Cinphomaniac

Episode 2 of 2 on Twin Peaks The ReturnCONTENT WARNING: The following episode contains frank discussions concerning the trauma resulting from sexual abuse/rape/incest and domestic violence, as well as the complexities of its depictions in Twin Peaks and the complexities of interpreting David Lynch's intentions with, and execution of,  said subject matter.In October of 2021, Cinphomaniac celebrated their inaugural Lynchtober - a celebration and deep dive into the body of work of David Lynch. In what had been planned to be the grand finale to that inaugural season, the co-hosts recorded a mega pod to cover Twin Peaks - "The Return". However, the episode was not released... until now. A pod so big (bigger than the 5 hrs on original run Twin Peaks) that it has to be released in two installments (Parts, Acts, whatever).Originally Recorded November 11th, 202100:00 Intro01:35 The Love That Remains03:58 Doctor Amp, Capitalist Realism, & The Double R Redemption of Ed, Norma & Nadine15:13 Candy & Cherry Pie: The Mitchum Brothers19:47 Balancing The Jones's22:33 She's Gone Away: PART VIII - THE BIG ONE31:04 My Prayer To Frogmoth: Drink Full & Descend33:39 To Trap A Judy: The Major's Gambit40:29 Dreams Within Dreams, Shows Within Shows: The Edge Of Reality45:16 Listen To The Sounds50:32 Tulpa Talk1:05:28 Discussing Diane: Under The Spell Of Trauma1:12:41 Audrey Horne & The Sands Of Time1:15:35 The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane1:18:11 FINALE: A Time For Judy - Beef Jerky & Bloody Mary Mix1:26:33 She's Gone Away…   An Ignored Palmer Family: The Isolation of Trauma & The Desolation Of Indifference To Suffering; No Light Inside The House1:29:10 Diane & The Shadow: Richard & Linda1:35:00 Carrie Page - At Dream's Edge1:40:29 Laura Palmer: From A Shout To A Whisper1:46:16 Lynch, Twin Peaks, & The Gift That Keeps On Giving1:53:20 Laura Is The One - Now & Forever

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode contains frank discussions concerning the trauma resulting from sexual abuse/rape/incest and domestic violence, as well as the complexities of its depictions in Twin Peaks and the complexities of interpreting David Lynch's intentions with, and execution of,  said subject matter.In October of 2021, Cinphomaniac celebrated their inaugural Lynchtober - a celebration and deep dive into the body of work of David Lynch. In what had been planned to be the grand finale to that inaugural season, the co-hosts recorded a mega pod to cover Twin Peaks - "The Return". However, the episode was not released... until now. A pod so big (bigger than the 5 hrs on original run Twin Peaks) that it has to be released in two installments (Parts, Acts, whatever).Originally Recorded November 11th, 202100:00 Intro02:36 That Gum You Like Is Coming Back In Style24:07 Remembering The Leaks34:56 Mark Frost & The Secret History45:45 Twin Peaks 101 Redux1:03:00 PART 1*1:07:47 The Judy Experiment: Sam & Tracy1:18:17 A World Of Truck Drivers1:30:11 Law & Order: There's A Body Alright1:41:48 Beginning At The Curtain Call1:53:11 The Ghost In The Junk Machine2:00:36 NON-EXISTENCE2:08:20 Judy Is Our House Now2:11:37 “SHADOW,” For The Last Time2:16:42 PART 3: The “Pure Heroin” Lynch (3 & 15)2:32:42 The American Girl - Who Is..?2:40:57 Teach Me How To Dougie - Rubber Soul Mix, “[Luck] Walk With Me”3:03:53 Meet The Jones's: The American Dream Is Dead3:23:50 119! The Sickness Is Everywhere3:35:45 Difficult Men: Broken Families & Junk Food3:54:45 The Antidote: Carl & The Return To Love4:03:50 Intermission - See you in Act 2…

