When you subtitle your film The Burden of Black Genius, it’s clear you’re going to venture into heavy territory. That’s something Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson hasn’t shrunk from since adding the job title of director to his extensive resume, and it serves him well again in Sly Lives!

To properly navigate the ins and outs of this complex look at a complex man, Dori and Kpolly call on the services of HYFIN’s Anthony Foster — a longtime fan of Sly & The Family Stone whose own family has passed that love from one generation to the next. The trio dig into Sly’s musical legacy, his struggles with fame and substance abuse, and what “black genius” even means.

The Captain America wing (heh) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has carved out a logical space over the course of its four movies. Sure, they have the whiz-bang action sequences and solid acting performances as the other MCU entries — most of them anyway — but they’re also palpably political thrillers. 

The same is true of the latest entry in Cap’s corner, Captain America: Brave New World, which marks the first film with Anthony Mackie’s Falcon chucking that shield hither and yon. But, without giving too much away, the new movie is kind of like the new Captain America: not as strong as the old one and thus somewhat drained of its impact.

Does that make CA:BNW not enjoyable? Far from it. If you’re generally pleased by Marvel’s output, you’ll likely be generally pleased by this one. Dori and Kpolly both count themselves in that camp, and in this episode they throw around such lofty praise as “very acceptable.” They also dig into the performances from a stellar cast that includes Mackie, Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito and a possibly CGI Liv Tyler.

You can hear all of their thoughts in this very acceptable episode by using the player at the top of the page or by finding Cinebuds wherever you do your podcast-listening.

Live from Milwaukee ...

Too easy? Sure. But appropriate considering the subject of this episode, in which we find out hosts diving into Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music.

While not a movie, per se, the documentary does have movie-ish qualities rolled up into its 3-hour runtime --- most prominently in the meticulous approach of its director, Questlove. The co-founder of The Roots has added to his already-good name by establishing himself as a top-notch documentarian, and in this project he uncovers behind-the-scenes stories behind the show's most iconic performance while highlighting its surprising influence on music history.

This year for Black History Month, Milwaukee Film tapped its new Black Lens programmer Ty Williams to curate selections that examine various aspects of the Black experience. We didn’t just want to share his picks (although we do that below), so we invited Williams to join this episode of Cinebuds to take us deeper into this month’s programming.

As is usually the case when we talk with creatively minded folks, the thought process Williams went through when coming up with his list is as interesting as the list itself. You’ll hear about his background, which includes graduating from the film department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; how he balances between choosing films he loves and one the public will enjoy; and the personal favorites that didn’t make the final cut but are well worth your time.

Check out the full lineup of Milwaukee Film’s Black History Month programming below (including ones that have already screened in case you want to track them down yourself) and grab tickets on the Milwaukee Film website.

With some movies, you don’t want to know what you’re in for. Processing the unexpected is part of the experience, whether it’s a great twist (The Usual Suspects). or a jaw-dropping comedic element (Something About Mary). Other films absolutely require some form of preparation. Nickel Boys is one of those.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys — as the synopsis states — “chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.” What the synopsis doesn’t say is how wrecked the movie will leave you.

As Dori and Kpolly make very clear in this episode, the devastation is worth it based on the care and creativity poured into this film by all involved.

One of the prominent talking points around recent Best Picture nominee The Brutalist is the level of commitment it asks of its audience. Tipping the scales at a hefty 214 minutes, the film is thoughtful enough to include an intermission as it tells a tale about the complexity of creation, collaboration and capitalism.

With more than three and a half hours of movie to talk about, our hosts have ample opportunity to share thoughts about the latest from director Brady Corbet — well, one of them does anyway. An unfortunate household appliance situation interrupted Kpolly’s attempt to see The Brutalist, leaving Dori as our lone Cinebud with opinions to offer.

Fortunately, this just so happens to be a “very special guest” episode featuring not one but TWO podcast debutants: Milwaukee Film’s Kelsey Parks and Kevin Rice!

We asked the organization’s technical manager and technology director to join us because this film is a bit of a technological marvel because of its … film. With an assist from IMDb, here’s a quick explainer:

The film was shot entirely in VistaVision, a widescreen format that runs 35mm film horizontally through the camera to create eight perforation film frames, twice the size and resolution of standard four perforation 35mm. The film was then released in theaters with 70mm film prints. … This is the first American film in 61 years to be entirely shot in the format, the last being My Six Loves (1963). Director Brady Corbet explained: "It just seemed like the best way to access that period (1950s) was to shoot on something that was engineered in that same decade."

It’s one thing to read about the unique filming approach and another to actually show it to audiences. Kelsey and Kevin have the insiders’ perspectives on what it took to get The Brutalist on the big screen at the Oriental Theatre, which is one of a shrinking number of venues across the country equipped to project 70mm film.

Then there’s the workout the Oriental Theatre’s projectionists get with every screening. Each reel weighs roughly 40 pounds, and they need to be changed every 40 minutes without audiences noticing the transitions. It’s a really interesting look behind the curtain (or into the projection booth) that we’re proud to provide in this episode.

There are some things that are never a good idea. Eating Tide pods, for instance. Then there are things that deserve selective engagement — facing your fears, if you will.

In the movie-watching realm, the horror genre falls into this general area because it’s frequently cited as the segment certain people simply will not venture into. Occasionally, however, a film comes along that at the very least merits consideration for taking that spooky road into the woods rather than staying on Rom-Com Boulevard.

This episode of Cinebuds takes just such a detour as our hosts discuss the new Robert Eggers film, Nosferatu. Dori and Kpolly are particularly suited for this exercise, with both falling into the “not a big horror fan” camp and thus taking tentative steps into the genre from time to time.

Spoiler alert (for the podcast, not the movie): Nosferatu is worth it.

Will you need to be OK watching scenes involving thousands of rats? Yes. Does one of the main characters appear to be the physical embodiment of standing in the middle of a garbage dump in the middle of a fetid swamp and taking a big deep breath through your nose only? Sure. But, as Kpolly so eloquently states in the episode, if a film makes you feel strongly one way or the other, it’s time well spent.

When filmmaker Wendy Schneider started going to Aztalan Cycle Club in Lake Mills as a curious fan 20 years ago, there was a lot she didn’t know.

She didn’t know she’d be moved by the young girls racing motorcycles on the quarter-mile dirt oval. That she would form a strong connection to one particular racer, Charlotte Kainz, and her family. That a car accident would derail the project and a tragic racing accident would bring Schneider back to it.

It’s a story that deserves to be heard and seen, which is why we invited Schneider to join this episode and talk about the finished product, as well as the difficult road it traveled, in advance of the Angels of Dirt special screening happening at Times Cinema on Jan. 18.

A familiar face from the Cinebuds crew returns to join Dori Zori and Kristopher Pollard for a lively chat about their favorite films of 2024! Who could it be? Tune in to this episode to uncover the mystery guest and their top movie picks

Adapting a beloved Brodway musical is a road fraught with danger. Just ask Dear Evan Hansen. From box-office receipts alone (more than a half-billion dollars worldwide as of this writing), we know Wicked managed to avoid any sleep-inducing poppies and flying monkeys waiting for it on the path to success. But movie executives and movie audiences have very different definitions of “good,” and we only care about the second one.

Dori and Kpolly went into Wicked with fond memories of the classic Judy Garland film, and yet carried a healthy amount of excitement into the theater rather than skepticism. For the most part, that faith was rewarded by a film that managed to balance its two assignments: entertain the audience and set the table for part two.

You’ll hear all the details about their theater-going adventures (one involved an intrusive singalong, one did not) and their in-depth feelings about Wicked in the full episode.