CinemaJaw

Guest: John Laflamboy of Hell’s Gate

Gird your loins, and abandon all hope ye who enter here. It’s time once again for our annual trip to the best haunted attraction in the Mid-West… Hell’s Gate Haunted House. Every year the ghouls who run the haunt have kindly invited us to sacrifice ourselves to feed the growing darkness that spreads like evil-flavored jelly on the toast of our souls. It’s become a tradition that we look forward to and every year it gets better and better.

In the secret bunker at Hells Gate, we sit down with the mind behind the madness, John Laflamboy, and discuss the haunt, how horror movies and other film has influenced him, his own movie projects, and the secret workings of a haunted attraction. You should all visit the Hell’s Gate website if you’re looking for a nice place to get scared out of your wits!

In addition to those scares, we have a fresh review of a new comedy-horror/time travel streamer, Totally Killer, and a round of trivia based on 1987-era horror movies.

It’s a jam-packed ‘Jaw as always. Listen… if you dare!

Guest: Clare Cooney

This week on CinemaJaw we celebrate creativity (when don’t we really?) as we interview a guest whose career we have loved to watch grow!

Clare Cooney is an actor and filmmaker on the rise!

We got to hang out with Clare when her first short film Runner was making the rounds. Now her feature directorial debut, Departing Seniors is not only making the rounds but getting accepted into prestigious film festivals including the Chicago International Film Festival. We talk to Clare about film, filmmaking, what it’s like to get these things made, and what she is working on next.

In addition, Clare joins us to review both The Creator and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Not to mention a return to the BEST/WORST segment where we give our best and worst in each category. This time our categories are Wes Anderson Actors, Martin Scorsese Films, and Sabotage Movies.

It’s a Jam-Packed ‘Jaw as always!

Sabotage Movies

Matt: Best Rogue One/ Worst Lost in Space

Ry: Best Dune / Worst The Ice Road

Clare: Best Whiplash / Worst Miss Congeniality

Martin Scorsese Films

Matt: Best (it’s Goodfellas, but) Taxi Driver / Worst Aviator

Ry: Best Goodfellas / Worst Silence

Clare: Best The Departed / Worst The Color of Money

Actors in Wes Anderson’s films

Matt: Best Willem Dafoe / Worst: Adrian Brody

Ry: Best Jason Schwartzman / Worst Frances McDormand

Clare: Best Edward Norton / Worst Owen Wilson

https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/departing-seniors/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/messy-misfits-club-edition-five-launch-party-tickets-723336217097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Reviewed: A Haunting in Venice

Fight the system! Than make movies about it!

This week on CinemaJaw we concentrate on movies about Fighting the system. First with our Guest Dan Stewart.

Dan, a filmmaker whose first feature Local Band, is currently making the festival circuit and picking up some buzz! The film portrays a band’s trials, tribulations, successes, and failures trying to make something happen in the Chicago DIY Punk Scene. the cast is a veritable who’s who of the aforementioned scene featuring several musical performances by actual Chicago rock acts. Fighting the system of what we are supposed to do as we enter our 30s is a key theme to the film so fits in perfectly, and Dan’s career will certainly be one to keep an eye on!

In addition, we bring you our review of another “fighting the System” movie, Dumb Money which tells the tale of the GameStop short squeeze class warfare between the Wall Street haves and have-nots. It stars Paul Dano, Seth Rogan and a great supporting cast. Have a listen to get our opinion.

Not too mention our Top 5 Fighting the System Movies lists!

Its a jam-packed ‘Jaw as always!!!

Matt:

Dan Stewart:

Ry The Movie Guy:

A special reminder to JawHeads: Check out Pfil’s Pancakes and Booze art show! 

Reviewed: A Haunting in Venice

Freshly home from our trip to our Neighbors to the North, we return from Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with a recap for the JawHeads! Films we saw, people we met, and cocktails parties we snuck into. TIFF is always a blast and TIFF 2023 was certainly no exception.

