The Cinematic Schematic

It’s been thirty-five years since Arnold lathered himself in mud and shouted the now iconic internet meme, “Get to the chopper,” in Predator, and against all odds, the franchise has found new life in the latest entry streaming on Hulu, Prey. In today’s special The Cinematic Schematic podcast interview, we are spotlighting some of the incredible behind-the-scenes talents that helped bring Prey to life! Coming right off the heels of the critically and financially underwhelming The Predator(2018), director Dan Trachtenberg(10 Cloverfield Lane, The Boys) and Patrick Aison’s new take on the iconic hunter was greenlit and this time, things looked a little bit different. Audiences would be sent back in time 300 years, and instead of following a bodybuilder or wisecracking action movie hero with guns, this story would star a Comanche nation woman named Naru who uses her wit and determination to face down the 20th Century Studios alien icon. Before we go any further, we know what you’re thinking…are these really the best people to tell a Comanche story? Following the initial pitch, in steps Jhane Myers, a Comanche and Blackfeet American Indian who is known for her attention to detail and dedication to producing, Native language, and […]

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In today’s episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we’re saddling up to wrangle an unidentified flying piece of discourse consuming every inch of the internet in our review of Jordan Peele’s latest movie, Nope. Laron Chapman and Daniel Bokemper rejoin host Caleb Masters on the show to answer the ice-breaker question, “What is your favorite film or TV sequence featuring a UFO,” before providing their spoiler-free thoughts and a verdict. The majority of the conversation is spent in spoilers covering several of the film’s themes including the risks and dangers of pursuing spectacle, how black entertainers have been treated throughout Hollywood history, and what makes Peele’s take on UFOs innovative and more than meets the eye. Can Peele make lightning strike a third time or has he started to follow in the missteps of M. Night Shyamalan? Tune into our full Nope review discussion for the full verdict! Special Guests Laron Chapman Award-winning Oklahoma filmmaker Follow Laron on Instagram @blackmoviemagic Daniel Bokemper Contributor at The Cinematropolis Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_Bokemper About Nope According to IMDB, Nope can be described as: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. If you’re interested in Nope: Laron Chapman […]

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The Cinematic Schematic returns this week on a mission to kill god…the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most beloved god, Thor Odinson, in our review of Thor: Love and Thunder. First-time guest Chad Parizman, a podcast host/producer and principal/founder of Ader communications, joins us for the review journey. Also returning to the show are Nathan Poppe of Oklahoma’s Curbside Chronicle fame, and longtime co-host and award-winning filmmaker Laron Chapman. We kick things off with our ice-breaker question, “Between The Batman using Nirvana, and now Thor: Love and Thunder using Guns and Roses, what superhero+pop music match-up would you like to see,” before giving our spoiler-free reviews. We close out the thunderous conversation with a spoiler-filled discussion about how the film examines the nature of gods in our culture and the state of Marvel in phase IV. Thor: Love and Thunder is the twenty-ninth film in the MCU, and features the only character to have a standalone fourth chapter to their story. Additionally, following his Oscar win for Jojo Rabbit‘s screenplay, and the widely loved soft franchise reboot, Thor: Ragnorok, writer/director Taika Waititi returns to Thor, this time with an outstanding supporting cast including Christian Bale(Gorr the God Butcher), Natalie Portman (the Mighty […]

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Attention listeners, it appears we have landed on a strange movie in a bonus review of Lightyear, the movie that’s said to have inspired Andy’s love for the character of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995). Is it a forgettable knock-off complete with a newly cast Buzz (Chris Evans), or have we entered into the next great spin-off phase for the beloved Pixar franchise? In this special edition of The Cinematic Schematic, we review Lightyear with Lauren Weingart from Video Peach Productions. We start things off with our routine ice breaker question, “If you could watch a movie one of your favorite toys was based on, which would you pick? Why, and what genre would it be?” We then jump into our spoiler-free review followed by an analysis-driven discussion around the film’s spoilers. Does Lightyear take the Toy Story franchise to infinity and beyond, or is this just a confused attempt at a cash grab? Tune in to hear our full review! Special Guest Lauren Weingart Founder of Video Peach Productions Follow her on Instagram @videopeachproductions According to IMDB, Lightyear can be described as: While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots […]

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When news broke director Scott Derrickson was leaving Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2020 due to creative differences, the moviegoing internet and fans of the film’s predecessor were understandably concerned. Why would such a talented director who fought so hard for the first film leave a project he was supposedly passionate about? The answer, at least partially, is the director’s latest project reteaming him with his Sinister writer, C. Robert Cargill, The Black Phone. Does this movie pivoting the director back to horror live up to the bold shift in career direction? In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we’re joined by first-time guest, Matt Donato, returning co-host, Laron Chapman, and Caleb Masters to answer that question. Based on the Joe Hill short story of the same name and set in 1978, The Black Phone follows Finney (Mason Thames), who becomes the latest in a string of kidnapped children by a part-time magician only known as “The Grabber” (Ethan Hawke). After waking up in a stripped-down basement, Finney is haunted by the ghosts of the kidnapped children who occupied the space before him. Meanwhile, his sister Gwen(Madeleine McGraw) uses every available resource to find her brother before […]

