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 are talking about the new documentary from Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (“Would You Be My Neighbor,” “Twenty Feet from Stardom”). This time around Neville is giving us a portrait of the cultural icon Anthony Bourdain.

“Roadrunner” explores Bourdain’s career after his book “Kitchen Confidential” brings him to the forefront of food culture in America. The attention he garners gives him the opportunity to explore the food (and the people and the cultures) of the world, but through a medium that Bourdain has a disdain for — television. We see his struggle with making a TV show that doesn’t exploit but celebrates people. And we also see the many other struggles the man has throughout his life.

Through interviews with his friends and longtime collaborators, as well as hearing from the man himself, we get an intimate look at a complicated and engaging figure whose travels have influenced the world.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Rent a billboard.   

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 are taking a trip back to Harlem during the summer of 1969 to attend the Harlem Cultural Festival! 

The feature debut documentary from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, “Summer of Soul” unearths amazing footage that has been sitting dormant for over 50 years and turns it into one of the greatest concert films of all time! Bold statement? Yep. Do we stand by that? Well, listen and find out, man!

With performances by Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone and the great Nina Simone, the festival that took place in a hot city summer was a cultural milestone. Nearly as many attendees as Woodstock, and just as impressive a lineup, but the market at the time was convinced it wouldn’t get attention as a film.  

Listen to us oooh and aaah about the film and we’ll also dig into what else we’ve been watching lately.  And don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to Cinebuds!

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.

“Zola” is the first Twitter-thread-turned-into-a-movie. Zola actually invented the Twitter thread. In 2015 she tweeted “Y’all wanna hear a story about how me & this bitch here fell out???????? It’s kinda long, but full of suspense.” Then she tweeted 147 more times, telling the story. Part of what makes it work is the form. At times Zola used all the characters she could to give context and background, and others, simply an exclamation point for dramatic effect. It’s perfect for its form. 

So what happens when you take 148 tweets and turn them into a movie?

That’s the discussion today, A24’s newest film, “Zola.” Kpolly also talks, repeatedly, about what he would do with a billion dollars. Would he be the benevolent god he imagines, or would it corrupt his soul? Billionaire, if you’re reading this, let’s pool our money and find out! 

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.

Kpolly here. It’s July on Cinebuds… Miranda July, that is!! (Nailed it.)

This week on the podcast we’re discussing July’s newest film, “Kajillionaire.” Her third film in 16 years, this one is just as artistically odd and original as her others. It’s a story of a family of low level grifters and a new woman who joins the gang, with strong performances and incredible story details peppered throughout.

We’ll also be talking about some of our other recent watches or reads or walks or shiny things we saw on the street…. It’s NOT TO MISS!!

And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share our podcast! It’s the only way they’ll let us out!!!

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.

“Luca” is the newest offering from Disney/Pixar. As with all the Disney/Pixar movies, the natural inclination is to judge them against each other. So how does Luca stand up? Well, at times it seems like a greatest hits. It’s got a character who lives in the sea, who transitions to living on land, like “The Little Mermaid.” We’ve got overprotective parents who live in the ocean and want to protect their little boy, like “Finding Nemo.” And a central message of accepting people for who they are, not who they appear to be, like a lot of Disney movies. 

This movie doesn’t have any big musical numbers like some of the most successful Disney movies. There is no central villain to speak of, though there is vaguely a mean kid who serves as an antagonist. “Luca” just doesn’t really hit big at any part. 

Though it does do some things right. One thing that Disney does very well is place setting. This is beautifully set in a small Italian coastal town. It’s charming and quaint. There are also some funny beats. An uncle, played by Sacha Baron Cohen is a stand out. There is a beautiful dream sequence or two. “Luca” is not revolutionary, it’s another Disney movie. It’s also wholesome family fun. That is Disney’s brand and it may be square or corny to some, but also, for people looking for something new and free to stream on a weekday night and want to watch something comforting and warm, “Luca” is a great watch. 

Kpolly, was a bit more critical than I was. I believe he said he hated it. I could be misremembering it, but I think that’s what he said. Also, in What Else We’ve Been Watching, Kpolly reviews A CITY — a city that he has long slandered. And here he makes a bit of a correction.

Stream the episode below.

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.