BONUS Episode: When recording our Top Gun: Maverick episode (coming to the feed next!) Marcus and Dana entered a long discussion on the troubled history of recent Star Wars fandom, particularly as it pertains to the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. After clearing the air on that, they talk about the good news coming from the Memorial Day Weekend Star Wars Celebration as well as spoilers for the first 2 parts (no talk of Part 3) of Kenobi.Recorded June 3rd, 202200:00 Intro00:10 The Dark Side: Star Wars Fans, Politics, and the Moses Ingram Response07:31 Fear Leads To Anger: The Force Awakens, Mary Sue, & The Roots Of The “Woke” Conspiracy14:08 Anger Leads To Hate: The Last Jedi And The Right-Wing Internet Media Industrial Complex18:52 Hate Leads To Suffering: Forever Will It Dominate Your Destiny22:22 Celebration: Restoring Balance To The Force29:08 Obi-Wan Lives (Talking Parts 1 & 2)

Cinphomaniac returns to the MCU Multiverse for this jam-packed installment of the pod. Before taking the trip from 616 to 838 and beyond, Marcus and Dana discuss the brilliance of Ben Stiller's Zoolander, the onslaught of Prestige TV this spring, and the trailers for Obi-Wan Kenobi and House of the Dragon. Upon enter the Multiverse Of Madness, they discuss the whether the film is bad, good, or mid-tier, the effect of the in flux Phase 4 slate on the production and final product, the role of Sam Raimi's direction and legacy, the role of Wanda, and, as always when in the MCU, where we're at, where we've been, and just where the heck we're going next!Recorded May 11, 2022

We're going berserker mode this time on Cinphomaniac as Marcus and Dana speak in awe of Robert Eggers's 2022 film, The Northman, a historical and spiritual revenge epic starring Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, and Cleas Bang, with Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. We go all in on exploring the meanings and impacts of the film's notable common ancestry and its pop cultural, "hero with a thousand faces," connections.Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of rape and sexual slavery, most notably between 1:37:49 and 1:51:46 - please be advised and proceed with the necessary understanding and caution.Recorded April 27th, 2022

Jump across infinity with Cinphomaniac this week as Marcus and Dana breakdown the juvenile joys and bravura spectacle of Daniels' new film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring living legend Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Embark with us as we explore the film's connections to Hong Kong cinema, The Matrix, many worlds interpretation, causality and choice, existentialism vs. nihilism, and wether the film is in fact an instant class and/or masterpiece.Recorded April 6th, 2022

This week we at long last say goodbye to the films of 2021 and the Awards Season with a Cinphomaniac double header. First, Marcus and Dana react to The Slap Heard Around The World and all the Will Smith v. Chris Rock drama and fallout, as well as a number of other assorted topics from the week, before transitioning into Cinphomaniac's very own Awards Show - The Cinpho Awards!!!! That's right - Marcus and Dana convene to nominate and select their respective honors. Tensions will run high!The Slapscars portion was recorded on March 30th, 2022The Cinpho Awards were recorded on February 23rd, 2022

Ahead of the Oscars, we talk Licorice Pizza, the latest film from American Cinema god, Paul Thomas Anderson. Marcus and Dana debate their opposing takes, as well as dive deep into the film's fascinating origins, its unique impact of the Specialty Theatrical Box Office in the US, its use of real Hollywood legends, the relationship between PTA and his beloved Valley and the HAIM sisters, before finally unpacking the methods and meanings behind its complicated subversion of the Screwball Comedy genre.From The Archive - Originally Recorded January 26th, 2022

Back in Black to SPOIL and hyper analyze the reigning box office king! Marcus and Dana rundown their takes on the new franchise reboot for 2022, The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves and staring Robert Pattinson as the latest to portray the modern myth. They discuss how and why the movie seemed engineered for our brand - it's got everything, Noir ambitions, zeitgeist, liberals and fascists, S&M kink, Nirvana, rain, carpet tools, scuffed lenses, twins with earpieces that don't work, muscle cars, clubs within clubs, a stacked cast, and supposed lineage that includes Hitchcock, DePalma, Fritz Lang, Fincher, Friedkin, and more. This one goes out to the real perverts and maniacs.Recorded March 9th, 2022

You didn't come here to make the choice to listen to our Matrix 4 Spoiler discussion, you've already made it. Marcus and Dana debate the merits of this ultra divisive sequel, discuss what was so polarizing about the already polarizing previous sequels, explain why Resurrections is the anti-thesis to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, and most importantly, unpack the fundamental ideas and contradictions of human existence explored in the film and franchise.

