CINEMA CENTRIC

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Mariam Afshari and Hadis Pakbaten to discuss It Was Just an Accident, now available in the Criterion Collection. Together, we explore the film's themes, the realities of filmmaking under censorship in Iran, and the personal risks artists face when telling difficult stories.Mariam shares her own experience after appearing in the film, including being dismissed from the karate federation and banned after refusing to apologize for her participation. Hadis also discusses the challenges of writing and producing underground theatre in Iran, and the obstacles artists face when creating work outside government approval. We also discuss the imprisonment of the film's director, Jafar Panahi, the ongoing struggles faced by women in Iran, and the courage required to continue creating art despite immense personal and political consequences.This conversation examines how cinema can become an act of resistance, and the very real price that artists sometimes pay for their work.Mariam Afshari:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/maryamraha.afshariHadis Pakbaten:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hadispakbatten--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠⁠⁠.) ℗ 2026 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with actor Aidan Delbis. We dive into two landmark films from the Criterion Collection, The Breakfast Club and Night of the Living Dead, exploring how both movies continue to shape conversations around identity, genre, storytelling, and cultural impact decades after their release. Aidan also opens up about his experience working on Bugonia alongside Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons under director Yorgos Lanthimos, reflecting on collaboration, performance, and the evolving craft of acting. Along the way, the conversation touches on auditions, improv, stand-up comedy, and a few additional Criterion titles that have left a lasting impression on him.Aidan Delbis:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/aidan.delbisWikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_Delbis--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠⁠.) ℗ 2026 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with filmmaker S.J. Chiro, a director whose work is quietly precise, emotionally attentive, and deeply attuned to inner worlds and moral complexity. Chiro first came to wider attention with Lane 1974, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film that tenderly charts identity, belonging, and the unspoken currents beneath adolescence. She then directed East of the Mountains, an adaptation of David Guterson’s novel starring Tom Skerritt, a film defined by its gentle rigor, its meditations on aging, grief, masculinity, and the quiet autonomy of a life approaching its dusk. Across her work, there is a consistent sensitivity to interior lives and a commitment to letting emotional truth emerge without fanfare, a quality that makes her an especially rich voice in contemporary American cinema. In this episode, S.J. chose to explore the work of Jane Campion, one of the most distinctive, uncompromising filmmakers in world cinema and a director whose films live in the rich terrain of subjectivity, memory, desire, and the tensions between stillness and rupture. For our Criterion segment, we watched every Jane Campion title available in the Criterion Collection and on the Criterion Channel, from early shorts to her later films. Our conversation weaves these ideas back into S.J. Chiro’s own work and creative process: how restraint can be a strategy for emotional precision, how the camera can become a companion to a character’s interiority, and how memory and longing inform both narrative and performance. We talk about the way Campion’s films unsettle simple arcs and invite the viewer into a layered, subjective space, and why, for Chiro, those qualities resonate deeply with her own artistic concerns.S.J. Chiro:Website:⁠https://sjchiro-director.comInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/sjchiroIMDb:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1849850Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._J._Chiro--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2026 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with pop-punk musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Joel Reader, a figure whose musical trail runs straight through the heart of Bay Area punk, Lookout Records history, and decades of sharp, melodic underground rock. Joel first emerged in the mid-90s as the bassist for The Mr. T Experience, helping shape one of the most beloved eras of East Bay pop-punk with records that balanced humor, heart, and airtight songwriting. From there, he stepped forward as a frontman with The Plus Ones, revealing a gift for power-pop hooks, sincere vocals, and songs that linger long after the last chord fades. In the 2000s, Joel became a key part of Pansy Division as lead guitarist and vocalist, contributing to the band’s later-era legacy as one of punk’s most vital and openly queer voices. After relocating to Boston, he founded The Fatal Flaw, where his writing leans more indie