Cosmic Circus Podcasts

’Red Rooms’ Movie Review with John & Vin! | Cosmic Circus Reviews

Red Rooms from writer-director Pascal Plante is already streaming in its home country of Canada, and will be released theatrically in the United States September 6. The French-language film stars Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne and Laurie Babin as Clementine.  The basic premise is a story about justice and danger in the internet age, with elements of David Fincher (Seven, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Mr. Robot. 
You can find a video to this podcast on our YouTube channel @thecosmiccircus
Red Rooms movie review timestamps 00:10 - Intros 00:45 - Initial thoughts on the movie. 05.55 - Influences of David Fincher (Seven, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and this film's unusual approach to investigations. 12:30 - Comparisons to Searching, clever use of screens in Red Rooms. 13:45 - Trigger warnings, and violence depicted in the film. 15:00 - Red Rooms is a great film that no one is talking about yet. 16:00 - The soundtrack of the film. 17:45 - The building of pressure in the story, some unresolved feelings or things to think and talk about afterwards with other viewers. 18:55 - Cinematography and it's effect on the narrative of the story 21:00 - SPOILER discussion begins for Red Rooms 27:15 - Clementine as a flawed character and what she represents. 31:55 - The very "meta" opening of the film. 33:20 - Final thoughts on Utopia's Red Rooms 34:40 - Outros
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com

’The Crow’ (2024) Starring Bill Skarsgård | Cosmic Circus Reviews

The Crow is a new 2024 film adaptation of the 1989 comic by James O'Barr. Directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Zach Baylin & William Schneider, the film stars Bill Skarsgård as The Crow and FKA Twigs as Shelly. This is the first film adaptation of the comic since the 1994 cult classic of the same name, directed by Alex Proyas and written by David J. Schow & John Shirley, which starred Brandon Lee as The Crow.
Despite the different creative forces, the basic story of all three versions has remained the same: After Eric Draven and his girlfriend Shelly are unexpectedly murdered, Eric comes back from the dead for revenge! Join John and Vin as they sulk through the history of The Crow and compare the two films.
Timestamps 00:10 - Intros 00:45 - Discussing the 1994 cult classic The Crow film, starring Brandon Lee, and Lee's death during filming. 011:00 - The love story in The Crow comparisons to the original 15:45 - Spoiler discussions for the new film start. 28:00 - New The Crow film makes an effort to over explain everything and yet, the story falls flat and still seems to leave important characters feel underdeveloped and difficult to connect to. The script "feels like a first draft." 35:00 - Final/overall thoughts on The Crow (2024) 36:49 - Outros
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com
 

Tatami - A Gripping High Stakes Sports/Political Drama | Cosmic Circus Reviews

Tatami is an Iranian-Israeli production based loosely on the real life story of exiled #judoka Saeid Mollaei. The film stars Arienne Mandi and Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and is directed by Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv. Part sports tournament and part political drama, Tatami is one of the most harrowing and heroic experiences of the year.
Find the full video review on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS0N2Bg0-N8
 
Timestamps for this review of Tatami 00:10 - Intro 02:00 - Tatami is a high stakes sports drama mixed with a harrowing political drama and powerful performances 04:00 - Time flies by, deeply invested in the characters and harrowing story 05:45 - Cinematography and music 06:55 - Narration in English from sports casters adds a lot to it 07:25 - Emotionally gripping story 08:00 - Sets and stunts 09:45 - Highly recommended film if you like strong women, sports drama, political drama
 
