Cinema Callback

Cinema Callback

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Film Reviews
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Cinema Callback — the film podcast made entirely through WhatsApp voice notes Cinema Callback is a voicemail-based film podcast hosted by Andy and Michael, two lifelong movie lovers from Ireland . Each week they exchange voice messages dissecting cult classics, hidden gems, and new releases. From horror to noir, indie to blockbusters, it’s an honest, playful take on cinema’s best. New episodes weekly.

1 day ago

The Baltimorons (2025)

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Jay Duplass’s The Baltimorons, an unconventional indie holiday romance co-written by Duplass and Michael Strassner, and starring Strassner alongside Liz Larsen. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts unpack a film that begins in surprisingly dark territory. Cliff is a self-involved improv comedian whose story opens with a suicide attempt before the holidays. After breaking a tooth on Christmas Eve, he finds himself in the office of Didi, a grounded and world-weary dentist, beginning an increasingly chaotic odd-couple journey through Baltimore. Andy and Michael debate whether The Baltimorons really captures the magic of a Christmas movie at all. Is this a warm, alternative addition to the festive canon, or does its melancholy, dysfunctional view of the holidays place it closer to the world of anti-Christmas movies such as Christmas, Again? The biggest disagreement comes with the romance itself. The hosts clash over Cliff’s deliberately unlikable and uncharismatic qualities and whether the film successfully subverts the traditional romantic comedy by pairing a flawed man-child with an older woman. Is their relationship a refreshing rejection of the polished people who usually populate the genre, or does the lack of conventional romantic chemistry expose problems with the writing and the plausibility of their connection? The conversation also expands into the wider career of the Duplass brothers. Andy and Michael look at Jay Duplass’s work away from his usual collaboration with Mark Duplass and consider how his solo directing and writing instincts compare with the films the brothers created together. Ultimately, The Baltimorons gives the hosts plenty to disagree about. From its dark opening and unusual central relationship to its awkward comedy and alternative take on Christmas romance, this is a film that deliberately refuses to give audiences the comfortable characters and familiar emotional beats they might expect from the genre. Join Andy and Michael for a deep dive into rom-com subversion, Christmas melancholy, difficult protagonists, unlikely attraction, and whether The Baltimorons earns its unconventional romance. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: Cinema Callback on Patreon
30 Sept

Gate of Flesh (1964) - The Criterion Series

As part of Cinema Callback’s Criterion Collection series, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Seijun Suzuki’s Gate of Flesh (1964), a bleak but surprisingly energetic portrait of sex workers attempting to survive among the ruins of postwar Tokyo. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore the strange contradiction at the heart of the film. Its world is defined by poverty, violence, hunger, and national devastation, yet Suzuki presents it through vibrant colours, artificial sets, experimental cinematography, and an almost relentlessly lively pace. Rather than undermining the seriousness of the story, the deliberately “fake” appearance begins to feel like a reflection of a society that is itself barely holding together. Andy and Michael discuss the small community formed by the women and the brutal rules they establish to ensure their collective survival. Sex must remain transactional. Intimacy and emotional attachment threaten the system they have created, meaning something as fundamentally human as falling in love can become an act of betrayal. The arrival of a former soldier places those rules under increasing pressure and exposes just how fragile their makeshift society really is. The film’s distinctive colour coding also leads to one of the episode’s more unexpected comparisons, as the women’s different coloured headbands and underground existence somehow bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a discussion of 1960s Japanese art cinema. Beneath the joke, however, is a fascinating example of Suzuki using bold visual shorthand to give each character an immediate identity within the group. Across their voice note exchanges, Andy and Michael explore how Suzuki keeps such harrowing material remarkably engaging. Unusual camera angles, theatrical environments, bursts of colour, heightened performances, and constant visual experimentation transform a story about prostitution and national ruination into something that feels alive and unpredictable. Ultimately, Gate of Flesh becomes a film about survival when normal society has ceased to function. Its characters are not simply living in the ruins of Tokyo. They are attempting to construct their own rules, identities, and sense of community from what remains. Join Andy and Michael for another Cinema Callback: Criterion Collection deep dive into a strange, colourful, brutal, and visually audacious film about poverty, intimacy, survival, and a society attempting to rebuild itself from the rubble. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: Cinema Callback on Patreon
23 Sept