and melodic, yet still carries the same wit and emotional clarity that’s defined his work from the start. Across every chapter, Joel’s music shares a common spine: melodic instinct, honesty, and a deep respect for the craft of a great song. Whether anchoring a rhythm section, fronting a band, or shaping harmonies from the side of the stage, his fingerprints are unmistakable. For our Criterion segment, Joel brings This Is Spinal Tap, the definitive rock mockumentary, and we talk about why its satire cuts so close to the bone. We explore how the film captures the absurdity, tenderness, ego, and fragile camaraderie of band life in a way that only someone who’s lived it can truly appreciate. It’s a conversation about music, identity, longevity, and why laughing at the chaos is sometimes the only way to survive it.Joel Reader:Website:http://www.TheFatalFlaw.netBandcamp:https://TheFatalFlaw.bandcamp.comSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/4cwwcndKYhhWOEFqUw7mtf?si=9s5hqUHCT2iriYhlu2lwNwInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/TheFatalFlawFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheFatalFlaw--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2026 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with physical media advocate, collector, and author Jeff Rauseo, a voice in cinephile circles whose obsession with formats, physical media, and how we watch movies runs deep. Jeff has built a reputation exploring the intersections of technology, culture, and film-lover habits, and now he’s dropped a book, Lost in the Stream: How Algorithms Redefined the Way Movies Are Made and Watched, that unpacks how streaming platforms, algorithms and physical formats are reshaping cinema’s future. In this episode titled “FORMAT WARS”, we dive headlong into the battlefield of home video formats: from the early days of Betamax vs. VHS, to LaserDisc’s creation of audio commentaries, to DVD, Blu-Ray, UHD/4K, and the recent twists in television and audio formats that keep even the savviest collectors scratching their heads. Jeff guides us through the timeline and technology, where each format excelled, where they failed, and how some “obsolete” formats still hold advantages today when it comes to quality, archival value, and collector appeal. Using his deep knowledge (and thousands-strong collection) Jeff explains why certain older formats might actually outperform streaming or newer media in specific cases. We also touch on how Criterion has embraced formats, how special editions, LaserDiscs of the past, Blu-Rays and UHD releases reflect not just technology but curatorial practice and preservation. This episode isn’t just a tech talk, it’s about what format says about film culture, ownership, and the act of watching itself. It’s also about why labels, brands, and proprietary formats (HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray, Dolby Vision vs. HDR10+, etc.) created confusion for consumers and shaped the war of formats in more ways than just “which disc looks better.” Whether you’re a collector hunting rare tapes, a viewer exhausted by streaming thumbnails, or a lover of Criterion, this episode with Jeff Rauseo will give you a clearer map of the home-video terrain and a renewed appreciation for how we watch movies. Jeff Rauseo:Links:https://linktr.ee/JeffRauseo --------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with actor, producer, and director Arielle Friedman, co-founder of Ser Nocturna, the production company behind award-winning festival hits at Sundance, Tribeca, Frameline, and SXSW. Arielle shares her journey from professional ballet dancer at BalletMet to Columbia University film student, and how movement, identity, and myth shape her storytelling. We discuss her latest projects, including her co-starring role in the critically acclaimed horror film Good Boy (2025), now in theaters, as well as the short film Breadwinner (available to watch October 27, 2025) and its upcoming feature adaptation starring Arielle. She also talks about her in-production documentary Curtain Call. Arielle shares two personal Criterion picks: Teeth (2007) and The Lure (2015). Both films she’s examined deeply, even writing an academic paper on Teeth. We talk about how these stories intertwine femininity, transformation, and dark humor with the constant undercurrent of women navigating an unsafe world.Arielle Friedman:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/arielle_friedman_Website:https://www.sernocturna.comSer Nocturna Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sernocturna--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with musician, author, and notorious punk rock icon Blag Dahlia, frontman of The Dwarves a band that’s spent decades gleefully torching the boundaries of taste, decorum, and decency in the name of rock and roll. But behind the chaos and provocation lies one of punk’s sharpest minds, a writer and storyteller whose work stretches from raucous stage anthems to novels like Armed to the Teeth with Lipstick, Nina, and Highland Falls, and even the bluegrass sway of his alter ego Earl Lee Grace or the smoothness of his Ralph Champagne. In this episode, we take a wild and thoughtful