Reel Film Chronicles – Page 4 – Reel Film Chronicles

Crimes of the Future

Do you enjoy deconstructing hierarchies of sexual, political, and artistic power within our society? Have you ever depicted stunning imagery blurring the lines between pleasure and pain? Have you ever found yourself described as “body horror?” Do you find yourself consistently having to work on a very tight budget, often with support from Telefilm Canada? Have you ever had to have your violence toned down by some kind of ratings board? Well then, you might be a David Cronenberg film. One of Canada’s favourite sons is back with his latest and greatest, Crimes of the Future. Fully encapsulating all phases of his earlier work, Cronenberg’s newest endeavour is as much an ode to his own repertoire as it is a movie in its own right. Set in a dystopic future where humanity is forced to face – or deny – the next stage in our evolution, Crimes of the Future dares to ask questions about how future generations will adapt to an environment increasingly darkened by the shadow of the byproducts of our industrialized society. It also asks questions about the…

Nope

There are few things as scary as the certainty that so often accompanies our most deeply held beliefs. Well, that and spiders. But mostly humanity’s unfailing confidence in our own most fallacious viewpoints. What does this have to do with Jordan Peele’s latest feature-length film, Nope, you may ask? Well, you devilishly handsome / dazzling beautiful, incredibly perceptive, mysterious, definitely-not-imaginary stranger I didn’t just invent for rhetorical purposes, I’m glad you asked. Like his previous two movies, Peele’s latest offering is a horror movie that explores a plethora of current social issues while at the same time scaring the pants and/or skirts off of audiences. Tackling everything from the more exploitative aspects of the entertainment industry to the struggle against the erasure of black history, Nope offers intelligent social commentary along with its fair share of thrills, spills, and kills, drawing on a broad array of influences, from Akira to Jurassic Park. Join your intrepid hosts as we explore Jordan Peele’s latest entry into the horror pantheon and discover whether he manages to entertain and inspire or whether you should indeed…

Wonder Woman 1984

It’s been just over two years now since we launched our podcast, and to celebrate, I figured I would create a little work for myself and “remaster” the first episode: Wonder Woman 1984. After a half dozen or so episodes, I was quick to find some better, more efficient editing software – I was initially using Audacity. After a few months of a trail version of Hindenburg, and testing out some other pieces like Reaper, I settled in on investing in Hindenburg and haven’t looked back since. Regardless of software, I’ve learned a lot about editing, and wanted to go back to the raw audio to apply these techniques, as well as run the audio through the quality filters that we use now. It’s a net positive – to me at least – and I hope you enjoy revisiting (or experiencing for the first time) our very first episode! WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2020)directed by Patty Jenkinsstarring: Gal Gadot – Chris Pine – Kristen Wiig – Pedro Pascaladventure – action – fantasy151 min

RRR

In the future, historians will look at human history as two distinct epochs: the time before RRR and the time after RRR. A true epic in every sense of the word, RRR took the world by storm in 2022, effectively acting as a gauntlet thrown down by Tollywood that dared everyone else to try and top them. Full to the brim with action sequences that will surprise even the most jaded moviegoer and (melo)drama to spare, RRR is the full package. Whether you’re looking for action; adventure; romance; bromance; throwing a leopard at the head of a bitter enemy; or epic dance competitions, RRR has got you covered. Join your intrepid hosts as they dive into one of 2022’s worst-kept secrets and prepare to Rise, Roar, and Revolt as audiences have done worldwide. RRR (2022) directed by S. S. Rajamoulistarring: N. T. Rama Rao Jr. – Ram Charan – Alia Bhatt – Ajay Devgn – Ray Stevensonaction – drama187 min

Avatar: The Way of Water

The future is now, and it is blue. Return to Pandora with Avatar: The Way of Water, a vibrant, fully realized alien world populated by sexy, blue cat people who will make you feel things you didn’t know were possible. After thirteen years, James Cameron is back with the sequel to his incredibly popular movie Avatar in a bid to unseat Marvel and Star Wars from their thrones as the monarchs of modern blockbuster films. What the film lacks in subtlety it makes up for in spectacle. Bear witness as Cameron and his team of technical wizards take us to the edge of photorealism, creating a world so visually stunning that it wouldn’t be surprising to learn they had actually filmed real aliens on a distant planet. Armed with thirteen years of technological advancements, Avatar: The Way of Water boasts a runtime of more than three hours, so CGI action is your cup of tea, prepare yourself for a really big cup. Join Jake Sully, Neytiri, their children, and the rest of Na’vi as they continue to fight against the…

