It's the finale to the year of 2015 as Steve and Matty give you their best and worst with the help of Eric Kimelton and Kyle Brown. What was the worst thing that graced each of our panels eyes? How damaging was Terminator Genisys to Matty? And how many of the guys listed Mad Max: Fury Road as the best film of the year? Listen in to find out!

Convicted Cinephiles

Convicted Cinephiles #63 - Cucumber (The Best and Worst Films of 2015)

It's been a long-ass hiatus for Steve and Matty but they make their triumphant return in a brand new episode of Convicted Cinephiles! Tackling the usual year end rundown, the guys are joined by their friends from theKing Falls, Kyle Brown and Eric Kimelton to give their lists of the best and worst of 2015. The episode went way over time so it is split into two episodes, so enjoy the guys giving their surprise picks of the year as well as the mosts that disappointed them so harshly. Convicted Cinephiles is back, friends!

Convicted Cinephiles #62 - Best and Worst of 2015 Part 1

****This episode was recording in April 2015 and released late because of reasons****The guys get to dig into some science fiction for this episode as they head into the deepest and darkest recesses of space this time. Joining Stevil and Matty is Michael Lothian, the host of The League's podcast Mainly Mobile and fellow podcaster Bryce Logan, the host of Let's Watch That and The 4 Eyed Forecast with his co-host Andy Shirlaw. Together, the guys talk some news first as Stevil wonders if trailers are giving away too much plot details, case in point, the new Terminator trailer gives an absolute doozy of a spoiler. What's too much? These are our Staff Picks of the week! Most likely in his lengthy preparation for Mad Max: Fury Road, Matty got to watch a great post apocalyptic gem from director Neil Marshall, 2008's Doomsday. What more can you ask for in a violent action flick? Cannibals, crazy fight sequences and great character actors like Bob Hoskins and Malcolm McDowell chewing the scenery for a little bit. Fantastic. He waited on pins and needles for it and now the embargo is lifted as Stevil can finally talk about his favorite movie of 2015 so far, Ex Machina. The directorial debut of writer Alex Garland, this film is absolutely stunning, beautifully shot with great performances from the entire cast, hopefully this movie will be remembered this coming awards season. Not wanting to accidentally steal Matty's Staff Pick (and almost doing it anyways), Mike finally watched Seven, an iconic classic thriller he'd never seen before, but was ruined because of, well, the internet. Of course the "WHAT'S IN THE BOX!" scene has been made into memes quite a lot, but even so Mike enjoyed the movie spoiler be damn. Just another testament of how great his David Fincher film is. Bryce brought two picks for this episode, firstly the movie Stevil has been dying to see, the indie horror phenomenon It Follows. This film gives off that fantastic Elm Street era horror vibe just demands a cult status. This is definitely the most talked about little film of 2015 so far. For his second pick, Bryce brought a film that very familiar to our hosts, Escape From New York, which he watched for the first time and loved. The John Carpenter classic, led by a completely badass Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, featured on our John Carpenter episode "Obey Roddy Piper's Mullet!". For the main subject of criminal films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "I don't know why I picked Aliens. Alien would've made more sense seeing how it takes place entirely on a spaceship and our topic was deep space travel. Well, fuck off, I wanted to watch a bunch of badass space marines get their asses kicked by an inferior but aggressively superior enemy. Brilliantly directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver as the baddest female this side of Mars, Aliens is one the greatest sequels, if not one of the best movies ever." - @mattydub604 "As I may have stated on this show before, my favorite sci-fi film is Sunshine. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland weave an intelligent story about a crew manning humanity's last attempt to avoid extinction and a fantastic international character piece as well. Even with the ending, which people try to counter argue with me on, I still love this film every time I watch it. Shit, I have that John Murphy score on my phone." - @thestevildead "The teaser for Titan A.E. was brilliant and simple, seen on the big screen at Famous Players SilverCity where I worked in 1999. I quit before it came out in 2000 and never saw it in theatres, but shortly after on VHS. It had a great story no one told me about yet. The universe was huge and filled with life as the characters travelled through space to find the last hope for humankind." - @micheallothian "I chose Europa Report for two reasons. One being its reviews hailing how realistically it portrays space exploration and travel. Two, because I didn't know it was a found footage film. Boy, was I surprised with both reasons when I watched it. A fantastic use of the found footage gimmick that has been plaguing cinema lately and a fantastic use of realism in such an unknown genre. You will be surprised with this film." - @brucelagoon What is your favourite deep space sci-fi film? Do you consider Moon deep enough to be considered? That's what she said. Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!   

