Author: tsccupoftea
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Point Break
This week we dive into a legendary 90’s action movie. Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze go to extremes in this oft quoted nostalgic favorite. Does it live up to its reputation? Or does it disappoint like so many of its ilk? Check out our three minute review to find out.
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The Equalizer
With a third entry in the revenge fantasy action series on its way we decided to give this a chance to see if it could be our new favorite action series. Does it succeed? Listen to our review to find out.
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Atomic Cafe
This darkly humorous documentary consists of archival footage about nuclear warfare. Drawing largely on government propaganda and training films for American soldiers, the movie, presented in collage form, features clips from early in the Cold War era that are filled with alarming misinformation.
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The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Are you ready to see Nicolas Cage go full Cage? Do you have his filmography committed to memory? Then this is the film for you. But I’d it for anybody else?
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Rubber
A homicidal car tire, discovering it has destructive psionic power, sets its sights on a desert town once a mysterious woman becomes its obsession. But is it worth watching? Check out our three minute review here…
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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Another entry in the series about a super killer who can shoot anyone in the head with no problem. We loved one. We hated 2. How does three hold up?
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A Good Person
With fantastic performances, this drama tells a deeply affecting story about loss and grief that still manages to find hope and joy without coming across as saccharine. The film opens with Allison and Nathan played by Florence Pugh and Chinaza Uche. They are happily engaged and couldn’t be more in love if they tried. The…
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Body Double
While definitely not for everyone, this tense little thriller from Brian De Palma is certainly surprising and memorable. Get the full run down in our three minute review!
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Raw Deal
Arnold Schwarzenegger had so many iconic films and rolls in the 80’s but we found one that neither of us had heard of. Is this a hidden gem or a relic of the 80’s that deserves to stay buried?
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Babylon
This epic about the early days of the film industry that nobody saw and only a few people have heard about is a mixed bag, but it’s still worthy of your time and attention. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle the man behind La La Land, this film is a jazz infused kaleidoscope of the…
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The Banshees of Inisherin
Anchored by a trio of great performances this meditation on depression and the Irish civil war has stayed with me over time despite never rising to greatness in my mind. The film follows two lifelong friends on the fictional island of Inisherin off the coast of Ireland. The two men are affable Padraic played by…
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Just One of the Guys
Let’s take a trip back to the 80’s. This gender swapping comedy features a strong lead performance and some fun hijinks, but does it really hold up? Is it pure cringe inducing pain in the 2020’s? Check out our three minute review to find out…
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The Matador
When a movie can surprise us it is usually something special. This movie is extremely surprising, but it is something special? Check out our review of this dark comedy starring Pierce Brosnan as a boozy hitman.
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I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
This is a classic piece of pre code social problem film making. What shocked me watching it in 2022 was how well it held up. The pacing and superb craft on display make this film feel incredibly relevant and modern. Based on the true story of a WWI veteran sentenced to hard labor in Georgia,…
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Class Action Park
What do you think of your childhood? Looking back what do you remember? This documentary talks about childhood and growing up in the context of the craziest waterpark ever created. Listen to our three minute review of this incredible truth is stranger than fiction style documentary…
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Beverly Hills Cop
Last was as movie famous for being the worst. This week we have a movie that could have been terrible. Happily it surprised us.
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Battlefield Earth
We’ve watched a lot of bad movies. We thought we’d seen it all. But this week our special guest Rich Horecki brought us something that redefined our definition of bad. In this sci fi epic, based upon the works of L. Ron Hubbard earth has been colonized by a race of aliens known as psychlos.…
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Year in Review
Happy new year to all our listeners. In this mega sized episode we take another look at every movie we’ve watched in 2022. Some are good. Some are bad. Join us for a silly walk down memory lane.
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The Ice Pirates
One of the final films in a swath of movies inspired by Star Wars that had some big ideas about space adventures!