Welcome back! It's now 2022! To launch their Second Season, Marcus and Dana catch up on what they've been watching, the DOA Awards Season, the magic of Danny McBride - with a look back at The Foot-Fist Way, Safdie Brothers movies, and Marcus gives his pitch for a (COMING SOON) new special episode series - "The Genre Venn Diagram"...

All Spoilers, All the time - Marcus and Dana discuss the box office record breaking film's plot, themes, surprises, and what might follow.Recorded on December 22nd 2021(lo-fi sound [lower than even our average] was due to travel; apologies)

The new year is nearly upon us, but Cinphomaniac has a few more Christmas gifts to give before the holiday season concludes! Marcus and Dana each give their respective Top 5 Holiday Jams, along with some honorable mentions, of course!Recorded on December 22nd 2021(lo-fi sound [lower than even our average] was due to travel; apologies)

Recorded 12/15/21:On the latest Rapid Fire, Marcus gives a SPOILER FREE review of Don't Look Up, written, co-produced, and directed by Adam McKay, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astronomers attempting to warn humanity, via a media tour, about an approaching comet that will destroy Earth. Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Tomer Sisley, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert Joy, Cate Blanchett, and Meryl Streep round out the cast.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday from Cinphomaniac! To celebrate, Marcus and Dana talk the 1990 all time classic starring MaCaulay Culkin, directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes. Not content to stick to the usual listicle theories or casual viewing reactions, we unmask the film for what it really has to say about the contradictions held within the American Christmas and  the dark heart behind our blue eyed and blonde haired alleged innocent.Also, they discuss the abomination that is 2021's Home Sweet Home Alone. Good riddance!Recorded 12/15/21

SPOILER FREE - Marcus reacts to and reviews the 4th film in the franchise, directed by Lana Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

A quick SPOILER FREE reaction to 2021's MCU blockbuster.

November is here but Lynchtober isn't over just yet! In our penultimate episode of the season, we find ourselves on the limo climbing up Mulholland Drive, David Lynch's most acclaimed masterpiece. Released in 2001, the now 20 year old film endures along with its mysteries. That is, unless, Marcus and Dana can provide all the answers for you! They discuss David Lynch's Dream Team of cast and crew, from Naomi Watts in her star making role to Production Designer Jack Fisk to the cameo by Billy Ray Cyrus. But, prepare to go as deep as deep gets as we explore the  terrible truth about Hollywood - something people take for granted as old news in 2021.

Marvel Studios + Chloé Zhao - Rotten Tomatoes + Cinphomaniac = ____

Reviewing Edgar Wrights's Last Night In Soho - starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Diana Rigg, and Terence Stamp.  Welcome to Rapid Fire! Not the Brandon Lee film, but our new sub-series! As we enter the busiest season of new releases and awards bait we want to stay as up to date as we can, while also keeping the main show as in depth and varied as we have. The solution: Rapid Fire - super short episodes - 10 mins or less - that cover the initial hot take after a film is released, as soon as it's released (or as close as we can get to it, sometimes even before its released).

(NO SPOILERS for plot beyond 2021's Dune: Part One)Lynchtober on Cinphomaniac continues, but with a twist! With the highly anticipated release of French-Canadian auteur Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel, Dune, having finally arrived, we take a deep dive into that film - using it as the means to comparatively discuss David Lynch's disowned 1984 adaptation of the same novel. Marcus and Dana take on opposing perspectives here - the former having respectfully abstained from viewing Lynch's film but having immersed himself in the novel, while the latter swears by the 84 film, holding it above Denis's 2021 work. Also discussed is Alejandro Jodorowsky's never filmed adaptation, as well as Dune's relationship to films like Lawrence of Arabia and Apocalypse Now - prompting a thorough examining of the Dune universe's relationship to colonialism, imperial military occupation, messianic mythology, capitalism, patriarchy vs. matriarchy, and prophetic religious traditions. For that, and much more, pease enjoy Part Four of Lynchtober!