Pickpocket (1959) - The Criterion Series

As part of Cinema Callback’s Criterion Collection series, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket (1959), a stark, stripped back portrait of crime, isolation, and a young man who seems almost completely checked out from the world around him. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore Michel, a protagonist whose emotional numbness becomes one of the film’s most fascinating qualities. Looking at the character through a modern lens, Andy and Michael discuss whether aspects of his detachment and difficulty connecting with others could be read as autistic traits, while contrasting Bresson’s deliberately cold approach with the warmth and coziness of modern character studies such as Paterson. Despite that emotional restraint, the film suddenly comes alive during its remarkably slick pickpocketing sequences. Andy and Michael discuss the precision and perfect timing of these scenes, where hands, bodies, wallets, and objects move together with almost mechanical choreography. They consider how surprisingly modern these sequences feel, drawing comparisons with the energy and technical confidence of filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese. The conversation also digs into the philosophical cat and mouse game between Michel and the police. Rather than simply asking whether he will be caught, Pickpocket becomes interested in why Michel steals at all, the intellectual arguments he constructs around his behaviour, and whether his crimes offer excitement, purpose, or simply another way of separating himself from conventional society. More broadly, the episode becomes a discussion about why we watch films in the first place. Andy and Michael debate the difference between approaching cinema academically, as an important part of film and art history, and simply wanting to be entertained. Does understanding a film’s influence make the experience of watching it more rewarding, or should a supposedly great film still work entirely on its own terms? At a brilliantly efficient 75 minutes, Pickpocket never overstays its welcome. It remains a strange genre adjacent classic: part crime film, part character study, part philosophical exercise, and a work capable of provoking considerably more discussion than its modest runtime might suggest. Join Andy and Michael for another Cinema Callback: Criterion Collection deep dive into emotional detachment, beautifully executed crime, the purpose of watching classic cinema, and a film that continues to invite philosophical pondering more than six decades later. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: Cinema Callback on Patreon
16 Sept

Love Jones (1997) - The Criterion Series

As part of Cinema Callback’s Criterion Collection series, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Theodore Witcher’s 1997 cult classic Love Jones, a soulful romantic drama powered by the sizzling energy and chemistry between Larenz Tate and Nia Long. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore the relationship between aspiring writer Darius and photographer Nina, two young artists whose attraction feels immediate but whose path towards something more meaningful is complicated by pride, uncertainty, jealousy, and bad timing. Rather than forcing its characters into familiar romantic archetypes, Love Jones allows them to feel messy, contradictory, and remarkably authentic. The conversation also explores the film’s distinctive portrayal of the Black experience within the poetry, jazz, art, and nightlife subcultures of 1990s Chicago. Andy and Michael discuss the almost sensory quality of Witcher’s filmmaking, creating a world that feels as though you can touch and smell it, and how the city, music, clubs, apartments, friendships, and creative spaces become essential to the romance itself. Looking at Love Jones alongside other Gen X landmarks such as Singles, Reality Bites, and Jerry Maguire, the hosts consider how perfectly the film captures a particular moment in the 1990s while somehow remaining endlessly fresh. There is nostalgia in returning to this world, but the emotional uncertainty of its characters and the chemistry between Tate and Long prevent it from ever feeling trapped in its decade. Andy and Michael also reflect on the remarkable fact that Love Jones was Theodore Witcher’s directorial debut and remains his only feature film. What could have been simply another romantic drama instead became a genuine hidden gem, gradually developing a devoted following and eventually earning recognition within the Criterion Collection. Join Andy and Michael for another Cinema Callback: Criterion Collection deep dive into the sizzling chemistry, character authenticity, ’90s atmosphere, and soulful filmmaking that make Love Jones one of the great overlooked romantic dramas of its generation. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: Cinema Callback on Patreon
9 Sept