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Gymkata
We went from one of the best action movies of all time to one of the worst. And boy is it fun to watch. Combining gymnastics with kung fu , this inexplicable 89’s action movie is quintessential “so bad it’s good.”
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RRR
You might have heard the hype around this Indian epic action film. It is currently streaming on Netflix and it absolutely lives up to the hype. This is one of the most epic and excellent movies we’ve ever seen. The quality of filmmaking and story telling is off the charts, and we are bursting to…
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The Take
Looking for a quick easy action movie? This one will fill the bill nicely. Starring the indomitable Idris Elba and the charming Richard Madden this fast paced movie will satisfy the need for a solid action movie.
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Halloween Month 2022
Well, it’s been a wild ride. I have managed to keep up my tradition and watch a different horror film everyday in October. I have not however kept up with writing a review each day for these movies. Sadly, my life and work schedule just have not allowed me to time to sit down and…
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The Ring
We conclude horror month on Halloween night! We watched a film from our childhood. Join us for our thoughts on The Ring!
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Cape Fear
Ugh what a disturbing movie. Anchored by De Niro’s intensity and some off the wall filmmaking choices, this movie has some in your face horror and some insidious horror by implication that still makes my skin crawl. I love the early for film. It was this strange time where big studios gave auteur directors tons…
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Tremors
I’ve avoided this one for years. I didn’t care for the aesthetic. I thought it was just Jaws in the the desert. Having finally seen it, I wished I had watched it sooner. It is a well paced, creative, and extremely entertaining creature feature. The movie opens with two good old boys working as hired…
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The Exorcist
We can’t bro he Halloween month with what many consider the greatest horror movie of all time and one of the scariest movies ever. It’s a big double sized review, so we could do justice to this mammoth of the genre. Enjoy our latest spooky review…
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Disturbing Behavior
If you ever want to watch a movie that was clearly ruined in the edit watch this movie. It’s terrible, but the reason it’s terrible is clearly on display. I had never heard of this movie until this past week when it was brought up twice by two different sources. I figured I had to…
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Significant Other
A camping trip goes horribly wrong in every way imaginable in this surprising horror story. What would you do if you were on a camping trip deep in the woods with your significant other and you became convinced that they weren’t themselves? Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy star as a couple who go camping. Things…
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Pearl
This prequel to X is a different beast all together. It steps away from the scuzzy slasher elements of X and instead focuses on the psychological terror of an unstable person slowly losing their mind. The movie introduces us to Pearl, played by Mia Goth. She is a dreamer who lives on a remote farm…
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Night of the Living Dead
Tim loves horror movies and Michael hates them, so we are watching one horror movie a week for October! Check out our second movie in the series
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X
I love when a horror movie just goes for it. Whatever “it” happens to be for that movie. I love when a movie commits to an idea and goes full bore into it. X is one such movie. I found myself constantly saying, “are they going to do that? They aren’t. Oh they are!” It…
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Prom Night
After the disappointment of Halloween Ends, I checked out this 80’s slasher starring Jamie Lee Curtis. As far as 80’s slashers goes, I quite enjoyed this one. It struck me while watching how similar this was to My Bloody Valentine. Both feature a big dance. Both have a past tragedy that informs the horror. Both…
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Halloween Ends
It’s rare you get to see a movie this bad, this ineptly, and this poorly conceived and executed. It was a truly terrible movie that does everything it can to ruin this franchise and the holiday it’s named after. Back in 2018, the world was subjected to David Gordon Green’s terrible update to the Halloween…
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The Bye Bye Man
This isn’t a very good movie. But it is a fun little easy to watch horror movie. It has a big concept, a lot of jump scares, and enough creepiness to make it worth while. The movie has a strong opening. A man loads a shotgun and goes after his neighbors demanding to know if…
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Mimic
This creepy and crawly horror movie from the late 90’s features excellent direction and strong performances. It has a lot of jump scares and a really unique take on the Frankenstein story for your Halloween night viewing. When an outbreak of a deadly disease is traced by to cockroaches in Manhattan, Dr. Susan Tyler develops…