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com
 

Alien: Romulus | Cosmic Circus Reviews

Here's John and Vin's deep dive into the latest film in the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez and written by Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues. It stars Cailee Spaeny as Rain, David Jonsson as Andy, and Isabela Merced as Kay.
Find the full video review on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPpUhd1RUQ0
Alien: Romulus review timestamps 00:10 - Intro 01:00 - Initial reaction and spoiler free thoughts for Alien: Romulus. Is this The Force Awakens for Alien 10:00 - Other parallels with Star Wars. 12:15 - Watching Prometheus may add to the experience and explain some things 14:09 - Alien: Romulus in IMAX 15:30 - The quality of sets, props and cinematography 17:50 - Actor performances in the film 19:30 - New additions to android lore and theories 20:45 - Beginning of spoiler discussion for Alien: Romulus. Issues with new rules for alien development and hybrid alien growth. 34:45 - Mixing all of the previous films in one, Easter eggs, and call backs 41:19 - Ridley Scott's first film, and the lack of philosophical questions in Romulus. 47:00 - Ripley vs Rain as our main hero 49:30 - Feeling less connected with the new group of characters than some previous films 50:23 - A need for a woman to direct or write something in the Alien franchise finally 53:20 - Ranking the Alien films  55:00 - Talking about the upcoming Alien TV series 56:00 - Outro
John's early reaction to Romulus https://youtu.be/fiqL6Lz55b4?si=O5wqY9lms9EdIAdv
John and Vin's retrospective review of the Alien films https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PtoNooZTA
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com
 

Alien Movies Retrospective | Cosmic Circus Reviews

John & Vin reminisce over their first encounter with Alien and share their thoughts on the Alien film franchise ahead of the release of Alien: Romulus.
For the full video of this review go to YouTube @TheCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PtoNooZTA
Timestamps
00:10 - Intros  (SPOILERS) 01:10 - Introduction to the Alien franchise 04:58 - James Cameron and Aliens 08:30 - Alien 3 Assembly Cut vs Theatrical cut, Aliens Special Edition vs theatrical cut 13:20 - Aliens, Terminator 2, Avatar & James Cameron. Parallels between films 18:15 - first Alien film and Romulus 19:00 - more on Alien 3 and Aliens 28:55 - Alien Resurrection 36:30 - Expectations for Alien: Romulus 40:44 - Would we want to see a new trilogy from Alien coming out of this, or something else such as a remake of Alien vs Predator? 43:35 - Alien cameo in Spaceballs 45:30 - Ridley Scott's Alien and that brilliant first reveal of the monster, Jaws in space 46:50 - Outros
For John's early reaction to Alien: Romulus go to https://youtu.be/fiqL6Lz55b4?si=imb4_CA6z5uaQQ9R
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com
 

The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) | Cosmic Circus Reviews

Vin reviews the 2024 French film The Count of Monte Cristo from directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. Let us know below in the comments if you want to check out this movie when it hits theaters near you!
Find the full video review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0InqJz1eE
Timestamps 00:10 - Intro 00:35 - The story of The Count of Monte Cristo 01:30 - Cinematography and score of this new film 02:27 - Adapting the story from the famous book 03:55 - is a 3 hour movie too long or not enough time to tell this story? 04:45 - The Count of Monte Cristo as an inspiration for superhero and masked vigilantes seeking justice in films and a classic archetype. 05:55 - The Three Musketeers - Part I: D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers - Part II: Milady, 2023 films from the same filmmakers. 06:36 - Outros
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com

Trap Starring Josh Hartnett, Directed by M. Night Shyamalan | Cosmic Circus Reviews

John and Vin talk about the new M. Night Shyamalan film Trap starring Josh Hartnett. 
For the full video review go to YouTube @TheCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgz4cRUJndA
Timestamps 00:10 - Intro 00:49 - Initial thoughts on and expectations about Trap before seeing the film 03:00 - Expectations vs reality seeing Trap 05:15 - absurd moments in the movie 05:55 - John Hartnett and his character in Trap 08:00 - Rashomon effect, multiple stories could have been told from several different character perspectives. 10:13 - Compared to our recently reviewed movie Twisters 11:16 - Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven in the film 12:00 - Compaints 14:56 - SPOILER discussion about Trap 27:20 - Comparing Trap to the rest of M. Night Shyamalan's filmography. 30:00 - Concert portion of the film, comparing the film to some of Ryan Johnson's work such as the Knives Out films, and Looper. 31:49 - Why he can't seem to recapture what he had in Sixth Sense 34:36 - Outros
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com
 

Twisters 4DX Experience | Cosmic Circus Reviews

John and Vin talk about the Twisters movie 4DX experience! Find out if this is a must see or if it's too much of a good thing!
Timestamps 00:15 - Intro 00:40 - Did Vin survive the Twisters 4DX experience? 03:50 - Talking about older and shorter 4DX experiences. 06:30 - How is the immersive experience with 4DX Twisters? 07:57 - Would Vin do it again? 08:15 - Outro
 
