The Smoking Screen Podcast

SPOILER-FREE! Christmas comes early for Jay and Cybill as they attempt to survive a night with KRAMPUS (you better have read that with a thick German accent, if not, try again)! Trying to combine the holiday magic, zany comedy, Adam Scott and a horrific demonic Santa together into a cohesive whole, is no easy trick. Is Krampus then….a treat? Grab yourself some milk and magical cookies and join us for episode 47 of The Smoking Screen!

SPOILER-FREE! Jay and Cybill get out their notepads and ask a few hard questions as they review Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams in Spotlight. Is the early Oscar buzz warranted? Or, does someone need to go to confession? Is the film able to be captivating without becoming sensationalistic? How does the Pope feel about this film? All this and more in episode 46!

Have YOU entered our FREE Oscar Pool?  Awesome prizes up for grabs from our friends at BC Smoke Shop and Retro Active: The Alternative Smoke Shop!

SPOILER-FREE! Holiday shenanigans are afoot in this holiday offering from Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie. Will Jay and/or Cybill be putting any coal in their stockings this year? Or, did the movie help them finally find the true meaning of Christmas? (The answer is weed cookies and milk.) Come join the circle and find out in episode 45!

SPOILER-FREE! Jay and Cybill take a nostalgic trip back to childhood and review, The Peanuts Movie. 15 years after the comic strip ended, are Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock still relevant? Can a story where there are no smart phones and book reports are written in pencil, connect with children today? Or, is this really a film for adults?  And what about Pig Pen? Is there no way to update that character? Join us for episode 44!

SPOILER-FREE! Time to hotbox the lair as Jay and Cybill review “Spectre”. Does the costliest Bond film of all time live up to stunning Skyfall? Is Daniel Craig still sexy, suave Bond, James Bond?  Will Christoph Waltz bring us on an overly elaborate journey as the villain? Did North Korea fuck the whole story up with the infamous Sony hack last fall? Grab your martini and join us for Episode 43 of The Smoking Screen to find out.

SPOILER-FREE! Does “Steve Jobs” do the job? Jay and Cybill put on their black turtlenecks and jeans (no belts please) and review Danny Boyle, Aaron Sorkin and Michael Fassbender’s take on the enigmatic Apple founder. And Seth Rogen and Jeff Daniels. Those two guys were rock solid. Join us for episode 42!

As mentioned in the show, here is the link to Rachael Acks’ fantastic blog post (spoilers) – Crimson Peak: Love and Monsters.

Jay and Cybill wake the dead as they perform a seance/review of “Crimson Peak”. Why is this ghoulish film not THE hit scarefest this Halloween? What is a gothic romance anyway? Does Guillermo del Toro unleash his trademark technicolor macabery? Will Hiddlestoners be happy with Tom Hiddleston’s dark and brooding performance? How does Jessica Chastain do in this movie? All this plus the top grossing Halloween films of all time in our Halloween Special, episode 41 of The Smoking Screen. Come join the circle!

SPOILER-FREE! Jay and Cybill break out the lie-detectors, invasively-bright interview lights and aged scotch to review “Bridge of Spies”. How obviously Spielberg is this movie? Does Tom Hanks the shit out of his character in this true story? Why are so many spy movies coming out in 2015? Should Jay and Cybill brush up on their Russian? All this and more in Episode 40 of The Smoking Screen!

Have YOU entered our FREE Oscar Pool?  Awesome prizes up for grabs from our friends at BC Smoke Shop and Retro Active: The Alternative Smoke Shop!

In a thought-provoking BONUS episode, we discuss the issue of whitewashing in Hollywood with our special guest, Susanna Rinderle, a diversity and inclusion expert.  Since we reviewed “The Martian” last week, the film has taken some criticism for replacing minority characters from the the novel. What exactly does “whitewashing” mean? Why do we need to be aware of it? What role should it play in how we review movies? Join the circle and the discussion!

SPOILER-FREE! Matt Damon blasts off in Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi epic, The Martian. Cybill has returned (and just in time!) to discuss if this star-studded adventure (Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena) lives up to the lofty expectations set by the best selling novel from Andy Weir. Does Damon pull it off? Is this whole thing a public relations exercise for NASA? Could it help reinvigorate the program? Does it work (with or without duct tape)? We discuss all this and more in Episode 38. Come join the circle!!

Have YOU entered our FREE Oscar Pool?  Awesome prizes up for grabs from our friends at BC Smoke Shop and Retro Active: The Alternative Smoke Shop!