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My Bloody Valentine
The first slasher of the year is a pretty good one. A well developed story and characters set it apart from its contemporaries. Set on Valentines weekend in a small mining town the film follows a group of young people who are getting ready for the big Valentine’s Day dance. The town hasn’t held a…
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Blair Witch
I’m terns of unnecessary legacy sequels this one isn’t the worst. It feels like it was made with real care and attention. But the unnecessary nature of its very existence really weighs it down. In 1999 the Blair Witch Project terrified audiences with its innovative found footage approach. In 2014, I finally watched Blair Witch…
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The Loved Ones
I don’t know what’s going on in Australia, but they have some of the most horrific horror movies ever. I’ve avoided this one for years, but gave it a shot. It’s an intense experience. Not for the faint of heart. The movie opens with a teen and his dad on the boys first time driving.…
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Frankenstein
For the podcast this month, Michael and I decided to do something a little different. Michael doesn’t like horror. I love horror. We went through a list of essential horror films and chose four that Michael was okay with, and I consider good introductions to the genre. We’re starting out with one of the originals……
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Hocus Pocus
Well, I waited years to watch this movie, and now I’ve watched it twice in as many days. My initial viewing left me cold. Too many people love this movie though, so I decided to revisit it and see what I was missing. The film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as…
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Saint Maud
This unsettling and unnerving little psychological horror has a fast pace, a great visual style and a fantastic lead performance. The movie introduces us to Maud, played by the very Welsh Morfydd Clark recently of Rings of Power fame. She is a care giver who moved into the house of a once famous dancer with…
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House
Today we have a horror comedy that for my money is neither enough to be horror and not funny enough to be a comedy. But it is an unforgettable movie. Tell me if you’ve heard this premise before. A man is grieving the loss of his son. He moves to an old house. Strange supernatural…
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We Are Still Here
Im a sucker for a good haunted house ghost story, and this is good haunted house movie. It has a lot of great scares and a wonderful atmosphere. The movie opens as so many haunted house movies do with a couple moving into an old house. This couple is Anne and Paul, and they are…
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Scanners
Each year I take a dive into the mind of David Cronenberg. Always intriguing, always superbly made, always deeply disturbing. While not as grotesque as The Fly or as disturbing as The Brood, Scanners is great horror. The film follows a group of telepathic individuals known as scanners who live on the outskirts of society.…
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Umma
This is a middle of road easy to watch horror movie that has a few chills and not much else. The film stars Sandra Oh as Amanda a woman who lives on an isolated farm and keeps bees with her daughter Chris, played by Fivel Stewart. Amanda is deathly afraid of electricity and has shunned…
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Nope
A great premise and masterful filmmaking cement Jordan Peele’s position as a great modern director. I really don’t want to spoil this movie. The ads have done a great job of hinting at the premise without outright stating it, so I’m going to talk around the film and deal with spoilers in the section portion.…
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Eyes Without a Face
Starting off strong with a visceral and gruesome horror film from 1960’s France. This movie features some amazing effects, and a macabre subject to create a haunting film that’s not easily shaken. Based on a novel of the same name by Jean Redon, the film follows a plastic surgeon who goes to extreme lengths to…
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Happy Halloween Month!
It’s crazy to me that a year has passed yet again. When I think back to last October it feels like yesterday. However, looking at the year if changes and challenges and struggles last October feels eons ago, and this month of horror movies feels more necessary than ever. It’s been ten years that I’ve…
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Hot Rod
Early Andy Samberg and incredible stunt work make up the mixed bag that is Hot Rod. Do these elements make a masterpiece or a mess? Find out in our three minute review! Check out our video companion to our podcast review!
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Hard Target
Jean Claude Van Damme dons the greasiest mullet in movie history in this adaptation of the most dangerous game directed by John Woo. Will the mullet overshadow the action? Is any of it any good? Listen to our three minute review to find out!
