Cinemavino

For this episode, we go back to the original story of a legend: Godzilla, King of the Monsters! I was today years old when I learned that this film was actually two productions spliced into one! The original Toho movie, Godzilla, was later combined with Americanized footage shot two years later. Actor Raymond Burr later claimed to have filmed his scenes in only one day. Come aboard as we discuss this film as an origin story for one cinema's biggest icons: Godzilla. Does this installment make a good entry point in the series? We'll also cover where the character went from here, and current and future plans for the Godzilla franchise. Co-host Travis Budd is a superfan of this entire genre, so you won't want to miss his thoughts. Finally, we'll rate Godzilla as a standalone experience, and whether it's worth the watch at all. To pair, we'll enjoy a Japanese neutral spirit, made from rice! At 25%, it may've been a little too delicious. #godzilla #monsters #toho #sake

Elegant and refined aren’t words you’d normally bandy about Mel Brooks’ filmography, but with Young Frankenstein, they just seem to fit. This horror homage is really a delicate soufflé, crafted with care and dedicated to the Universal horror flicks of the 1930s. Brooks seems to genuinely love the James Whale/Boris Karloff adaptation of Mary Shelley’s book, and he’s very careful to steer his humor away from even a hint of ridicule. Brooks (who co-writes with Gene Wilder) builds his story as a modern echo of Shelley’s work. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) is the grandson of the infamous scientist. He teaches a fringe class on anatomy and physiology, which only invites curious questions from nosy students. Frederick is touchy on the subject, and he erupts at any comparison to his grandfather–even their names are pronounced differently. (“It’s FRONKEN-STEEEN!!!”) Soon, Frederick receives word that he’s inherited the Transylvanian estate of his great-grandfather. He heads off to Eastern Europe, where both his heritage and destiny await.Of course, this is Mel Brooks, so Frederick’s foray into his family history will take the form of unadulterated wackiness. First, we meet Igor (Marty Feldman), whose grandfather was once a blathering sycophant to Frederick’s grandfather. Once Feldman totters into the story, Young Frankenstein‘s silliness cranks up to eleven. Feldman, who looks like a Picasso version of Peter Lorre, just about picks up the movie and walks off with it. (No small feat with this cast!) He mugs for the camera, breaks the forth wall, and helps Brooks guide this Frankenstein right off the rails.On that subject, another key player in this mad little tale is Cloris Leachman. She plays Frau Blucher (“Neighhhhh!”), the caretaker of Frankenstein’s estate. Like Feldman, Leachman realizes that in a Mel Brooks movie, there’s no such thing as too goofy. Her severe housekeeper storms through the mansion, delivering stern proclamations and playing the violin like a wild-eyed loon. Poor Teri Garr gets stuck playing it straight in this sea of spoofs.And this being a spoof of Mary Shelley’s masterwork, you know we’ll have to eventually get around to the titular monster. That means we’ve got to have another lumbering golem, and this time he’s played by Peter Boyle. Boyle has impeccable comic timing.Brooks’ film even pulls off the little throwaway moments, like the scientist’s office door that has an after-hours dropbox for donated brains. That also extends to Gene Hackman’s cameo, which ranks as one of my favorite in all of movie history. But then, Young Frankenstein packs in so much goodness, it’s hard to cram it all into one review. I haven’t even touched on Kenneth Mars’ unhinged portrayal of the local police inspector, or the redoubtable Madeline Kahn, as Frederick’s overly vain squeeze. As a cherry on top, Brooks even reached out to Kenneth Strickfaden, the propmaster of Whale’s original film.Put all that together, and you’ve got a unique entry in Brooks’ off-the-wall oeuvre. It’s not his funniest work, that honor belongs to Blazing Saddles. Nor is it his cleverest, we’ll give that trophy to The Producers. That said, this is probably Brooks’ most complete film. It’s loaded with knuckleheaded gags, and most of them land perfectly. Young Frankenstein is like a raunchy joke, served up on the fanciest silver platter.105 min. PG. DVD and Blu-Ray Only.

Well, our Month of Monsters hit a bit of a snag. Turns out, Young Frankenstein is MIA from the entire internet. Never before have I seen a movie--especially a big hit, a classic--impossible to find. So, that delayed our ability to screen it for a bit, but we'll be back on schedule next week!In the meantime, enjoy this look back at another monster movie--the cult classic, Fright Night!