Convicted Cinephiles #61 - The Luscious Jackson Podcast

The Cinephiles get gangster this episode, as the topic is, as stated by Matty, "People Doing Criminal Sh*t". The guys welcome Drex Live's producer Eric to the show, as well as regular guest J.J. Webb for a pretty interesting group of films. The panel starts with something a little different in their usual news department. They talk television! With Daredevil now on Netflix and the return of Game of Thrones, the guys movie watching took a little break to get immersed in these groundbreaking TV series. Then the horrible R word comes out: Reboot. What's getting a Hollywood "re-imagining"? These are our Staff Picks of the week! After checking out the latest Fast and Furious film, Matty has an urge to re watch one of the co-stars Tony Jaa's older films The Protector. The movie is about a young Thai fighter who must travel to Australia to recover his stolen elephant, a sacred animal in his village. This movie is packed with incredible martial arts scenes and awesome one shot sequences. We're a little bummed that this film wasn't called "A Boy and His Elephant". Stevil got to check out an advanced screening of Noah Baumbach's new film While We're Young and loved it. It follows a middle-aged "Generation X" couple (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) who befriend a young hipster couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried). As the older couple start to feel invigorated by the lifestyle of  their new friends, it starts to drudge up the issues within their own marriage. Baumbach knocks it out of the park again with this one and it also features the screen debut of Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock. Eric has been watching Interstellar pretty regularly and who can blame him? Christopher and Jonathan Nolan weave a beautiful and smart sci-fi about a father going through incredible lengths to save his children and the entire planet from extinction. The visuals are flawless and make you really think about just how small we are in the scope of the universe. Then we pack another bowl in the ol' bong... Canadian films don't usually get their due, but J.J. bring the deeply complex drama Elephant Song as his pick this week. A very dialogue driven film, it stars Bruce Greenwood as a psychiatrist trying to find the whereabouts of his friends and colleagues by questioning one of his main patients played by Xavier Dolan. This young actor/director Dolan's career is on the rise, making his first film at age 19 and movie lovers should definitely check out his work. For the main subject of criminal films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "There are a lot of great criminal or gangster films, but among my favorite are the Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn London gangster films. Vaughn produced Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, then pursued making his own film, my choice, the absolutely perfect Layer Cake. This is really the fist time I took notice of Daniel Craig, in, perhaps, his greatest performance to date. This movie got him Bond. Vaughn direction through cinematography, story and great music is immaculate, a great watch every time." - @thestevildead "You may jump to some conclusions as to why I picked Eastern Promises. Is it my love of Cronenberg or is it Viggo's flopping manhood. I picked it because it talks about a criminal underworld that has predominantly started in the shadows, Russian Gangsters. What I brought was a look into the bleak and disturbing underbelly of London, where an outsider gets a first hand view of the darkness that lives in some people's souls." - @mattydub604 "You may be asking what the criminal element in this movie is, well it is identity theft. CB4 is a very real look into how many fake people are in Hip Hop the music industry and to go farther life.  There are some real lessons to be learned  although it may not seem like it with a song called sweat from my balls  Art Evans who plays Chris Rocks father speaks a lot of truth. The soundtrack will take you back to the 90's and you will never look at Khandi Alexander the same again." - @nweaz "I have quite the record of picking Criterion films for these casts. So when the crime genre came up, I had no hesitation in picking this obscure, amazing title. Japan has a great selection of crime films, whether it is yakuza, fast paced action, or a more film noir style of the 50's. Going off the beaten path with Tokyo Drifter, in what can only be described as a jazz, pistol, and loner film, was a no brainer for me, and a great way to introduce a feature most people wouldn't think of when talking about crime films. I hope this opens the door and peaks your interest to maybe go and see what other Japanese crime films can be." - @hesthejage What is your favourite criminal or gangster film? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!   

Convicted Cinephiles #60 - Targeting The Turks

After almost a month Stevil and Matty return with a new Convicted Cinephiles. This week we explore that fun time in everyone's development as a human being, teen angst! With the help of guests Jstebz and our friend, a guest from our comic show Booked, Noah Dorsey, the panel breaks down four very different films. With stories ranging from Saturday detention to the outright murder of the popular clique in school, we have all bases covered. So alright, alright, alright, let's dig in! These are our Staff Picks of the week! Noah comes equipped with two picks for us this week. Proving it gets better and better with each viewing, it's really a no brainer why Big Hero 6 was the Academy Award winner for Best Animated. It's got a big heart, lovable characters and some really great action. Will this be the kick in the pants Matty needs to see it? Time will tell. For Noah's second pick he suggests a horror film from writer/director Eric England, Contracted, about a woman who thinks she's caught an STI but in actuality is some much worse. Noah features in the sequel, which will be released later this year. Matty's pick this week digs into one of his favorite genres, westerns, and features one of his favorite actors, Mads Mikkelsen, in The Salvation, a brutal tale of vengeance. A story that takes place in America, directed by a Danish director and filmed in South Africa, this is definitely an international collaboration that moves like a living painting. One of the best films of 2015 so far. When Stevil's away Jstebz will play...... with Netflix. Making the informed decision to watch Blackfish, Jen quickly put herself in a weeping, humanity hating stupor by watching this heartbreaking documentary about killer whales in captivity. How did she combat the tears and horrible feelings that washes over her from this eye opening film? By heading to the Valley with Alicia Silverstone and a young and handsome Paul Rudd in Amy Heckerling's Clueless. It has to be stated how Heckerling had a finger on the pulse of high school comedy in two separate decades, the 80s and 90s. Stevil's pick was a really surprise hit for him. From writer/director Riley Stearns and starring his wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Leland Orser, Faults is a movie that will leave your brain twisted. Following a disgraced cult deprogrammer who is hired by a couple who wants him to save their daughter from a cult called Faults. When he starts to try to get in her head and make sense of everything she starts to push back into his psyche. A very cool movie with an incredible twist.   For the main subject of teen angst films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "I chose Heathers because, like me, it tries to be witty, dark, and funny at the same time. But, unlike me, the movie succeeds on all levels. Christian Slater and Winona Ryder are at the top of their game, the dialogue is smart, catchy, and repeatable, and the movie itself holds up as one of the best teenage angst movie ever to exist." - @noahalexanderd "Dazed and Confused is definitely in my top ten, and that's saying something because I hate lists. It's not the angstiest movie of the bunch but it did reminded me the most of my childhood. Getting stoned, drinking, finding something to do and listening to damn good music will doing it." - @mattydub604 "I chose Thirteen because it was a movie that hit close to home for me. The time in which the story unfolds is around my highschool days and I watched as all of my friends and I adapted to what we thought we were supposed to be. Some of my friends ended up like Evie and Tracy. I related to this movie because I had seen it all happen before. Watching it now as a parent changed the viewing experience, but it still hits me so hard. Now, understanding Holly Hunter's point of view a little more, it just makes the movie all the more difficult to watch. Although some people feel like it's an exaggeration of the transformation from girl to woman, I feel like Thirteen is very spot on and truthful." - @jstebz_ "The quintessential high school movie and arguably the best movie of the 80s, The Breakfast Club is the crown jewel of John Hughes' fantastic career. A movie following a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal, this film feels completely timeless as we are always ready and willing to spend a Saturday detention with each of these characters, completely angsty in their own individual ways. Plus, John Bender (and for that matter, Judd Nelson) is one of the most likable anti-hero characters ever. And don't get me started on that Simple Minds track. *Fist Pump*" - @thestevildead   What is your favourite teen angst film? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!   

