Cinemakers

It’s been a while since we covered a Steven Soderbergh movie on Cinemakers, but he’s been busy! Today, we’re talking about High Flying Bird. Like Unsane, Soderbergh shot the entire thing on an iPhone. We discuss whether or not this works, what we think of his use of natural lighting, and what other ways he may try to shake up Hollywood. We also talk about Soderbergh’s return to the American Dream as narrative fuel, and wonder if any other directors would ever make a movie about basketball with virtually no basketball. Also, stay tuned for an updated/revised schedule for Cinemakers! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Before we begin our next Cinemakers series, we're taking a quick detour for another one-shot and some catch-up. In this episode, Mike and Joey talk about RWD and Tonight She Comes, then welcome in director Matt Stuertz for an interview and chat! We break down the found footage film RWD, then Matt's blood-soaked (and disgusting) follow-up, Tonight She Comes. How did Matt's filmmaking evolve from one film to the next? What was shooting the films like? What's he got coming next? Stay tuned to find out all of these answers, plus what's in store for the near future of Cinemakers! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

We're closing out the Amy Heckerling of Cinemakers by chatting about the six episodes of the Amazon original series Red Oaks that she directed. In this episode, we talk about the significance and importance of her six episodes within the show's run, the show's evolution within its three seasons, and why it feels like this is the perfect show for her to flex her creativity and specific sensibilities. We also reflect back on the 10 episodes within this run of Cinemakers and offer a look ahead to what's coming next. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Talking about Vamps is a bit of a bittersweet moment for this run of Cinemakers. It's Amy Heckerling's last movie (for now, anyway), but at least we manage to go out on a high note! Before we close out her official filmography next week with her run of episodes on Red Oaks, we pop out of our coffins and talk about a couple of vampire BFFs who love the 80s and don't dig on drinking human blood. In this episode, we talk about the enduring friendship between Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter's characters, we admire the way Amy Heckerling is able to add new elements to the age-old vampire genre, and Cara (once again) declares that an Amy Heckerling movie to possibly be her favorite of all-time. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

While the Amy Heckerling run of Cinemakers has had its ups and downs, here's some good news: I Could Never Be Your Woman is another one of the good ones! Modeled after Amy Heckerling's experiences making the Clueless TV series, I Could Never Be Your Woman follows Michelle Pfeiffer's life as TV producer, mother to the incredible Saoirse Ronan (in her first role!), and fledgling paramour to the ever-charming Paul Rudd (even if his character is deeply flawed and often ethically unchecked). This is exactly the kind of movie we were hoping for with only one more movie (Vamps) and a short run of TV directing appearances (on Red Oaks) to go before closing out this series of Cinemakers, and while it's far from perfect, it's proof (yet again) that Amy Heckerling should have the ability to make whatever kind of movie she wants! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Loser is not a good movie, but it isn't Amy Heckerling's fault. How could anyone but a meddling studio be blamed for this mess? According to Heckerling, new studio execs forced her to turn her R-rated comedy into a PG-13... sort of (but not really) movie that could, in theory, be filed under "comedy." This movie's kind of a mess from start to finish, but does it have any redeeming qualities? Let's see if we can find one or two... If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

The Amy Heckerling run of Cinemakers started off at a great height with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but there's no higher high than 1995's Clueless. (Except maybe coke. "You guys got Coke here?" Yeah, this is America.) Armed with a shared love of the movie and an entire book's worth of knowledge in Cara's head, we dive deep into the world of Clueless to discuss exactly what makes this movie so magical. (Spoiler: it's just about everything.) Join us as we rent Spar-at-a-cus, play matchmaker, and take on the Messiah of the DMV. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Look Who's Talking Too is the first of two sequels to the smash hit (and surprise delight) Look Who's Talking. But with Amy Heckerling feeling like she told the full story in the first one, where do we go from here? It turns out that the answer is a mixture of some new ideas, some retreads, and an overall darker tone than the first movie. The good news: the gang's all here, with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley and Bruce Willis all reprising their roles from the first one. The bad news: it doesn't feel like there's much of a reason for this movie to exist. In this episode, we talk about whether or not the movie is a worthy sequel, what jokes work (and what jokes didn't), and why this movie seems so intent on trying to kill its babies! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