Our Month of Monsters continues with a 90s classic: Bram Stoker's Dracula! Naturally, we enjoy some of Francis Coppola's finest red wine to pair with his masterful horror flick.As with last week's episode, check our home page, cinemavino.net, for my full review of this film!

A note: I'll fill this space with show notes once my review goes live tomorrow. Or you can go to Cinemavino.net to read it there.In the meantime, enjoy the first installment of our Month of Monsters with Peter Jackson's take on King Kong!

We hope you enjoyed our Best Picture Series! It was certainly a blast to make. That goes even more for our upcoming schedule, the Month of Monsters. If you're into Dracula, Kong, Godzilla, or Frankenstein, this will be your jam! Those will kick off next week, with Peter Jackson's mammoth epic, King Kong.In the meantime, enjoy this special look back at an episode that ties in perfectly: Guillermo del Toro's impressive Hellboy II. This episode originally tied into our Sequel Series, from summer of 2021!

It may have all the aesthetics of a big, burly action epic, but don't get it twisted:  The Bridge on the River Kwai is a nuanced, character-based drama, and a philosophical rumination on the absurdities of human nature. In the end, this is a film that's unafraid to ask questions without obvious answers. We'll circle back to that in a bit. For anyone who's never experienced this cinematic milestone, let me give you the Reader's Digest version of the plot: As WWII rages, a battalion of British troops are herded into a Japanese POW camp.  As such, the camp commandant (Sessue Hayakawa) urges his captives to throw themselves into work. Conveniently, a rail bridge needs to be built across the Kwai River, thus linking Burma to Rangoon. Colonel Saito, the commander, promises the men they will be treated well, provided they complete the task on schedule.Almost instantly, a battle of wills springs up in the camp. Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), the British commander, is aghast to learn that his officers will work manual labor alongside enlisted men. Not only is this against the Geneva Convention, it's just...uncivilized. His senior staff will do no such thing. In retaliation, Saito loads Nicholson into a hotbox, where he can broil until his spirit breaks. Only, Nicholson doesn't break, and days begin to pass. This puts Saito in an impossible situation: Does he simply give in and look weak? Or, does he risk that Nicholson dies in solitary, and possibly end up with a prisoner uprising?Meanwhile, Commander Shears (William Holden) watches this personality clash from his infirmary bed. He's a charming, shifty American, who manipulates Saito's system to ensure his own survival. If that means bribing the guards, faking illness, or digging graves for his fallen comrades, then so be it. As Nicholson goes in the cooler, Shears can only shake his head in disgust: What good is such fanatical devotion to duty if it no one lives to tell of it?The film's turning point comes when Shears makes a daring escape. Somehow, he navigates the jungle thicket, and gets rescued by Burmese civilians. They get him to a British army hospital, where he eventually gets strong enough to subsist on a diet of dry martinis and blonde nurses. Just as Shears is about to settle into this cushy existence, some British officers show up with a wacky plan. Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) proposes to lead a commando team back into the jungle to blow up the Kwai River bridge. As Shears recently stumbled across this terrain, he would be the perfect guide. At first, the American is nonplussed at the idea of traipsing back into that humid hellhole. Still, the Brits make an offer he can't refuse, and back in they go.A moral and philosophical quandary emerges when Nicholson overcorrects in the name of his troops' morale and safety. He resolves to construct the bridge as an enduring monument to British precision, thus ensuring his men will survive the war. As Clipton points out, Nicholson's sudden exuberance and perfectionism borders on treason. Still the colonel responds with a shrug: If they have no choice, why not give it their all?On a cinematic level, Kwai is a masterpiece on every front. Lean would begin a stretch of ambitious, masterful films (Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago would follow) that would feature many of the same hallmarks as this one: Lush cinematography (Jack Hildyard would win the Oscar), memorable music (ditto Malcolm Arnold, who would score a hit with "Colonel Bogey March), and legendary performances. Holden is perfectly cast as the casual, carousing Shears, who slowly runs out of angles to work. Donald, who would also memorably play another POW in The Great Escape, is also outstanding as the perpetually exasperated Clipton. Hayakawa gives depth to Saito, making him more than just a brutal, scowling monster. With all that said, Guinness would deservedly win the Oscar for his turn as Nicholson, a man whose pride, obsessiveness, and inflexibility point him to the same doom as Saito.Truth is, I can heap praise on Kwai for another 1000 words, but let me boil it all down for you. This is just one of those movies you have to see. Lean, working with blacklisted writers Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, delivers an intricate masterpiece that was ahead of its time. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward war film, or maybe a thoughtful character study. Watch it a few more times, and you'll see that it's actually a lot more than either of those things.161 min. PG. AMC+.