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…Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should. Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park When looking back on the experience of watching Jurassic World: Dominion the words of the famous Ian Malcom quote echos strongly throughout the sixth (and allegedly final) entry in the dino-megablockbuster Jurassic Park franchise. Despite already being a massive hit at the box office (it’s grossed over $600 million worldwide as of this writing), the big question we’re left with is “was this second trilogy really necessary?” To answer that question, The Cinematic Schematic joins the conversation that has been 65 million (and nearly 30) years in the making in our review of Jurassic World: Dominion. Similarly to this movie, today’s conversation is a reunion of the beloved cast of hosts from last year’s (allegedly acclaimed) F9: The Fast Saga review, KJYO-FM’s Jason Black, award-winning filmmaker, Laron Chapman, and recurring guest host, Brock Lay. The conversation kicks off with our ice breaker question, “what team of five would you take to Jurassic Park,” before we provided our spoiler-free thoughts on the film. We close out the conversation by diving into a few spoiler-related topics including whether or […]

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After more than 140 films screened, ten filmmaker podcast interviews, and more than a dozen written essays, The Cinematropolis deadCenter 2022 coverage comes to a close in today’s final festival episode of The Cinematic Schematic looking back at the highlights from the festival from the full Cinematropolis team including writers Jo Light, Daniel Bokemper, and Christopher Shultz. Bokemper shares his in-person festival experience before each person from around the virtual table talks about the films they saw and wrote about from deadCenter 2022. We close out by talking about the benefits of the virtual film festival that is available to pass holders through the end of this weekend. For more on everything we covered at this year’s festival, take a look at the links below! Thank you for joining us again for this year’s deadCenter 2022 festival, and make sure to follow us on our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up with future thoughtful conversations on films including upcoming podcast reviews for Jurassic World: Dominion and The Black Phone. Podcast Interviews by Caleb Masters Butterfly in the Sky Celebrates the Love of Reading Books with Bradford Thomason & Brett Whitcomb Mama Bears Makes the Case for Empathy Toward LGBTQ […]

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One of the unexpected outcomes of the pandemic was the way people quickly connected across the globe via the internet. Through those remote connections, real-world relationships were built. With this year’s deadCenter returning to the entirely in-person experience, filmmakers and film lovers from across the country traveled to the heart of OKC to share and experience stories big picture stories with Okie audiences. Among the out-of-towners to hear about deadCenter during the pandemic were the Furloughed Film Talks podcast hosts, Alex and Ryan Kelly. After making their first trip to deadCenter in 2021 and first appearing on The Cinematic Schematic last year, the Kelly brothers returned to the festival this year to continue their mission to interview cinematic storytellers from all walks of life. In today’s episode, Alex Kelly rejoins the show to look back at his deadCenter 2022 experience, including what films they saw, which friends they were able to reconnect with, what the 2022 press room experience was like, and what deadCenter parties blew their expectations out of the water. All of this before sending a special “Thank You!” shout out to the deadCenter staff. Tune in to hear the highlights from Furloughed Film Talks! Special Guest Alex […]

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‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,’ said Jojen. ‘The man who never reads lives only one.’ – George RR Martin, A Dance with Dragons (2011) The 2022 deadCenter Film Festival has reached its last day and to complete this year’s exciting return to a fully in-person event, the team is closing the festival with a story about the beloved TV program that explored all written stories, The Reading Rainbow, with the documentary Butterfly in the Sky. In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, host Caleb Masters sits down with the filmmakers behind the film, Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, to learn about what inspired them to explore the iconic 80s and 90s educational program, the impact it had on a generation of readers, and their experience working with the legendary LeVar Burton. Though deadCenter is winding down, you can still catch this unforgettable documentary celebrating the power of reading and the media in The Reading Rainbow during the festival’s closing evening by buying an individual ticket today! For more information on where to catch the film, you can follow Butterfly in the Sky on Instagram. Special Guests Bradford Thomason Co-Director, Writer, and Editor of Butterfly in the Sky […]

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Like the dove that represents their spirit, the Cymande story soars once again, this time in OKC. The 2022 deadCenter Film Festival is the home of many experiences, including a few free and open to the public in OKC’s most beautiful spaces. Last night they premiered the OKC Thunder Film, The Seeds of Greenwood, as part of the Friday Night Frolic in Scissortail Park, and tonight they are debuting the new music documentary, Getting It Back: The Cymande Story. The film documents the origins of the hugely influential UK funk band, Cymande, as well as their break-up and recent rebirth. In this exclusive deadCenter 2022 interview on The Cinematic Schematic, host Caleb Masters and special guest co-host, Stuart Hudson, the co-publisher and editor-in-chief of Edible OKC Magazine, are joined by two Cymande band members and film producer/director Tim Mackenzie-Smith who tell their story. Cymande guitarist Patrick Patterson and bass player Steve Scipio join Mackenzie-Smith to share their stories about the band’s history and discuss why now is the time for their comeback and the documentary. Getting It Back: The Cymande Story is playing to the public in the Wheeler District tonight at 9 PM CST. Special Guests Stuart Hudson Co-Publisher […]

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