Cinemavino

Episodes

241
Oct. 17, 2024

Was Salem's Lot Worth the Wait? | Movie Review

Hey! It's a day late, but never a dollar short... Our Halloween Series continues with a new release--the latest remake of Salem's Lot, based on the classic novel by Stephen King. Filmed in 2021, this movie has languished in post-production hell for three years. In fact, Warner Bros. considered writing this version off and never releasing it. They did the same for Batgirl a couple years ago, a $90m loss for the studio. Why did Warner Bros. hold on to this movie for so long? Is it that bad? We h...
240
Oct. 9, 2024

Final Destination is a Goofy Horror Classic | Movie Review

Our Halloween Series continues with a early 2000s classic--Final Destination! This flick did surprising box office and inspired a series of sequels, with uneven results. We have very different opinions of this movie. Is it still scary? How do the performances and script hold up? Find out the answers and more on this week's Cinemavino! To pair, we sample a delicious bourbon from Kentucky! #2000s #horror #FinalDestination #halloween #bourbon
239
Oct. 2, 2024

The Faculty is a 90s Cult Classic | Movie Review

Welcome to our Halloween Series! This month, each host will pick an essential Halloween flick for us to screen, and we'll start with a 90s classic: The Faculty! This teen scream epic stars a who's who of future talent (plus a goateed Jon Stewart). Plus, it's written by Kevin Williamson (Scream) and directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), so its 90s resume couldn't be stronger. Will its scares still jolt you? Do all the pop culture riffs still land? We'll talk about how this movie ho...
238
Sept. 26, 2024

The American President is a Charming Comedy | Movie Review

Our Presidential Series wraps up with The American President, a fluffy, charming rom-com from Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men)! It has an all-star cast, led by Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. The plot can be summed up in a simple logline: Can the President of the United States fall in love and build a relationship? This is a fun, snappy movie, and it was a hit in its time. But how does it hold up? Has the ugliness of modern politics ruined our view of the subject...
237
Sept. 18, 2024

Lincoln is a Film for the Ages | Movie Review

In this series, we've seen fictional and non-fictional presidents. None of them can match the nobility, brilliance, and complexity of our greatest president. With Lincoln, Steven Spielberg doesn't offer a comprehensive look at the great man--that would be impossible within the space of one movie. Instead, he shows us the final months of Lincoln's life, in which the president must grapple with Reconstruction and passage of the 13th Amendment. Daniel Day-Lewis, in an Oscar-winning performance, lea...
236
Sept. 11, 2024

Air Force One is a Corny Action Classic | Movie Review

Welcome! Our Presidential series continues with a 90s action classic--Harrison Ford's Air Force One. It's the only action flick in our series, and we have a fun discussion. How does it hold up? How has 9/11 changed our opinion of its content? How does Harrison Ford's President James Marshall stack up to the other presidents in our series? Find out the answers and more on this episode! To pair, we enjoy an iconic Oregon Pinot Noir. #AirForceOne #HarrisonFord #90s #actionmovies
235
Sept. 4, 2024

All the President's Men is the Greatest Political Thriller Ever | Movie Review

For this week's presidential film, we look at one of the great films of the 1970s: All the President's Men. This is an intelligent, authentic, and--sadly--still relevant film that details the investigative journalism that brought down the Nixon White House. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman headline as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, respectively. They embark on a story that will take them all the way from a minor burglary at the Watergate Hotel, all the way to the Ova...
234
Aug. 28, 2024

Frost/Nixon Remains Totally Relevant | Movie Review

Our Presidential Series continues with the sly, tense Frost/Nixon! Based on Peter Morgan's award-winning play, Ron Howard's film examines the real story of David Frost's landmark interview series with disgraced President Richard Nixon. Both men enter this story with something to prove: Frost seeks improve his reputation as a carousing, boozy entertainer, while Nixon wants to repair his legacy and come out looking more presidential. How much of this movie resembles reality? What was its lasting ...
233
Aug. 22, 2024

JFK is an Enduring Masterpiece | A Review

Our Presidential Series kicks off with an Oscar-wining masterpiece, Oliver Stone’s JFK! This film is unique in the series, in that it doesn’t focus on the actual president, but the mystery and confusion surrounding his murder. The Kennedy assassination is the greatest whodunit in American history, and Stone approaches it like a true crime thriller. Kevin Costner plays New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, whose obsession with the killing led to the only criminal trial in the case. Around h...
232
Aug. 14, 2024

Looking Back at Rambo III | A Review

Welcome! We're taking a break this week, getting ready for our big presidential series. That's 7 movies that run the gamut--from comedies to action to intense drama. It's going to be loads of fun. In the meantime, let's check out a quick look back at our legendary Summer of Chaos. In this episode, we had a lively discussion of Rambo III. It's a dippy, overblown, guilty pleasure action epic. Enjoy!
231
Aug. 7, 2024

Why The Game is an Underrated 90s Classic | A Review

Welcome! This week, we conclude our Odds and Ends Series, looking at flicks we've wanted to cover, but haven't found the space. Taylor chose The Game, David Fincher's thriller from 1997. It stars Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, and features the sort of mind-screw theme that was popular during this era. (See also: The Matrix and Dark City) Still, The Game doesn't get the same love as Fincher's other works, such as Se7en and The Social Network. How does it hold up? Is it really the worst movie fro...
229
July 31, 2024

Twister is a 90s Popcorn Classic | A Review

Hey! This week, we close out our series looking at classics we've always wanted to cover, and this one's a classic: Twister, from 1996. It's an awesome, cheesy, epic disaster flick, and it's still a lot of fun. We've got a top cast (including the late, great Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman), ground-breaking CGI (which looks a little quaint now, but...), and lots of corny dialogue. Get your popcorn ready! Did you know this movie was loaded with backstage drama? Find out all the juicy gos...
228
July 24, 2024