The Fabelmans

In this episode, your intrepid hosts dive into The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s loving, personal tribute to Steven Spielberg. A semi-autobiographical journey back to the 1950s and 60s, The Fabelmans follows young Sammy Spielberg Fabelman and his family as he discovers his true calling as a maker of films. As the power of cinema compels him, Sammy hones both his technical skill and artistic expression as he grows into an amateur writer/director/editor/savant as he and his family face their own personal and collective trials and tribulations. So join us as we explore the latest movie from one of the greatest directors of all time and discover the magic of cinema all over again, if that’s what you’re into. Just make sure to keep your eye on that horizon. THE FABELMANS (2022) directed by Steven Spielbergstarring: Gabriel LaBelle – Michelle Williams – Paul Dano – Seth Rogendrama | 151 min

Spiderhead

Spiderhead, Spiderhead, does whatever a Spiderhead does. On a hot streak from the kind of success that most people in the ‘biz can only dream of with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski delves back into the realm of sci-fi with his latest film, Spiderhead. Although being stuck on a mysterious island pumped full of free drugs personally administered by Chris Hemsworth may seem like a fantasy vacation for men and women alike, somehow Spiderhead manages the unthinkable and turns this dream scenario into a nightmare. Yet another in a long line of attempts by Netflix to strike gold and reclaim their declining market share, Spiderhead has the skills leaving only the age-old question of whether said skills are sufficient to pay the bills. Join your intrepid hosts as they explore Spiderhead and discover whether it’s worth the price of admission or worse than a double dose of Darkenfloxx. SPIDERHEAD (2022)directed by Joseph Kosinskistarring: Miles Teller – Chris Hemsworth – Jurnee Smollett – Mark Paguioscience-fiction – thriller106 min

The Muppet Christmas Carol

There’s magic in the air. That’s right, it’s The Reel Film Chronicles’ first Christmas-themed episode. And since it tis the season to be jolly and joyous, we thought we’d spread that Christmas cheer by taking a look at a beloved holiday classic: The Muppet Christmas Carol. Though there’s nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone, even old Ebenezer Scrooge himself is hard-pressed to maintain his miserly and cynical ways in the face of such pure and earnest joy. A decidedly modern take on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, The Muppet Christmas Carol has achieved a timelessness of its own, perhaps most prophetically captured in the lyric of one of its prolific musical numbers: A part of childhood we’ll always remember. In addition to first class musical numbers, the movie also boasts one of the all time great performances of Sir Michael Caine as well as Kermit the Frog and a host of familiar faces (well, familiar if you were born in the ’80s) that will make you wonder how puppets in a movie from the ’90s…

The Gray Man

Look upon our works, and tremble. The Gray Man was not a movie meant for mortal eyes to witness. It is something ethereal, something that defies comprehension and flies in the face of everything we’ve come to understand about maintaining audience attention. A $200 million dollar action movie financed and released by Netflix and touted as the beginning of the Next Great Action Franchise, The Gray Man is a lumbering behemoth of a film, a dragon in search of a slayer to put it out of its misery. The Russo Brothers appear to be intent on quickly burning up any and all good will they garnered with the Captain America and Avengers movies in the MCU, invoking a world of secret agents, CIA conspiracies, and an underground world of assassins that served mainly as an advertisement for the much better franchises from which The Gray Man so clearly took its inspiration. Join your intrepid hosts at the Reel Film Chronicles podcast to discover whether The Gray Man completely missed the mark, or was simply a sleeper agent waiting for its time to…

Dual

In the entirety of human history, there has perhaps been no question more pertinent to our place in the universe than whether you could beat yourself in a fight. Dual, the latest film from Riley Stearns, explores a future where humanity has perfected the science of cloning, which sometimes results in some awkward situations that can only be solved through some good, old-fashioned fights to the death. So, basically, your average Thanksgiving dinner. Touching on themes of death, identity, and legacy, Dual invites audiences into a world of deadpan dialogue, strained relationships, and clone support payments, but provides no easy answers. Perhaps fittingly for a movie predicated on diametrically opposed motivations, your intrepid hosts find themselves at odds, presenting dual viewpoints on what might be one of the best films of the year or a worse cinematic crime than the Transformers movies depending on your point of view. So grab your crossbow, take a nice long drink of water (but only if offered by someone you trust with your life), and tune in to find out if Dual is the sci-fi hidden…