Convicted Cinephiles #59 - Donkey Show

With the 87th Annual Academy Awards having been presented this past Sunday, the boys welcome the Los Angeles branch of Convicted Cinephiles, Make Believe Picture Company's Kyle Brown and Eric Kimelton back for the second annual breakdown of the winners of the top prize in the film business. Stevil starts off the episode with is curiosity about some street art that showed up in L.A. before the awards and the guys suggest a possible combining of forces with a guerilla art piece that showed up in East Vancouver last year. The highs and lows of the Neil Patrick Harris hosted telecast are discussed and it's pretty well decided, yeah, that Oscar prediction gag was landed flat. David Oyelowo's tux though? Damn, that was sweet. For the awards presented, the Cinephiles weigh in on the big ones. Did anyone see that Big Hero 6 win coming? Is there disappointment over the Birdman sweep and Boyhood snub? Was Boyhood's hype four weeks too late and how angry is Eric over Julianne Moore's Still Alice win? Listen in for the hilarious answer! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter!

Convicted Cinephiles #58 - The Merging Of Horrible Ideas

After last episodes review of the movies of 2014, we return to our usual format but with a twist. Now at the end of every episode we have a winner! This time around Stevil and Matty welcome Booked co host Jenosaur and our Manchild Sports guy Nate Kelly for a subject that can be very polarizing it the hit or miss department: Movies made from television series. These are our Staff Picks of the week! Jenosaur was perusing the mighty Netflix when she came across the movie that almost never got released. Yes, The Interview gets it's time in the new release section of the streaming service, less than two months after its theatrical release". Was it worth it? Jenosaur says "meh", to her it really wasn't worth the hype, the cancellation of release or starting a nuclear war over it. Really, a war over James Franco? The human race would never recover. Stevil got to check out a lesser known 2014 release from Antonio Banderas called Automata. This film takes place in a devastated future in which the world outside has been made radioactive due to solar flares. Because of this, humans have made robots to do their work for them. This film follows Isaac Asimov's robotics laws, as no robot can harm a human or alter itself. Banderas plays an insurance agent who investigates claims of tampering and is kidnapped to the desert by some rogue robots who show him their desire for a life of their own. A beautifully shot film. Nate brings us two recommendations. The first is an unconventional pick and the first television series brought as a Staff Pick. Broadchurch is a BBC mystery drama starring David Tenant that deals with the murder of a child is a small town. Everyone is a suspect and one of the leads on the case has direct ties to the victim. This would be later remade as Fox's Gracepoint. For the second item Nate's bringing to the Staff Picks, he has a question for you. Do you like porn? And not like art porn or air brushed pretty porn, but just down right dirty and in your face porn with Stellan Skarsgard. Are you still in? Well then, Nymphomaniac is a movie for you! Lars Von Trier returns for another controversial film to get, well, at least the people who saw it talking. Be warned, this film is in two parts, but it is available on Netflix, if you want that on your queue's conscience. After the last episode, Matty was left with a deep need to watch Damien Chazelle's debut film Whiplash. After Stevil, Kyle Brown and Eric all raved about the brilliance of this film, he watched it right away and was absolutely astounded by its brilliance. The movie flows like jazz in every way. The editing, sound design and shot framing make this film an instant classic that everyone needs to see, especially ahead of J.K. Simmons guaranteed Oscar win. For the main subject of time travel films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "The A-Team is a fantastic example of a TV-to-movie adaptation done right. Joe Carnahan struck the fine balance between keeping the original spirit of the show intact and giving us something fresh and entertaining for fans of the original. The casting all around was spot-on, the script was solid and there were some hilarious and memorable moments - it's one of my personal favourites, despite the heavy criticism en masse." - @jenosaur "Mr. Show has always been a favourite series of mine, so when I heard there was a movie based on one of the sketches, Fuzz The Musical/ The Ronnie Dobbs Story, I was on board immediately. It's unfortunate that Run Ronnie Run is not the movie Bob Oedenkirk and David Cross wanted to make and have disowned the film (David never even cashed his cheque), as I have an absolute affection for this film. The cast is perfect and Bob and David are so great with every line they deliver. Always worth the re watch!" - @thestevildead "South Park, Bigger Longer and Uncut, was chosen, because I love it.That seems like a bit of a cop-out, but I swear it’s legitimate. I used to be a much larger fan of the series ongoing, but this movie, to me, is timeless. I re-watch it often because it is so enjoyable.A hilarious musical event that affected the series forever, about Satan rising from Hell to reign over the world, with his lover Saddam Hussein, and he would scheme rise to power, through a series of events unfolding from Terrence and Phillip making a movie, that get’s so ridiculously overblown, the world ends.This movie is so fantastically a self-fulfilling prophecy it’s ridiculous, as the mainstream media re-acted EXACTLY how this movie predicted, WITHOUT ever acknowledging how fantastic that irony was, and that, to me, was the real tragedy." - @improvidiot "Picking a movie based on a TV show was a difficult feat. Do I pick something great, our pick something I enjoy that maybe not everyone will. I love Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie for the quotes and how close it is to the show. Not everyone will enjoy watching the silhouette of a man and his two robots mocking a movie but I sure do." - @mattydub604 What is your favourite television adaptation? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below!  