Baby Driver is a New Classic | A Review

Welcome! This week, we continue our series looking at movies we've never gotten around to seeing. Each host picks a new movie each week. For this installment, it's Sean's pick--Edgar Wright's rom-com chase flick, Baby Driver! This movie has familiar elements, but presents them in a refreshing way. It's exciting, goofy, and totally fun. We have a lot of fun discussing it, and you don't want to miss out! #BabyDriver #CarChases #actionmovie #JamieFoxx #EdgarWright
227
July 17, 2024

Stop Making Sense is the Greatest Concert Movie Ever | A Review

Welcome! This week, we kick off a series of movies we've each wanted to cover, but never have. My pick is Stop Making Sense, Jonathan Demme's beautiful, epic documentary of Talking Heads. It's a visionary movie, and has influential countless others since its release. Obviously, I was very excited for this one, but what did everyone else think? Some of us had never seen it, and you won't want to miss their opinions. To pair with these movies, I'll pick some wines we've never tried, from places ...
226
July 10, 2024

Why The Natural is a Polarizing Baseball Movie | A Review

We couldn't do a Summer Series without a baseball movie, could we? For this episode, we wrap things up with an 80s classic, The Natural. Barry Levinson's epic baseball fantasy is overlong and overblown, but it's also well-cast, beautifully shot, and loaded with iconic scenes. Predictably, our opinions of this film run the gamut. Some of us view it through the glowy haze of nostalgia, while one of us is watching for the first time. Tune in and see where we land on the scale! Our upcoming series...
225
July 3, 2024

Why Independence Day is the Ultimate Junk Food Movie | A Review

Our Summer Series kicks into high gear with one of the biggest hits of the 90s: Independence Day! From a drunken Randy Quaid to a feisty Bill Pullman, from a young Will Smith to a mumbling Jeff Goldblum...this one has it all! Did you know this was one of the most legendary marketing campaigns in cinema history? Or that the idea for the story came from a random question asked by a reporter? Tune in, and find out tons more trivia! To pair, we enjoy a few refreshing Aperol Spritzers. This has bee...
224
June 26, 2024

Stand by Me is Ultimate Coming of Age Movie

Our Summer Series continues with an all-time 80s classic, Stand by Me! Rob Reiner directs, from a novella by Stephen King. An cast of future stars appears, including Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and even cameos from babyfaced Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack. On a side note: We experienced some technical difficulties--my mic wasn't working properly. As a result, I had to piece this episode together as much as I could. Still, there's some content here, and you can...
223
June 19, 2024

The Way Way Back is an Underrated Classic | A Review

Our Summer Series continues with a refreshing indie dramedy, The Way Way Back! This flick has a top-notch cast (Oscar-winners and nominees are everywhere), moments of real cleverness, and a good message underneath it all. One of the most fun things about this podcast is introducing our audience to movies they may have missed, and this one certainly fits that bill. Young actor Liam James stars with Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, and a scene-stealing Sam Rockwell. Find out how this...
222
June 12, 2024

Dazed and Confused is the Greatest High School Movie Ever | A Review

We're back! Our Summer Series kicks off with an all-time 90s classic: Dazed and Confused. Richard Linklater's second film takes place over the last day (and night) of the school year, circa 1976. It's a funny, freewheeling comedy that somehow manages to be a time capsule and timeless, all at once. Plus, you get to see a ton of babyfaced actors (Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, and many others), before they became famous. Plus, with a cult classic like this, you kn...
221
June 6, 2024

Why Bill and Ted is Peak Keanu | A Review

We'll be on a break for one more week, while my family moves into a new house! In the meantime, enjoy this look back at one of our favorite movies, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure!
220
May 29, 2024

Another Round is a Great Movie You May Have Missed | A Review

Over the next two weeks, my family will be moving into a new house. In the meantime, enjoy these flashbacks to earlier episodes you may have missed. This week, we'll go back to 2021, and take a look at Another Round. It's an Oscar-nominated flick, starring Mads Mikkelsen. The story features a group of middle-aged friends who embark on a social drinking experiment. This makes it particularly relevant to our podcast, and we go on a deep dive on its content.
219
May 22, 2024

Dr. Stangelove is a Comedy for the Ages | A Review

Our Back in Time series concludes with one of the most important comedies ever made: Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. This bold, brilliant satire sends up the Cold War with a bravery that's rare in movie history. It's quite the achievement that Kubrick and his collaborators find real humor in the threat of nuclear war. Every film in this series (we've gone back ten years with each installment) has faced a greater difficulty: The older a film is, the more challenging it is to stand the test of...
318
May 15, 2024

Why Blazing Saddles is Still Completely Relevant | A Review

For this episode, we take a look at one of the raunchiest and non-PC comedies ever made: Mel Brooks' magnum opus, Blazing Saddles. As with all the movies in our Back in Time series, we tackle the most important question: Is it still funny? With this film, we also have to ask: Could Blazing Saddles ever get made today? Well, of course, the answer is no. We'll not only talk about why, but also why the non-PC aspects of this movie keep it relevant in today's socio-political climate. Blazing Saddle...
317
May 8, 2024

Ghostbusters is the Most Quotable Movie Ever Made | A Review

For this episode, we cover one of the iconic movies of the 80s, and a defining piece of my own childhood: Ghostbusters. We'll geek out over this sci-fi comedy classic, and share a few pieces of trivia you may have missed. If you're a fan of the franchise, this is one you won't want to miss! As with every installment in this series, everybody will have their favorite scene Ghostbusters. Ask five different people and you might get five different answers. And they're all right. Find out which ones...