The Cinematic Schematic

In August 2020, we mourned the unexpected passing of the wildly talented and now iconic Chadwick Boseman. His quiet struggle with colon cancer had taken not just one of the most promising performers of our time, but also the most famous black superhero in the world. Co-stars, collaborators, and fans from countries across the globe commemorated his life and celebrated his movies. T’Challa, king of Wakanda and a key ally to the Avengers, was gone. How could the Black Panther story continue without its lead character who had just redefined what was possible in big-screen comic movies through the success of 2018’s Black Panther? This tragedy created a seemingly impossible challenge for writer/director Ryan Coogler to overcome. How could he pay tribute to the king, continue telling the next chapter of Wakanda, and deliver a satisfying conclusion to this phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) on a timeline the Disney/Marvel execs would accept? In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we’re joined by first-t

But the truth is, evil doesn’t die. It changes shape. Laurie Strode Lock your doors, check the candy, and prepare to feel the fear of studio executive boogymen willing to butcher good storytelling to make a buck in the conclusion of the Bloomhouse-produced and David Gordon Green-directed Halloween Ends. In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are joined by guests Christopher Shultz and film studies educator and OKC councilperson James Cooper return to Haydenfield, IL to finish the latest final face-off between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. We start by answering this week’s icebreaker question, “What mask or Halloween costume always gives you chills?” before providing our spoiler-free reviews. We close out the conversation with an in-depth spoiler-filled analysis discussion. In 2018, we were very positive about Halloween (2018), but after a few years’ distance from the hype and a widely maligned sequel, Halloween Kills, do we think there are still ideas left in Davi

The Cinematic Schematic celebrates this year’s spooky movie season by looking back at the 2022 horror films you should consider watching before all hallows’ eve. Host Caleb Masters is joined by The Cinematropolis’s Daniel Bokemper and guest host Dalton Stuart from GoodTrash Media to discuss a few of this year’s 2022 horror movie highlights including Ti West‘s X/Pearl double feature and the chilling indie horror Watcher. We conclude this episode with an in-depth spoiler-filled discussion of the recent sleeper hit from sketch comedy writer, Zach Cregger, Barbarian. Does Barbarian actually reach the heights of an instant classic? Tune in to hear our thoughts on all things 2022 horror and let us know your thoughts by commenting below or by sending us an email to thecinematropolis@gmail.com. Dalton Stuart Co-host of the GoodTrash Genrecast and GoodTrash Media co-founder Follow GoodTrash Media on Twitter @Good_Trash Daniel Bokemper Contributor at The Cinematropolis Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_Bokemper PODCAST

The Lord of the Rings fans celebrate! Today we’re sharing a special bonus episode of our host Caleb Masters’s House of the Dragon podcast, The Cast Beyond the Wall, reviewing the first two episodes of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series with The Cinematropolis‘s own Daniel Bokemper. If you enjoy this conversation, please consider rating The Cast Beyond the Wall on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and if you’re a fan of Game of Thrones or The Rings of Power, make sure to subscribe to the Westerosi discussions on your preferred podcast app. In this bonus episode of The Cast Beyond the Wall, hosts Caleb Masters and Daniel Stull are rejoined by guest Daniel Bokemper from The Cinematropolis to review the first two episodes of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The conversation starts with a discussion about each host’s relationship to the works of Tolkien before they provide a review of the series premiere episodes, “A Shadow of the Past,” and “Adrift.” We close the show by discuss

The Cinematic Schematic podcast is back to put a pin in this summer’s movie season with an August 2022 movie review round-up that includes a look at Prey, Bullet Train, and Bodies Bodies Bodies. Special guests Dalton Stuart and Charles Elmore join Laron Chapman and host Caleb Masters in providing their thoughts on each film before doing a rapid-fire round covering several other movies from this summer. They then conclude the conversation by selecting their most anticipated movies remaining in 2022. Did the August 2022 movie slate send the summer off with a bang, or did popcorn cinema’s biggest time of the year end with a thud? Tune in to hear the full conversation! Special Guests Laron Chapman Award-winning Oklahoma filmmaker Follow Laron on Instagram @blackmoviemagicokc Dalton Stuart Co-host of the GoodTrash Genrecast and GoodTrash Media co-founder Follow GoodTrash Media on Twitter @Good_Trash Charles Elmore Oklahoma Filmmaker, OFCC member Follow Charles on Instagram @chazelmore_dop Movie #1 – Prey According

