Vamp-tober continues as we zoom forward in time to the 80s! The 80s were a great decade for vampire films, and we’ll be talking about two beloved cult classics from the time: The Hunger and The Lost Boys.

The Hunger is slower, more stylish movie starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon — plus, it’s the directorial debut from Tony Scott! The Lost Boys is a Joel Schumacher spectacle, in a teen movie + vampire mashup. Which approach will our hosts prefer?

Plus, we open the show discussing the movies we got to see at Beyond Fest 2024!

What’s your favorite vampire movie? Let us know at [email protected]

Welcome to Vamp-tober! For this year’s October theme, Cinema on Tap will be taking a deep dive into vampire movies. To start, we’re going way back to the beginning, and discussing the OVs: 1922’s Nosferatu and 1931’s Dracula.

Both of these films are adaptations of Bram Stoker’s genre-defining novel and hugely important in film history. F.W. Murnau’s silent film has lived on as one of the most influential  films of the silent era, while Tod Browning’s film kickstarted the Universal Monsters series and made an enduring impact on popular culture.

Is Max Schreck or Bela Lugosi the better vampire? Which is the superior film? Will Producer Lalo survive watching his first silent film? All these questions and more will be answered on the show!

Plus, get our quick review of The Substance and Scott’s thoughts on Megalopolis!

What’s your favorite vampire movie? Let us know at [email protected]

We’ve got a supersized episode to wrap up September as we talk about 12 individual movies! This got a lot bigger than expected…needless to say, antics ensue.

We start by a getting a fresh-out-the-theatre review from Christian about Jason Reitman’s new film Saturday Night. After that, he shares his thoughts on two other new releases, Transformers One and A Different Man. Then, Scott updates us with the 4 new-ish release films he caught up with on flights over the weekend.

Once the new release roundup is complete, we debut a new format in the show, Booze You’ve Never Heard Of! We talk about one of the Coen brothers lesser seen films from the early 21st century, and round it out with early films from the Wachowskis, Radio Silence, Safdie brothers, and Duplass brothers.

Did we pique your interest in any of these movies? Let us know at [email protected].

Stay tuned to hear our horror theme for October!

This week, our Coen brothers marathon continues as we welcome new friend of the show Max Dominguez to discuss Inside Llewyn Davis. While not the Coen brothers’ biggest financial success nor a Best Picture winner, Inside Llewyn Davis has lived on as one of the most critically praised films of the 2010s.

Both hosts and guest are returning to this film. Scott and Max are big fans, but is Christian due for a hot take? Listen along to find out.

What’s your favorite Coen bros. movie? Let us know at [email protected]

Our Coen brothers month continues as we discuss what many consider to be their best film: No Country for Old Men. Outside of winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, No Country was also a huge financial success, and has lived on as a tense, gripping thriller with deep themes.

We’re bringing back friends of the show Hayd and Sarcastic Sounds (aka Jeremy) to discuss this classic. Earlier this year, we discussed Hayd’s favorite film of all time, Good Will Hunting (Note: He has a new favorite film as of this recording). This time, it’s Jeremy’s favorite. Hopefully he stay strong in his feelings.

Does No Country deserve its all-timer status? Stay tuned to hear our thoughts.

What’s your favorite Coen Brothers movie? Let us know at [email protected]

It’s the start of a new month here on Cinema on Tap, and we’re spending it with another famous director…well, a famous pair of directors. The Coen Brothers!

Joel & Ethan Coen are some of the most acclaimed filmmakers of recent memory, and we’ll be taking a look at some of their 21st century output. We’re starting with their most financially successful film: True Grit.

The western starred Jeff Bridges and introduced us to Hailee Steinfeld as they formed an unlucky duo tracking down a murderer in the Old West. What will our hosts think?

What’s your favorite Coen Brothers movie? Let us know at [email protected]

We finally escape the cinematic island we’ve been stranded on this month with our final review of August. We’re heading to the theaters to discuss Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice.

The new release follows Frida, a woman who is invited to a getaway on a billionaire’s private island. After a while, she realizes she is struggling to remember the events of the trip. Fearing something sinister, she sets out to figure out what happened to her memories and what is happening on the island.

After we review Blink Twice, we have our Island Movie Grab Bag. We share a few other island movies that are streaming, most of which we recommend…a few of which we definitely don’t. 

Stay until the end of the episode to hear Christian’s plan for September! 

Did you see Blink Twice? What did you think? Send us your thoughts at [email protected]

Stranded on an island month finally leaves the year 2000, jumping 10 years ahead to one of the biggest films of Martin Scorsese’s career: Shutter Island.

The 4th DiCaprio-Scorsese team up follows Teddy Daniels, a federal marshal dispatched to search for a missing patient at Ashcliffe, a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane off the coast of Massachusetts on the titular island. Strange things start happening, and Daniels has to figure out what’s real, what’s not, and whether he will be able to leave the island alive.

For the first time this month, our hosts are both re-watching a film instead of seeing something for the first time. One of them liked it more the second time around, one of them less—stay tuned to see who’s who.

Plus, our thoughts on Alien: Romulus!

What’s your favorite Scorsese-DiCaprio collaboration? Let us know at [email protected]

Stranded on an Island month continues. This week, we’re taking a look at the influential cult classic Battle Royale.

A predecessor to The Hunger Games, Battle Royale is set in a dystopian Japan and follows a group of teenagers trapped on an island and forced to fight to the death until only one remains.

Controversial upon release, Battle Royale wasn’t even widely available to watch in the US until a direct to video release 10 years after its Japanese debut. Nevertheless, the film has remained popular, especially as it continues to reach a wider audience. Stay tuned to find out our takes!

Do you agree or disagree with our takes? Let us know at [email protected]

SOS! This month, Cinema on Tap is talking about movies with characters  trapped, stranded, or worse on deserted islands. we’re kicking things off with a big blindspot for both Christian and Scott: Cast Away.

It’s our second Robert Zemeckis movie of the year, and our first Tom Hanks movie in a while. Cast Away follows Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems analyst involved in a plane crash which leaves him stranded on an island in the Pacific. With only Wilson the volleyball to keep him company, Chuck must fight to survive and figure out a way off the island. 

Hanks was nominated for an Oscar for the role, but our hosts will see if he can carry the movie with no co-stars.

Do you have thoughts on Cast Away? Let us know at [email protected]