Reel Film Chronicles – A journey in film

Gladiator II

Because we exist now in a purgatory between reality and unreality and all original thought has been expunged, filtered out through a cosmic sieve that we can neither perceive nor define, we are now subject to a never-ending cavalcade of remakes, reboots, reimaginings, and sequels. Gladiator II is not just a legacy sequel to an Oscar-winning film that has become revered among fans and critics alike; it is yet another herald of the New Age, in which our collective consciousness is only capable of telling stories that have already been told and consuming those same stories again, and again, and again in an endless cycle until the heat death of this universe and our reabsorption into the next link in the Great Chain of Being. Fortunately for us, some of those stories are told by Ridley Scott and are still spectacles worthy of the big screen. Gladiator II is a direct sequel to Gladiator, catching us up on the state of the Roman Empire since the heroic General Maximus gave his life to bring down a corrupt leader and provide a glimmer of…

Things will be Different

Will they be, though? Will they? We confirm that things WILL be different, as your intrepid hosts delve into a time-twisty lo-fi sci-fi thriller that focuses on two siblings hiding from the law in a house that seems to exist outside our regular time. Yeah, it’s a great concept and honestly, a pretty great film, especially if you’re into these kind of indie concept films. With some great performances and intriguing story that’s rife with meaning, Things Will be Different is a film that’s worthy of your time. So check it out, then swing back to our discussion on the movie, which, I guess, is no different than our other episodes in terms of the format we follow, but still, the conversation is good, and we appreciate your company. THINGS WIL LBE DIFFERENT (2024)directed by: Michael Felkerstarring: Adam David Thompson – Riley Dandygenres: science-fiction – thriller – horrorruntime: 102 minutes

Joker: Folie à Deux

The lights dim. The curtains rise. A murmur passes through the room, the residual sound of a thousand voices going silent. The stage is set. A street from another century. A lamppost that would make Gene Kelly feel right at home. A series of storefronts with nothing behind them but a skeleton of two-by-fours. Then there he is, appearing as though by magic. Joaquin Phoenix. In his full Joker makeup. As he starts into a passionate musical number, bellowing his emotions to the back of the room and beginning a highly choreographed dance number, two thoughts cross your mind: 1) Joaquin Phoenix truly is one of the greatest performers of our generation and 2) What the hell is he doing in your kid’s school play? Mr. Phoenix is definitely not out of place in Joker: Folie à Deux, Todd Phillips’ follow up to his smash hit Joker, which took the box office by storm back in 2019, earning nearly $1 billion for Warner Bros. Joker 2? Let’s say its contributions to Warner Bros.’ portfolio were more… aspirational than financial. In a genre-bending twist, Phillips…

Cuckoo

Never before would one have considered the inoffensive little cuckoo as a symbol of death, destruction, and parasitic infection. But thanks to writer-director Tilman Singer, now that’s all you’ll ever associate with them every time you think about those cute little birds, which I have to assume is at least once an hour. You know, like most normal people. Cuckoo is a movie that explores what it means to be part of a family as well as the potential consequences of what it might mean if another species of human beings evolved alongside our own. Two totally normal thoughts that most people grapple with at least once in the normal course of their lives. While historically, most people go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, in this episode your intrepid hosts go cuckoo for horror stuff, as the Reel Film Chronicles explores the meaning of life, the universe, and brood parasitism in our typically analytical and well-researched review of 2024’s Cuckoo. Cuckoo (2024)directed by: Tilman Singerstarring: Hunter Schafer | Jan Bluthardt | Marton Csokas | Jessica Henwick | Dan Stevensgenres: horror –…

Cuckoo

Cuckoo | dir. Tilman Singer | 103 min Cuckoo is the kind of bonkers bizarre-concept movie that could only have been willed into being in the world of low-budget films. The land of big budget blockbusters is a hostile environment for this particular breed, and it’s exactly the kind of movie that needs time to properly gestate and thrive in a more welcoming habitat. Perhaps the only well-known production company consistently birthing low-budget horror films these days is Blumhouse, but even their seeming embrace of low-budget blood and gore is built on a model of success by dominating the lottery; you put out enough movies, eventually at least a couple are going to find an audience. This is also known in circles as the Netflix Gambit, though as part of their official creed, they boil everything down to the lowest common denominator of content as opposed to art or storytelling. And Cuckoo has a story to tell. At its heart, Cuckoo is a story about family, and no matter how weird the reveals get–and they do get pretty weird–this core…

