We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

“No Time to Die” is the last James Bond film of the Daniel Craig era. Kpolly and I talk about what that means for the franchise and the future. The movie itself is everything you come to for Bond. There is a nefarious Russian scientist. An evil villain performing a dastardly deed on a private island. Bond wears a tuxedo and beats up bad guys after ordering a martini that is shaken, not stirred. 

Does it transcend? We talk about it.

What would we like to see in the future of Bond? We talk about it. 

What else have we been watching? We talk about it.

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“Malignant” has a lot going on. I don’t want to say too much since it is a horror movie that is driven by twists, turns, and misdirections, but at any given point in the movie you can expect it to be either gruesome, horrific or surprisingly goofy. 

The movie is directed by James Wan, who directed “Saw,” “Conjuring 2,” “Fast and the Furious 7” and “Aquaman,” which honestly checks out here. There is a lot of early 2000s in “Malignant,” with playful camera angles, punchy foley sequences, and a straight-out-of-“CSI” industrial crime driven soundtrack. 

It certainly gives a lot, but at least one of us found that it gave us nothing. 

There is a lot to talk about with “Malignant.”

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Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

Fresh off of staring in the best movie of the year (“Pig”), Nicolas Cage plays lead in what he says is the wildest movie he’s ever made. 

“Prisoners of the Ghostland” has promise. It’s going hard for cult classic status. It’s from the studio that brought us “Mandy,” Kpolly’s and my favorite movie of 2018. Its theme and setting are a cross between “Kill Bill,” “Metropolis,” “Mad Max” and “Big Trouble in Little China.” And it has Nicholas Cage. 

The story is set in “Samurai Town.” A beautiful set that is a mixture of director Sion Sono’s Japan, and the wild west. A cowboy draped in white pulls Nicholas Cage out of prison to find his granddaughter and bring her back. To ensure that he won’t run, the cowboy makes him wear a suit strapped with explosives in particular areas that will go off under certain circumstances. From there it is full of imaginative set designs, post-apocalyptic costumes and action sequences.

But does it achieve cult classic status? That’s the discussion. 

Plus, Kpolly and I ended up watching the same Hulu show and loving it.

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Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

Kpolly here. This week on Cinebuds we watched the new Marvel film (Justin’s idea this time, if you can believe it), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

In his introduction to the franchise, Shang-Chi is forcibly reunited with his distant family members and has to stop his father from unleashing a disaster upon the universe. It’s a Marvel movie, so if the entire universe is not almost destroyed, why even get out of bed?   

Of course these films have a consistent formula, but around those familiar bones there are opportunities to build some great details, characters and images. Did Shang-Chi join those glorious few superhero movies that Justin actually likes? Did it join those far greater number of superhero films that Kristopher gobbles up by the handful?  And do we celebrate the fact that this is the first Asian main character/superhero to join the universe? Of course!

We’ll also discuss what else we’ve been watching, reading, and if I shaved my beard a little too closely only moments before recording the podcast! Surely I won’t dwell on that, though….. or will I?

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share our podcast far and wide!!

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Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

“No Sudden Move” is the new movie from on again off again director Steven Soderbergh, who has directed “Sex, Lies and Videotapes,” the “Oceans” movies and “Magic Mike,” amongst others. It’s written by Ed Solomon, writer of all of the “Bill and Ted” movies, “Men In Black,” and “Charlie’s Angels,” among others. It has a STACKED cast of Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm and even Brendan Fraser. 

The movie itself is a movie that has been made a million times. A couple hired guns get hired to do a seemingly simple job, the job is not as simple as it’s made out to be, and no one knows who to trust. It’s a tried and true plot that has been done better and it’s been done worse. 

Kpolly and I had some differing opinions about this one, though I’m not going to tell you who thought what. We also get into a dissection of “Nathan for You” and some other things that we have been watching. 

“No Sudden Move” is available to stream on HBO Max.

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Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

Kpolly here. This week on Cinebuds we’re discussing one of the selections from this year’s MKE Film Cultures and Communities Festival, “Summertime.” The film is from Carlos Lopez Estrada (“Blindspotting,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”) who collaborated with 27 young poets around Los Angeles to create a series of characters and stories that intersect throughout the film. It’s like a musical, but instead of songs about Oklahoma and South Pacific, we have integrated spoken word poems about sexuality, the trials of romance, and how much we love our moms!