It’s been thirty-five years since Arnold lathered himself in mud and shouted the now iconic internet meme, “Get to the chopper,” in Predator, and against all odds, the franchise has found new life in the latest entry streaming on Hulu, Prey. In today’s special The Cinematic Schematic podcast interview, we are spotlighting some of the incredible behind-the-scenes talents that helped bring Prey to life! Coming right off the heels of the critically and financially underwhelming The Predator(2018), director Dan Trachtenberg(10 Cloverfield Lane, The Boys) and Patrick Aison’s new take on the iconic hunter was greenlit and this time, things looked a little bit different. Audiences would be sent back in time 300 years, and instead of following a bodybuilder or wisecracking action movie hero with guns, this story would star a Comanche nation woman named Naru who uses her wit and determination to face down the 20th Century Studios alien icon. Before we go any further, we know what you’re thinking…are these really the b

In today’s episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we’re saddling up to wrangle an unidentified flying piece of discourse consuming every inch of the internet in our review of Jordan Peele’s latest movie, Nope. Laron Chapman and Daniel Bokemper rejoin host Caleb Masters on the show to answer the ice-breaker question, “What is your favorite film or TV sequence featuring a UFO,” before providing their spoiler-free thoughts and a verdict. The majority of the conversation is spent in spoilers covering several of the film’s themes including the risks and dangers of pursuing spectacle, how black entertainers have been treated throughout Hollywood history, and what makes Peele’s take on UFOs innovative and more than meets the eye. Can Peele make lightning strike a third time or has he started to follow in the missteps of M. Night Shyamalan? Tune into our full Nope review discussion for the full verdict! Special Guests Laron Chapman Award-winning Oklahoma filmmaker Follow Laron on Instagram @blackmoviemagic Daniel Bokemp

The Cinematic Schematic returns this week on a mission to kill god…the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most beloved god, Thor Odinson, in our review of Thor: Love and Thunder. First-time guest Chad Parizman, a podcast host/producer and principal/founder of Ader communications, joins us for the review journey. Also returning to the show are Nathan Poppe of Oklahoma’s Curbside Chronicle fame, and longtime co-host and award-winning filmmaker Laron Chapman. We kick things off with our ice-breaker question, “Between The Batman using Nirvana, and now Thor: Love and Thunder using Guns and Roses, what superhero+pop music match-up would you like to see,” before giving our spoiler-free reviews. We close out the thunderous conversation with a spoiler-filled discussion about how the film examines the nature of gods in our culture and the state of Marvel in phase IV. Thor: Love and Thunder is the twenty-ninth film in the MCU, and features the only character to have a standalone fourth chapter to their story. Additionally, fol

Attention listeners, it appears we have landed on a strange movie in a bonus review of Lightyear, the movie that’s said to have inspired Andy’s love for the character of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995). Is it a forgettable knock-off complete with a newly cast Buzz (Chris Evans), or have we entered into the next great spin-off phase for the beloved Pixar franchise? In this special edition of The Cinematic Schematic, we review Lightyear with Lauren Weingart from Video Peach Productions. We start things off with our routine ice breaker question, “If you could watch a movie one of your favorite toys was based on, which would you pick? Why, and what genre would it be?” We then jump into our spoiler-free review followed by an analysis-driven discussion around the film’s spoilers. Does Lightyear take the Toy Story franchise to infinity and beyond, or is this just a confused attempt at a cash grab? Tune in to hear our full review! Special Guest Lauren Weingart Founder of Video Peach Productions Follow her on Insta

When news broke director Scott Derrickson was leaving Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2020 due to creative differences, the moviegoing internet and fans of the film’s predecessor were understandably concerned. Why would such a talented director who fought so hard for the first film leave a project he was supposedly passionate about? The answer, at least partially, is the director’s latest project reteaming him with his Sinister writer, C. Robert Cargill, The Black Phone. Does this movie pivoting the director back to horror live up to the bold shift in career direction? In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we’re joined by first-time guest, Matt Donato, returning co-host, Laron Chapman, and Caleb Masters to answer that question. Based on the Joe Hill short story of the same name and set in 1978, The Black Phone follows Finney (Mason Thames), who becomes the latest in a string of kidnapped children by a part-time magician only known as “The Grabber” (Ethan Hawke). After waking up in a strip

…Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should. Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park When looking back on the experience of watching Jurassic World: Dominion the words of the famous Ian Malcom quote echos strongly throughout the sixth (and allegedly final) entry in the dino-megablockbuster Jurassic Park franchise. Despite already being a massive hit at the box office (it’s grossed over $600 million worldwide as of this writing), the big question we’re left with is “was this second trilogy really necessary?” To answer that question, The Cinematic Schematic joins the conversation that has been 65 million (and nearly 30) years in the making in our review of Jurassic World: Dominion. Similarly to this movie, today’s conversation is a reunion of the beloved cast of hosts from last year’s (allegedly acclaimed) F9: The Fast Saga review, KJYO-FM’s Jason Black, award-winning filmmaker, Laron Chapman, and recurring guest host, Brock Lay. The conversation kicks off wit

After more than 140 films screened, ten filmmaker podcast interviews, and more than a dozen written essays, The Cinematropolis deadCenter 2022 coverage comes to a close in today’s final festival episode of The Cinematic Schematic looking back at the highlights from the festival from the full Cinematropolis team including writers Jo Light, Daniel Bokemper, and Christopher Shultz. Bokemper shares his in-person festival experience before each person from around the virtual table talks about the films they saw and wrote about from deadCenter 2022. We close out by talking about the benefits of the virtual film festival that is available to pass holders through the end of this weekend. For more on everything we covered at this year’s festival, take a look at the links below! Thank you for joining us again for this year’s deadCenter 2022 festival, and make sure to follow us on our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up with future thoughtful conversations on films including upcoming podcast reviews for Jurassic World

One of the unexpected outcomes of the pandemic was the way people quickly connected across the globe via the internet. Through those remote connections, real-world relationships were built. With this year’s deadCenter returning to the entirely in-person experience, filmmakers and film lovers from across the country traveled to the heart of OKC to share and experience stories big picture stories with Okie audiences. Among the out-of-towners to hear about deadCenter during the pandemic were the Furloughed Film Talks podcast hosts, Alex and Ryan Kelly. After making their first trip to deadCenter in 2021 and first appearing on The Cinematic Schematic last year, the Kelly brothers returned to the festival this year to continue their mission to interview cinematic storytellers from all walks of life. In today’s episode, Alex Kelly rejoins the show to look back at his deadCenter 2022 experience, including what films they saw, which friends they were able to reconnect with, what the 2022 press room experience was lik

‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,’ said Jojen. ‘The man who never reads lives only one.’ – George RR Martin, A Dance with Dragons (2011) The 2022 deadCenter Film Festival has reached its last day and to complete this year’s exciting return to a fully in-person event, the team is closing the festival with a story about the beloved TV program that explored all written stories, The Reading Rainbow, with the documentary Butterfly in the Sky. In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, host Caleb Masters sits down with the filmmakers behind the film, Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, to learn about what inspired them to explore the iconic 80s and 90s educational program, the impact it had on a generation of readers, and their experience working with the legendary LeVar Burton. Though deadCenter is winding down, you can still catch this unforgettable documentary celebrating the power of reading and the media in The Reading Rainbow during the festival’s closing evening by buying an individual tick

Like the dove that represents their spirit, the Cymande story soars once again, this time in OKC. The 2022 deadCenter Film Festival is the home of many experiences, including a few free and open to the public in OKC’s most beautiful spaces. Last night they premiered the OKC Thunder Film, The Seeds of Greenwood, as part of the Friday Night Frolic in Scissortail Park, and tonight they are debuting the new music documentary, Getting It Back: The Cymande Story. The film documents the origins of the hugely influential UK funk band, Cymande, as well as their break-up and recent rebirth. In this exclusive deadCenter 2022 interview on The Cinematic Schematic, host Caleb Masters and special guest co-host, Stuart Hudson, the co-publisher and editor-in-chief of Edible OKC Magazine, are joined by two Cymande band members and film producer/director Tim Mackenzie-Smith who tell their story. Cymande guitarist Patrick Patterson and bass player Steve Scipio join Mackenzie-Smith to share their stories about the band’s history

