The Cineskinny

Just a couple of episodes ago, we were praising Steven Spielberg as one of our greatest living filmmakers. Then we watched Disclosure Day, and might have to roll back some of those compliments. 

We gush over Blue Heron, the extraordinary memory piece from Sophy Romvari. And inspired by Romvari's sophisticated approach to exploring her own childhood experiences – both real and imagined – through cinema, we discuss some other films that dig into the concept and aesthetics of memory in interesting ways. 

And finally, we get excited about our upcoming screening of Gregg Araki’s Nowhere on 28 June at GFT, which will be followed by an on-stage discussion.

TIMESTAMPS:

What We’ve Been Watching: Tip Toe, Mama Mia and Toy Story (01:42)
Disclosure Day review (11:25)
Blue Heron review (29:38)
Our favourite films dealing with memory (45:01)

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Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-

Charlie xcx is a great pop star, but is she any good as an actor? We find out by watching her as the lead in Erupcja, the new low-key relationship drama from director Pete Ohs.

In honour of Erupcja, which makes great, lyrical use of its setting of Warsaw, Poland, we consider some of the other films in which the cities they are set in feel like characters in their own right. 

We also take a look at The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, a dark comedy starring Peter Mullan as a tour guide who begins to lose the line between history and fantasy when a TV production comes to town.

TIMESTAMPS:

What We’ve Been Watching: Star Wars: The Despecialised Edition; Titanic; Obsession (01:02)
Erupcja review (15:13)
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford review (28:06)
The team discuss "the films in which the city they're in set feels like a character" (39:50)

If you like The Cineskinny, tell your pals! Leave us a five-star review! Share the episode on socials!

Follow us on Instagram @thecineskinny, email us at cineskinny@theskinny.co.uk

Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-

The full team – Peter, Anahit, Ellie and Jamie – are in the house this week for reviews of crime caper Tuner and chicken-eye-view adventure Hen. And with Steven Spielberg about to release Disclosure Day, his 35th feature-length film, we take a look back at his stacked CV, from the rollercoaster cinema of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark to the awe-inspiring sci-fis ET and Close Encounters to gems from this century like Catch Me if You Can and Minority Report.

TIMESTAMPS:

What We’ve Been Watching: Alien; Everybody to Kenmure Street; Yes, Madam; Half Man (0:55)
Hen review (12:05)
Tuner review (24:29)
The team discuss the great Steven Spielberg (40:15)

If you like The Cineskinny, tell your pals! Leave us a five-star review! Share the episode on socials!

Follow us on Instagram @thecineskinny, email us at cineskinny@theskinny.co.uk

Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-

On this week’s podcast, we check out Normal, which features Bob Odenkirk as a hangdog lawman who's been assigned as the temporary sheriff of a small town in Minnesota called Normal. But, you guessed it, it turns out this sleepy town and its quaint residents aren’t that normal at all. Much punching, shooting and exploding ensues in this B-movie action flick from director Ben Wheatley and writer Derek Kolstad, who created the John Wick and Nobody franchises. 

Then we’re off to Malaysia for Queer as Punk, a meditative documentary following the queer punk band Shh... Diam!, whose music and existence stand in protest against the rise of anti-LGBTQ sentiment from the Malaysian government.

And finally, after much discussion and confusion on The CineSkinny WhatsApp group chat, we discuss the subtle art of cinematography and ask what draws people to certain cinematographic styles and aesthetics… or something.

TIMESTAMPS:

What We’ve Been Watching: Akira (again), Mother Mary, the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival (01:25)
Normal review (15:18)
Queer as Punk review (30:28)
The team talk 'cinematography'! (44:18)

If you like The Cineskinny, tell your pals! Leave us a five-star review! Share the episode on socials!

Follow us on Instagram @thecineskinny, email us at cineskinny@theskinny.co.uk

Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-

We try not to confuse Christian Petzold with his fellow prolific European auteurs François Ozon and Olivier Assayas ahead of our discussion of Miroirs No. 3, Petzold's intriguing new drama about a Berlin pianist (Paula Beer) who gets 'adopted' by a lonely woman after a car crash. 

We then take a look at Exit 8, a nifty little thriller based on the simple walking video game of the title, in which you must escape the Tokyo metro tunnels using the power of spot the difference. 

And talking of video games, the team look back at the highs and many lows of video game adaptations over the years and asks what makes for a successful one. 

TIMESTAMPS:

What We’ve Been Watching: Akira, The Pitt, and the Peaky Blinders movie (01:55)
Miroirs No. 3 review (10:04)
Exit 8 review (22:58)
The storied history of video game adaptations (39:57)

If you like The Cineskinny, tell your pals! Leave us a five-star review! Share the episode on socials!

Follow us on Instagram @thecineskinny, email us at cineskinny@theskinny.co.uk

Music: Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod  (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4534-too-cool) License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-