It’s a very fresh approach to telling the stories of young people and the filmmaking reflects this freshness as well.  It’s a unique film that still has a broad audience appeal.  

We talk about this film and a few others we’ve seen from the C&C Fest that runs Sept. 6-12. The Cultures and Communities Festival tells stories from traditionally marginalized voices in a selection as varied in content as the artists making the work. Documentary, fictions, shorts films and great events. The fest is a hybrid of virtual AND in-person films. Check out everything at mkefilm.org/ccf and get tickets or passes today!

We’ll also be discussing what we’ve been watching and NOT watching… huh!?
  
Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to Cinebuds! Our lives depend on it!!!

Like what you hear? Subscribe!

Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

“Pig” stars Nicolas Cage as a reclusive truffle forager who has his truffle pig stolen from him and then seeks to get her back though navigating the underworld of Portland’s restaurant scene. 

If Anthony Bourdain wrote a movie, it would be “Pig.” 

Chefs backstab chefs over getting the best ingredients. There is a code in the kitchen and a respect for the work. It’s gruff and grizzly, but ultimately it’s romantic. Cage, for once, is understated. His character is incredibly written by first time screenwriter Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski who gets his debut full length feature credit. 

“Pig” is a triumph. It made me want to be a better critic and a better person. 

In the podcast Kpolly calls it the anti-revenge movie and shares a couple theories as to why Nicolas Cage will star in a really good movie once every 10 or so tries. And we also get into the reopening of the Oriental Theatre and what’s new and some interesting details to check out when you go.

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Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

I am the ideal audience for this film. 

“Annette” is written by Ron and Russell Mael, better known as the band Sparks. I own many Sparks albums and love them.

It’s directed by Leos Carax, who made one of my all-time-favorite-movies, “Holy Motors.” 

It stars Adam Driver, who I, like many others, find to be a hunk who is able to throw himself at any roll and take it over. 

It’s a musical. For many years I wanted to deny that I loved musicals, but after watching many that I love, like anything, when they are good they are good and when they are bad they are bad.

This is a weird movie. I love weird movies. 

Unfortunately, I found this movie nearly unwatchable. I hated this movie. It pains me to say.

Find out where it went wrong in the podcast where we also talk about “White Lotus,” “Pig,” and Joe Pera’s season 3 renewal.

Like what you hear? Subscribe!

Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

“Jungle Cruise” is the new Disney movie based on the ride Jungle Cruise and it’s…not bad? 

At one point in the podcast Kpolly and I both say we would watch it again. It stars Emily Blunt and The Rock. It wants to be “Indiana Jones” mixed with “Pirates of the Caribbean” and, while it’s never quite either, it’s not exactly a failure and it’s often a pretty fun time. It blends legitimate history of Spanish conquistador Aguirre, The Wrath of God, with the charm of Dwayne Johnson, and even stays true to the deadpan humor that the Disney ride is known for. 

Of course, we have some bones to pick and some surprising moments of praise, along with a conversation about what else we’ve been watching this week.

Like what you hear? Subscribe!

Get all of 88Nine’s podcasts delivered right to you weekly at RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts. We’ve got podcasts about music, food and film, with fresh episodes dropping every week! And don’t forget to check out our new podcast “By Every Measure,” a six-part examination of systemic racism in Milwaukee.

We’re 88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly. We’re buds, we like cinema — we’re Cinebuds.

This week on the podcast, we’re unpacking “The Green Knight,” the latest film from A24 Films. Based on a medieval fantasy, the film brings incredible visuals and period costumes in a lush retelling of a centuries-old legend.

“The Green Knight” is a story of Sir Gawain, “King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew” who is on his way to becoming — but has yet become — a knight. On a Christmas evening, the man is visited by the mysterious Green Knight who presents both riddle and a challenge for the young man to prove himself a hero.

“Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger,” according to A24.

The film was made on a $15 million budget, relatively small compared to summer blockbusters. But it delivers consistent visual beauty over its two-hour runtime, propelled along by steady pacing and punctuated by suprising moments.

Listen to the Cinebuds review the film on this week’s episode.