Cinema Roast Bunch

It's Connuary! Our Sean Connery mini-series commences with the 1975 adventure classic, inspired by Rudyard Kipling's 1888 novella. A film that could have easily become a culturally insensitive period piece has, instead, proven its enduring quality as a tale of brotherly love and adventure. We were all pleasantly surprised by our enjoyment of this episode, which also marks the inaugural episode of CRB Trivia! The upcoming ...

This week: It is Into the Clancy-verse with 1990's stellar political thriller The Hunt for Red October. The Bunch breaks down the real political tension of the time, the source material, the creatives behind this remarkable adaptation, and, of course, Sean Connery's hair. John McTiernan had a hell of a run during the peak of his career, but is Red October his best? Time to find out...

John’s Official Clancy Reading Order:

1...

In 1986, the world was introduced to Connor MacLeod, and it was never the same since. What was initially a novel concept for a schlocky, mid-80s action film was eventually expanded into a full-on franchise, with multiple sequels and even a six-season TV series. Today, we're not worrying about all that. We delved into the original film, examining its blemishes, continuity errors, and delightful charm. 

Just as we get the news of...

Our Black Christmas journey comes to an end with a (kiss kiss) bang! What should have been an instant classic, 2016's The Nice Guys is instead capping off the Cinema Roast Bunch's look at the directorial work of writer/director Shane Black. As we delved deep into the film, trying our best to recap and do it justice, our appreciation only grew. Lightning in a bottle, this. Just a shame he never directed anything after this...

Black Christmas is approaching its peak with a look at the hysterical 2005 murder/mystery that put Robert Downey Jr. back on the map and graced us with perhaps the best performance of Val Kilmer's career. This raucous, vulgar, and hysterical romp through the crime and snark-ridden streets of 2005 LA is as delightful as it is sharp. If that wasn't enough, breaking down the film's central mystery may be our biggest cha...

It is a solemn day for the Cinema Roast Bunch... As the crew embarks on their (Shane) Black Christmas voyage, they encounter their biggest obstacle yet: a film so bad that it nearly tanked its franchise forever before being miraculously resuscitated in 2022 thanks to the efforts of one Dan Trachtenberg and his remarkable return to form Prey. Despite the usually sharp pen of writer/director Shane Black, who famously starred in the o...

This week, what begins as a cautiously interested first look at the star-studded, Steve Martin and Debra Winger-led dramedy leads the Bunch down a rabbithole of theology, morality, and frustrating ambiguity about the film's own theological motives. The crew certainly dissects its message and portrayal of religion and those who practice it, but more importantly, how they feel about the whole thing to begin with?

Didn't take...

This time, the Bunch checks out James Cameron's 1994 comedic spy thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis just in time for its 4K release. Along the way, some of the worst impressions that have ever been attempted are unleashed onto an unsuspecting populace and for that: Listener Discretion is Advised. Is this Arnold's best role? Did the famously demanding Cameron make Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis go ...