Convicted Cinephiles #57 - Can I Finish?

We give you a different kind of Convicted Cinephiles for this special episode. Kyle Brown and Eric Kimelton from In Development join Matty and Stevil for a look back at the movies of 2014. These are our Staff Picks of the Week! Michael Mann's had some issues creating a decent film over the last decade and, according to Stevil, he's still got a way to go because Blackhat still falls short of the mark. A good premise, great cinematography and a likeable lead doesn't save this movie from being mediocre and completely underwhelming. Stevil did a full review on this film you can check out here! Matty is currently studying his ass off to better his mind and career. Doesn't mean he can't take a break to bend that mind with an 80s Gilliam classic. Brazil is exactly that film, a future set film about a man totally bogged down by his mundane life and dreams of an escape. Told in the brilliant style that only the beloved Terry Gilliam can do, this film consistently entrances the viewer and is a staple of the Criterion Collection. Just don't talk about Love Conquers All... There's a certain way Kyle prefers his Michael Fassbender performances and that's wearing a giant paper mache head. This works out perfectly for his viewing of Frank, which follows the title character, the enigmatic lead singer of an indie rock band, who constantly walks around wearing a fake head. Is that intriguing enough for you? How about adding Domnhall Gleeson, Maggie Gylenhaal and Scoot McNairy (Scoot, Scoot) to the mix? That got you! We get an advance recommendation, as Eric got to check out a screening of Matthew Vaughn's new Mark Millar adaptation The Kingsman: Secret Service. Colin Firth lead this fun, coarse language and bloody violence filled James Bond-esque action film. Definitely franchise worthy and worthy getting a theatrical viewing, this movie goes North America wide on February 13th! For our main topic of the episode, we break down 2014 into four categories: Surprises: What movies blew through our expectations? From controversial comedies to bio-pics to balls out insane action films, it was a cool year for under-appreciated movies. Disappointments: We all have super high hopes when it comes to certain films, whether it be huge ensemble films or even one just thrown into the mix because, well, it's just hilarious. Harry Connick Jr. needs to at least make one relevant list this year! Worst of the Year: How many Michael Bay kerosene and gunpowder soaked turds do we have to watch before we finally get it? Best of the Year: This was a very exceptional year for movies, in all areas. We got space rogues, 12 year journeys, jazz masterpieces and more, but what truly was the best? So, what are your lists for 2014? Listen to the episode and let us know your picks in the comments below! Also check out our brand new Instagram!   

Convicted Cinephiles #56 - Punch Your Pants Off

The Cinephiles version 2.5 are back for their first episode recorded in 2015. Still dealing with the departure of co-host Michaela, Matty and Stevil or joined by Casey White and JJ Webb for a completely mind bending podcast to leave all you brains hurting. Recorded deep within a temporal rift, our panel brings you a very special time travel episode. With various means of jumping through time including time machines, possessed evil books and good ol' fashioned "Groundhog Day"-ing, the guys debate the validity of each movie and their methods, while Matty says things the Jage will NEVER forget. These are our Staff Picks of the week! Casey has a very creative way of grouping films together to watch them, whether it be by genre, actor or other such connections. While trying to watch every movie that featured the Rolling Stones classic track "Sympathy for the Devil", he came across the late 90s Denzel Washington thriller Fallen. Also starring John Goodman, this movie gives satisfying twists and an ending that playfully screws with the viewer's mind. Being late to the party by a couple of months, Stevil finally go to check out Christopher Nolan's epic sci-fi flick, Interstellar. Definitely relying on the bond between a father and his kids, this movie struck Stevil on an issue very close to his heart. What would you do to ensure the survival of those closest to you? Would you do it knowing you may never see them again? Driven by an incredible score from the always on his game Hans Zimmer, this is definitely a movie that's worth checking out on the big screen. Matty again comes at us with two picks, unfortunately one is a "NEVER WATCH" and the other disappointed him greatly. First, he did his due diligence for mankind and weathered the crap storm that is the Michael Bay produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A horribly plotted film that has an unbearably stupid lead actress Megan Fox and that's just the beginning of the horribleness this movie has in store. Seriously, there needs to be a disclaimer for something this awful. Matty's second pick caused debate when he labeled it as a disappointing film. David Fincher is definitely a favourite director of the group, but when Gone Girl hit its third act, Matty found his interest in the movie fly out the window. Can someone really be this evil and diabolical? Matty is doubtful, but JJ and Casey are adamant these people exist. Do you agree? Previously brought as a negative review, JJ brings Under The Skin as his pick. A disturbing film about a woman seducing lonely men to essentially destroy in a sort of succubus fashion. Featuring, maybe, one of the most disturbing on-screen deaths of 2014, JJ says this film will leave a mark on your mind. Yes, of course we talked about that pivotal ScarJo scene.... For the main subject of time travel films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "In the grand tradition of paying it forward, Triangle was offered up for the theme of time-travel because it’s a movie I would never have seen without a recommendation. Upon learning that the rest of the group hadn’t seen it either, I knew that I had to share this little gem of a horror/time-travel movie that sticks in my memory as one of the best examples of macro time-travel paradoxes." - @thenightninja "Trying to avoid the usual picks that would be thrown out like Back to the Future or Looper, I decided to go off the path a little and bring a film I discovered while I was working at a now defunct video store. Timecrimes, at the time, was a little known film with an incredible intriguing cover picture, showing a man in an almost Claude Rains-esque Invisible Man bandaging. What I discovered was a brilliant Spanish film with some great plot twists and an incredibly satisfying third act. A must see for those who haven't. - @thestevildead "I have a love/hate relationship with time travel movies. I love the idea of being able to move through it and the consequences it has/had but I hate the headache it gives me when I try to figure out how it all fits together. That is why i picked Army of Darkness. The science is simple. An evil book sends a man back in time to fight demons. Easy. So now I can just sit back and enjoy a movie which involves Bruce Campbell kill monsters with a chainsaw. So Bruce plus evil book plus chainsaw equals an awesome time." - @mattydub604 "Time traveling has always been an overly explored idea in movies. From huge action epics to more quiet and scientific approaches, you can find every style of movie with a time travel story. Primer always stood out to me as the most believable, and down to earth version of time traveling, and a movie that opens so many doors for discussion." - @hesthejage  What is your favorite time travel film? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below!   

