The Cinematic Tangent

The Cinematic Tangent is a podcast hosted by Chad Michael Van Alstin and Bradley Redder — two guys who bonded over a decade ago because they were chronically late to film class. The show’s aim is to facilitate honest conversations about movies in their cultural context, uninhibited by political dichotomies and insane social purity tests. Grab a beer, hang out with us, and reclaim your humanity. Visit: http://www.thecinematictangent.com

Episodes

XX – ‘Gladiator’ Jumps the Shark

June 23, 2025

We grew up in a time when the original Gladiator was a cultural touchstone—everyone saw this movie, and it was the talk of the proverbial water cooler. But, is it actually a good movie? We debate that, getting hung up on a pointless, long escape sequence that sees Maximus end up right back where he … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XIX – ‘American Fiction’ and ‘You People’

January 20, 2025

For this episode, we opted to compare and contrast American Fiction and You People, two comedy-dramas where contemporary racial politics are the focal point. Yet, their perspective, style, tone, themes—and demonstrated level of filmmaking competence—could not be more radically different. We thoroughly analyze both films in our patented “deep casual” style, and we ask only … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XVIII – Don Bluth

August 5, 2024

We take a deep dive into the films of animator and director Don Bluth, with special focus on The Land Before Time, An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and Anastasia. For those of us who grew up watching these movies, they are remembered for their dark subject matter and themes antithetical to Disney. … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XVII – ‘Furiosa’, the PopTart Movie, and Tangents

July 8, 2024

George Miller can’t make yet another great Mad Max movie, right? Wrong. He can and he did. And we hope he makes them forever. As we catch up on movies we’ve seen, one of them was Unfrosted. There’s a deep analysis of Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut (and its Goo Monster), followed by some light praise … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XVI – Conversation with Kevin Hershner, Director of ‘Normal Accidents’

March 18, 2024

We sat down with Chad’s old Virginia Tech classmate Kevin Hershner to discuss his film Normal Accidents. Kevin is a writer, director, and actor living in Los Angeles who is currently pitching the movie—his first feature—to festivals. Normal Accidents is an auteur satire on “one man, one location” films with a lot of levity. But, … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XV – You Used to Laugh with the People, Adam McKay

November 27, 2023

We love Adam McKay movies. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby embraces the Americana of rednecks and NASCAR culture, innocently pitting our uncouth heroes against the French liberal elites. Step Brothers is two losers resisting the urge to seek status, content with having a good time. And Anchorman? One can argue it’s a treatise … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XIV – Barbenheimer

September 18, 2023

The boys celebrate the podcast’s 10th anniversary by digging into the whole “Barbenheimer” thing. Show Notes: Mission Impossible 7 bombs because theatres are dead again:https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/mission-impossible-7-ends-its-domestic-run-by-hitting-another-disappointing-low/ar-AA1hdwR7 Censorship on Apple TV and Criterion Channel:https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarcher/2023/06/06/apple-tv-and-the-criterion-channel...

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XIII – Darren Aronofsky: Capriciously Comparing ‘The Whale’ and ‘The Wrestler’

July 24, 2023

Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and The Wrestler are very different films, but both center on a broken person, unable to achieve their former high, estranged from family and facing a new, less satisfying reality. Yet, one of these films sucks while the other is a cinematic masterpiece. Brad and Chad take a hard look at … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XII – There Should be More Beat-the-Clock Movies about the Asteroid that Killed the Dinosaurs

April 10, 2023

Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the Oscars, but Hollywood seems incapable of talking about the movie on its merits. After discussing the struggle between art and identity politics, Brad and Chad both fail to remember the plot to Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, despite seeing it multiple times. Then, CinTan praises the shit out … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

XI – It’s About a Bear that Does a Lot of Cocaine

April 3, 2023

Cocaine Bear is based on the true tale of a bear who ate cocaine and died. The movie adaptation is about a CGI blob that mauls people to death – with some admittedly cool traditional effects. After sobering up, Brad and Chad go deep on M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin, revealing the (possible) … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

X – Oscars So Blue

February 20, 2023

From The Fabelmans to Avatar: The Way of Water, Hollywood feels increasingly out of touch, both in its ability to capture what it means to be a person – and to re-capture what it meant to watch a Blockbuster in the theatre. Opining on their growing dislike of movies, the boys analyze similar trends in … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

IX – ‘Bad Santa’

December 22, 2022

This is the deepest dive into Bad Santa that you’ll find anywhere. The “Santa” that made it into theatres – and conned its way onto DVD and streaming services – is an imposter, with the cut approved by director Terry Zwigoff hidden away (at the North Pole), only to be quietly released years later. Brad … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

