michael

Episode 87: Companion

Episode Summary In this episode, Dave and Michael discuss Companion, the directorial debut from Drew Hancock. A mix of science fiction, dark comedy, and thriller, Companion follows Iris, a robot companion, as she navigates power…

Read More

I’m Still Here

“I’m Still Here” (“Ainda Estou Aqui” in the original Portuguese) surprised some by being included in the Academy Awards nominations for Best Motion Picture, but perhaps no one who had seen it. This Brazilian film is set primarily in that country’s authoritarian military regime, expressly, what is considered just about the height of that regime’s…

Read More

Episode 86: Presence

Mindframes: The Presence – A Steven Soderbergh Experiment Episode Summary: In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave are joined by special guest Tarek Fayoumi (MoviesWithTarek.com, Chicago Indie Critics) to dissect Steven…

Read More

The Apprentice

I suspect that when Ali Abbasi pitched “The Apprentice,” Donald Trump’s fate was still in the air. Whether the makers of this film and its distributors knew that the Donald would come shrieking back to prominence and dominance, but as the film became available (first in theaters and later in streaming) was undoubtedly a factor…

Read More

Episode 85: The Best of 2024

In this episode of MindFrames, Dave and Michael break down the best films of 2024. With themes ranging from authoritarianism and resilience to identity and connection, the hosts discuss how these movies reflect and challenge the cultural…

Read More

Babygirl

“Babygirl” is Halina Reijn’s latest exploration of the limits of social boundaries. We may have gotten lots of gore in “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” but here we are getting a good view of bodies of a different sort and the answer to the age-old question, “How much sexual tension can there be in an internship orientation?”…

Read More

Wolfman

“Wolfman” is the second entry in the effort to bring the classic Universal monster franchise into the modern age. While both so far have been directed by Leigh Whanell, 2020’s “Invisible Man” wowed us with plot twists and complicated characters. Despite the illumination of a full moon, those elements are noticeably absent in this film….

Read More

Conclave

With gerrymandering and a lack of competitive contests in most congressional districts, the US electoral system may seem like the archaic monarchical proccess that the papal election depicted in Edward Berger’s “Conclave” is. This fictional gathering of cardinals to elect a new absolute, infallible leader of the globe of 1.4 billion Catholics may seem far…

Read More

Episode 84: Nosferatu

Mindframes Episode: Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu Summary: In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave explore Robert Eggers’ reimagining of the classic silent film Nosferatu. They discuss Eggers’ meticulous approach to filmmaking,…

Read More

Episode 83: Heretic

Podcast Episode Description: In this episode of Mindframes, Michael Cockerill and Dave Canfield dive into the chilling world of Heretic, the latest horror film by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place). We explore the film’s themes of faith,…

Read More