Find the video review on YouTube @theCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWMx448WIbk
Vin and John's review of Twisters: https://youtu.be/bMvSpoQ8tEU?si=yrPw-NzUpzWzn_z9
Brian's ScreenX experience for Twisters: https://thecosmiccircus.com/review-twisters-screenx-experience/
John's written review of Twisters: https://thecosmiccircus.com/twisters-review-universal/
 

Deadpool & Wolverine Discussion with John and Vin! | Cosmic Circus Reviews

John and Vin talk about the newest Marvel Studios film, Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
Timestamps 00:12 - Intros 00:54 - General thoughts on Deadpool & Wolverine, comparisons to Toy Story 3 06:55 - Discussing the gratuitous use of cameos, and what was the purpose of these characters appearing or the movie itself 09:05 - SPOILER WARNING and more talk about the various cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine. 14:25 - Comparing this film to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 16:27 - What worked in Deadpool 3 19:00 - This film and how it compared to the Fox Universe of Marvel films. X-Men Fox movies talk. 22:15 - Vin's Deadpool comics reading guides are mentioned and he says, "the best Deadpool stories are the ones where he suffers the most." They discuss how the stakes should have felt higher than they did in Deadpool & Wolverine 24:00 - The confusing elements of the plot with the Multiverse, the TVA and Cassandra Nova. 25:50 - Strong feelings about Wolverine's yellow suit 27:25 - The end of Toy Story 3 being compared to Deadpool & Wolverine 28:54 - How we feel about Marvel's Multiverse Saga so far 30:15 - James Gunn's DC universe... does Marvel's issues help DC Studios? 32:20 - Deadpool 1 & 2 had real emotions and a good story, whereas Deadpool & Wolverine lacks. 33:55 - Outros
 
For the full video of this review go to YouTube @thecosmiccircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJUMYwucuM
Links referred to in this video...
Uday's movie review of Deadpool & Wolverine: https://thecosmiccircus.com/deadpool-wolverine-review-marvel-studios/
Vin's Deadpool Comics Guide: https://thecosmiccircus.com/deadpool-reading-guide/
Vin's Wolverine Comics Guide: https://thecosmiccircus.com/wolverine-reading-guide/
The Cosmic Circle Podcast Discussion of Deadpool & Wolverine with Brian Kitson, Anthony Flagg & Alex Perez: https://thecosmiccircus.com/deadpool-wolverine-discussion-cosmic-circle-ep-60/
 

Marvel Studios Hall H Panel at SDCC 2024 with Alex Perez! | The Cosmic Circle

San Diego Comic-Con is one of the most significant pop culture events of the year, and this year's celebration was especially hot if you are a Marvel fan! It feels like forever since the last Hall H presentation from the studio back in 2022, so it was electric to have Marvel front and center once again. Marvel's Hall H panel this year focused mainly on three of their upcoming projects: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four: First Steps and also had some big reveals for Avengers 5 and 6.  In episode 61 of The Cosmic Circle, podcast host Brian Kitson with fellow writers Anthony Flagg and Alex Perez discuss reveals from the panel.  Insider Alex Perez also shares some of what he knows about the future of the MCU and how the Multiverse Saga will come to a close, so beware of spoilers in this podcast!
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Brian Kitson
Anthony Flagg
Alex Perez
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Find the companion article to this podcast at https://thecosmiccircus.com

Deadpool & Wolverine Movie and Beyond Talk with Brian, Alex, and Anthony! | The Cosmic Circle

Deadpool and Wolverine has finally arrived, and we're beyond excited about this film. Not only does it have the responsibility of furthering the story of the MCU, but it also serves as a closing chapter of the 20th Century Fox universe of Marvel characters. So naturally, we had to have a podcast about it! (Spoiler warning!)
Join host and head writer Brian Kitson and fellow writers Anthony Flagg and Alex Perez as they discuss every exciting detail of this newest Marvel Studios offering. Did they think Deadpool and Wolverine was a good movie? What were some of their favorite parts? And just where do they think we'll see these two mutants again in the MCU? This is definitely not a podcast you want to miss, as Alex Perez shares some juicy details about what's next for our favorite merch with the mouth and his newfound family. Enjoy!
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Brian Kitson
Anthony Flagg
Alex Perez
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 7/28/2024
Find the companion article to this podcast at https://thecosmiccircus.com

