Episode 89: The Avengers and Safe

Hello there and welcome to the 89th episode of the Cinema Cafe Podcast, the bi-weekly, twice monthly film podcast by the fans, for the fans. Join us each week as we review new movies releases, look at some dvd's, talk some film news and share our general love for all things cinema. The main goal is to have some fun and hopefully provide the listener with some helpful insight. We are back and the podcasting world is alight once again.

We are finally back with recharged batteries and are ready once again to bring our loyal listeners some brand new bi-weekly content. Thanks for your patience and it feels so good to be back!!

This week we take a look at a few movies that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or still in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* The Avengers
* Safe
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 5.11.12 and 5.18.12

Also, film news and more, only on the Cinema Cafe Podcast. We hope you enjoy and happy movie watching.

Thanks as always to all our loyal listeners for sharing the ride with us as we've once again started producing the show. It's all due to your support that we have kept things going and we hope you continue to share the ride with us in the coming months.

We're also on Itunes so head over there and subscribe to the Cinema Cafe Podcast and don't forget to post a review! Thanks!!

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Duel at Blood Creek (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. This one's actually quite funny, which can rarely ever say about a period piece. If you're a fan of a comedy of manners or percepived slights escalating to pistols at dawn, you'll get a kick out of this one. Here is the 15-minute British short The Duel at Blood Creek from filmmaker Leo Burton.

Here's the synopsis:

A man goes to a favorite dueling spot in order to settle some differences with the one who has wronged him but soon finds that he's not the only one that has decided its a beautiful day to have a duel.

This one's a playful short that unfolds with some great comedic performances and wonderful bits of timing from the actors. It's all about the subtle digs and trying to find ground in a world that's slowly leaving you by. Seriously this one's just funny and a great way to spend the afternoon. There's also a great ending to that makes the first 14-minutes even more hilarious.

Check this out if you like the absurd mixed in with your history. Check this out if like comedies of manners that lead right into the classic British truism, the farce. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with The Duel at Blood Creek.

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Politics of Competetive Board Gaming (documentary)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. I know I always go back to this, but documentary's are my favorite form of film entertainment. Just the idea of a camera lens capturing the skewed light and aspects of reality, creating a warped reality where the mundane becomes enthralling - that just that just pleases me to no end. Couple that with a card based board game and you have magic. Here is the 10-minute documentary short The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming from filmmaker Jay Cheel.

Here's the synopsis:

A group of friends get together to play the card game Settlers of Catan, and like any gathering of wits against patience, fireworks ensue.

I know this may come as a big shock to our readers and listeners of the podcast, but I'm a big geek. And I grew up playing all forms of card and board games, from Magic to Gathering to Risk to the very game on display here, Settlers of Catan. I'm not going to lie, things can get heated and patience can be tested when you've been sitting around for hours just talking smack to one another, teasing and prodding to pass the time. It's doesn't lend to the finest moments of human evolution, but it can be entertaining. Filmmaker Jay Cheel deftly creates a short concept that can be incredibly boring, a group of guys sitting around and playing a game, and makes it a fun battle of wits with beautifully shot scenes and an excellent use of a killer soundtrack. You don't have to have played the game to enjoy this short, but if you have you'll see yourself as a mirror to these poor settlers.

Check this out if you want to see a whole new world you never knew existed. Check this out if you want to just get a good laugh at how some people can take even the most mundane of contests too seriously. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming.

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Each Moment is the Universe (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. There are some films that are just out there to entertain. I love those kinds of films. After a long hard day its nice to be able to sit down, unwind, fall in love and watch stuff blow up. On the flip side, there are some films that try to do more, that have a message, that try to entertain through thoughtful narratives. Today I have for you one of the most thoughtful shorts I have ever seen. This one blew me away folks, where at the end all I could do was slump back in my chair and think, "Damn." Here is the 8-minute Thai short Each Moment is the Universe from filmmaker Bruce Thierry Cheung.

Here's the synopsis:

A boy is reborn with memories of his previous lives and tries to fix the mistakes of the past.

