Catching Up On Cinema

In this, the final installment of Catching Up On Cinema's "Kyle's Brutal Christmas" event month, Trevor and Kyle are joined by the latter's brother Nick in reviewing the gold standard of 80's action cinema, Die Hard (1988)!

Directed by John McTiernan, the film is one of the most popular and well known action films in the history of the genre, such that it has received a whole host of sequels and loosely affiliated videogame adaptations, inspired countless imitators, and indeed served as the progenitor of the "Die Hard In A..." subgenre.

Popular among Millenials as a sub-ironic choice for "Favorite Christmas Movie," Die Hard is a essentially a modern cultural institution, one that is perhaps rapidly approaching A Christmas Story levels of super saturation in the public consciousness.

Regardless of HOW one appreciates Die Hard, at the end of the day the film is a sleek and deftly constructed thriller of the highest caliber, with no expense spared in any single area of it's production, be it writing, lensing, or structure and editing.

Christmas movie or not, (it is) long after our generation inevitably over commercializes, overanalyzes and intellectualizes it into oblivion and out the public consciousness, Die Hard will endure.

Die Hard is undeniable, and deserving of even more praise than I'm capable of expressing.

*It's not Fritz, it's Heinrich!*

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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Catching Up On Blu-Ray episode!

This time around, Trevor is once again joined by his good friend Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast in reviewing the month's physical media releases.

Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.

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*WARNING!* THIS EPISODE INCLUDES FULL SPOILERS FOR THE FILM! *WARNING!*

In this episode of Catching Up On Cinema's "Kyle's Brutal Christmas" event month, Kyle and Trevor review Jim Cumming's thoroughly enjoyable sophomore feature film, The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)!

Written, directed by, and starring Jim Cummings, the film is a pitch black comedy centered around a high strung sheriff's deputy grappling with the realities of adulting, and a series of gruesome serial murders in the town of Snow Hollow.

Featuring stellar performances from the top to bottom, including a warm and often hilarious turn by the late, great Robert Forster, the film serves to showcase the talents of all those involved, journeyman and newcomer alike.

Possessed of a unique and often disarming tone, the film is often uproariously hilarious, while at once grim and almost painfully genuine at times.

A strong recommend to anyone interested, or furthermore, anyone seeking to add a new writer/director to their watchlist.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Tales From the Shelf episode!

In this installment, "Fave Filmmakers," Trevor and his good buddy Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast spotlight a director that they have a particular affinity for.

This time around, Trevor selected veteran Hong Kong filmmaker, Dante Lam.

Starting out as a director of both lowbrow screwball comedies, and hardboiled cop films, Lam has in recent years ascended to the top of the Chinese film industry, crafting huge budget patriotic action films squarely targeted at mainland Chinese audiences.

Not to be outdone, Brad selected the imitable David Lynch as his fave filmmaker for this month.

A personal favorite of Brad's, and indeed of many film fans the world over, Lynch has long been heralded as one of the most unique and talented voices in a modern American film.

Possessed of a style so simultaneously nebulous and distinct as to be best defined as simply "Lynchian" in nature, David Lynch is a fave filmmaker that has long been deserving of an episode on Catching Up On Cinema.

Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.

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In this week's installment of Catching Up On Cinema's Kyle's Brutal Christmas event month, we hop across the Atlantic to review Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's French horror thriller, Inside (2007)!

Starring Beatrice Dalle and Alysson Paradis, the film is one of the most critically acclaimed of the "new wave" of gory French horror flicks from the late 2000's.

A particularly brutal home invasion thriller featuring an isolated and very pregnant protagonist on the verge of going into labor, the film is infamous for it's gruesome, gory imagery, and unflinching attitude in regards to generally accepted taboos of the genre.

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In this week's installment of Catching Up On Cinema's "Kyle's Brutal Christmas" event month, Kyle and Trevor review Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974)!

An early entry in the slasher subgenre of horror films, the movie is certainly profane at times, but is otherwise fairly quaint and subdued in terms explicit content when compared to later examples of the genre.

Starring the likes of Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder and John Saxon, the film is an exceptional production from top to bottom, with great attention to detail in the construction of the script, as well as the lighting and sound design.

Criminally underappreciated, Black Christmas is a proto-slasher that all fans of the genre owe it to themselves to catch up on.

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This month is Kyle's BRUTAL Christmas at Catching Up On Cinema!

All month long, Kyle is going to be in charge of the movie selections, and from the sound of the title for this month's theme, I have a feeling we're in for a bloody good time.

First up this December is our review of Martin McDonagh's In Bruges (2008)!

Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Irish hitmen hiding out in the Belgian city of Bruges, the film is a beautifully written and acted romp that is somehow both brilliantly comedic, and darkly depressing.

A first viewing for Trevor, and a welcome rewatch for Kyle, the film comes highly recommended to anyone that can appreciate pitch black comedy and a bit of gore.

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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Catching Up On Blu-Ray episode!

This time around, Trevor is once again joined by his good friend Brad from the Cinema Speak podcast in reviewing the month's physical media releases.

Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.

Find us online at catchinguponcinema.com

Follow us on Instagram @catchinguponcinema

Follow us on Twitter @CatchingCinema

Like, share, subscribe, and we'll catch you next time!

In the final installment of Catching Up On Cinema's No Theme November event month, Trevor subjects he and Kyle to Stephen Norrington's writing and directorial debut, Death Machine (1994)!

A low budget, but largely competent sci-fi horror flick from the man that later helm Wesley Snipes' Blade (1998), the film serves as an enjoyable slice of cyberpunk nostalgia.

Packed to the gills with veteran character actors and explicit references/homages to titans of the genre, chief among which being Aliens and Terminator, Death Machine wears it's influences on it's sleeves with childlike glee and exuberance.

Hardly a brilliant directorial debut, but an enjoyable one for those that share the director's love for the many (better) films that would serve to inspire him.

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It's once again time for Catching Up On Cinema's monthly Tales From the Shelf episode!

This month, Trevor is joined by Brad of the Cinema Speak podcast, this time to review some films from their collections featuring some "Stupendous Scores"!

Movies and composers highlighted in this discussion:

A Cure For Wellness (2013) - Benjamin Walfisch

Signs (2002) - James Newton Howard

Glory (1989) and Aliens (1986) - James Horner

In Bruges (2008) - Carter Burwell

Departures/Okuribito (2008) - Joe Hisaishi

The Master (2012) - Johnny Greenwood

Conan the Barbarian (1982) - Basil Poledouris

The Social Network (2010) - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Tenebrae (1982) - Goblin

Thief - (1981) Tangerine Dream

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) - Shigeaki Saegusa

And the complete works of Kenji Kawai!

Check out Brad's podcast, Cinema Speak on Libsyn at Cinema Speak, or on Twitter and Instagram.

Find us online at catchinguponcinema.com

Follow us on Instagram @catchinguponcinema

Follow us on Twitter @CatchingCinema

Like, share, subscribe, and we'll catch you next time!