Charlie Chaplin goes to "The Circus" on CineVerse

Charlie Chaplin certainly made more popular pictures (The Great Dictator) and more critically acclaimed films (City Lights) than his 1928 feature “The Circus.” But arguably he never made a funnier one, as the latter is practically bursting with side-splitting gags, hilarious set pieces, and unforgettable comedic stunts. Our CineVerse homework was to head to the big top and revisit this 94-year-old laugher and assess what makes it timeless (to listen to a recording of our group discussion, click here).

Killer of Sheep on CineVerse!

In this episode of the Cineverse podcast, we took a deep dive into Charles Burnett’s 1978 student film, “Killer of Sheep.” Burnett may not be a household name like Spike Lee, but he’s unquestionably one of the most talented and respected African American directors. This breakout work remained widely unseen for decades due to music rights issues, but it has been restored and is fortunately now accessible to millions. Take a listen to our discussion right here: https://www.cineversegroup.com/2022/08/diving-deep-on-sheep.htm

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same...Unfortunately

Bruce on the loose! Check out the episode of the Cineverse podcast where we discuss Bob Fosse’s 1974 biopic of controversial comic Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine. Its themes of free speech and comedy are all too timely in an age of endless trigger warnings, hypersensitive special snowflakes and the ever more repugnant growth of a cancel culture that either seeks to silence unpopular opinions or intimidate people into self-censorship. https://www.cineversegroup.com/2022/06/bruce-on-loose.html

Discussing "About Elly" on the Cineverse Podcast

Where does the time keep going? I’ll be updating a series of links to discussions we’ve had about a great collection of films on the Cineverse podcast. This is an episode where we dive into the mystery “About Elly,” from Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. A group of friends goes on a vacation at a run-down resort…and one of them disappears. The tension, anger, and paranoia keep building and building in this outstanding sociocultural thriller. 

https://www.cineversegroup.com/.../about-elly-is-about-as...

Win a free copy of FATAL POSE!

Check this out! Get a chance to win a free book!! I am running a contest on Goodreads.com to give away signed copies of my award-winning mystery FATAL POSE. 

So give it a shot! You love to read, inflation’s out of control and everything’s insanely expensive, so put a free book on your summer reading list!!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61410573-fatal-pose

 

Find "The Lady Vanishes" on the Cineverse podcast!

For any fans of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock should be required viewing. Called the master of suspense for a good reason, his films demonstrate the exact science of what creates tension, anxiety, and edge-of-your seat suspense. While the apex of his career created classics like “Shadow of a Doubt,” “Rear Window,” “North by Northwest,” “Vertigo,” and “Psycho,” just to make a few, it’s interesting to take a look at some of his earlier work as well and see the development of the signature Hitchcock style. We did exactly that on a recent episode of the Cineverse podcast, discussing “The Lady Vanishes,” Hitchcock’s penultimate British film before producer David O. Selznick brought him to Hollywood. Check out our discussion right here.

"Sing Street" on the Cineverse Podcast

So far the film I enjoyed seeing the most in 2022 was this Irish comedy/teen love story “Sing Street” from 2016 we discussed on a recent episode of the Cineverse podcast. No superheroes, the Jedis, no CGI, no baby Yodas, no dinosaurs! You’ve already seen that 10,000 times! So just check out this funny, moving, underdogs-against-the-odds story about a group of geeky teenagers forming a band in 1980s Dublin. And with some great 80s music to boot!