Ashes and Diamonds (1958) - The Criterion Series

As part of Cinema Callback’s Criterion Collection series, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Andrzej Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds (1958), one of the defining films of postwar Polish cinema. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore a film whose personal drama is inseparable from the complicated political history surrounding it. Originally watched as part of a week spent exploring films from the Criterion Collection, Ashes and Diamonds proves to be one of the most challenging discussions of the project. Set immediately after the end of the Second World War, the film follows a young resistance fighter tasked with assassinating a Communist official as Poland finds itself caught between nationalist resistance and an emerging Soviet backed government. Andy and Michael openly discuss the gaps in their own knowledge of Polish history and how that affected their experience of the film, from initially misreading certain characters to struggling with some of the ideological divisions driving the story. The conversation becomes an exploration of what happens when we encounter a film deeply rooted in a history and culture that we do not completely understand. At the centre of the film is Zbigniew Cybulski’s charismatic performance as Maciek, the conflicted young assassin whose look and screen presence famously drew comparisons with James Dean. Andy and Michael discuss how Cybulski provides an emotional route into the film, embodying a generation emerging from one war only to find itself caught immediately in another struggle over Poland’s future. Across their voice note exchanges, they also explore Wajda’s extraordinary filmmaking, from the striking deep focus photography and symbolic compositions to individual images that reveal why Ashes and Diamonds became such an influential work. They discuss its lasting impact on filmmakers including Martin Scorsese and how its visual storytelling can remain immediately powerful even when some of its political nuances prove harder to penetrate. Ultimately, the discussion raises a larger question about watching world cinema: how much historical context do we need to truly understand a film? Can performance, imagery, and filmmaking transcend those gaps, or are there some works whose deepest layers only become accessible when we understand the history that produced them? Join Andy and Michael for another Cinema Callback: Criterion Collection deep dive into a technically extraordinary, historically complex film and the challenges and rewards of encountering cinema outside your own cultural experience. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CinemaCallback
2 Sept

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) - The Criterion Series

Spoiler Warning: This episode contains full spoilers for Picnic at Hanging Rock. Criterion Week continues on Cinema Callback as Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Peter Weir’s 1975 cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, revisiting a film once dismissed as a boring teenage memory and discovering instead a remarkable piece of atmospheric horror. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore the central mystery of the schoolgirls who vanish during a trip into the Australian bush and the film’s striking refusal to offer closure. Rather than building its story around solving the disappearance, Picnic at Hanging Rock strips the mystery back, allowing atmosphere, sound, landscape, and unanswered questions to become more important than conventional plot. Across their voice note exchanges, Andy and Michael discuss the extraordinary sound design and cinematography that transform Hanging Rock into an almost otherworldly presence. There is a sense of cosmic horror to the landscape, as though the characters have encountered something ancient and fundamentally beyond their understanding. The conversation explores ideas of beauty and innocence, the sublime nature of the rock itself, and the cultural clash between the rigid traditions of colonial British society and an Australian landscape that existed long before them. They also examine the differences between the theatrical version and Peter Weir’s shorter Director’s Cut, asking whether removing material actually strengthens the film by making its mysteries even more elusive. Rather than providing answers, the film seems determined to leave gaps that the audience can never completely fill. The conversation considers the film’s remarkable legacy and draws connections with later works such as The Leftovers and Longlegs, stories similarly fascinated by unexplained events and the psychological consequences of living without answers. Is Picnic at Hanging Rock primarily a mystery, a horror film, a meditation on trauma, or something deliberately impossible to categorise? Whether viewed as an extraordinary early calling card for Peter Weir or as a profound exploration of the human need to make sense of the unknowable, Andy and Michael tease out why the mystery of Hanging Rock continues to haunt audiences more than fifty years later. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CinemaCallback
26 Aug