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Face Off
Can this action movie with a legendary cast and a life dart premise live up to its good bad movie hype?? Listen to our three minute review to find out. Listen to our discussion here… Or you can watch our discussion accompanied by video from the film to highlight our praise and displeasure…
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Face Off
Can this action movie with a legendary cast and a life dart premise live up to its good bad movie hype?? Listen to our three minute review to find out. Listen to our discussion here… Or you can watch our discussion accompanied by video from the film to highlight our praise and displeasure…
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Oz; the Great and Powerful
Sam Raimi has been having a renaissance recently with his return to the directing chair for Dr. Strange. We thought it would be fitting to check out the last movie he directed. The massively budgeted, universally panned, poorly conceived tale of a corporation trying to wring a few dollars out of an established property. Check…
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One Warm Line: The Legacy of Stan Rogers
This heartwarming documentary of beloved folk singer Stan Rogers shares his story and lasting impact. It shared his music and introduces viewers to an artist they may know but not recognize. Watch the documentary here…
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Bonfire of the Vanities
This week we take a look at The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) – a movie made legendary for its insane production! Check out our three minute review below! This movie is probably best known for a book written about the film’s production called The Devil’s Candy by Julie Salamon. Brian de Palma granted her…
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Tough and Deadly
Exercise guru Billy Blanks + Roddy Piper team up to take down the bad guys in this buddy cop film. Do you love incredibly muscular men? Do you love punches? Do you love more punches? Do you love even more punches?? Then this might be your cup of tea.
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The Expendables 2
Action stars of the 80s and 90s team up to avenge the death of a member of their elite strike force in the 2012 sequel to The Expendables. Find out what works and what doesn’t in this over-the-top action romp!
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Xanadu
This 1980 American musical fantasy film was written with a big vision and even bigger execution. Its big swings were so misguided they inspired the Razzies. Find out what our hosts think of this picture on this week’s review!
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Hudson Hawk
Hudson Hawk is the best cat burglar in the world who is roped into a series of wild heists in this live-action cartoon. Check out what worked and what didn’t in this week’s three-minute review!
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Thor: Love and Thunder
This latest Marvel adventure is the most movie you can get, the most comedy, the most action, and the most stories. That doesn’t necessarily add up to a satisfying movie. The film picks up with Thor the god of thunder played again by Chris Hemsworth. After letting himself go and getting fat in Avengers Endgame,…
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John Wick: extended discussion
Sometimes we have a lot to say about a movie. Maybe that’s because the movie is really good. Maybe it’s really bad. Maybe it’s a complicated mess that requires more than three minutes to do it justice. This week we take an extended look at an action movie that had a real impact on us.…
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Flatliners
This 1990’s psychological horror film centers on a group of Chicago medical students who repeatedly end their lives and then are resuscitated to see what is on the other side. With an all-star cast and a compelling concept – our hosts dig into what is to like and leave in this week’s review.
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Summer Stock (1950)
Summer has always seemed like the perfect time for musicals, and this is a perfect musical for summer. It stars Gene Kelly doing his dancing best, and Judy Garland singing the heck out of her songs. It also has a stellar supporting cast, and it boasts a really fun script complete with a compelling story.…
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Speed Racer
A film that was widely panned, and led to the fall from grace for the Wachowskis of Matrix fame. As much as it received negative press, in recent years the film has received a cult following. How did our hosts feel about this controversial film? Find out this week!
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An American in Paris
A sad yet stunning movie musical unlike any other. The movie has its charms and its spectacular finale, but there is a bittersweet undercurrent that runs throughout the story of lovers meeting in the city of lights. The film was released in 1951 and follows Jerry Mulligan played by Gene Kelly. Jerry is an ex-GI…
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Now You See Me
This week our hosts hit another big-budget, star-studded film focused on magic. What worked and what didn’t in this blockbuster? Tune in this week to find out!