Twisters Movie Review with John and Vin! | Cosmic Circus Reviews

Twisters starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones and directed by Lee Isaac Chung! Check out Vin and John's thoughts on the sequel film, what worked and what didn't, and comparisons to the original Twister film (1996). 
Timestamps 00:10 - Intros 01:00 - Talking about John's history with the first Twisters movie from 1996 06:00 - Thoughts from a first-time viewer (Vin) of Twister & and Twisters. Comparing the films and general thoughts with no spoilers. 09:45 - Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Twisters 11:40 - John's written review on TheCosmicCircus.com and more on comparing the new film with the original 14:30 - SPOILERS for Twisters discussed from this point on 23:30 - Talking about the soundtrack 24:40 - The legacy of Twister and connections (or lack thereof) between the films. 29:00 - On creating a sequel vs a remake 32:08 - Rodeo scene discussed 34:45 - Outros
 
Find the video review on YouTube @theCosmicCircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMvSpoQ8tEU
For John's review of Twisters: https://thecosmiccircus.com/twisters-review-universal/
Brian's review of Twisters and his ScreenX experience: https://thecosmiccircus.com/review-twisters-screenx-experience/
Vin's review of the Twisters 4DX experience https://youtu.be/ZWMx448WIbk?si=hE2nI4THQ1lJ6B_I
 

Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 1 Discussion with Uday, Cam & Vic | The Cosmic Circle

After seven weeks of mystery, The Acolyte has wrapped up its first season on Disney+. Set during the end of the High Republic era, this Star Wars series was the first live-action show to break out of the Skywalker-dominated time period viewers often find themselves in. Between secret twins, sexy Sith, and the Jedi Order’s shockingly poor decision-making, The Acolyte was never a dull time! 
Join host Uday Kataria (X: @GoldenNinja3000) and his guests Vic (X: @Eridrexalkee) and Cam (X: @camandfilm) as they dive into the secrets uncovered in The Acolyte and what they mean for the past and future of Star Wars. This episode discusses everyone’s favorite parts of the show, what we could see in a potential Acolyte season 2, and what we all thought of Osha, Mae, Sol, and Qimir by the end of this breakneck series. 
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Uday Kataria
Wiktor Reinfuss
Cameron Brook
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 7/21/2024
Find the companion article to this podcast at https://thecosmiccircus.com

Christina Chong of Audible’s ’Impact Winter’ | Exclusive Interview

Audible has been one of the leaders in the industry for audiobooks, with a one-stop shop for any title you can imagine. They've also branched out into original programming, such as Impact Winter from Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim) and executive producers of The Walking Dead. I sat down with actress Christina Chong (La'an Noonien-Singh in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) about her role in Impact Winter's third season.
In this interview, Christina Chong discusses what drew her to this series and how her mysterious new character factors into the larger mythos of this Audible original. Chong discusses how recording an audio drama differs from acting on screen, how she gets into character, and the challenges and rewards she experienced with recording her first audio drama. Also, find out just how she would fare if she lived in the world of Impact Winter! Check out the interview below!
Host/Interviewer: Brian Kitson
Theme: "Coffee and You" via Pixabay.
Find the companion article to this podcast on thecosmiccircus.com

Longlegs starring Nicholas Cage! | Cosmic Circus Reviews

New Neon thriller/horror film Longlegs staring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage and was written and directed by Osgood Perkins. Find out what John had to say about this new film here.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Story and characters in Longlegs 02:50 - Going in without prior knowledge about this movie is the best way to approach it. 04:20 - Maika Monroe is a strong lead 06:12 - Dynamics between the lead characters, and opinion on Nicolas Cage's performace in Longlegs 10:30 - Cinematography in this film 13:20 - About Lee Harker's character 15:50 - Final thoughts on the film. 18:00 - Outro
 
For Max's review of Longlegs visit https://thecosmiccircus.com/longlegs-review-neon/
Find the full video review on YouTube @thecosmiccircus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFMu4Yaws6U
For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com