Cinema on Tap

S2E35 Kathryn Bigelow - Top 5 Kathryn Bigelow Characters + Kathryn Bigelow Rankings

We wrap up Kathryn Bigelow month by having talking through the movies we didn’t cover on the show and discussing her entire filmography. We start by sharing our respective top five characters from her films. Then, we compile a shared ranked list, trying as best as we can to smash together our two perspectives. Stay tuned to see which film gets the top slot.

How did we do on our lists? Let us know your thoughts at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Programming reminder: we are taking our customary July break. We will be back August 5 with our top five movies of 2024 so far. See you then!

S2E34 Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker / Zero Dark Thirty

After last week’s controversial discussion (who would have thought Christian would be anti-Point Break?), we step into the most controversial period of Kathryn Bigelow’s career.

After two critical and commercial flops, Bigelow found redemption and earned success at the highest level, becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker. She followed up the Iraq war thriller with Zero Dark Thirty, a film depicting the United States manhunt for Osama bin Laden. 

These two films have been both widely acclaimed and derided, and are considered controversial for their content, as well as Bigelow’s approach to the material. What will our hosts think? Looking back from 2024?

Do you have thoughts on these movies? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E23 Kathryn Bigelow - Blue Steel / Point Break (feat. Title Designer - Elias Hoxsie)

Last week, we looked at Kathryn Bigelow’s genre films. This week, we turn our attention to her cop movies! Released back to back in 1990 and 1991, Blue Steel and Point Break vary drastically in tone, but both feature Bigelow’s signature: entertaining thrills hiding interesting ideas.

We dive in to these two with friend of the show Elias Hoxsie, the designer of our logo, because Point Break is one of his favorite movies. We discuss Jamie Lee Curtis and Keanu Reeves lead performances, talk about the best scenes in each movie, and try to unpack the subtext in each film. Stay tuned for Produer Lalo’s thoughts.

What is your favorite Kathryn Bigelow movie? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com.

Check out Elias’s artwork @eliashoxsieart on Instagram.

S2E22 Kathryn Bigelow - Near Dark / Strange Days

We’re sticking with a famous director for June, as we start our month long coverage of Kathryn Bigelow! We’ll be talking two a week and pairing them up based on theme.

To start, we’re looking at two of her genre movies: 1987’s Near Dark and 1995’s Strange Days.

Near Dark is a vampire story set in the American South. Strange Days is a tech noir featuring a technology that allows the user to experience other people’s memories. Both are worth your time! Whether you’ve seen them or not, Christian and Scott will talk you through them both.

Do you have a favorite Kathryn Bigelow movie? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E21 Mad Max - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and the George Miller Rankings

It’s all led to this. We’re talking Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller’s return to the wasteland. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, the prequel follows Furiosa from childhood in the Green Place to becoming Imperator in Fury Road. But, how does it stack up with the rest of the franchise?

Christian and Scott unpack their thoughts, before sharing their respective George Miller ranked lists!

Stay tuned to find out what we’ll be covering in the show in June.

S2E20 Mad Max - Fury Road

Witness us, listeners! It’s time for Mad Max: Fury Road.

After 30 years away from the wasteland, George Miller returned with Tom Hardy as his new Max and Charlize Theron as his new reluctant partner in survival. The long wait was worth it, as Fury Road became the highest-grossing Mad Max film, was nominated for 10 Oscars, and developed a reputation as one of the best movies of the 21st century.

No surprises here — our hosts are big fans. Tune in to hear their thoughts on why this movie rocks. (Don’t worry, they still figured out ways to argue.) Plus, get Producer Lalo’s thoughts on seeing it for the first time!

Is Mad Max: Fury Road the best action movie ever made?! Let us know your thoughts at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E19 Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome

George Miller completes the early career trilogy of Mad Max films with his biggest budget yet for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Mel Gibson is back and Tina Turner is joining (and dropping two bangers on the soundtrack). Max rolls into Bartertown, run by Turner’s Aunty Entity, and gets caught up in a power struggle between her and Master Blaster, the leader of Bartertown’s Underworld.

Beyond Thunderdome is often called the worst Mad Max film, though it still has its fans. What will Christian and Scott think? Stay tuned to find out.

How would you rank the Mad Max movies? Let us know at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E18 Mad Max - The Road Warrior

Although he had offers from Hollywood, George Miller couldn’t resist another trek out into the wasteland to share the next Mad Max adventure with us.

The second film takes inspiration from westerns, Akira Kurosawa, and other classic film genres as Max reluctantly partners with a settlement facing off against The Lord Humungus and his gang of leather clad marauders trying to steal their gasoline.

Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior is still considered one of the greatest action movies ever made. What do our hosts think? And did producer Lalo like it more than the original? 

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

S2E17 Mad Max - Mad Max

It’s time for another alliterative month on Cinema on Tap: Mad Max May! With the upcoming release of Furiosa, we’re heading to the wasteland to talk about George Miller’s career-spanning franchise.

We start in 1979, with a much more grounded film compared to its successors. The original film follows Mad Max Rockatansky, a police officer, trying to keep a collapsing society afloat…before he crosses paths with the Toecutter.

How does Mad Max compare to the sequels? And, do we feel that George Miller got his career off to a hot start? Stay tuned to find out!

How would you rank the mad Max movies? Send us your thoughts at cinemaontappodcast@gmail.com

S2E16 Boston - Boston Flight

Boston month comes to a close! Our hosts look at Boston movies from the 70s all the way to the 2020s and choose 4 (1 per decade) to put into a Boston movie flight. What Boston movie is automatically in? What is a Boston movie? Would you move to Boston? All of these questions answered here.