Our Best Picture series continues with a Coen Brothers classic, No Country for Old Men! It's a lean, eccentric thriller, loaded with colorful performances and quirky dialogue. The film won multiple Oscars and is now considered to be a staple of the Neo-noir genre.One of those Oscars went to Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actor. As he is one of the most decorated Spanish actors in history, we enjoy a rich Spanish red in honor of him. Next week, we close out the series with an all-time masterpiece.

Our Best Picture series continues with instant classic, Birdman, starring Michael Keaton. We'd all seen this one before, and we all have strong opinions!

Our Best Picture Series continues with a 90s classic, The English Patient! Sean and I have strong opinions.

Our Best Picture Series continues with Gladiator! Sean and I have very different opinions about this 2000 classic. To read my full review, click here!

This is final week of my paternity leave! We're adjusting to life with twin newborns. It's been both hectic and awesome. Stressful and amazing. We could be happier. Or sleepier. Thank you all so much for sticking with us these last couple months. For our final repeat episode, we'll take a look back at one of my favorites: The 90s classic, Con Air.

As my paternity leave winds down, let's go back to one of my all-time favorite movies, The Lion in Winter. The boys hadn't seen it, so it was great to introduce a new classic. Stay tuned, new content drops on 1/31!*From September, 2021.

Hey everyone! This episode is just a quick update on our upcoming schedule, plus it features a throwback to four years ago, and an episode you may have missed.New content is coming soon!

A quick winter/spring preview for Cinemavino!

As I continue to help take care of our brand new twins, enjoy this look back at When Harry Met Sally, a rom-com in which New Year's Eve plays a crucial role!

Our Christmas Series wraps up with one you wouldn't expect--Gremlins! The story begins with Oklahoma folk/country singer Hoyt Axton, playing inventor/two-bit entrepreneur Randall Peltzer. In a Chinatown antique store, Randall secretly buys a mogwai, or a cute, mischievous, fantastical creature, from the owner’s grandson. This adorable furball has three big rules—don’t expose it to light. Don’t get it wet, and don’t feed it after midnight. The former will cause it to reproduce like tribbles, the latter will cause it turn into a larger, more monstrous and destructive creature. Mr. Peltzer takes the mogwai to his 20ish son, Bill, played by Zack Galligan, as a Christmas present. Naturally, the three rules get broken, and all hell breaks loose.  Also stars familiar 80s actors like Phoebe Cates as Billy’s coworker and love interest. And Judge Reinhold as Billy’s asshole boss. Cates and Reinhold would previously co-star in another iconic 80s hit. Fast times at Ridgemont High.

Our Christmas Series continues with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas! The story: Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King, leader of Halloween Town, a community of goblins, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, and abominations. Jack wanders in a malaise of frustration and restlessness, until he discovers a portal into Christmas Town, where everyone is joyous, caroling, and exchanging gifts. Now motivated, Jack plans to take over Christmas, thus displacing Santa Claus—or Sandy Claws. Of course, this is a Christmas movie, meaning Jack will have to discover the error of his ways and learn the true spirit of Christmas. 

Our Christmas Series begins with a 90s classic! Hook has a combination of premise, cast, and crew that would inspire a movie executive to hand over blank check: A sequel to Peter Pan, with Robin Williams as an adult version of the character. Dustin Hoffman as an aging Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as TInkerbell. A three actors are the prime of their careers and popularity here. First act of the film has Williams as Peter Banning, a 40ish career-driven yuppie who barely has time for his wife and two kids. They venture to London over Christmas holiday to see his caretaker Wendy (Maggie Smith). During this trip, Banning’s kids are kidnapped, and Wendy drops a bomb: She is the Wendy from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan series, and he is the title character. Captain Hook has kidnapped his children and demands a rematch. The second act of the film has Peter venturing to Never Land, where he must rediscover his youth, and relearn to fly, fight, and crow. The final act is, of course, the battle between Pan and Hook.