Convicted Cinephiles #55 - Spoiler Alert

This is a monumental episode of Convicted Cinephiles for two reasons. First, and sadly, this is the final episode of co-host Michaela. We all love here and wish her well, as Stevil and Matty move on as Convicted Cinephiles 2.5. And secondly, for the first time in the established format of the show we're tackling a usual holiday marathoner in a super sized five movie episode! Yes, we are going ending our 2014 with a James Bond cast! We have four of six Bonds recognized, as we bring in Demigod Rob and Shogun Gamer's Casey White to bed women, drive sweet cars, indiscriminately kill bad guys and play with those cool gadgets. Connery would approve! (Lazenby would not.) These are our Staff Picks of the week! After months and months of Matty pushing it and recommending it as a Staff Pick, Stevil finally got around to checking out Alan Partridge (Alpha Papa) and loved it. Brilliant character comedy as only Steve Coogan could deliver it, coupled with supporting work from Colm Meaney and Darren Boyd. Rest assured, this movie is on Netflix now and begging to be added to your queue. With five Bond movies to watch over a busy December, it's pretty hard to fit in another movie, but Michaela managed to squeeze one in for her final Staff Pick. If you're a child of the 80s, you know this film well, but if you haven't then it's time you picked up The Muppets Take Manhattan. Kermit and the Gang try to make a Broadway show with Muppet-y hijinx with appearances Art Carney, Dabney Coleman and the late Joan Rivers. Matty has two recommendations for you to savor this episode. First, Denzel Washington reteams with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua for an adaptation of the Edward Woodward TV series The Equalizer. Washington plays a character that kills people with everything BUT a gun. Casey delivers an over Skype high five for this pick. For his second pick, Matty heads to New Zealand for Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's dark comedy What We Do In The Shadows. The movie follows three roommates, who try to deal with their own deep seeded problems, as well as try to live with each others terrible quirks and short comings. The extra bonus? They're vampires! Sounds like more fun from the creators of Flight of the Conchords and Eagle vs. Shark. Casey brought something to boggle and twist your mind, as well as tease something in the Cinephiles history. Predestination is a time travel mystery from the Spierig Brothers, who brought us Undead and Daybreakers. Again they have Ethan Hawke in the lead, as a temporal agent who is traveling through time to stop a mass murderer known as the Fizzle Bomber. Definitely check this film out for a stand out performance from newcomer Sarah Snook. For the main subject of Bond films, our panel explains why they made their choices: "I chose Thunderball for a number of reasons: 1. No had picked a Connery movie (yet). 2. It is arguably the best Bond movie starring Connery. 3. It was a tribute to my father, who was a massive Bond fan and introduced me to the franchise." - @DemigodRob "Admittedly, You Only Live Twice isn’t the best Bond… it wasn’t even the best Bond film on the short-list crafted for the podcast. That being said, it’s one I have a special kinship with due to the fact that it was both one of the first Bond films I saw and because it kind of the pinnacle of the camp of Bond films. The ridiculous plot for global domination, the inclusion of SPECTRE for the second time, and one of the coolest ‘gadgets’ ever: Little Nelly." - @TheNightNinja "Why did I pick On Her Majesty's Secret Service? Several reasons: We watched this during near Christmas and I thought it would be nice to pick a movie that fit the season. This film is very wintery! Yay snow! And of course, we can't forget the incredible wardrobe!In all seriousness, I think this film gets overlooked quite often, and I think it deserves more recognition. The plot is strange and inventive, there is an interesting Bond girl, the ending is uncharacteristically dark, and I think Lazenby did a fine job as Bond. Overall, it's a winner for me, and one of the more interesting films in the series." - @avidcinephile "For me, Roger Moore was my first Bond and Moonraker was my first movie. Fortunately I didn't bring Moonraker because that movie is terrible. I did bring it's pseudo prequel The Spy Who Loved Me. This is the quintessential Bond, chalk full of stunts, action, gadgets, and sexy ladies. It's what makes a brillant Bond film, and if Bond doesn't start and end his adventure with bedding a women and blowing shit up, it isn't really a Bond movie." - @mattydub604 "I love Bond films. Connery's great, with Moore it's like watching someone's dad hit on girls, Dalton, Lazenby and Brosnan have their points too, some more than others. Still, I am very much enjoying Daniel Craig's version of Bond and Skyfall is the ultimate film for me. We're definitely moving in a more traditional Bond direction, but for a new time, world and generation. Sam Mendes crafts a great John Logan script with the memorizing cinematography of Roger Deakins, who's IMDB credits list great film after film. Adding the brilliant work from the rest of the cast, including one of the best Bond villains, Javier Bardem's Silva, and you have a film that will truly stand the test of time, like Dr. No and Goldfinger. I didn't even get to gush about that Adele theme song..." - @theStevilDead What is your favorite Bond film? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below! 

