Talk Film Society Podcast

Skinamarink is one of the more divisive horror films of 2023. Audiences think it's either a lot of boring long shots of dark hallways or a lot of terrifying long shots of dark hallways. Luckily, Thomas and Bryan are here to set the record straight on Kyle Edward Ball's surreal sleeper hit! Together, our duo answers the crucial questions. What makes for a truly scary horror film? Why did the TikTok generation latch onto this 90s-set experimental horror film? Which classic toy deserves more film roles? Well, turn on your box CRTV and listen to this while you stumble through dark liminal spaces to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid!

As Jacob (@jacob_denobel) continues his personal journey Matt (@TheRealMattC) has recruited Max (@ODSTSpartan) for a commentary for Ernest Dickerson's underrated Bones from 2002. Ever want to see Snoop Dogg play a mixture of 70s gangster, Freddy Krueger, and Pinhead? Well then Bones will most definitely be your jam. Listen along as Matt & Max have a ball revisiting this classic.

Cinema To The Letter continues its horror season with the surreal indie darling Phantasm! Joining Bryan and Thomas to discuss this legendary film is former Double Edged Double Bill host and big BOY in his own right, Adam Thomas! Together, our trio answers the crucial questions. Why did this very odd movie spawn a long-running franchise? What exactly is in those silver balls? How does one survive "the mortician's place"? Well, wipe that mustard-colored blood off your hands and step into that dimensional gate so you can listen to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes (including more DragonCon 2023 panel recordings) and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the Sports Romance miniseries with 2015's Creed! A sequel/reboot of the Rocky franchise the film takes the series back to its roots. He welcomes back Ned Baker (@nednednedned) back to the podcast for this crowd-pleasing epic. Featuring a compelling romance between Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson, captivating fight sequences, and a twist on the underdog story, Ryan Coogler's sports movie is a modern classic.

The Halloween season is fast approaching, so Cinema To The Letter is getting spooky for their next batch of films! Thomas and Bryan kick off their horror-themed curation with Mario Bava's anthology film Black Sabbath! Three tales of terror that feature phone-based stalkers, Slavic vampires, and eerie corpses out to seek their vengeance. Together, our duo answers the crucial questions. What does Boris Karloff mean to the youths? How much did American censorship affect this Italian film's western release? Can Thomas get his ancestors rolling in their graves over his pronunciation of Italian names? Well, watch out for the vampire sitting next to you as you listen to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes (including more DragonCon 2023 panel recordings) and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid! We’re a proud member of the TalkFilmSociety podcast network!

Before our spooky second season starts next week, Cinema To The Letter is bringing you a bonus episode recorded this past Labor Day weekend at DragonCon! One of our usual hosts Thomas participated in a panel about the horror films of 2023 so far, alongside fellow panelists Crystal Cleveland, Christopher G. Moore, Hansi Oppenheimer, Aaron Michael Ritchey and DL Wainright! Listen as our panelists discuss horror hits of 2023 like Megan, Talk To Me & Evil Dead Rise, as well as underrated gems you may have missed and a couple ones you may want to skip! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes (including more DragonCon 2023 panel recordings) and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid! We’re a proud member of the TalkFilmSociety podcast network!

Hello, romantics! It's the start of a new miniseries! We're tackling sports romances on It Pod to Be You. And what better way to start than John G. Avildsen's Oscar winner Rocky! The 1976 film is a stone-cold classic, one of the most influential movies of its era. Your host Manish (@verigay314) welcomes back Alisa Rivera (@bollywoodnewbie) for this special movie. Both a gritty rags to riches tale and a tender love story, the film is massively entertaining to this day. Starring Talia Shire and Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is hard to beat!

Cinema To The Letter is opening the curtain for season 2! This time, Thomas and Bryan are getting spooky to coincide with the Halloween season! Starting September 26th, our two heroes will start covering six horror films that fit the acronym of C for Classic, I for Indie, N for New, E for Egregious, M for Masterpiece and A for Atypical. Listen in to find out the specific films! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid! We’re a proud member of the TalkFilmSociety podcast network!

Siobhan and Marcelo talk over the original 2003 Saw short film that started it all! Stay tuned for commentaries covering ALL NINE SAW FILMS this September! Only on our Patreon! The first Saw commentary drops on Labor Day! TalkFilmSociety.com/SAW Patreon.com/TalkFilmSociety

Siobhan and Marcelo say goodbye to the blockbusters of summer 2023. They also talk Taylor Swift, Bottoms, The Outwaters, Ghostwatch, and, with the release of The Equalizer 3, they talk The Equalizer series.

