Check the Gate

Martin Vavra

5.0 (3)
FILM REVIEWS
UPDATED MONTHLY

Hosts Martin and Gretchen talk movies. Each episode we choose one movie to start the conversation. From there, all movies, genres and topics could come up. It's about the love of films and the love of talking about films with the people we most want to talk with. No criticism. Not reviews. We just love movies and we hope you love the ones we choose to talk about.

FEB 4

Check the Gate - Strange Days

Season two begins where season one left off. When last we talked about movies, Gretchen and I had watch Ralph Fiennes in The Menu. So to ring in 2026, we watched the Ralph Fiennes 1995 cyberpunk film, Strange Days. This Kathryn Bigelow film comes after the amazing Point Blank and the extremely amazing vampire film, Near Dark. Strange Days gives us an amazing look ahead at video as a tool of the future, social media, voice to text messaging and a power structure controlled by the wealthy. Video drugs, double crosses, extra judicial killings and Tom Sizemore's ugly wig. It's a crazy ride that is not always for the timid. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

54 min
12/15/2025

Check the Gate - The Menu

When a young Furiosa and a Warboy meet in a different time, and a different life, with Voldamort serving them dinner before making the worlds most screwed up 'smores, you get The Menu. It's a tremendous performance by Ralph Fiennes, who pretty much never disappoints. Anya Taylor-Joy is pretty much perfect. Nicholas Holt is always solid. Together, they make a memorable movie with a twist on the culinary experience. Take a trip to the island and diner with Gretchen and Martin and they watch The Menu. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

1h 9m
11/21/2025

Check the Gate - The Black Hole

In 1979 Disney set out to make an ambitious film. Giant practical sets. Cutting edge camera movement. Specialized digital effects. Bigatures. All of that to join the frey of filmmaking studios trying to find their Star Wars. While The Black Hole wasn't their hit, it stands as an amazing film today. Filled with imaginative set pieces, a great villian, renegade robots, all set against the backdrop of a supermassive black hole. Gretchen and Martin watch this fantastic film and gush about it's practical effects and the poor judgement to not cast Sigourney Weaver. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

1h 24m
10/30/2025

Check the Gate - The Crow (Devil's Night Edition)

Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is. And felt how awful goodness is. It's Devil's Night. Our new favorite holiday and we're here for it with our newest episode. This time, we are featuring the 1994 Alex Proyas film, The Crow. The perfect, but now flawless, film that pushes the music video movie genre all the way past the stick margin. This fabulous movie, while met with great tragedy, is a classic that still holds up as a solid. It's part of Martin's regular rotation of films to watch. This was pure joy to see again. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

57 min
10/15/2025

Check the Gate - Shin Godzilla

Martin and Gretchen return to their podcasting roots, both with the Kaijucast and Check the Gate, with this episode. Shin Godzilla! A beautiful relaunch of Godzilla under the banner of Toho. This film is an amazing array of taught political satire questioning the political apparatus of Japan while stepping into the digital effects age with a digital Godzilla. It's a risky moved that paid off in spades for Toho. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

1h 2m
10/01/2025

Check the Gate - The Fall

If you ever wanted to see a Salvador Dali painting come to life, but be empty of meaning or purpose, then The Fall is for you. A lavish, gorgeous, sweeping film that covers 28 countries over four years. It took Tarsim 20 years to make the film. It is so beautiful to look at. Gretchen and Martin break down this film and talk about a few other Tarsim projects. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

52 min
09/15/2025

Check the Gate - Pi

Martin and Gretchen return to the world of indie filmmaking, only this time with much better results. Pi, the 1998 Darren Aronofsky black and white. It's a fantastic dive into mental health, gematria and possibly an underground hasidic mob. Made for $60k, shot on film, with recognizable actors from mainstream projects you've watched, this film is a testament to what can be done with very little. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. Follow along and chat with us on Instagram @checkthegatepodcast .

1h 6m
08/15/2025

Check the Gate - Blade Runner

All of these moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. Unless you have a podcast. Then you get to keep them forever and comment on them relentlessly. Blade Runner is the seminal work of Ridley Scott. As if Alien wasn't enough to transform the landscape of science fiction and horror, he comes back to create a futuristic landscape that is emulated by nearly every director make distopynia future films. This movie has been a great love of ours and it is an absolute pleasure to have watched it for this episode in 35mm at the historic Hollwood Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate

1h 5m

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Hosts Martin and Gretchen talk movies. Each episode we choose one movie to start the conversation. From there, all movies, genres and topics could come up. It's about the love of films and the love of talking about films with the people we most want to talk with. No criticism. Not reviews. We just love movies and we hope you love the ones we choose to talk about.

Creator

Martin Vavra
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

21
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Copyright Martin Vavra
Show Website

Check the Gate