Convicted Cinephiles #54 - Spacejacking!

 This episode of Convicted Cinephiles heads to Australia as our friend and Aussie-Canadian Drex joins the panel for an all Aussie movie cast. The guys geek out about Star Wars, Drex is majorly unimpressed with the new Terminator trailer and Matty is subjected to watching yet another soul crushing face stabbing scene in a movie.   These are our Staff Picks of the week!   Michaela brings a film that started as a short film and got the push to become a feature film called Dear White People. The film start Tyler James Williams, who got his start on Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris and is now on The Walking Dead. This film was a big hit at this year's Toronto International Film Festival and was a a definite win in Michaela's opinion.   Matty has some good and bad this week. The good is Jon Favreau's Chef, a fun comedy that has a lot of great appearances from stars like Scarlet Johansson and Dustin Hoffman. The bad was a little painful to Stevil. Unfortunately, Matty hated Kevin Smith's latest offering, Tusk, With an unlikable lead and terrible Canadian accents and stereotypes, Michael Parks performance wasn't enough to save this film.   Stevil needed some light fare after some of the harsher viewings on this podcast and all the Game of Thrones he was taking in, so Melissa McCarthy's Tammy was the comedy he decided to throw on. A completely unlikable title character with little redeeming qualities and a mediocre story line muddle this film until a slightly acceptable resolution and ending make this film an uneven lame duck.   Drex does NOT like Gwyneth Paltrow. He makes no secret about it and will gladly tell you his reasons. So, the movies he would like to bring to the cast are the rare gems in which the former Mrs. Coldplay bites the dust In conclusion, go see Seven and Contagion!   For the main subject of our episode on Aussie films, our panel explains why they made their choices:   "For the Aussie Cast I decided to go with Muriel's Wedding. Although I had never seen it, it stars one of my favourite actresses, Toni Collette, and looked pretty funny. I was not disappointed. This movie is totally off the wall, switching between comedy and tragedy at breakneck speeds. Collette is lovable as Muriel (Mariel) and the Abba soundtrack is totally awesome. If you have yet to see this film, delay no longer!" - @avidcinephile   "I was in the mood for a western, plain and simple. And I wanted to bring the mighty 'stach that is Selleck. But unfortunately Quigley Down Under isn't Australian made (little did I know Drex was bringing the mightiest mustache in Australia). So I went with The Propostion. This brutal tale of redemption in lawless lands, is a visceral and visual masterpiece. From the mind of Nick Cave and with direction from John Hillcoat you will not be disappointed with this honest western." - @mattydub604   "Channeling my good friend @demigodrob, I thought I'd bring another Criterion film to this Aussie cast with Walkabout. This film is both arresting in it's beauty and a nightmare that will keep you far, far away from the Australian outback. With the insane start to this film and exactly how these two children get left to their own devices in this deadly landscape, this film left a definite impression on me."  - @thestevildead   @drex is incredibly Australian, even after having been in Canada for five plus years, so his pick for the episode, The Club, is also VERY Australian. He also likes Stevil to write for him and he thinks Stevil is the greatest person he has ever met.   What is your favorite Australian made film? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below! We leave you with this quintessential Australian football song and the name of our episode "Up There Cazaly".   http://youtu.be/pxM8XB61ZvU 

