Cinemakers

Combining Robin Williams (in the "serious" era of his career) with, perhaps, the last great performance (so far, anyway) given by Al Pacino, Insomnia is a well-made version of a movie you feel like you've seen before. Add in some references that make you feel like you're watching Twin Peaks (or a David Fincher movie) and there isn't much to not like. Considering the next movie we're getting in this journey is Batman Begins, this is (far and away) the "smallest" Nolan will get for a long, long time.

Just two short years after the promising (but somewhat underwhelming) Following, Christopher Nolan released Memento, a masterpiece of a film and possibly the best movie he's ever made. Toying with narrative structure in the way he did in Following -- but with far more panache -- Memento is a wild ride through the mind of a man with no short-term memory who constantly finds himself unsure who he can trust.

Welcome to a new season of Cinemakers! We've caught up on Steven Soderbergh, so now is the time to begin our journey through Christopher Nolan's filmography. First on the docket is following, the black-and-white feature that Nolan made for a mere $6,000. While Following is a far cry from the movies Nolan will soon make, there are more than a few glimpses of the techniques, themes, and styles he'll use throughout his career.

In this episode, we dive into the world of horror to go deep inside the mind of Claire Foy in Unsane! Shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus with an app that cost $14.99, Soderbergh and Unsane prove anyone can make a movie that makes you feel icky all over. Is Claire Foy's character unsane, or is she really being pursued? Does the ambiguity work or could it be improved upon? And why do people keep letting Matt Damon show up and crash movie sets? (Just kidding; we love Matt Damon!)

When we first envisioned Cinemakers, we saw it as a combination of two types of episodes: ongoing series about prolific directors and one-off episodes about directors who only have a few feature films under their belt. With the Reel Bad podcast taking on The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, we were inspired to bring in Reel Bad's Nick Jenkins to talk about the Evil Dead remake, as well as the other major film of Fede Alvarez: Don't Breathe. Please note: Both of these films (and our discussion) feature depictions of sexual assault and violence against women, and both are far darker than the normal movies we cover. Viewer and listener discretion advised.

Mosaic marks yet another innovation from the mind of Steven Soderbergh: a whodunnit mystery that you can experience through an interactive app or through a traditional TV season. Which way is better? How should you watch? Should you even bother? The short answers: yes, watch it, but do it through the app. All caught up? Good!

Whether you call it "Ocean's 7-11" or "The Hillbilly Heist," the central robbery of Logan Lucky is Soderbergh's best since Ocean's Twelve. This guy just can't stay retired, which is good news for all of us who love movies about the American Dream, or movies starring Channing Tatum and Riley Keough. (Yes, this pretty much sums Joey up to a tee.) This movie effectively marks the beginning of the second phase... of the first phase... of Cinemakers, as it's the first Soderbergh work released since we began. What a time to be alive!

The Knick ended after two seasons and 20 episodes, but it was always the plan for Soderbergh (and Clive Owen) to leave at that point. The Knick's second season expands the world of the show a bit, bringing more characters into a deeper focus and straying a bit from the central fixation on Thackery. Does it work, or is it too sprawling? Are the new stories a welcome addition, or do they stray too far from the world of The Knickerbocker? Can Soderbergh continue his streak and pull off his signature magic again? With his self-imposed retirement looming following this season's conclusion (though we know he'll be back in two years for Logan Lucky, Mosaic, Unsane, and more), where does The Knick leave things for Soderbergh? All we know: "This is it. This is all we are."

After a string of (mostly) knock-out films, The Knick continues Steven Soderbergh's hot streak as he transitions from film to prestige TV. This episode covers the complete first season (with talk about season two coming next week), as we're introduced to our key players and the world of The Knick at the turn of the century. Everyone is at the absolute peak of their powers in this show, from Soderbergh to Clive Owen to Cliff Martinez (who did the score). The Knick might not be as perfect as a film like Out of Sight or Ocean's Eleven, but it may just be the best thing Soderbergh has ever made.

Behind the Candelabra was deemed "too gay" by major Hollywood studios, so Soderbergh headed to HBO for his last feature film before his "retirement." Anchored by two strong lead performances, can Soderbergh and company elevate the biopic genre and a shockingly muddled/average script to something more? Listen and find out! (Spoiler: no.)

Side Effects -- once billed as Soderbergh's last film -- may be one of his most complicated and twisting narratives. Nothing is what it seems as the story continues to unravel and unfold, revealing more twists and turns at every step of the way. Soderbergh is truly firing on all cylinders at this point in his career, and this is yet another instance of a master filmmaker in his prime.

Magic Mike may be a disappointment to people looking for a movies where hot guys dance for two hours. Sure, there's a lot of that on display here -- including all dancing scenes played back-to-back as a special features on the DVD -- but in what world does a movie like that have a 10 minute scene where its lead tries to get a small business loan application approved? When looking at this movie from the guise of Cinemakers and within the framing of Steven Soderbergh's career, however, it's clear that this film may be a masterpiece that discusses the American Dream and the difficulty of starting your own business, and does so with remarkable insight on a level that rivals any of Soderbergh's other work. Also: hot guys get naked and dance.

Haywire reunites Steven Soderbergh with Lem Dobbs in a tale of revenge on par with The Limey, one of their previous team-ups. Anchored by a badass leading character, Haywire brings Gina Carano on a roaring rampage of revenge after she discovers she's been set up. As we learned from Snake Eyes, you need five for a conspiracy, which means she has a lot of names to take and a lot of asses to kick. What I'm trying to say, you guys, is this movie is great.

Contagion may be one of Steven Soderbergh's best films in just about every regard. This sprawling narrative features a star-studded cast and editing/cinematography that will leave you terrified to touch your face. Also! We talk about And Everything is Going Fine, the posthumous Spalding Gray documentary Soderbergh released in 2010.

The Informant! is a movie that could have gone wrong in so many ways. Somehow, Steven Soderbergh threaded the needle to create one of the most singularly unique and oddly funny movies in recent memory.

Ocean's Thirteen closes out the Danny Ocean chapter of Soderbergh's career with a return to Vegas. Also: it's the third trilogy we've covered on the #CageClub Podcast Network... a trilogy trifecta!

The Good German is a blend of two Soderberghs: Hollywood Star Soderbergh and Doing Crazy Film Things Soderbergh. Does it work, or does it fall flat?

Made for almost no money with no known actors, Bubble shifted the movie release paradigm, but does it tell a story worth watching?