2024 Top 10

You are, perhaps, never more acutely aware of the apparent injustice woven into the fabric of the universe than when you love a movie everyone else hates or hate a movie everybody else loves. Welcome back once again for the Reel Film Chronicles yearly tradition of reviewing our top 10 movies of the previous calendar year. In this case, your intrepid hosts each run down their top 10 movies of 2024. The suspense is palpable and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they try to unravel the ultimate mystery: Do they agree on their favourite movies of 2024? And perhaps even more mysterious: Do YOU agree on their picks? So follow along fellow movie fans, borth hardcore and casual, as we explore some of the finest works of cinema to grace our screens, both large and small, in 2024. Perhaps you’ll discover a new hidden gem, or perhaps you can just rage listen and revel in our wrongness. Either way, you’re in for a good time. So tune in and embark with the Reel Film Chronicles on the next step…

2024 Top 10

I do look forward to the yearly top ten (and bottom five), it’s one of the opportunities we get to release a “list” episode that can include a bunch of films. I’m always looking to be surprised by my co-host as well, and this year was notably delightful. There wasn’t much in the way of overlap between our top ten lists, which I’m hoping is passed on to you the reader/listener as a chance to take note of any films that may strike your fancy and encourage you to check them out. Lofty goals, I know. The format did change up a bit: we’ll count down to number two, then before revealing our top picks, we’ll discuss honourable mentions. Bonus: this episode has chapters for every entry, so hopefully your podcast player of choice supports them and you can zip around the audio as you please. We don’t get into spoilers for the movies, but honestly the definition is a bit blurry and if you’re looking to watch a film and not take any chances (cause we are definitely not…

Longlegs

We were long overdue for another episode featuring fan and podcast-favourite Nic Cage, and what better film for discussion than the much anticipated LONGLEGS? We’re going to give a quick rundown of recent Nic Cage films, as well as director Osgood Perkins filmography before we jump headfirst into the feature film. We have lots to say for a film with lots of genres – we think there’s a little something for everyone here. Get yourself comfortable and listen in! Also, go watch the movie first! We don’t hold back on spoilers in our discussion (we give plenty of warning in the episode). Longlegs (2024)directed by: Osgood Perkinsstarring: Maika Monroe – Nicolas Cage – Blair Underwood – Alicia Wittgenres: horror – crime – thrillerruntime: 101 minutes Transcript (via Apple)*not 100% accurate Hi there, welcome back to The Reel Film Chronicles podcast. As always, I’m Nathan. And I’m Brian. And in this week’s very special episode, we’re going to be taking a look at a little film called Longlegs. Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins, Perkins, sorry. I believe the son of famed…

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Possibly the first western film we’ve covered on the podcast, and who better than to guide us into the genre than Kevin Costner, with his latest ambitious multi-part movie project? We give a quick rundown of Costner’s acting and directorial efforts, and our experiences with the western genre before we kick our spurs and discuss the movie at length – which is mostly what we enjoyed about the film. * Spoilers for this movie are contained within – audio warning contained in episode. * Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)directed by: Kevin Costnerstarring: Kevin Costner – Sienna Miller – Sam Worthington – Jena Malone – Owen Crow Shoegenres: westernruntime: 181 minutes Transcript (via Apple)*not 100% accurate Hi there, welcome back to The Reel Film Chronicles podcast. As always, I’m Nathan. And I’m Brian. And in this week’s very exciting episode, we’re gonna be talking about a little film called Horizon, An American Saga, Chapter 1. That is a mouthful right there. And it is a very exciting episode, because this is an exciting episode of a movie history…

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

From Guy Ritchie, the master of ungentlemanly filmmaking, comes The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a heartwarming tale about a band of friends bound together through an unshakeable bond: a shared compulsion to kill Nazis. Based loosely (just ever so loosely) on a “true” story (we cannot stress just how loosely this movie was based on actual events), the movie follows Superman, Jack Reacher, and friends as they set out to cripple Nazi U-boat operations in the north Atlantic to give England the breathing room it needs to fight back against Hitler’s advancing cronies the best way one can: by organizing a heist. Just a great, big, old Nazi-killing heist. As with any great heist, nothing goes to plan, until it does, then it doesn’t, but then it does, and a lot of Nazis die in the end, which if we’re being honest, is probably the best way for any heist to end. So join us as we travel back in time to World War II (not literally, of course – that’s impossible as far as you know) to explore Guy…