Hello romantics! Guest host Megan Kearns (@OpinionessWorld) is here to chat with your regular host Manish (@vertigay314) on his favorite Queer Romance: 2005's Brokeback Mountain! What better way to end this miniseries than with Ang Lee's Oscar winning western-romance. Manish talks about his attachment to the film, the outstanding filmmaking, and how this movie has a more esoteric happy ending. It's one of Ang Lee's major achievements, featuring career defining work from Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams.

Siobhan and Marcelo welcome Thomas and Bryan from Cinema to the Letter (@cinema2letter) to the show to discuss Gran Turismo, racing movies, Days of Thunder, raunchy teen sex comedies, Bottoms, American Pie, Oldboy, and a whole lot more!

Hello, romantics! It's the long-awaited grand finale of the Bad Romance miniseries. Manish (@vertigay314) welcomes guest Zaki Hassan (@zakiscorner) for Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece The Shining! Featuring one the most toxic marriages in Hollywood, the film has been interpeted and reinterpreted. But it's a horror classic for a reason. Starring Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson, The Shining is reflects how much modern horror has changed and how marriages can crumble with or without ghosts.

Siobhan and Marcelo talk a little about summer blockbusters yet again but then they mostly focus on the works of Neil Breen: Fateful Findings, Twisted Pair, and Cade: The Tortured Crossing!

The summer is winding down, so it's time for a close to the Cinema To The Letter's inaugural season on Blockbusters! Thomas, Bryan and their first ever special guest Marcelo J. Pico are here to talk all about the blockbuster to end all action hero runs Last Action Hero! Arnold Schwarzenegger's meta take on the films that created him was met with box office and critical disappointment 30 years ago, but that's not the take of our trio! Together, they'll answer all the crucial questions. How did Arnold Schwarzenegger take this hit? What is up with John McTiernan's bizarre career? What filmmaking duo owes their entire thing to this movie breaking down doors? Well, hop into the screen of your local theater so you can listen to this episode in Dolby sound to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid!

Siobhan and Marcelo talk summer blockbusters, vampire movies, Barbie (again), Ganga & Hess, Insidious: The Red Door, The Conjuring movies, Gravity, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and more!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) enters the final month of the queer romance miniseries with Francis Lee's tender and gritty 2017 film God's Own Country! Picked by guest Michael Peers (@Michael_Peers) the film is an acclaimed look at opening up in relationships and how love and romance bring down barriers even in a harsh climate. Manish and Michael talk about the performances, the cultural context, and the beauty of the film as well as how the film reflects modern queer life.

While a toon and a human try to solve a murder mystery, Bryan and Thomas are here to watch a modern masterpiece of a blockbuster! Yes, the penultimate episode of Cinema to the Letter's Blockbuster mini-series is all about the 1988 Robert Zemeckis film Who Framed Roger Rabbit! Together, our duo answers the crucial questions. Why could Disney only make this film at this specific time? How did Bob Hoskins manage to talk to invisible folks? What is the modern legacy of the Looney Tunes? Well, take Merry Go Round off the record player so you can listen to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid!

This month Matt (@TheRealMattC) finds himself stranded on LV-426 without a Jacob (@Jacob_Denobel) in sight! That's right, while Jacob is out on paternity leave, Matt is on a quest to find someone to talk to!This month Matt is joined by Diego Crespo (@thediegocrespo) in an attempt at an insightful look at Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien.It's the first Monsters Never Die commentary and it's a blast!

Sure, Van Helsing can face off against the greatest monsters of all time. However, what can he do against the powers of a terrible script and hideous CG? Thomas and Bryan are here to find out for the fourth episode of their Blockbuster mini-series all about Stephen Sommer's egregiously bad summer 2004 flop Van Helsing! Together, our duo will answer the crucial questions. Could a Dark Universe ever work? How did Shrek clearly influence Van Helsing's visual aesthetic? Who else goes as hard as Richard Roxburgh? Well, stake that vampire through the heart with your crossbow so you can listen to find out! Join our Patreon for $1 for monthly bonus episodes and the chance to vote for new podcasts at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Intro music by Burial Grid!