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode contains frank discussions concerning the trauma resulting from sexual abuse/rape/incest and domestic violence, as well as the complexities of its depictions in Twin Peaks and the complexities of interpreting David Lynch's intentions with, and execution of,  said subject matter.In Part Three of Cinphomaniac's Lynchtober, Marcus and Dana journey back 30 years to when everything changed for David Lynch - when he, and Mark Frost, through the intercourse between two worlds, brought Laura Palmer onto the screen. Fitting of Lynch, Twin Peaks can often seem impenetrable. Many have obsessively attempted to "explain" its mysteries and make sense of where they came from. Some would say they've even succeeded. Indeed, it can be said. While paying tribute to those who came before, Cinphomaniac will now attempt to do the same. Come hear us in the wind, that blows, through the trees...5 hours later... MEANWHILE...

Lynchtober on Cinphomaniac continues with Blue Velvet,  David Lynch's 1986 Psychological Thriller and Neo-Noir - some may say "masterpiece" (we don't, but we love it none the less), starring Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini, and Dennis Hopper. Marcus and Dana talk about that iconic cast, its uniting of Lynch with composer Angelo Badalamenti and vocalist Julee Cruise, the twisted brilliance of Hopper as the meme machine Sandman - Frank Booth, the complexity of tackling the film's relationship to misogyny and consent via both its roots in the Noir genre and the films Freudian explorations of sexual desire and fetish, as well as the writing of the female characters - Dorthy and Sandy, the economic and political history - past and present - that inform how we should understand the post-industrial American small-city, what The Lost Footage warns us about the film that could've been, and the film's long lasting legacy and impact. All that and even more - in Part 2 of Lynchtober!

Cinphomaniac welcomes you to the inaugural episode of Lynchtober!!! To kick things off, Marcus and Dana journey back beyond to David Lynch's feature film debut, 1977's Eraserhead - starring Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Judith Anna Roberts, Laurel Near, Jack Fisk, and Jeanne Bates. We theorize on, interpret upon, and confess awestruck to, the haunting visions, maximalist sound design, high contrast cinematography, and deep psychological pricking of the film, as well its heavy foreshadowing for all things Lynch to come, including the film's full circle second coming by way of 2017's Twin Peaks. We also discuss the history, anthropology, evolutionary biology, and politics of infanticide and postpartum depression, which is at the core of this text.

This time Cinphomaniac tackles Gloria, the 1980 studio genre classic from independent cinema pioneer John Cassavetes, starring his frequent collaborator and partner, Gena Rowlands, in an all-time legendary performance in the titular role. Marcus and Dana discuss the film's status as quintessential piece of "real" New York cinema and what defines "real" New York cinema, as opposed to "Welcome To New York" pop-aganda. They also breakdown the storied filmography of Cassavetes and Rowlands, Cassavetes's debut feature, Shadows, and much more.From The Archive - May 5th, 2021

If you've never heard of Barbara Loden's Wanda (1970), Cinphomaniac is here this week to correct that. Marcus and Dana throughly dissect this once forgotten masterpiece of early American Independent Cinema - the one and only feature film its mesmerizing star, Barbara Loden, ever would direct in her all too brief life. They discuss Loden's incredibly nuanced and detailed performance as the title character, as well as its level of immense specificity in every other aspect, with its emphasis on naturalism, transgression, power, and class. Also discussed is the rich legacy of the type of complex female driven stories that Wanda would herald, from filmmakers like Andrea Arnold, Jane Campion, and Chloe Zhao, as well as the eye opening TV appearance Loden made to promote the film on The Dick Cavett Show. Don't miss this one!