VIII – “Marilyn Monroe” Gets Pwnd

November 14, 2022

In a world where a cartoonishly evil cabal of men exploit damaged women from cradle to grave, Blonde takes the heroic position that that is bad. The highly sensational, fictionalized Marilyn Monroe “biopic” from Andrew Dominik is the first film released on Netflix to earn an NC-17 rating – and holy shit, it takes full … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

VII – Like This Podcast to Cancel ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’

October 31, 2022

Let’s play a game of Bodies Bodies Bodies – a new viral TikTok sensation for upper-middle-class woke kids who kill each other in manic witch hunts! After, we can all find Jesus through the (very entertaining and solidly made) gospel of Black Phone. Show Notes: Finally, our Ferris Bueller questions will be asked: https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/the-ferris-bueller-spin-off-will-let-us-revisit-key-scenes-through-other-characters...

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

VI – Narratologists Approve of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

October 24, 2022

In part 2 of a 2-part adventure, Chad and Brad finally have a civil conversation about Everything Everywhere All at Once. And then they stammer through a chat about George Miller’s Three Thousand Year of Longing. Show Notes: Freddie deBoer on Everything Everywhere All at Once: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/i-would-like-to-gently-suggest-that Tarantino read the script for Swiss Army Man: … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

V – Why Does Modern CGI Suck?

October 17, 2022

In part 1 of a 2-part adventure, Chad and Brad attempt to unravel a great mystery: How in the hell does Star Wars (1977) still look amazing when Spider-Man (2002) is aging like a Thor: Love and Thunder joke? Show Notes: Vulture piece on how Marvel SFX are an assembly line: https://www.vulture.com/article/a-vfx-artist-on-what-its-like-working-for-marvel.html (Editor’s Note: Chad … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

IV – God Damn, that Tom Cruise Fella Sure is a Movie Star

July 18, 2022

With audio now in the proper human-sounding bit rate, The Cinematic Tangent returns to discuss why Top Gun: Maverick is uniquely American. Plus, Brad and Chad mull over the themes of Crimes of the Future, while acknowledging CGI sex-violence is not particularly arousing. Show Notes: Hey Siri, what BitRate is Correct for Podcasts? We Really … Continue reading

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

III – Everything is Wrong With This Show All at Once

June 6, 2022

Audio issues and circular arguments abound, Chad and Brad bicker over Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Northman. Show Notes: Amplifying 4Chan posts for woke takes: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/apr/22/norse-code-white-supremacists-reading-the-northman-robert-eggers Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ E-mail the Show: thecinematictang...

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

II – Shit is so Corporate, Man

May 9, 2022

Chad and Brad discuss Uncharted and Jackass Forever. With a bittersweet take, Chad pontificates on how the Internet’s shift from anarchy to sanitized corporate product mirrors the evolution of Jackass. Show Notes: Chad referred to Poopies as “Poopsie” during the show. He apologizes and will do better. Bam Margera in Jackass Forever: https://screenrant.com/jackass-forever-bam-margera-filmed-scenes-fired-explained/ ...

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

I – Cut the Bullshit

April 4, 2022

Welcome to the podcast from a real-life Brad and Chad duo. Now, what the fuck happened to film? It really sucks. Show Notes: The Substack of Marxist writer Freddie deBoer that Chad is clearly a reader of: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com An example of woke praise for Nomadland that LITERALLY does not mention Amazon: https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/nomadland-2021-oscars-best-picture-winner-historic-women.html If you somehow R...

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

Hey Jonas!

Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Betrayal Weekly

Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Advertise With Us

The Cinematic Tangent

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}XX – ‘Gladiator’ Jumps the Shark

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}XIX – ‘American Fiction’ and ‘You People’

XVIII – Don Bluth

XVII – ‘Furiosa’, the PopTart Movie, and Tangents

XVI – Conversation with Kevin Hershner, Director of ‘Normal Accidents’

XV – You Used to Laugh with the People, Adam McKay

XIV – Barbenheimer

XIII – Darren Aronofsky: Capriciously Comparing ‘The Whale’ and ‘The Wrestler’

XII – There Should be More Beat-the-Clock Movies about the Asteroid that Killed the Dinosaurs

XI – It’s About a Bear that Does a Lot of Cocaine

X – Oscars So Blue

IX – ‘Bad Santa’

VIII – “Marilyn Monroe” Gets Pwnd

VII – Like This Podcast to Cancel ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’

VI – Narratologists Approve of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

V – Why Does Modern CGI Suck?

IV – God Damn, that Tom Cruise Fella Sure is a Movie Star

III – Everything is Wrong With This Show All at Once

II – Shit is so Corporate, Man

I – Cut the Bullshit

Popular Podcasts

XX – ‘Gladiator’ Jumps the Shark

XIX – ‘American Fiction’ and ‘You People’