Convicted Cinephiles #53 - Up There Cazaly

 Michaela returns with an episode that may be a little overdue, Haunted house films. Personally, we love them. There's so many to choose from! Classic films, cult hits, even some of the newer films are outstanding. So, why did Stevil screw up so badly in his choice? I think he'll chalk it up to bad advertisement. Either way, we have at least three fantastic ghostly films to scare you with. These are our Staff Picks of the Week:   Matty hit the IMAX for the first of his two staff picks, Interstellar. Christopher Nolan dazzles again in this fantastically scientific adventure film that you'll need a degree to full follow. For his other pick, Matty brings the John Carpenteresque The Purge: Anarchy, the big scale follow up to the low budget 2013 original. A synth score backing a Frank Grillo led action suspense film in a style reminiscent of Escape From New York. We love that.   Michaela was on vacation! She should have to be expected to bring a staff pick! Of course, like any good movie fan, she visited a nearby Red Box and picked up Tom Cruise's sci-fi actioner Edge of Tomorrow. Or is it Live Die Repeat? Or Tom Cruises's Edge of Tomorrow? It's debatable, but the studio didn't make it easy.   During the discussion before the podcast, Stevil was talking about one of the actor in his haunted house pick being cast in more American films, leading JJ to remember a film he checked out starring this actor. The Drop is a gritty drama starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Repace and featuring the last performance from James Gandolfini. Oh and there's a puppy in it too. Tom Hardy and a puppy, prepare for a world wide swoon.   Stevil grazes the Nolanverse a little bit with his pick, which he strongly recommends you DON'T watch. Transcendence is a film that he was very much looking forward to but kept eluding him for one reason of another. Wally Pfister has always been a great cinematographer, but could he make a smooth transition to directing? The answer is no, no, he can't. This movie is a mess of terrible screenwriting, unoriginal ideas and completely wasted actors. And Nolan almost made this before Interstellar? Really?   For the main subject of our episode on Haunted House films, our panel explains why they made their choices:   "I'm suppose to do a write up for my pick for our Haunted House podcast, but I don't think I have to. That's because I picked The Shining. I shouldn't have to tell you how amazing this movie is. If you haven't seen this classic, what is wrong with you? Change That. Now. This is the king of psychological haunted house horror movies. Watch Jack Nicholson's brillant descent into madness while being directed by the great Stanley Kubrick." - @mattydub604   "I was in the mood for something spooky and decided to keep the Halloween spirit going with a Haunted House cast. In my opinion, one of the best haunted house movies ever made is Poltergeist, so I just had to bring it. I love this movie. It is one of the first horror films I saw as a child, and it remains a solid favourite. The film is packed full of genuinely creepy moments, and I think it stands up as a horror classic to this day." - @avidcinephile   "When you think "haunted house movies" a lot of the classics come to mind. I wanted to bring something a little more off the beaten path with this genre. The 2007 Spanish masterpiece, The Orphanage, I thought would be a perfect pick. With its wonderful performance, genuinely eerie feel, and an ending that, if you have any soul whatsoever, will leave you totaled, The Orphanage goes down as one of my favorite films in the past decade."  - @hesthejage   "I feel like this episode is going to haunt me for the rest of my days and I know by the subject matter it's going to sound like I'm punning, but I'm not. My co-hosts won't let me forget this one, because, yes, I screwed up. I was duped by the back cover of my recently bought copy of Left Bank, a disturbing little Cronenbergian body horror film out of Denmark. Am I saying it's terrible? No, but it's not fantastic either, bottom line is it was the wrong choice for this cast. Should have stuck with my original choice...." - @thestevildead     What is the scariest haunted house movie in your opinion? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below! We leave you with this clip of Shelley Duvall describing her time working for Stanley Kubrick on The Shining.   http://youtu.be/35RwbQhMVUE     

Convicted Cinephiles #52- Dirty Obsessions

 While Michaela is on a dream vacation to Hawaii, Stevil and Matty decided to bring in Demigod Rob and J.J. Webb for a road trip show. The boys all confirm their fan boy anticipation for the new Star Wars movie as the secondary title of The Force Awakens is announced. There is a major multitude of both awkward and warranted erections over the new Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer and nobody but Stevil even cares about Furious 7.   These are our Staff Picks of the Week.    Matty brings some awesome zombie goodness with a Nazi twist, as his Staff Pick for the week is Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead. Following up the fantastically insane, gory and funny first film, Tommy Wirkola returns for more fun that got him some international attention, this time with some American cast. They also sew a zombie arm onto the main character. Awesome, right?   http://youtu.be/glIoXwTcG60   Stevil perused Netflix and came across a gem of a documentary that had eluded him in theaters and he just got around to checking it out. Jodorowsky's Dune is about the greatest movie that never was and, even unproduced and in storyboard form, influenced everything we've seen since in mainstream blockbuster film and will see glimpses of it for years to come.   http://youtu.be/4WWu1kclNDA   Due to Stevil recommending Jodorowsky's Dune to him immediately after watching it, Demigod Rob watched it himself and continued down the Jodo rabbit hole and picked up his latest film, the first in 23 years, The Dance of Reality. It's a semi autobiographical film starring two of his sons. Captivating and disturbing, Rob says this is a must watch.   http://youtu.be/LViGerHOA28   JJ hit the theaters is a big bad way and gives us a couple of must see movies on the big screen right now. For an honorable mention, JJ says Nightcrawler is a gripping and well shot film with the best performance from Jake Gyllenhaal he's ever given. For his main pick JJ urges everyone to check out John Wick. as per usual KeanuReeves isn't the greatest actor but what he does deliver is action and in that regard it's a different style than we are used to out of this magnanimous and generous actor. Yes, it's agreed, we all want to be best friends with the guy.   http://youtu.be/u1uP_8VJkDQ http://youtu.be/C0BMx-qxsP4   For the main subject of our episode on road trip films, our panel explains why they made their choices:   "I've made it a goal to start picking movies I have never seen before. When the topic of road trip's came up, I saw an opportunity to pick Ridley Scott's Thelma and Louise. As a huge fan of this director, it was very disappointing to have to sit through a movie he only did for a paycheck and it's obvious. From a shitty script (which won an Oscar. Huh?) to really stupid main characters, I should have waited and brought a good Ridley movie." - @mattydub604   http://youtu.be/PRr0HY9MPZ0   "Oh man, how do I even explain this insanity I put everyone through for this episode. Well, it starts off innocently. David Lynch announced that we're getting more Twin Peaks in 2016, which, as a massive fan of the series, put me into Lynch mode. Wild At Heart is the film that this crazy director made during the first season of the acclaimed series. A good number of the shows cast appear in small roles but our leads are the real gems here. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern are so grandiose in their terrible performances that it's hard not to watch this movie. And that Willem Dafoe exit? Wow." - @thestevildead   http://youtu.be/7uRJartX79Q   "Is it a race through the southern states, an argument over bought versus built with love or an existentialist odyssey about obsession? Whatever it is, Monte Helman created the ultimate gearhead film with Two-Lane Blacktop. Though overlooked on it's initial run and missing from home release for close to 30 years, this movie still has to be seen."  - @demigodrob   http://youtu.be/yPbqV9CgV9s   "Beautiful American landscapes, a man on the run from the law, and a sexy 70s Challenger are just some of the aspects that make Vanishing Point one of the greatest road trip movies of all time. Add those with the films quiet, yet memorable side characters, and an ending that is still philosophically debated today, and you can see why I chose this film to discuss.." - @hesthejage   http://youtu.be/62UEDyEzpXQ   What is your favorite road trippin' flick? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below! We leave you with this fantastic homage to Vanishing Point the super group Audioslave did in their music video for "Show Me How To Live".   http://youtu.be/vVXIK1xCRpY 