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Top Gun: Maverick
This movie blew me away. It’s one of the most riveting action movies I’ve seen in a long time. I walked out of the movie smiling and practically skipping I was so pumped up. It’s the first movie I’ve seen in a while that makes me want to go back and see it again in…
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Top Gun
This 80’s action film is inexplicably considered a classic. Sadly aside from some charming performances and distinct visual style the movie has next to nothing to offer. The movie follows a hot shot fighter pilot, Maverick played by Tom Cruise, and his best buddy, Goose played by Anthony Edwards who enter an elite pilot school…
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Transporter 2
Mercenary Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has accepted a job that seems easy enough, as chauffeur and bodyguard to a young boy. Ride along with our hosts this week as things go sideways and action ensues!
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Hitman: Agent 47
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) is an action thriller that is based on the Hitman video game series. Does the title stand up in 2022 or is this film going to sit on the sidelines of history?
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Airplane!
“I am serious and don’t call me Shirley!” is just one of many cultural touchstones from the 1980 comedy, Airplane. This week, our hosts revisit this classic film to see if it stood the test of time and if all of the lines burned into our memories are just as funny years later.
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Convoy
A major part of a trend of films glamorizing big rig trucking, Convoy (1978) popped back to the surface as truckers once again grabbed headlines in 2022. See what has stood the test of time and what hasn’t in this week’s Cup Of Tea Review!
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Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
What a stupid movie. Sam Raimi’s incredible directorial talent adds entertainment value to an otherwise devoid mess. The MCU is reaching the stage where it’s too much. In order to follow this film you need a working knowledge of six movies and two entire seasons of television. That’s a lot of material to keep in…
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John Wick 2
This week our hosts continue in the John Wick franchise with John Wick 2. After loving the first film in the series, find out what worked and what didn’t in this week’s review!
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John Wick
This iconic 2014 action movie finally makes it to Cup of Tea Reviews this week! A leader in the action genre, find out what worked and didn’t in this week’s review of John Wick.
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The Transporter
This week we take a deep dive into the film that turned Jason Statham into an action star. Does this film hold up? Is it a dated relic of the early 2000’s? Is there anything here worth watching? Listen to our three minute review to find out.
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The Adam Project
This week our hosts hit a recent release, The Adam Project (2022), to see if it lives up to all the hype. Find out what worked and what didn’t in this week’s 3-minute review! Click below to listen to our review
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The Harder They Fall
Every once in a while, our hosts stumble into a great movie by accident. This week, our hosts check out The Harder They Fall (2021) and incredible Western with a great look and feel. Find out everything to love in this week’s review! Click below to watch our video review…
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The Running Man
As we enter our second year, we are revisiting the classic good-bad movies that got us into the genre. Leading off is The Running Man (1987), starting a young Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson giving it his all. Did this film stand the test of time?
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The Beastmaster (1982)
This week we take a look at a fantasy adventure film from the 80’s. It follows a hunky block of wood who can talk to animals. He uses his powers to overthrow an evil wizard. Was this a silly mess that turned out to be a lot of fun or a silly mess that was…
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Days of Thunder
This student/mentor racing story is set in the world of NASCAR and Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall have a great dynamic on screen. While there were some ups and downs, some great scenes and solid racing kept our hosts engaged in this fast-paced flick.
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Lionheart
Jean-Claude Van Damme once again graces the podcast in Lionheart (1990), a film that reprises many of the beats of Van Damme’s breakout piece – Bloodsport. While there were compelling elements, too much didn’t work here to win our hosts over.
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John Carter
John Carter is a book adaptation that, like other book adaptations in the big-budget genre, misses on several levels. This week, our host look at this $300M+ piece which flopped at the box office and ended Sci-Fi projects across Hollywood for years. Click below to listen to the podcast or watch our video review.