ride through Blag’s creative universe, talking about his books, his long history with the punk scene, and the many personas he’s inhabited along the way. Blag brings five Criterion titles that pulse with rebellion and rhythm: Monterey Pop, Gimme Shelter, The Harder They Come, Sid and Nancy, and The Beastie Boys Anthology. Each one opens a doorway into the history of music on film and how cinema captures the raw, ecstatic power of sound, self-destruction, and transcendence. This conversation roams from the gutter to the gallery, punk mythmaking, the art of provocation, and the strange, spiritual link between noise and narrative. Blag Dahlia doesn’t just perform punk; he’s spent his life dissecting it, reframing it, and rewriting what it means to live as both menace and artist in the same body. Blag Dahlia:Website:https://TheDwarves.comInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/blag_dahlia --------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with director, writer, actor, and artist Shannon Plumb, where laughter and heartbreak meet in the middle of the living room and the everyday gets turned into something quietly extraordinary. Shannon’s feature Towheads (2013) is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel, and we begin by celebrating that rare and well-earned platform for a film that transforms motherhood into a sly, Keatonesque dance of chaos and tender truth. The film premiered at MoMA and is now held in the museum’s moving-image collection. This episode is above all a praise song for Shannon’s singular creative voice. She has made hundreds of short films and performance pieces for galleries, festivals, and the web, work that is equal parts slapstick and strange, witty and heartbreakingly tender. Shannon also discusses two Criterion titles, Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know and Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, and we reflect on how those films speak to her own approach to art and storytelling.Shannon Plumb: On the Criterion Channel:https://www.criterionchannel.com/towheadsWebsite:https://www.shannonplumb.com/Instagram:https://instagram.com/shannonplumbYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@shannonplumb --------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode where shadows flicker, reality splits, and David Lynch’s surreal visions echo across the screen. With Jeroen Bijl of Horrible Reviews we explore every David Lynch film Criterion has graced with their signature glow. From Eraserhead’s industrial dreamscape to Mulholland Drive’s fractured Hollywood mystery, tracing how Criterion has lovingly preserved Lynch’s uncanny artistry. We also pause to honor the filmmaker’s legacy. David Lynch, that master of the uncanny and dream logic, passed away on January 16, 2025, at the age of 78. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As we reflect, the conversation deepens, touching on Lynch’s sound design, his use of atmosphere as character, and the way Criterion’s editions let us peer into the uncanny layers he so artfully built. Expect conversation that’s equal parts analysis and homage, as we honor the dreamer who made us question what was real, and what was just better felt. Horrible Reviews: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HorribleReviews Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/horriblereviews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Horrible.Reviews--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records

The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Michelle Kisner, also known as ROBOT COOKIE, a powerhouse film essayist, fearless freelance writer, champion of physical media, with encyclopedic knowledge, and lifelong GODZILLA fanatic, for a deep dive into Godzilla vs. Biollante, newly released by the Criterion Collection. They reflect on the curious brilliance of this late-‘80s kaiju entry and how it stands out from the rest of the franchise with its strange blend of bioengineering, psychic children, heavy geopolitical undertones, and sexual symbolism. They also revisit Criterion’s earlier Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 box set, unpacking the cultural legacy and cinematic evolution of everyone's favorite atomic lizard. Expect reflections on miniature sets, suit acting, Godzilla switching from villain to hero back to villian, and why Godzilla continues to stomp through our collective imagination. Michelle Kisner:Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/robotcookieInstagram: https://instagram.com/robotcookieFacebook: https://facebook.com/michelle.kisner1Rotten Tomatoes: https://rottentomatoes.com/critics/michelle-kisner/movies Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth: https://spoilerfreemoviesleuth.comSubstack:https://substack.com/@michellekisnerMichelle Kisner has also contributed to: Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Error_4444, Severin, Umbrella, Second Sight, BFI, Kino Lorber, 88 Films, Imprint, Terror Vision, and more.--------------------------Episode music by: Song Title: Cerebral SD Artist: The Vase in Late Spring (⁠⁠The Vase in Late Spring⁠⁠ appears courtesy of ⁠⁠Sad Data Records⁠⁠.) ℗ 2025 Sad Data Records