Convicted Cinephiles #51- The Driving Force

As a special 50th episode extravaganza, Jstebz joins the table and this time she means business.  Thanks to some friends and Rotten Tomatoes, Jstebz throws down the most difficult movie quiz show of all time. Some of the questions are so difficult, she couldn't even provide an answer.  Have a listen and enjoy listening to your cinephiles get their butts kicked. Bonus: Michaela's buzzer.

Convicted Cinephiles #50 - Jstebz Stumps the Show

 We get a little serious this week on Cinephiles, as we tackle the documentary genre. The Boss Bitch, Jstebz joins us again for an insightful look into the death squads of Indonesia, classic recording studios, the marijuana industry and the good ol' MPAA. First of, we let Matty have the floor for a bit of a rebuttal on the stance he took on the Ghostbusters all female reboot during a recent League Cast, Jstebz would love to see Melissa McCarthy used in a sexier role and calls out Matty on his personal bias affecting other people movie choices for the Convicted Cinephiles episodes. Oh yeah, we get all sorts of cute and cuddly!   These are our Staff Picks!    Michaela is fresh off a bunch of Vancouver International Film Festival screenings and has a couple films in the must see variety and the return of a French new wave pioneer that may be best unseen. Mommy is a disturbing and controversial French-Canadian film dealing with delinquent kids, while Regarding Susan Sontag made her feel like she wasted her life. Goodbye to Language 3D, on the other hand, was possibly one of the only films of Jean-Luc Godard's career that had people going "Meh"   Stevil heads to Australia for his pick. A dusty tale of revenge set after the collapse of modern civilization, The Rover is a somber mix of great performances from it's lead stars, Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, and breathtaking cinematography. The films supporting star Scoot McNairy's name is endlessly fun for our panel to riff on and becomes the in joke for the rest of the show.   Jstebz staff pick is close in subject to her main pick for the episode. What happens when a happy go lucky stoner accidentally eats all of her psycho roomates "magical" cupcakes? Red eyed and high antics are abound in Smiley Face, starring Anna Faris. Hell, she even won a High Times award for it!   Anna Faris accepting her Stony Award for Smiley Face http://youtu.be/JGlq9HtUspk   Matty brings us a Netflix treat from a director that has given us numerous reasons to love his work. Stephen Chow returns, after giving us gems like Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle and CJ7, with Journey to the West. Matty was delighted with how this inventive director handle this story about a demon hunter. This is also the first film in a projected trilogy.   Our topic is Documentaries. Here are our choices.   "I'm always in the mood for something new, so when the idea for a documentary cast came up, I picked a film that had interested me ever since I had first heard of it. The Act of Killing had been one of the nominees for best documentary last year, and I found its description both disturbing and intriguing. Although I knew the experience was most likely going to be uncomfortable, I just had to see this film." - @avidcinephile   "My pick was one of the last chosen, so when I heard the heavy subject matter of Michaela's pick and the driven activist nature of the Boss Bitch's, I kind of felt I wanted to elevate the mood. I also had a deep love for music documentaries but hadn't yet seen Dave Grohl's Sound City and now I'm happy to say that I've seen it and am looking to watch it again really soon. Gave me a new appreciation for the artists featured in this film and the albums that were produced. Plus I'm really excited about the new Foo Fighters album and the HBO series that is leading up to it's release. Rock and Roll!!!" - @thestevildead    "I chose The Union, firstly because I had never seen it, and because Cannabis prohibition is an interesting beast. As more and more evidence of the medical benefits of Cannabis is found and the recreational use of the plant is becoming widely acceptable and even legal in some places, this touchy subject is in our mainstream media almost every day. There is a lot of misinformation and negative stigma attached to the medical and recreational use of Cannabis, and I think that much of the fear surrounding Marijuana has been propagated by people in power for financial gain. This documentary, although maybe a little sensational at times, provides a lot of truth about the War on Drugs, specifically, Cannabis." - @jstebz_   "I will say it right from the start, I don't watch documentaries often. Most of the time the subject matter is dark and depressing (Michaela's pick kind of proves my point) and I watch films to escape from the world. So picking a doc in which the subject is intriguing and not soul crushing was hard. I love movies and I love music and Steve picked music, so I went with a interesting look into the draconian and flawed system of rating movies with This Film Is Not Yet Rated." - @mattydub604   What is your favorite documentary? Do you or did you enjoy our picks? Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in the comments below! We leave you with this amazing track from the Sound City recording sessions.   http://youtu.be/L2kGNdE0b5Q 

Convicted Cinephiles #49 - Scoot! Scoot!

Convicted Cinephiles... From the brain of a self-proclaimed movie "addict" (because junkie is such a harsh term, am I right?) The League of Manchildren creator, Steve Stebbing and his hosts Matty and Michaela present a brash, informed and often funny approach to movies in this podcast. If it's a crime to know too much about film, they are serving a life sentence.

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Convicted Cinephiles

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