Episodes

In this episode, we cover one of the iconic films of the 90s, and of cinema at large: Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Pulp Fiction. This is episode two of our Back in Time Series, and it's crazy to think this enduring classic came out thirty years ago--almost to the day of this episode's release! Join us we take a deep dive with this all-time classic. How well does it hold up? Could it even be made today? Ask five different people to name their favorite scene from this movie, and you could ge...

Our Back in Time Series begins twenty years ago with a cult classic, Napoleon Dynamite! I know 2004 seems like yesterday to most of us, but several Olympics, presidents, and a pandemic have passed since then. As such, we can now rewatch flicks like this with brand new eyes. As such, we have strong opinions. Travis and I were around college age when this movie came out, while Sean was in grade school. So, nostalgia definitely factors into our analysis. You won't want to miss how we grade Napoleo...

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 ...

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 mo...

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! Christian and Devin Review the first two episodes of X-MEN 97. A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they're challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future. Now stre...

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 th...

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 tro...

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 maste...

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!

Hey everybody! Hopefully you've had a good holiday season, and have enjoyed our Christmas content! My wife and I are six weeks into having twin newborns, and we're slowly settling into a new normal. As such, I'm going to gradually build to introducing new content for Cinemavino! Here is a quick update on everything you can expect in the new few months. Also, I'll detail where you can follow us, and how you can help choose what movies we'll discuss. Check it out!

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 ...

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, ...

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 a...

As my paternity leave begins, enjoy this special look back at a Christmas movie you'd never expect--Lethal Weapon! Stay tuned, as we've pre-recorded a TON of new content, and it starts next week!

Our Twins Series wraps up with Double Impact. The story extremely simple: JCVD plays Alex and Chad Winter. Alex was raised in a Hong Kong orphanage. Giga-Chad was raised in a French dojo. They both speak with strong Belgian accents. Chad was cared for by Frank (Geoffrey Lewis), who he thought was his uncle. One day, Uncle Frank drops the bomb: He’s not really his uncle, and they must go to Hong Kong for, you know, business thing. Frank DOESN’T EXPLAIN ANYTHING TO CHAD, until he gets mistakenly ...