After struggling through our last two movies, Look Who's Talking is a breath of fresh air. It's also one of the weirdest movies we've talked about on a podcast in recent memory. Featuring a surprisingly likeable (or maybe not so surprising) duo in Kirstie Alley and John Travolta (plus Bruce Willis as the voice of the most wise beyond his years baby in history), Look Who's Talking is a complete and total about-face from the last two movies in Heckerling's filmography. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Our tumble down the rabbit hole of Amy Heckerling's career continues as we cover National Lampoon's European Vacation. How naive we were to think that last week's movie was rough! Little did we know just how much we'd all collectively dislike our journey abroad. While Heckerling helped Robert Klane write the screenplay, the good news is that this is the final movie we're covering in this run that Heckerling does not have a writing credit on. From here on out, everything is hers (and hers alone, presumably), which will bring this series right in line with the heart and spirit of Cinemakers. In this episode, we cover this curs'd production (both on-screen and off) but quickly stray into a conversation about nostalgia and memory. It's a good chat! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Johnny Dangerously marks the second installment in our journey through Amy Heckerling's filmography. Can it live up to the wonder that was Fast Times at Ridgemont High? We dive deep (well, as deep as we can) into this movie to see which jokes landed; whether the film worked as an homage, spoof, or satire; and whether or not we just were way out of our depth by a movie set 80 years in the past. Will Amy Heckerling continue her streak of greatness or will she endure a sophomore slump? Listen to this episode of Cinemakers and find out for yourself!

Aside from critical and commercial success, Amy Heckerling shares something in common with both Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan (the two previous directors we've covered on Cinemakers): her first film is one of her best. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an incredible debut and one of the greatest (and funniest) high school films ever made. (It also marked the feature film debut of a certain actor we're pretty fond of around these parts.) We're thrilled to welcome in Cara of the Wistful Thinking podcast to talk about this run of Cinemakers, which is our first season to examine a female director's filmography. Fast Times set the tone for Amy Heckerling's career and, oh, what a way to begin!

Now that we've finished out our Cinemakers season of Christopher Nolan movies, it's time for another quick detour/one-off episode to cover two films by a trio of up-and-coming filmmakers: the RKSS Collective. Both Turbo Kid and Summer of 84 rely very heavily on nostalgia for the 1980s, but do they hold up as films or do they buckle under the overabundance of references and allusions? To answer this question, we welcome Nick Jenkins of the Reel Bad podcast, to help us break down both movies and figure out what works, what doesn't, and what might come next.

After ten short weeks, we've made it to the shores of Dunkirk and to the end of the Cinemakers run for Christopher Nolan. Past Cinemakers co-host Tobin Addington says Dunkirk is the only Christopher Nolan movie he loves (but he loves it enough for ten movies' worth). While your humble hosts disagree with his take on the rest of Nolan's filmography, will they agree with his take opinion of Dunkirk?

Is Interstellar one of Christopher Nolan's best films, or is it emotionally manipulative and narratively shallow? It turns out... it depends who you ask! We're nearing the end of this run of Cinemakers (with only Dunkirk to go), and this week's episode covers Christopher Nolan's (possible) magnum opus. A sprawling nearly three-hour epic with Academy Award winners as far as the eye can see, Interstellar interwaves stories of love, loss, and outer space. Also, TARS is here, and TARS is the best.

The Dark Knight Rises caps off Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy -- or at least Batman/Bruce Wayne's narratives -- in spectacular fashion. While each of Nolan's three Batman movies stands alone, the journey of Bruce Wayne from scared boy to Gotham's Knight encapsulates one of the greatest superhero arcs in cinematic history. While this movie may be a little long, there's no question that it wraps up this Batman story in appropriately epic style. Also, Anne Hathaway is in this movie and she's the absolute best and we gush about her a whole lot. Side note: today's episode of The Reel Bad Podcast is also taking on The Dark Knight Rises, and I'm sure that episode will play out a little bit differently than this one...

Inception is Christopher Nolan's first wholly original film since Following, and perhaps his most mind-bending film in a career full of them. Sandwiched between the Dark Knight films, Inception is the culmination of a 10-year script process that Christopher Nolan had worked on since Insomnia wrapped. But with double the audience surrogates and 399 (!!!) questions asked by characters in the film, did things get a bit too complicated?

The Dark Knight changed the game for comic book movies and ushered in a new type of superhero film. But you already knew that. What's left to say about The Dark Knight? Nothing that hasn't already been talked about ad nauseam, but that didn't stop us from running our traps for two hours to effuse praise on the movie, the trilogy, and (of course) Heath Ledger's performance. While The Dark Knight isn't perfect and isn't necessarily Nolan's best movie -- watching all of Nolan's films in order makes you realize that the guy's made a ton of really, really good movies... who knew?! -- it's ludicrously fun and well-made.