The Box Office has a new king and his name is Shang-Chi. Once again, Cinphomaniac is here to tell you just how we got here. Marcus and Dana unpack the decision making of Marvel Studios from Iron Man 1 to 3 to the Ancient One to "An Experiment." Before diving into Marvel, however, they visit Criterion's 61 New York Stories and highlight Martin Scorsese's After Hours and Abel Ferrara's King Of New York. Then, after throughly dissecting Shang-Chi, we revisit the Phase 4 slate - thus far and up coming - to check in with all the pieces on the board. Buckle up, this is another Daft Punk Too Long one!!!

On this episode of Cinphomaniac, we discuss the unusual arrival of would-be Summer Blockbusters in August, such as James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and Shawn Levy's Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds. With the former, Marcus and Dana explore what a DCEU reboot-quel means, how the film compares to Gunn's Guardians films, whether or not the film's attempts to be surprising fall flat, and if it's even worth discussing its winks towards American Empire in the Global South. With the later, they find a shocking amount of depth and perhaps a very real call to, anti-corporate and anti-capital, collective political action, along with a whole lot of resonance to social philosophy, and just the sheer joys of surface level Big Hollywood Cheese coming back in a big big way thanks to the efforts of Ryan Reynolds and his collaborators.From The Archive: August 18th, 2021

Marcus says goodbye to all of Evangelion on this Special Bonus edition of Cinphomaniac. He covers just how we got here, what purpose the Rebuild films serve, how they've evolved, where Q/3.0 left off, the long wait, Anno's personal struggles to finish the story, the big and greatly necessary surprises of 3.0+1.0's astonishingly beautiful Act 1, the significance of Kensuke Aida, the second act's avalanche of lore, the metatext explosion of the third act, and it's moving send offs to its characters. Also, Mari, because Mari is important.

MAJOR SPOILERS!!!! For Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) & End Of Evangelion (1997) and minor spoilers for Evangelion 1.0 (2007), 2.0 (2009), and 3.0 (2012). Spoiler Free for Evangelion 3.0+1.0 (2021). In this special bonus episode - the first of two celebrating the international and streaming release of Evangelion 3.0+1.0 (2021) - Marcus explains and recaps the story, themes, and lore of Evangelion to catch you up before we dive into his full review of the latest film and the story's grand finale. Perfect for anyone who's never seen any Evangelion and doesn't mind hearing some spoilers that may ultimately enhance their appreciation of the franchise even if they're only now planning on diving in, as well as those who've spent the last decade forgetting just what the heck happened!!!

This week Cinphomaniac visits the 1963 under-appreciated masterpiece, The Servant - written by Harold Pinter, directed by Joseph Losey, and starring Dirk Bogarde in an absolutely iconic tour de force performance. Marcus and Dana breakdown the film's highly transgressive, for the time, explorations of class, sex, drugs, power, and Jungian Psychology. Being one of Marcus's Top Five Films Of All-Time, he probes the deepest levels of its endless re-watchability, while Dana lends the perspective of a first time viewer to the film's many shocking twists and unconventional structure. They also discuss Dirk Bogarde's incredible body of work, including a brief breakdown of two of his other, far ahead of their time, classics, Accident (1967) and Cast A Dark Shadow (1955), as well as The Servant's other brilliant lead and supporting performances from James Fox, Sarah Miles, and Wendy Craig.From the archive: April 7th, 2021

It's Mid-Summer time and Cinphomaniac is celebrating with an official 10 movie countdown. Marcus and Dana have each chosen five films that represent their summer vibe, plus two dozen other honorable mentions between them!!! Blue skies, blue waters, green grass, sunlight, and a whole lot of sweat await you!!

