Catching Up On Cinema

By Trevor HartTV & Film

Catching Up On Cinema episodes

September 01, 2022 Catching Up On Blu-Ray: August 2022
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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Catching Up On Blu-Ray episode!
Join Trevor as he takes a look at the blu-ray and 4k releases for August 2022!
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1 hr 25 min
September 01, 2022 Catching Up On Cinema Presents: Tales From the Shelf - Birth Year Bonanza
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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly, “Tales From the Shelf” episode! In this installment, Trevor is once again joined by his good buddy Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast for a "Birth Year Bonanza"!
All the titles discussed this month are selections from the birth years of Brad (1993) and Trevor (1987).

Brad's Picks:
Ticks
Needful Things
Dazed and Confused
Demolition Man
True Romance

Trevor's Picks:
Miami Connection
Robocop
Lethal Weapon
Predator
The Untouchables

And make sure to stick around as the 2 wrap things up with a customary “Speed Round” (1:40:00) of runner up films that didn't quite make the cut.
Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram @catchinguponcinema
Follow us on Twitter @CatchingCinema
Like, share, subscribe, and we'll catch you next time!
1 hr 55 min
August 30, 2022 Samaritan (2022)
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This week on Catching Up On Cinema, Trevor reviews Julius Avery's, Samaritan (2022)!
Headlined by Sylvester Stallone, Samaritan (2022) is a quaint and generic, but largely well-directed and produced superhero flick.
One part Last Action Hero (1993), and one part Resurrecting the Champ (2007), the film is not devoid of interesting ideas, though it sadly opts to pivot away from deeply exploring any of them.
While Stallone may receive top billing, Javon "Wanna" Walton is very much the protagonist, making it highly likely the films' brisk pace and surface level exploration of themes are symptomatic of it being intended for a young teen audience.
Sincerely performed, with engaging cinematography and editing, the film is a highly competent production from a technical standpoint, but sadly lacks originality and that certain je ne sais quoi that is required for an indie superhero flick to resonate with audiences in a very crowded subgenre.
Not a terrible film by any measure, Samaritan's legacy will likely go onto be that of a keep busy project for an aging Stallone, and a "movies his dad made him do when he was a minor" film on the early filmography of young Javon Walton.
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1 hr 23 min
August 23, 2022 Memory (2022)
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This week on Catching Up On Cinema, Trevor reviews Martin Campbell's, Memory (2022)!
A remake of The Alzheimer Case (2003), which in turn was based on a novel by Belgian author Jef Geeraerts, Memory (2022) boasts a strong concept, but largely fails to reach beyond lower-mid tier of post-Taken era Liam Neeson actioners.
Well shot and acted, with winning performances from both Neeson and genre stalwarts, Guy Pearce and Ray Stevenson, Memory's biggest liability comes in the form of its stilted plotting, which in turn springs from the lack of screentime devoted to its most compelling elements.
Hardly an action film, Memory features just enough pyrotechnics and fisticuffs to keep most viewers from nodding off, though most of its thrills come in brief, albeit well shot and edited bursts that thankfully do well to conceal the stiffness of the performers.
Bogged down by a highly political and inflammatory core plot regarding human trafficking and child pornography, Memory is a dull conspiracy thriller that, in the opinion of this reviewer, would have been better served being presented as a simple, yet intimate character study.
Not an outright miss, but far from exemplary by the lofty standards of both the on and offscreen talent, Memory, sadly, is likely to be one of the least memorable of recent Neeson films.
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1 hr 11 min
August 16, 2022 Prey (2022)
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This week on Catching Up On Cinema, Kyle and Trevor review Dan Trachtenberg’s, Prey (2022)!
The latest film in the Predator franchise, Prey concerns a young Comanche woman doing battle with a Predator/yautja in the early 1700’s.
Wisely pivoting away from the overly complicated (and downright silly) concepts introduced in the prior entry in the series, The Predator (2018), Prey is refreshingly straightforward and back-to-basics, both in terms of its plotting and in terms of the complexity of weaponry utilized by the cast.
Ably headlined by Amber Midthunder as apriring Comanche hunter, Naru, Prey’s plot hews closer to Predators (2010) than Predator (1987) in that it prioritizes character examination and growth over pure suspense and action.
Aptly (and cleverly) titled, the relationship between our protagonist and the iconic Predator is fascinating to watch unfold, with many subtle revelations being effectively communicated to the viewer through visual plantings and payoffs rather than clunky exposition.
Though blunt in its use of metaphor and drawing of parallels between elements of American history, the sincerity of Prey’s production design and period detail result in an experience that is thankfully devoid of cringe or eye rolls.
With simple, but highly relatable characterization, gobs of terrifically violent and organically choreographed action, Prey succeeds where many a Predator sequel has failed, delivering on expected franchise elements, while adding some new and very welcome wrinkles to its rich tapestry of tropes.
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2 hr 23 min
August 09, 2022 Carter (2022)
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This week, Trevor embarks on a solo review of Jung Byung-gil's, Carter (2022)!
Currently a Netflix exclusive, Carter is a bombastic and over the top Korean action film that is shot and edited to feel like a single-continuous shot.
Packed from end to end with less than stellar green screen work, and disruptive, digitally assisted match cuts, the films core gimmick often times feels like its greatest liability.
Anarchic, both in terms of its utter disregard for traditional cinematic visual language, and in terms of its internal logic in regards to the physics of its action design, Carter is a bold experiment in action cinema that's novelty greatly outweighs its entertainment value.
Occasionally displaying flickers of brilliance in its action choreography and camera placement, the ragged, unpolished nature of Carter's editing and general visual clarity unfortunately result in a frustrating experience that finds the viewer constantly wanting to discard the one-shot concept in favor of a more traditional cinematic.