Tampopo (1985) - The Criterion Series

Cinema Callback kicks off Criterion Week with Andy and Michael taking a deep dive into Juzo Itami’s Tampopo (1985), the joyous and wonderfully eccentric Japanese classic that transforms the conventions of the American Western into a story about the pursuit of the perfect bowl of ramen. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts explore the film’s central story of a truck driver helping a widowed restaurant owner perfect her ramen recipe and rescue her struggling business. Dubbed the definitive “Noodle Western,” Tampopo takes the familiar figure of the wandering gunslinger and replaces shootouts with cooking, mentorship, and an obsessive pursuit of mastering a craft. Across their voice note exchanges, Andy and Michael discuss the film’s extraordinary structure, with its central narrative repeatedly interrupted by surreal, funny, erotic, and sometimes deeply moving food obsessed vignettes. From sensual encounters built entirely around eating to the unforgettable sequence involving a dying mother preparing one final meal for her family, food becomes a gateway into virtually every aspect of human existence. The conversation explores the film’s celebration of master craftsmanship and its almost magical realist view of everyday life, drawing comparisons with films such as Amélie and The Fisher King. They discuss the performances of Tsutomu Yamazaki and a young Ken Watanabe, Itami’s relatively late arrival as a filmmaker, and the remarkable life and career that followed, including his confrontation with the Yakuza and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. Above all, Andy and Michael explore why Tampopo feels so incredibly comforting and uplifting. Beneath all the eccentricity is a film about people helping one another become better at something they love, and about the sensory pleasures, rituals, and connections that make ordinary life worth celebrating. Whether you are discovering Tampopo for the first time or already consider it one of cinema’s great food films, join us for the opening of Criterion Week and a deep dive into a funny, strange, sensual, and profoundly life affirming celebration of cooking, craftsmanship, and the human condition. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CinemaCallback
19 Aug

Full Alert (1997)

In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael take a deep dive into Ringo Lam’s Full Alert (1997), a forgotten gem of Hong Kong crime cinema that offers a grounded, hardboiled alternative to the more heightened action films of its era. Through the show’s signature voice note conversation format, the hosts respond to each other’s ideas over time, exploring why a film often overshadowed by the work of filmmakers like John Woo deserves to be rediscovered. Across a series of voice note exchanges, they discuss the unusual weight Full Alert gives to violence and death. Rather than treating killing as disposable action spectacle, the film allows its consequences to linger, with both its detective and antagonist displaying something resembling psychological trauma as the story progresses. The result is a cops and criminals story populated by fallible people who may be good at their jobs but are completely unprepared for the exceptional circumstances they find themselves facing. The conversation also explores Ringo Lam’s commitment to grounded action filmmaking and the extraordinary practical spectacle that comes with it. From chaotic car chases through the streets of Hong Kong to breathtaking motorcycle sequences, the film’s lack of reliance on CGI gives its action a physical danger and unpredictability that remains astonishing decades later. Andy and Michael also dig into the film’s unexpectedly sinister atmosphere, including an intense score that at times feels closer to a 1990s horror movie like Scream than a conventional crime thriller. Comparisons are drawn with American films such as Heat and Seven, while the hosts consider how Full Alert develops its own distinctive combination of procedural realism, moral complexity, and almost horror-like tension. Finally, they examine the significance of the film arriving in 1997, just months before the handover of Hong Kong, and how its images of the city inadvertently capture a place on the verge of profound historical change. Whether you are already a fan of Hong Kong cinema or simply looking for an overlooked, gritty crime thriller, this episode explores why Full Alert is a masterclass in practical filmmaking, visual storytelling, and giving violence consequences that actually matter. Enjoying the conversation? Support Cinema Callback on Patreon for bonus content, exclusive extras, and to help us continue making in depth film discussions through our unique voice note format. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CinemaCallback

Cinema Callback — the film podcast made entirely through WhatsApp voice notes Cinema Callback is a voicemail-based film podcast hosted by Andy and Michael, two lifelong movie lovers from Ireland . Each week they exchange voice messages dissecting cult classics, hidden gems, and new releases. From horror to noir, indie to blockbusters, it’s an honest, playful take on cinema’s best. New episodes weekly.

Creator

Cinema Callback
Years Active

2024 - 2026
Episodes

124
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Cinema Callback
Show Website

Cinema Callback