Cinemakers

It’s been a while since we covered a Steven Soderbergh movie on Cinemakers, but he’s been busy! Today, we’re talking about High Flying Bird. Like Unsane, Soderbergh shot the entire thing on an iPhone. We discuss whether or not this works, what we think of his use of natural lighting, and what other ways he may try to shake up Hollywood. We also talk about Soderbergh’s return to the American Dream as narrative fuel, and wonder if any other directors would ever make a movie about basketball with virtually no basketball. Also, stay tuned for an updated/revised schedule for Cinemakers! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Before we begin our next Cinemakers series, we're taking a quick detour for another one-shot and some catch-up. In this episode, Mike and Joey talk about RWD and Tonight She Comes, then welcome in director Matt Stuertz for an interview and chat! We break down the found footage film RWD, then Matt's blood-soaked (and disgusting) follow-up, Tonight She Comes. How did Matt's filmmaking evolve from one film to the next? What was shooting the films like? What's he got coming next? Stay tuned to find out all of these answers, plus what's in store for the near future of Cinemakers! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

We're closing out the Amy Heckerling of Cinemakers by chatting about the six episodes of the Amazon original series Red Oaks that she directed. In this episode, we talk about the significance and importance of her six episodes within the show's run, the show's evolution within its three seasons, and why it feels like this is the perfect show for her to flex her creativity and specific sensibilities. We also reflect back on the 10 episodes within this run of Cinemakers and offer a look ahead to what's coming next. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Talking about Vamps is a bit of a bittersweet moment for this run of Cinemakers. It's Amy Heckerling's last movie (for now, anyway), but at least we manage to go out on a high note! Before we close out her official filmography next week with her run of episodes on Red Oaks, we pop out of our coffins and talk about a couple of vampire BFFs who love the 80s and don't dig on drinking human blood. In this episode, we talk about the enduring friendship between Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter's characters, we admire the way Amy Heckerling is able to add new elements to the age-old vampire genre, and Cara (once again) declares that an Amy Heckerling movie to possibly be her favorite of all-time. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

While the Amy Heckerling run of Cinemakers has had its ups and downs, here's some good news: I Could Never Be Your Woman is another one of the good ones! Modeled after Amy Heckerling's experiences making the Clueless TV series, I Could Never Be Your Woman follows Michelle Pfeiffer's life as TV producer, mother to the incredible Saoirse Ronan (in her first role!), and fledgling paramour to the ever-charming Paul Rudd (even if his character is deeply flawed and often ethically unchecked). This is exactly the kind of movie we were hoping for with only one more movie (Vamps) and a short run of TV directing appearances (on Red Oaks) to go before closing out this series of Cinemakers, and while it's far from perfect, it's proof (yet again) that Amy Heckerling should have the ability to make whatever kind of movie she wants! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Loser is not a good movie, but it isn't Amy Heckerling's fault. How could anyone but a meddling studio be blamed for this mess? According to Heckerling, new studio execs forced her to turn her R-rated comedy into a PG-13... sort of (but not really) movie that could, in theory, be filed under "comedy." This movie's kind of a mess from start to finish, but does it have any redeeming qualities? Let's see if we can find one or two... If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

The Amy Heckerling run of Cinemakers started off at a great height with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but there's no higher high than 1995's Clueless. (Except maybe coke. "You guys got Coke here?" Yeah, this is America.) Armed with a shared love of the movie and an entire book's worth of knowledge in Cara's head, we dive deep into the world of Clueless to discuss exactly what makes this movie so magical. (Spoiler: it's just about everything.) Join us as we rent Spar-at-a-cus, play matchmaker, and take on the Messiah of the DMV. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Look Who's Talking Too is the first of two sequels to the smash hit (and surprise delight) Look Who's Talking. But with Amy Heckerling feeling like she told the full story in the first one, where do we go from here? It turns out that the answer is a mixture of some new ideas, some retreads, and an overall darker tone than the first movie. The good news: the gang's all here, with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley and Bruce Willis all reprising their roles from the first one. The bad news: it doesn't feel like there's much of a reason for this movie to exist. In this episode, we talk about whether or not the movie is a worthy sequel, what jokes work (and what jokes didn't), and why this movie seems so intent on trying to kill its babies! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

After struggling through our last two movies, Look Who's Talking is a breath of fresh air. It's also one of the weirdest movies we've talked about on a podcast in recent memory. Featuring a surprisingly likeable (or maybe not so surprising) duo in Kirstie Alley and John Travolta (plus Bruce Willis as the voice of the most wise beyond his years baby in history), Look Who's Talking is a complete and total about-face from the last two movies in Heckerling's filmography. If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub

Our tumble down the rabbit hole of Amy Heckerling's career continues as we cover National Lampoon's European Vacation. How naive we were to think that last week's movie was rough! Little did we know just how much we'd all collectively dislike our journey abroad. While Heckerling helped Robert Klane write the screenplay, the good news is that this is the final movie we're covering in this run that Heckerling does not have a writing credit on. From here on out, everything is hers (and hers alone, presumably), which will bring this series right in line with the heart and spirit of Cinemakers. In this episode, we cover this curs'd production (both on-screen and off) but quickly stray into a conversation about nostalgia and memory. It's a good chat! If you'd like to become a member and support us on Patreon, head to patreon.com/cageclub