Cinema on Tap

S2E55 End of Year Wrap-Up: End of Year Movie Draft

It’s time to start looking back on the year, and thankfully we get to do it together! Christian and Producer Lalo have made the trip up to San Luis Obispo to record live in person with Scott for the first time since he moved away from LA. We’re looking back at the year in Cinema on Tap for the next two weeks, starting with the first annual Cinema on Tap Draft!

 

Our co-hosts and their intrepid producer are drafting their favorite blockbusters, Best Picture winners, and more as they try to pull together the best list by exclusively using films reviewed on the podcast this year. It’s been a good one, meaning everyone has plenty of options (but don’t worry: feelings were still hurt).

 

Stay tuned to see who gets the best list! And, keep an eye on social media to vote for your favorite.

 

You can vote here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaYr1TspysZvWf4KbG8_HymyHOu-_9MYTGPS-v4rLRJFaInQ/viewform?usp=header

S2E54 End of Year Wrap-Up: The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

December is finally here, and it’s time to start looking back at 2024. But, before we do that, let’s look ahead to 2025!

There’s a lot of movies with potential coming up next year. Here’s just a sampling of filmmakers with new movies scheduled to come out next year: James Cameron, Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Spike Lee, Edgar Wright, Terrence Malick, James Gunn, Steven Soderbergh, Kogonada, Danny Boyle, and Bong Joon-Ho! Plus plenty more.

Christian and Scott break out the calendars to discuss their most anticipated films of 2025. Hopefully, we can turn you on to something new.

What movie are you looking forward to in 2025? Or, is there one you’re just hoping comes out at all? Let us know know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E53 2000 Oscars: Gladiator II

It’s finally here! We’re talking Christian’s most anticipated movie of 2024: Gladiator II.

Ridley Scott returns to Rome 24 years after his Best Picture win. This time, Paul Mescal takes the reins as leading man, joined by Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Denzel Washington.

Much like the original, there are plenty of battles, rousing speeches, and political intrigue to enjoy. But, we don’t have Russell Crowe or Joaquin Phoenix.

Does the sequel fail to entertain? Or, much like its precursor, will it echo in eternity?

Plus, our thoughts on Wicked!

What did you think of Gladiator II? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Join us in December as we wrap up the year and look ahead to 2025!

S2E52 2000 Oscars: Gladiator

Our final episode on Best Picture nominees from 2000 is here. It’s time to talk Gladiator.

Ridley Scott’s Best Picture winning epic follows Maximus, a disgraced Roman general on a quest for vengeance. Russell Crowe won an Oscar for his performance, and he is joined by Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, Richard Harris, and Oliver Reed in his final performance.

Fans of Gladiator have found a rewatchable classic; detractors say it’s too conventional and poorly written. Where will our hosts land?

Next week: Gladiator II!

How do you feel about Gladiator? Are you excited for Gladiator II? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E51 2000 Oscars: Traffic (feat. Joaquin Dominguez)

Our November theme continues, and we’re sticking with Soderbergh. This week: Traffic.

The film that won Soderbergh his Oscar, Traffic is a modern epic about the drug war, with separate narrative threads in Mexico, Southern California, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Covering drug traffickers, law enforcement in both Mexico and the United States, and teenagers hooked on drugs, the film’s ambitious scope attempts to tell the whole story, complexities and all.

New friend of the show Joaquin Dominguez, screenwriter and all-around Soderbergh superfan, is still hanging with us after last week’s episode. Christian, Scott, and Joaquin take a look at Traffic to see if the film holds up 24 years later.

What’s your favorite Soderbergh film? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Joaquin’s new film Watch Them Come Blood recently premiered in Los Angeles to a sold out crowd. The film is continuing to screen around the country, and is coming to physical media in the future.

S2E50 2000 Oscars: Erin Brockovich (feat. Joaquin Dominguez)

Now that we’ve got The Cat in the Hat out of our system, it’s time to kick off our November theme of the month! With Gladiator II coming soon, we’re taking a look at the original plus some of the other Best Picture nominated films of 2000. First up: we’re joined by screenwriter and Steven Soderbergh fanatic Joaquin Dominguez to discuss Erin Brockovich.

The first of Steven Soderbergh’s two Best Picture nominated films in the year 2000, this is also the one that garnered Julia Roberts her Oscar. Erin Brockovich follows the titular legal assistant who uncovers an environmental conspiracy in Hinkley, California. She and her boss, the lawyer Ed Masry, begin a legal fight on behalf of the residents to get them justice.

Erin Brockovich is a classic underdog story, with Brockovich, Masry, and Hinkley taking on a massive corporation. But, will it stand out from other similar films?

What’s your favorite legal drama? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Joaquin’s new film Watch Them Come Blood recently premiered in Los Angeles to a sold out crowd. The film is continuing to screen around the country, and is coming to physical media in the future. Reach out for more information on opportunities to see it!

S2E49 Lalo's Classics: The Cat in the Hat

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the very first Lalo’s Shitty Classics week! Before kicking off our Novemeber theme, we’ve turned over planning to Producer Lalo, and he’s  chosen one of his childhood favorites to talk about: The Cat in the Hat.

 

Mike Myers stars as the titular feline in this live action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic. While the film had a strong negative reaction at the time, many people who were kids when it came out now carry its banner as a misunderstood cult classic. Christian didn’t like it when he first watched it, and Scott has never seen it. Will Lalo be vindicated or disappointed?

 

What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss adaptation? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

 

Stay tuned to hear what’s happening on the show in November!

S2E48 Vampires: The Twilight Saga (feat. Emily Baker)

Vamp-tober comes to a showstopping conclusion as we dive headfirst into the Twilight series! Friend of the show Emily Baker is back to break down the iconic franchise.

Who’s Team Edward and who’s Team Jacob? Which is the best film in the series? Are any of these movies even good? Why is the baby CGI?! All these questions and more will be answered! (Maybe not the baby one though. We don’t know why they did that.)

How do you feel about Twilight? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Stay tuned to find out what’s coming up next week!

S2E47 Vampires: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Blade (1998)

Our final pairing of Vamp-Tiber is here: Vampire Action! Today, we’re talking about From Dusk Till Dawn and Blade.

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s ode to exploitation movies starts George Clooney and Tarantino as criminal brothers on the run who have an unexpected run-in with vampires. Blade starts Wesley Snipes as the titular vampire killer, looking cool as hell as he kicks off the modern superhero era of Hollywood filmmaking.

Producer Lalo had to use a few bleeps this time. It’s a fun one!

What’s your favorite vampire movie? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E46 Vampires: The Hunger (1983) and The Lost Boys (1987)

Vamp-tober continues as we zoom forward in time to the 80s! The 80s were a great decade for vampire films, and we’ll be talking about two beloved cult classics from the time: The Hunger and The Lost Boys.

 

The Hunger is slower, more stylish movie starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon — plus, it’s the directorial debut from Tony Scott! The Lost Boys is a Joel Schumacher spectacle, in a teen movie + vampire mashup. Which approach will our hosts prefer?

 

Plus, we open the show discussing the movies we got to see at Beyond Fest 2024!

 

What’s your favorite vampire movie? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com