What's more impressive: that Christopher Nolan made the masterpiece that is The Prestige, or that he did it between Batman movies? Sandwiched between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, The Prestige has Batman and Wolverine square off in a head-to-head magic showdown that will ruin both characters' lives forever... and make us all watch in awe and wonder. It's yet another movie in which Nolan uses time and non-linear storytelling to amplify the narrative, and though it's not baked into the story (as it is in Memento), it's core to the narrative structure of the film. Alternating between the present and various pasts, The Prestige shows us it has nothing up its sleeves, nothing in its hands, yet executes its story with such a masterstroke that you'll be convinced magic exists. The only question: Are you paying attention?

It's time for BATMAN! While we've covered Batman-related films on this podcast network before (and again, and again), this is the first time that we've gotten a Batman film proper, and it delivers. Batman Begins is an absolute masterpiece of a film (Sound familiar? This Christopher Nolan guy seems pretty good at making movies) and marks one of the best superhero origin stories of all-time. It's also fun as heck. As we discuss in the episode, this movie feels like the perfect alchemy of a bunch of separate visions all coalescing in a beautiful way (as they all rebel against where Batman Forever and Batman & Robin left us).

Combining Robin Williams (in the "serious" era of his career) with, perhaps, the last great performance (so far, anyway) given by Al Pacino, Insomnia is a well-made version of a movie you feel like you've seen before. Add in some references that make you feel like you're watching Twin Peaks (or a David Fincher movie) and there isn't much to not like. Considering the next movie we're getting in this journey is Batman Begins, this is (far and away) the "smallest" Nolan will get for a long, long time.

Just two short years after the promising (but somewhat underwhelming) Following, Christopher Nolan released Memento, a masterpiece of a film and possibly the best movie he's ever made. Toying with narrative structure in the way he did in Following -- but with far more panache -- Memento is a wild ride through the mind of a man with no short-term memory who constantly finds himself unsure who he can trust.

Welcome to a new season of Cinemakers! We've caught up on Steven Soderbergh, so now is the time to begin our journey through Christopher Nolan's filmography. First on the docket is following, the black-and-white feature that Nolan made for a mere $6,000. While Following is a far cry from the movies Nolan will soon make, there are more than a few glimpses of the techniques, themes, and styles he'll use throughout his career.

In this episode, we dive into the world of horror to go deep inside the mind of Claire Foy in Unsane! Shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus with an app that cost $14.99, Soderbergh and Unsane prove anyone can make a movie that makes you feel icky all over. Is Claire Foy's character unsane, or is she really being pursued? Does the ambiguity work or could it be improved upon? And why do people keep letting Matt Damon show up and crash movie sets? (Just kidding; we love Matt Damon!)

When we first envisioned Cinemakers, we saw it as a combination of two types of episodes: ongoing series about prolific directors and one-off episodes about directors who only have a few feature films under their belt. With the Reel Bad podcast taking on The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, we were inspired to bring in Reel Bad's Nick Jenkins to talk about the Evil Dead remake, as well as the other major film of Fede Alvarez: Don't Breathe. Please note: Both of these films (and our discussion) feature depictions of sexual assault and violence against women, and both are far darker than the normal movies we cover. Viewer and listener discretion advised.

Mosaic marks yet another innovation from the mind of Steven Soderbergh: a whodunnit mystery that you can experience through an interactive app or through a traditional TV season. Which way is better? How should you watch? Should you even bother? The short answers: yes, watch it, but do it through the app. All caught up? Good!

Whether you call it "Ocean's 7-11" or "The Hillbilly Heist," the central robbery of Logan Lucky is Soderbergh's best since Ocean's Twelve. This guy just can't stay retired, which is good news for all of us who love movies about the American Dream, or movies starring Channing Tatum and Riley Keough. (Yes, this pretty much sums Joey up to a tee.) This movie effectively marks the beginning of the second phase... of the first phase... of Cinemakers, as it's the first Soderbergh work released since we began. What a time to be alive!

The Knick ended after two seasons and 20 episodes, but it was always the plan for Soderbergh (and Clive Owen) to leave at that point. The Knick's second season expands the world of the show a bit, bringing more characters into a deeper focus and straying a bit from the central fixation on Thackery. Does it work, or is it too sprawling? Are the new stories a welcome addition, or do they stray too far from the world of The Knickerbocker? Can Soderbergh continue his streak and pull off his signature magic again? With his self-imposed retirement looming following this season's conclusion (though we know he'll be back in two years for Logan Lucky, Mosaic, Unsane, and more), where does The Knick leave things for Soderbergh? All we know: "This is it. This is all we are."