Kpolly here. A big shout out of love for all of our LGBTQIA+ family celebrating this month! And to help the celebration continue, on Cinebuds we are discussing one of the selections from Milwaukee Film’s PRIDE MONTH series: “End of the Century.”
  
The film is the debut feature from Argentine director Lucio Castro. It is a thoughtful story of a man who has a romantic encounter with someone on a brief stay in Barcelona, only to discover they had met 20 years earlier. The two men have had different paths over the years and the timeline in the film is subtly revealed throughout the film.

A slow-burn romance with thoughtful photographic eye, this film had a different effect on both of us. We’ll talk about our responses to the film as well as some of the other offerings for Pride Month at Milwaukee Film. And, of course… what else we’ve been watching!

To see the full lineup of films and events for MKE Film’s Pride Month go to mkefilm.org/pride. Happy Pride, everyone!!!

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

You know they passed on calling it “A Quieter Place.” It’s not like they didn’t think of it. They chose not to. Anyway, “A Quiet Place Part II” is a John Krasinski joint. He wrote, directed and appears in the movie. This one takes place right where the last one left off, but also flashes back to the first day of the disaster, which was a bit that they brilliantly left out of the first Quiet Place. 

The intrigue of the first movie was its mystery. The monsters’ particular attributes were unknown and you are dropped into a world which had adapted to the monsters. Like in most sequels, the mystery is gone. 

This sequel did as much as it could without having anything left to reveal but it had nowhere near the punch of the first. Even with that said, this is an excellent movie to see in a theater with other people, especially since it might be the first one you do that with. The quiet spaces really build more suspense with one hundred other people collectively holding their breath. If you see it, see it in a theater. 

Also, Kpolly and I get into a lengthy What Else We’ve Been Watching that takes a turn to the intricacies of doing an impression and early Bernie Mac stand up sets. Come for “A Quiet Place,” stay for the weirdness.

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.

Just as many film fans around the city are stepping foot in movie theaters again for the first time in more than a year, the Milwaukee Film Festival has announced its 2022 dates. The film festival will celebrate its 14th year April 21-May, 2022.

“While still in the early stages of planning, the nonprofit is intending to return in-person while still offering a responsive-to-audience interest virtual component,” the festival announced in a press release. “Milwaukee Film looks forward to inviting filmmakers from all over to kick off the springtime season in the Midwest city of festivals. ”  

The organization will start acceptiong film submissions for next year’s festival later this summer.

Meanwhile Milwaukee Film is also planning a Cultures & Communities Festival for Sept. 6-12. Information about that is available at mkefilm.org/ccf.  

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

Kpolly here. What is “weird”? What is a “cult classic”? What were the “1980s”? That last one, no one knows. But, I think we get closer to the truth in this week’s episode of Cinebuds.

This is a decade rife with strange, ridiculous, and bizarre stories — not to mention the costumes, cliches and heavy cocaine use. So a good cult film from the ’80s is bound to satisfy. I have a newfound appreciation for this era that made up my formative years and a renewed passion for all things synth and neon.

From cavemen to rock star brain surgeons, from sexy cat people to rival gangs defending a community center (that old chestnut!), below are some of the trailers of the films we talk about 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.

“French Exit” is the movie based on the 2018 book of the same name by Patrick deWitt. Our main character is Francis Price, played wonderfully by Michelle Pfeiffer. Price is a proper Manhattan socialite, whose fame and money is never quite explained, but that doesn’t matter because the money has run out. So she takes the last bit of it, pulls her son, played by Lucas Hedges, out of school, stows away their cat, and moves to an apartment in Paris.

It’s a kind of aristocratic melodrama from another time, where the biggest issue is the family’s own vanity. It’s dry, it’s odd, but don’t tell Kpolly it’s surreal. The movie feels of another era, its purposeless aristocrats wandering about like characters in a Salinger book. I found it to be charming and understated — a wonderfully dry comedy posed as drama.

Also, we haven’t done a catch up since our live show, so me and Kpolly do a BIG What Else Have We Been Watching catch up on our two favorite movies of the festival each, and a handful of others that we have watched since. We also talk about our love for the Milwaukee Film Member Facebook group member John DiMotto and I talk about going to a movie theater for the first time in a year and a half.

Stream the episode below.

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.