I could go more into the film but I don't want to take away the sheer experience of watching this short for the first time. It's a thoughtful meditation on life, one that asks the questions: have I done enough and is doing enough frankly, enough? A road movie about how life can actually get in the way of well, life. I know I'm being cryptic and cyclical and there's really nothing to spoil here but I just want viewers to go in without any preconceptions so you can come up with your own conclusions of what the filmmakers here are trying to say. All I will say is that its beautiful, moving, lyrical and again, "Damn."

Check this out if you want to see something thoughtful and moving. Check this out if you want to be amazed about the hopeful journey of life, the encapsulation of a whole life down in 8-minutes. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Each Moment is the Universe.


Each Moment is the Universe from bruce thierry on Vimeo.

Episode 88: The Cabin in the Woods and Sleepless Night

Hello there and welcome to the 88th episode of the Cinema Cafe Podcast, the bi-weekly, twice monthly film podcast by the fans, for the fans. Join us each week as we review new movies releases, look at some dvd's, talk some film news and share our general love for all things cinema. The main goal is to have some fun and hopefully provide the listener with some helpful insight. We are back and the podcasting world is alight once again.

We are finally back with recharged batteries and are ready once again to bring our loyal listeners some brand new bi-weekly content. Thanks for your patience and it feels so good to be back!!

This week we take a look at a few movies that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or still in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* The Cabin in the Woods
* Sleepless Night
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 4.27.12 and 5.04.12

Also, film news and more, only on the Cinema Cafe Podcast. We hope you enjoy and happy movie watching.

Thanks as always to all our loyal listeners for sharing the ride with us as we've once again started producing the show. It's all due to your support that we have kept things going and we hope you continue to share the ride with us in the coming months.

We're also on Itunes so head over there and subscribe to the Cinema Cafe Podcast and don't forget to post a review! Thanks!!

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Showdown At The Hipster Saloon (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. Sometimes you just want to shut off your brain and laugh at some stuff and if you live in NY, Portland or any area with a large hipster crowd, a large contingent of people who like things "before" they became cool, this is the film for you. Here a 4-minute comedy short called Showdown at the Hipster Saloon from the Pursued By Bear Comedy Troupe.

Here's the synopsis:

When a suspender-wearing hipster bearded guy gets ousted on Foursquare from his favorite saloon, it's time to show the wannabee new boss who the true "sheriff" of the bar really is.

There's quick draw tweeting, plaid wearing banjo players, big glasses on girls, lots of manly wax twirled beards, and a general disdain for anything popular - basically general society in a social media obsessed world. All in all, this is what I see in Brooklyn every weekend. This is just plain funny if you know, have seen or ever worked with hipsters (who of course never believe they're hipsters). Their cyclical arguments and conversations can be frustrating, which are perfectly encapsulated in my favorite line of the short:

Man - I liked this place before it became cool.

Woman - I liked this place before it was open.

Touche hipsters, touche.

Check this out if you want to see something light and funny. Check this out if you want to see how social media and culture are quickly overtaking our lives. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Showdown at the Hipster Saloon.

Fantastic Short film Friday - Luminaris (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. With the amount of short films I watch each and every year, its not often when one jumps out and forces me to take notice of its ingenuity and freshness. Today's short did just that. It's a brilliant mix of live-action stop-motion film shooting and took a painstaking 2-years to finish and the love, the passion, the beauty drips in each second of each frame. Here is the 7-minute Argentinian short Luminaris from filmmaker Juan Pablo Zaramella.

Here's the synopsis:

This is the story of light and the people who live in a city controlled by light. We follow a man and his city, where each morning the inhabitants of the world are woken up and pulled to their jobs by the sunlight, drawn by some sort of magnetic force. The man who works in a factory making electric light bulbs, dreams of something bigger, something more.

As I mentioned before this is a “live action” stop-motion short, one with real actors who are animated frame by frame. This form of animation is called pixilation and you can only imagine how long shooting living beings frame by frame, people who are told to move inch by inch for each shot, hold still, don't breath in, how long something like can take. I can't even begin to wrap my head around the care that director Juan Pablo Zaramella put into every second of this film but it shows, it really really shows and we as viewers are all the luckier for it.

Check this out if you want to see something new and unique. Check this out if you want some light in your life, some romance, some beauty. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Luminaris.