"Policy is to suppress" may be a tenet of Tenet, but it's anything but for Cinphomaniac. This week, Marcus and Dana invert their intuitions in order to demystify and illuminate Christopher Nolan's 2020 cipher of a movie, TENET, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Dimple Kapadia, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. We breakdown time inversion, the most confusing set-pieces, what's a Temporal Pincer, the roles of causality, determinism, free will, compatibilism, anti-compatibilism, solipsism, objectivity, plus the ramifications of class, capitalism, global politics, climate disaster, Cold War history, and Imperial Superpowers on the themes of the film, as well as the 2020 pandemic release controversy, what's a Christopher Nolan-ism, the score & soundtrack, the IMAX presentation, and just why the hell the protagonist is known only as, literally, "The Protagonist." All that and even more. When in doubt - "don't try to understand it, feel it."

Marcus and Dana venture into the world of Academy Award Winning, Animation Legend,  Hayao Miyazaki, with his 1984 classic Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind - the film that birthed Studio Ghibli and countless imitators across the world and multiple mediums. We unpack all of that and talk about the cost of environmental devastation and warfare - as it "hurts me soul." Along the way - in another supersize episode - we forecast whats to come with the podcast, as well as touch on Japanese culture, the Anime Industry, what makes a good English Dub, Miyazaki's other works, like Princess Mononoke, Isao Takahata and Grave Of the Fireflies, Hideaki Anno and Evangelion, and what blockbuster video games like Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last Of Us Part II may owe to Nausicaa.

Do pixie girls dream of manic cinema? Just what is the deal with Chungking Express, the beautiful and mysterious 1994  masterpiece from celebrated Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai starring Faye Wong, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Brigitte Lin, and Valerie Chow. Marcus and Dana unpack and decipher a film that bathes in its own contradictions like murky tub water - or is it an uncleaned aquarium? Apartments and Men cry. Mules run off with butt drugs. And, sometimes you just want someone to like the same 60's pop song as you.From the archive - June 23rd, 2021Stick around through the end of the recording to hear Marcus pay his tribute to a dearly departed personal hero of his, Michael Brooks, on the anniversary of his passing.NOTE: Tremendous apologies for technical issues with the sound in some areas - which unfortunately effects the tribute at the end.

Marvel Studios is having quite the week with both Black Window hitting theaters at long last, and the Loki Season 1 Finale dropping on Disney+ and Marcus and Dana are all about it! But, how did we get here? And, moreover, where is this all going? We break down the corporate studio politics and long term storytelling ambitions to get to the bottom of the who's and why's of these events. Is Black Widow any good? Did Loki deliver on its hype? What's coming in the rest of 2021, 22, 23, and beyond? The takes are in.From the archive - July 14th, 2021

For the hungry boy. Marcus and Dana got all dressed up for this one (though you wont be seeing it! - for now)! In this episode, the duo cover the 8th Feature Film from Writer & Director Paul Thomas Anderson - 2017's Phantom Thread. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock (possibly the greatest name in fiction), Vicky Krieps as Alma, and Lesley Manville as Cyril, in a film set predominantly in 1950's London, where the House of Woodcock is the most lauded dressmaker in the world. This film has everything: a double hairbrush system, spreading on toast, drunk bimbos, crinkled and erect collars, capes, perfume sniffing, chunks of butter, living dead mothers, and purple pajama vomit parties.From the archive - May 19th, 2021

While this may be the first episode on the feed, this isn't the first time Co-Hosts Marcus Hart and Dana De La Garza have convened for a recorded chat for your enjoyment. They've been at it for months. Months! As they explain, please stay tuned for a steady stream of episode drops from the archive, with films ranging from Chungking Express to Office Space to The Servant to The Snyder Cut.  And, expect new and current episodes, fresh off the hot mic, each and every week, every Friday, til the end of time.What's a Cinphomaniac?  - First there was Cinema. Then there were Cinephiles. Now Cinphomaniac. For the hottest takes, the deepest dives, and the most maniacal laughs, concerning all things cinema - past, present, future - domestic and international - send no substitutes. This is cinema talk for perverts and fanatics. Marcus and Dana  - a.k.a. the over-caffeinated one and the breaks out into song one - invite you to take the journey. We go wide as well as deep. We contextualize and historicize - who, where, what, why - all the pieces matter. Personal, revealing, hot take heavy, and generally quite rowdy.