But wait… There’s more!

It’s that time of year, we are also bringing you this week our Fall Movie Preview. Matt K. and Ry The Movie Guy each pick the 5 films they are most excited to watch with a pumpkin spice latte.

In addition to all of that, we have a spooky review for you! Kenneth Branagh takes another swing at Agatha Christie, this time with a supernatural twist, A Haunting In Venice gets the CinemaJaw treatment!

So tune in!

Matt:

Ry:

Reviewed: The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future

This week on CinemaJaw we get weird… well, when DON’T we really?

First, we welcome back one of our favorite guests, genre-loving director Jennifer Reeder! Jennifer is a Chicago-based artist, filmmaker, screenwriter, and teacher. Her latest feature film Perpetrator is now streaming on Shudder, and we highly recommend it! We discuss Perpetrator, filmmaking, genre, and myriad other topics with Jennifer.

In addition, as promised, we have reviewed an international film, The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future. Plus Jennifer, Matt K., and Ry The Movie Guy delve into their Top 5 Unconventional Coming of Age Movies (in honor of Perpetrator).

It’s practically bursting at the seams! Cram it in your ears!

Matt:

Jennifer Reeder:

Ry:

Reviewed: You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah

On this episode in honor of our review of the latest Sandler/Netflix collab staring the Sandman’s very own daughters, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, we take a look at famous offspring… Not the band… actual children of the famous who have become famous in their own right!

As always we finish up the episode with a little trivia. Listen in!

Matt:

Ry:

Reviewed: Grand Turismo, Blue Beetle, Strays

Ladies and Gentlemen… Start your engines! This week on Cinemajaw, in honor of our review of Grand Turismo, we are rocking toward the finish line of our Top 5 Racing Movies!

Another week from Fan Expo Chicago has us out and about, and even recording some bonus reviews of Blue Beetle and Strays.

It’s a jam-packed ‘Jaw as always!

Matt:

Ry the Movie Guy:

Reviewed: Heart of Stone

This week on CinemaJaw, we dip into our arsenal and pull out a weapon you’d never expect… a live remote from Chicago Fan Expo!

We’re also reviewing the latest film of Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, entitled Heart of Stone. All of that got us thinking: what are the Top 5 Secret Weapon movies, a list was made.

Speaking of Wonder Woman, James Gunn is now at the helm of the DC films. Should he connect those films into one cannon, or let them each stand-alone? We go to CinemaWAR to find out.

Have a listen!

Matt:

Ry:

Reviewed: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem

Sometimes, all you need to tell a good story is a couple of locations and two characters. Such is the case with a film currently making the festival circuit entitled Ghosts of the Void. This week, we chat with the writer/director of Ghosts of the Void, Jason Miller. Jason Miller is an American film director and screenwriter. He studied at the University of Central Arkansas, making numerous short films including his award-winning thesis film, THE WHISPERERS. He got his start in features as a co-writer and co-producer on the crime drama ECHO BOOMERS. GHOSTS OF THE VOID is his directorial debut.

Talking to Jason got us to thinking about our Top 3 Two Person Movies! Plus we have to throw in a movie with (at least) 4 main characters, the latest animation from Seth Rogan (our person of the month), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Meyhem!

It’s a jam-packed ‘Jaw as always!

Matt:

Jason Miller:

Ry:

Reviewed: Haunted Mansion, Talk To Me (A24), The Beanie Bubble

Fire up the projectors, because the films are coming fast and furious… well, not literally… You know what we mean! This week on CinemaJaw a triple-dose of movie mayhem! It’s time for another REVIEW-O-RAMA!

We have Disney’s latest ride-turned movie re-make Haunted Mansion, a new horror from the consistently high-quality studio A24, Talk To Me, and last but not least a Zach Galifianakis vehicle/biopic/product movie, The Beanie Bubble. It’s a jam-packed ‘Jaw as always!