. (And if you've got an idea for a catchy award name, such as The MacGuffins or The Dukes, please pass it along!)

Also on the show: Listener Feedback and our Top 5 Cop Movies.

As promised during the podcast, you can read Adam's review of the Bill Paxton-directed "Frailty" here.

Music by Dag Shaw and Alejandro Escovedo ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Premieres this Sunday March 12th at 10 P-M/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.



Cinecast #84
:34-14:12 - Overlooked Auteurs: "Floating Weeds"
Music: Dag Shaw, "When I Put Out To Sea"
14:47-24:16 - Thank You's, Musicals Lineup, Corrections
24:17-29:31 - Listener Feedback (North Country, Henderson, Weather Man)
29:35-30:48 - Sam's Peerflix Testimonial
Music: Alejandro Escovedo, "I Was Drunk"
31:25-37:41 - Listener Feedback cont. (Tokyo Story, Bill Paxton)
37:42-49:40 - Top 5 Cop Movies

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #83: 16 Blocks/Oscars Postmortem

16 Blocks: Even the most optimistic movie lover will be quick to admit that the first couple of months in any year are not the greatest. The slow trickle of Oscar eligible films just about stops completely by late February, and then it's time to face the music, get back into the cinemas and take what's coming to you. Adam and Sam held out as long as they could, but got their first taste of Hollywood's big budget '06 offerings with veteran director Richard Donner's corrupt cop thriller "16 Blocks."

Boasting a promising, if not entirely original, plot and some reliable talent, Donner's film could have been harmless fun. But despite strong work from star Bruce Willis and the under-appreciated David Morse, co-star Mos Def makes an ill-advised acting choice that just about submarines the entire production.

Also on the show, listeners vent about last weekend's Academy Awards, Massacre Theatre, and a preview of this week's Top 5... Cop Movies.

Music by The Stepford Five courtesy of Reverbose Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Premieres this Sunday March 12th at 10 P-M/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.



Cinecast #83
:34-16:00 - Review: "16 Blocks"
Music: The Stepford Five, "Recognition For The Lonely Ones"
17:18-19:43 - Peerflix Giveaway, Thank you's
19:44-22:42 - 100th Episode plans
22:43-29:44 - Rename Cinecast Contest (cont.), Poll Questions
29:45-34:33 - Oscars Feedback/Postmortem
Music: The Stepford Five, "Scenic Route"
35:15-43:06 - Oscars Postmortem cont.
43:07-45:14 - Massacre Theatre
45:15-48:23 - Top 5 Preview: Cop Movies

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

...And Many More / Cinecast #83 Delay

Please take a moment to vote in the two Cinecast Polls along the right side...

Thanks to some thoughtful and attentive listeners, Adam and I were reminded that today is Cinecast's 1st birthday. We hesitate to mention how old the show is, lest you be tempted to dig into the archives for our very first review: an unnecessarily thorough disection of the entirely-forgettable "Get Shorty" sequel "Be Cool."

Also. Cinecast #83, originally scheduled to post on Wednesday, March 8, will be delayed by a day. We apologize for the inconvenience. Look for back-to-back lethal doses of Cinecrack Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday's show, we'll have a review of Bruce Willis and Mos Def in Richard Donner's "16 Blocks." On Friday we'll wrap up our Overlooked Auteurs Marathon with Yasujiro Ozu's "Floating Weeds" and reveal our Top 5 Cop Movies.

Cinecast #82: Tokyo Story/Oscar Picks

Tokyo Story/Oscar Picks Part II: Tarkovsky taught us patience; Ozu tested that patience. Just one week after taking on two of Andrei Tarkovsky's greatest achievements -- "Andrei Rublev" and "Solaris" -- Adam and Sam take a look at Yasujiro Ozu's methodically-paced 1953 meditation on Japanese life, "Tokyo Story." Despite a first half that threatened to put them both into a coma (the movie is, admittedly, a bit boring), the second half is nothing short of a revelation. If Adam wasn't quite as ready to declare "Tokyo Story" an outright masterpiece, both admit that Ozu's classic rewards your patience.

Also on the show, your Audio Feedback, a quick review of recent DVD release "The Weather Man" starring Nicolas Cage, and Part II of our Oscar Picks & Predictions.

Music by Neko Case courtesy of Bloodshot Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Premieres Sunday, March 12th at 10 PM/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.



Cinecast #82
:34-17:41 - Overlooked Auteurs: "Tokyo Story"
17:42-18:42 - Audio Feedback
Music: Neko Case, "Furnace Room Lullaby"
19:40-21:56 - Feedback Response
21:57-23:52 - Next Marathon: Musicals
23:53-29:10 - Short Review: "The Weather Man" (DVD)
29:11-39:09 - Oscar Blunders Feedback
39:10-40:17 - Sam's Peerflix Testimonial
Music: Neko Case, "Bought and Sold"
41:15-52:18 - Oscar Picks & Predictions: Part II

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Cinecast #81: North Country/Mrs. Henderson Presents

North Country/Mrs. Henderson Presents: In any other year, Niki Caro's "North Country" and Stephen Frears' "Mrs. Henderson Presents" might have gone quietly to their graves on Blockbuster shelves across the country without causing much of a stir. That fate has been postponed (temporarily) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "North Country," inspired by the first-ever class action lawsuit for sexual harassment, received acting nominations for star Charlize Theron and co-star Frances McDormand. But while the movie is mostly compelling, it can't escape its Oscar-bait trappings. Frears, the man behind "Dangerous Liaisons" and "High Fidelity," seems out of his comfort zone with "Henderson," a sentimental WWII-era comedy. But, alas, Dame Judi Dench -- to absolutely no one's surprise -- rises above the disjointed narrative to earn her 83rd consecutive Best Actress nomination.

Also on the show, Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and Part I of our Oscar Picks & Predictions.

Music by Martin Sexton ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.

Cinecast is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com/cinecast.

And also by 'Big Love' from HBO, a bold new dramatic series that explores the complicated life of a modern day polygamist. Big Love. Polygamy loves company. Premieres Sunday, March 12th at 10 PM/9 Central, immediately following 'The Sopranos,' only on HBO.



Cinecast #81
:34-14:21 - Review: "North Country" (DVD)
14:22-17:01 - Review: "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Music: Martin Sexton, "Glory Bound"
19:18-24:44 - "Mrs. Henderson Presents" cont.
24:45-28:30 - Thank you's, New sponsor, Top 5 Bill Paxton roles
28:31-29:54 - "Are You Sam Hallgren?"
29:55-32:53 - Rename Cinecast Contest
32:54-39:54 - Poll, Corrections
Music: Martin Sexton, "Over My Head"
40:49-44:24 - Massacre Theatre (Oscar Edition)
44:25-54:08 - Oscar Picks & Predictions: Part I

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.