After a string of (mostly) knock-out films, The Knick continues Steven Soderbergh's hot streak as he transitions from film to prestige TV. This episode covers the complete first season (with talk about season two coming next week), as we're introduced to our key players and the world of The Knick at the turn of the century. Everyone is at the absolute peak of their powers in this show, from Soderbergh to Clive Owen to Cliff Martinez (who did the score). The Knick might not be as perfect as a film like Out of Sight or Ocean's Eleven, but it may just be the best thing Soderbergh has ever made.

Behind the Candelabra was deemed "too gay" by major Hollywood studios, so Soderbergh headed to HBO for his last feature film before his "retirement." Anchored by two strong lead performances, can Soderbergh and company elevate the biopic genre and a shockingly muddled/average script to something more? Listen and find out! (Spoiler: no.)

Side Effects -- once billed as Soderbergh's last film -- may be one of his most complicated and twisting narratives. Nothing is what it seems as the story continues to unravel and unfold, revealing more twists and turns at every step of the way. Soderbergh is truly firing on all cylinders at this point in his career, and this is yet another instance of a master filmmaker in his prime.

Magic Mike may be a disappointment to people looking for a movies where hot guys dance for two hours. Sure, there's a lot of that on display here -- including all dancing scenes played back-to-back as a special features on the DVD -- but in what world does a movie like that have a 10 minute scene where its lead tries to get a small business loan application approved? When looking at this movie from the guise of Cinemakers and within the framing of Steven Soderbergh's career, however, it's clear that this film may be a masterpiece that discusses the American Dream and the difficulty of starting your own business, and does so with remarkable insight on a level that rivals any of Soderbergh's other work. Also: hot guys get naked and dance.

Haywire reunites Steven Soderbergh with Lem Dobbs in a tale of revenge on par with The Limey, one of their previous team-ups. Anchored by a badass leading character, Haywire brings Gina Carano on a roaring rampage of revenge after she discovers she's been set up. As we learned from Snake Eyes, you need five for a conspiracy, which means she has a lot of names to take and a lot of asses to kick. What I'm trying to say, you guys, is this movie is great.

Contagion may be one of Steven Soderbergh's best films in just about every regard. This sprawling narrative features a star-studded cast and editing/cinematography that will leave you terrified to touch your face. Also! We talk about And Everything is Going Fine, the posthumous Spalding Gray documentary Soderbergh released in 2010.

The Informant! is a movie that could have gone wrong in so many ways. Somehow, Steven Soderbergh threaded the needle to create one of the most singularly unique and oddly funny movies in recent memory.

Ocean's Thirteen closes out the Danny Ocean chapter of Soderbergh's career with a return to Vegas. Also: it's the third trilogy we've covered on the #CageClub Podcast Network... a trilogy trifecta!

The Good German is a blend of two Soderberghs: Hollywood Star Soderbergh and Doing Crazy Film Things Soderbergh. Does it work, or does it fall flat?

Made for almost no money with no known actors, Bubble shifted the movie release paradigm, but does it tell a story worth watching?

It's time for our first sequel in Cinemakers, and a return to big budget Soderbergh. We're headed to Europe and getting the band back together for Ocean's Twelve!

Eros is more of a detour than a full stop on our Cinemakers: Steven Soderbergh journey. Let's chat about Inception-style storytelling devices, a pre-Iron Man Robert Downey Jr., and Alan Arkin with a hairpiece!

K Street is a unique political drama from the early 2000s that's shot, chopped, and released dirty, quickly, and with style. Does it hold up or is it a relic? OPINIONS ABOUND.

Solaris is yet another remake in a mini-run of them in Soderbergh's career, once again featuring his favorite leading man: George Clooney. It's hard to pin down exactly what this movie is, but looking at it through the lens of a ghost story may open it up to be a more enjoyable experience. No matter how you view it, it's undeniable that Solaris is an odd, slow, dreamy film. Also, if you're looking for a movie with tons of George Clooney butt, look no further.

Ocean's Eleven may be Soderbergh's highest-profile film to date, one of his best films, and definitely the most fun. Not only that, but it's a crossroads of actors he's worked with and actors he'll work with again -- and just about every single one of them is likeable. Soderbergh says he'll probably never make a superhero film, and that this is his take on that genre. You know what? We can't complain!

Out of Sight is a perfect movie and there's nothing you're going to say that will dissuade us from thinking that. Prepare yourself for an hour-long love fest to the best film in the careers of Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, and Jennifer Lopez. (Yes, really; she's GREAT in this!)