The 2022 deadCenter Film Festival is the home to a wide variety of Okie Features from multitalented filmmakers like Cate Jones. In 2020, Jones made her directorial debut with the She’s the Eldest, a black and white dramedy with a real personal touch. She’s back this year with a similar style in her new experimental comedy inspired by actual events, Chicken House. The film is written, directed, and stars Jones who tells the story of three roommates forced to adjust to living with a new and mysterious roommate from LA. Jones continues her trend of casting friends like and other local actors to help build a tight-knit culture on set. In today’s episode of The Cinematic Schematic, Jones and Chicken House producer Kassie Gann join the show to tell us where Jones was inspired to make the film and how she fostered a trusting group to get the best performances from her cast. Gann will also talk about how she approached her first on-screen role and the minor impacts the pandemic had on the production. Chicken House is

Today marks the first day of the deadCenter 2022 Film Festival and a return to fully in-person festivities after two years of hybrid events. Not only is deadCenter bringing back several pieces of its staple programming such as the Okie Shorts Volume 1 and Volume 2, movie night in the Wheeler District, and Oklahoma Film and Music Office panels, but they’re also experimenting with some new ideas. Meet UndeadCenter, the festival’s latest track dedicated to the wild and weird “midnight” style genre movies. Though deadCenter has dabbled in the arena of “midnight” style genre films with the likes of Puppetmaster: The Littlest Reich(2018), it’s never had a lineup of movies dedicated to experimental genre films in the same way other well-known festivals like Fantastic Fest or SXSW have, until now. Presenting the inaugural undeadCenter slate is Oklahoma’s own award-winning filmmaker and festival alum, Mickey Reece. The plan is for the program to live on year after year, supplying the festival with more opportunities t

Today we continue our exclusive deadCenter 2022 coverage with a look at this year’s deadCenter opening night film from director Daresha Kyi, Mama Bears. Kyi sits down with us on The Cinematic Schematic to talk about how she first learned about the Mama Bears organization before making the documentary. Joining host Caleb Masters in this interview is a special guest co-host, this year’s deadCenter Pride Programmer, Laron Chapman. The film tells the moving story of the rise of the movement of evangelical mothers who decide to embrace and support the LGBTQ community through love, education, and emotional support at weddings. The film follows four different storylines including the rise of Oklahoma’s own Sara Cunningham of Free Mom Hugs, Kimberly Shappley, and Tammi Terrell Morris, a young African American lesbian. The empathetic and emotionally charged film touches on many very personal subjects such as the traditional Christian view on same-sex marriage, the negative impacts the politics have on LGBTQ homes, and

How do you raise a new generation to overcome more than a hundred years of setbacks? The Cinematic Schematic continues our exclusive deadCenter 2022 coverage with a look at another tried and true festival tradition, a public OKC Thunder Films screening. This year’s film, The Seeds of Greenwood, highlights the newly formed Thunder Fellows program that launched in the historic Greenwood District a century after the Tulsa Race Massacre. The enrichment program gives Black high school students opportunities in sports, entertainment, and tech through a curriculum based on data and analytics. To learn more about the premise of the program and the making of the film, producer Nick Gallo and director Michael Zubach from the OKC Thunder Films team talk about how they worked with the students to elevate their stories. Dr. Dekoven Riggens from Notis Studios also joins to share how he collaborated with the team to produce several key pieces of music. The Seeds of Greenwood will screen to the public this Friday night in Sc

Bank heists. Family character drama. Twisted morality. If you like to see any of these elements at the movies, writer/director Kyle Kauwika Harris’s new film premiering at this year’s deadCenter Film Festival, Out of Exile, is a must-see. It’s a “one last job” crime thriller complete with impressively shot action setpieces grounded in family tragedy and a hope of redemption for the central character, Gabriel Russell (Adam Hampton), before FBI Agent Brett Solomon (Ryan Merriman) stops him in his tracks. On today’s episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we sit down with Harris and three cast members, Adam Hampton, Hayley McFarland, and Kyle Jacob Henry, to discuss their experience making the film, including how the team trained for the various robbery scenes and found ways to build chemistry and comradery on set despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of Exile continues the tradition of a strong Oklahoma Feature Film category at this year’s festival and is easily one to bookmark in your schedu