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Won Ton Ton: the Dog Who Saved Hollywood
This week our hosts took on Won Ton Ton a film attempting to parody the animal craze in Hollywood during the 1920’s. The film came to Cup of Tea via Michael’s father – Rich – who saw the movie countless times when he worked in a movie theatre in high school. It wouldn’t have felt…
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The French Dispatch
This latest effort from indie darling Wes Anderson is full of his signatures. If you like his signatures this movie will be a dream come true. If you don’t like him it will be disjointed, off putting, and boring. Sadly I fall into the second camp. Wes Anderson is an acclaimed independent filmmaker with hits…
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Belfast
This is a beautiful little memory. It is a collection of moments that made up this boys childhood. It has some gorgeous and conspicuous cinematography that showcases a deeply compelling time and place. I loved it. Shot in lovely black and white, the film follows a family that is living during a very rough time…
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Tick, Tick… Boom!
This Netflix musical has a stunning lead performance and a surprisingly solid vision behind the camera that enliven the narrative and carries the movie through some slow patches. In 1990, Jonathan Larson was a waiter at a diner and an aspiring composer of Broadway musicals. He was years away from his musical smash Rent and…
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They Live
This week our hosts visit the still sadly relevant science fiction action film, They Live (1988). The film follows an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to consume, breed, and conform to the status quo via subliminal messages in mass media. We…
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Zola
This is a messy and extravagantly entertaining movie. It is unpredictable and fascinating. It uses the medium of film to its fullest extent. I really enjoyed this movie, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The movie has an unusual production history. It is based on a Twitter thread that was written by Aziah “Zola” King…
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The Last Duel
This movie was quickly forgotten and forced out of theaters to make room for the next superhero epic. However, this movie is better than you’ve heard and deserves a look as it becomes available to rent and stream. The film is an historical drama that tells the story of the last judicial duel fought in…
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The Killing of Two Lovers
This is one of the most amazing and intense movies I’ve seen in years. It is tense and unbearably suspenseful movie from the opening moments until the bitter end. This little scene indie film is one people should seek out. The story concerns David, played by Clayne Crawford, a man who is struggling to keep…
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West Side Story (2021)
Steven Spielberg took a remake of a classic that nobody needed and defied the odds to make a great movie in its own right. It is a movie musical that stands as an excellent companion to the original. Books, essays, and documentaries have been made analyzing the craft and skill on display in the original…
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The Year End Bonanza
We’re doing something a little different this week. We are approaching the first anniversary of our podcast and wanted to celebrate with a mega sized review. Our hosts watched 61 movies together in 2021 and released most of them on this podcast. Tune in this week for a long-form episode talking through everything we watched…
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Greyhound
Currently streaming on Apple TV, this straight down the line WWII action movie hits the mark for our hosts this week. Tom Hanks, compelling action, and solid historical interpretation combine to put you on the bridge of a destroyer in the North Atlantic in this immersive naval film.
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The Golden Compass (2007)
Do you like the holiday polar bears that Coca Cola brings out every year around this time? Would you like to watch them rip each other apart in a cgi armored bear brawl? Me neither. Based on the popular book series, The Golden Compass (2007) tried to appeal to everyone, and in doing so, made…
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Cliffhanger
Sylvester Stallone stars as a rock climber who gets caught up in a life or death struggle with a group of thieves in the peaks of the Western US. Some incredible rock climbing mixed with some overextended plot twists net out to a middling good-bad movie for our hosts
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2012
Disaster movies can be escapist entertainment. They can be affirming of the human spirit. They can be technical marvels offering up state of the art effects. 2012 is none of those things. Find out what it actually is by listening to our 3 minute review.
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Boss Level
Combining elements of video games, Groundhog Day, and Looney Toons this action, comedy, family drama has a little too much going on for its own good. But does that make it the biggest and best movie ever or just a made by committee mess? Listen to our review to find out…
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Halloween 1978
The original is always the best. We closed out Halloween month with the movie named after the holiday. Does it hold up? Absolutely. It’s the best in the series and a legendary horror movie for a reason. I watch this one every few years. The story is well known. A mad man escapes an asylum…
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