Overlong, relentlessly stupid, and yet somehow po-faced affair, Carter unfortunately only manages to succeed in delivering thrilling momentsamid all the noise and chaos across its multitude of action set pieces.
An action film that will find itself, in this reviewer's opinion; without a single blu-ray chapter devoid of some form of frustration or disappointment, Carter is a praise-worthy effort that's overall quality fails to match the enthusiasm and boldness of its production crew.
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1 hr 22 min
August 02, 2022 The Northman (2022)
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WARNING! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS FULL SPOILERS FOR THE NORTHMAN! (2022) WARNING!
This week, Kyle and Trevor review Robert Eggers', The Northman (2022)!
Eggers' third feature following the modestly budgeted The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), The Northman serves as the director's first foray into the realm of large budget/large scale filmmaking.
While the difference in production scale is immediately noticeable from frame one, The Northman nevertheless bears many of the core traits of Egger's oeuvre, most notably a perpetually grim and nihilistic atmosphere cast upon actors and set dressings that seem directly pulled from a bygone era rather than recruited from Central Casting.
Despite an action heavy marketing campaign, in actuality The Northman pulls double duty as both a bombastic and mythic tale of violent revenge, as well as a beautiful and detailed rendering of a place and time.
While quite successful in conveying these pillars of it's presentation, it's aesthetics and elemental, visceral thrills, The Northman's true depth comes from it slyly pulling triple duty in the form of quietly, and scornfully condemning the violence and sensibilities of the world it so lovingly recreates for it's viewers.
In contrast to a films such as Zack Snyder and Frank Miller's, 300 (2006), The Northman eschews veneration or glamorization of the culture and time it depicts, in favor of starkly and earnestly recreating the intricacies of said culture, and allowing its brutality and absurdity to be eked out by discerning viewers.
Adapted from the Nordic tale of Amleth, The Northman can be read straightforwardly as both a Conan the Barbarian (1982) esque revenge epic, complete with a “triumphant” ending (from a certain point of view), as well as a curious dissection of said tale, occasionally outright judging, but always questioning the sanctity of the beliefs and culture of it's denizens.
The Northman was, for this reviewer anyway, a puzzle that vexed more than delighted over the course of it's 137 minute run time, however after the fact, with time to ponder, and opportunity to discuss, one that proved to be quite satisfying in spite of it's insolvable nature.
Perhaps too busy or layered for it's own good, possessed of innumerable quirks and riddles in it's presentation that may never be fully explained, The Northman revels in the savagery and philosophies of a more brutal era, while never fully abandoning the perspective and sensibilities of it's 2022 lensing.
A challenging film that likely doesn't care how you feel about it, so long as you think about it, The Northman is, in spite of its poor audience ratings and even poorer box office returns, a fine offering from Robert Eggers, more than worthy of his growing filmography of “The” films.
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2 hr 12 min
July 31, 2022 Catching Up On Blu-Ray: July 2022
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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Catching Up On Blu-Ray episode!
Join Trevor and Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast as they take a look at the blu-ray releases for July 2022!
Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram @catchinguponcinema
Follow us on Twitter @CatchingCinema
Like, share, subscribe, and we'll catch you next time!
1 hr 59 min
July 31, 2022 Catching Up On Cinema Presents: Tales From the Shelf - The Ghastly Grab Bag
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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly, “Tales From the Shelf” episode!
In this installment, Trevor is once again joined by his good buddy Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast to brave the terror of "The Ghastly Grab Bag"!
And make sure to stick around as the 2 wrap things up with a customary “Speed Round” (2:04:15) of runner up films that didn't quite make the cut.
Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram @catchinguponcinema
Follow us on Twitter @CatchingCinema
Like, share, subscribe, and we'll catch you next time!
2 hr 1 min
July 26, 2022 Equilibrium (2002)
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This week, Trevor and Kyle review Kurt Wimmer's, Equilibrium (2002)!
A stylish actioner, Equilibrium is a fine dystopian sci-fi film that occasionally punches above it's budgetary weight class in terms of action design and presentation.
Perhaps written and pushed into production as a result of the success of The Wachowski's, The Matrix (1999), as well as drawing inspiration from classic genre fiction, like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World, the story of Equilibrium is set against the backdrop of Libria, a near future city that has opted to forcibly suppress the emotional capabilities of its populace.
Fascist and totalitarian, everything from the policies, to the wardrobe and architecture of Libria, are very intentionally evocative of Hitler's Nazi party.
Starring Christian Bale, and featuring strong supporting performances from capable actors such as Emily Watson, Sean Bean, and Taye Diggs, on paper one would expect Equilibrium to be an actor's film, however in actuality, the film's action design and aesthetics prove to be its most memorable elements.
Making use of a fictional martial art referred to as “Gun Kata,” the film features several brief, but dynamic and cleverly staged action sequences that manage to wow, in spite of the more technical aspects of their execution being formulated via clever editing rather than raw athleticism and performance.
With sincere performances, and an efficient, if not somewhat plodding script, Equilibrium is not essential viewing for fans of the genre or it's numerous stars, however it maintains minor cult status and remains highly capable scratching any potential itches one might have for the very specific flavor that is “early 2000's action.”
A fine and well considered genre film that would likely fail to live up to expectations if one has them going in, but may potentially surprise or impress viewers going in blind.
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1 hr 43 min

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A comedic film analysis podcast wherein friends introduce one another to their favorite movies, and Catch Up on their Cinema.

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Catching Up On Cinema

Catching Up On Cinema episodes

About Catching Up On Cinema