Cinemaball

Feminist Frequency, Ebony Aster, Carolyn Petit,
  • 4.6 (27)
  • TV & FILM
  • SERIES

Feminist Frequency presents Cinemaball! What’s the shortest distance between two movies? Carolyn Petit and Ebony Aster are determined to find out! In Feminist Frequency’s new weekly, limited run* podcast, your intrepid hosts will compete to form a chain of ostensibly-unrelated films, in an attempt to discover just how many movies they have to watch to connect one terrible movie to another. What exactly links one movie to another? Criteria can be a shared actor, director, plot, or even a similar title -- but each host has to agree on the connection before the game of CinemaBall can continue! Cinemaball is powered by Simplecast.

  1. Cinemaball 01: Highlander (1985)

    EPISODE 1

    Cinemaball 01: Highlander (1985)

    On this, our inaugural episode of Cinemaball, Carolyn and Ebony dive deep into the 1985 cult classic Highlander! This quintessential 80s film gives us no shortage of topics to discuss, from French actor Christopher Lambert’s performance as a Scottish nobleman to Scottish actor Sean Connery’s performance as a Spanish (or perhaps Egyptian?!) immortal. We delve into the rich contrast between Lambert’s introspective hero, Connor MacLeod, and Clancy Brown’s scenery-chewing villain, The Kurgan; share who we would cast in our own personal Highlander remakes; and rate the film on Ebony’s brother’s patented 100-star scale. Finally, Carolyn kicks the cinemaball over to their next film.

    44 min
  2. Cinemaball 02: Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018)

    EPISODE 2

    Cinemaball 02: Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018)

    On this episode of Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn find themselves embroiled in the deadly underground Thai kickboxing scene of Kickboxer Retaliation! Join us as we go toe-to-toe with the film’s fight choreography, its representations of masculinity, and Mike Tyson’s acting skills.

    55 min
  3. Cinemaball 03: It Follows (2014)

    EPISODE 3

    Cinemaball 03: It Follows (2014)

    Don’t look behind you, but on this episode of Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn talk about the terrifying horror film It Follows. (Caro is still recovering from her viewing experience.) We discuss the ways in which the film taps into some of our deepest fears around sex and death, the power of the various forms “it” takes, how the film uses its Detroit setting to great effect, and the small details that make its world feel just slightly displaced from our own. We end by each rating the film and Carolyn announces what we’ll be watching on next week’s show!

    50 min
  4. Cinemaball 04: Louder Than Bombs (2015)

    EPISODE 4

    Cinemaball 04: Louder Than Bombs (2015)

    On this week’s Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn discuss the complex family drama Louder Than Bombs, which stars the captivating actor Gabriel Byrne as Gene, a man still trying to fully process the death of his wife, war photographer Isabelle. His sons, high-schooler Conrad and professor Jonah (played by Jesse Eisenberg) each have their own struggles, and over the course of the film we gain insight into the different meaning that Isabelle had for each of them. Our conversation touches on what makes Gabriel Byrne such a fascinating actor, the use of video games as an easy shorthand for “this kid is troubled,” the prioritization of the inner lives of white men over just about anyone else as a pattern in cinema, and the ways in which photography works as a metaphor in the context of the film’s narrative. In the end, Ebony announces our next film, and the selection makes Carolyn very, very happy. View the basic rules of Cinemaball and a history of all episodes at goo.gl/ePDPuQ

    1h 2m
  5. Cinemaball 05: L.A. Confidential (1997)

    EPISODE 5

    Cinemaball 05: L.A. Confidential (1997)

    This week, Cinemaball goes all stylish and dark as Carolyn and Ebony dissect the 1997 neo-noir classic, L.A. Confidential. Our hosts wax rhapsodic about the film's masterful evocation of a peculiarly Hollywood glamour; the seedy underbelly of the LAPD; and the dangerous allure of power.

    1h 9m
  6. Cinemaball 06: Romancing the Stone (1984)

    EPISODE 6

    Cinemaball 06: Romancing the Stone (1984)

    Adventure! Romance! Racism! On the latest Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn swing into the 1984 swashbuckler Romancing the Stone, starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and a very funny Danny DeVito. Our conversation covers the interesting way in which the film depicts a scene from a romance novel, what was happening in actual romance novels at the time this film was released, the deeply racist depiction of Colombia and its people, the gleeful absurdity of the film’s plot, and much more.

    57 min
  7. Cinemaball 07: The China Syndrome (1979)

    EPISODE 7

    Cinemaball 07: The China Syndrome (1979)

    This week on Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn endure the nail-biting tension of the 1979 nuclear disaster thriller, The China Syndrome! We discuss the ways in which the film taps into very real concerns of the period about the safety of nuclear power, the ways in which TV news can be a tool of corporate propaganda or a force for justice (yes, it’s about ethics in journalism), and how it functions as a critique of capitalism run amok. We applaud the film’s authentic little observations about TV news production, as well as Jack Lemmon’s wonderful performance. In a new segment called Sommovier, Caro and Ebony each suggest fine films with which you could pair The China Syndrome to make for a great double feature. Finally, Carolyn excitedly reveals what we’ll be discussing on next week’s show. It’s gonna be a good one.

    52 min
  8. CinemaBall 08: Hard Target (1993)

    EPISODE 8

    CinemaBall 08: Hard Target (1993)

    This week on Cinemaball, Carolyn scores a field goal with the John Woo-directed Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick, Hard Target! It’s got JCVD as a New Orleans drifter named Chance Boudreaux, Lance Henriksen in a scenery-chewing performance as Emil Fouchon, a man who makes his fortune by letting rich people hunt poor people, and Wilford Brimley as Chance’s Uncle Douvee. (It’s also got a scene in which Van Damme punches a snake.) It may not be a good film, but it sure is a fun one, and Ebony and Carolyn savor the film’s Louisiana setting, its seeming concern with the economic struggles of New Orleans and its people, and the glorious Woo-ness of it all.

    53 min
See All Season 1 (16)

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4.6
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Feminist Frequency presents Cinemaball! What’s the shortest distance between two movies? Carolyn Petit and Ebony Aster are determined to find out! In Feminist Frequency’s new weekly, limited run* podcast, your intrepid hosts will compete to form a chain of ostensibly-unrelated films, in an attempt to discover just how many movies they have to watch to connect one terrible movie to another. What exactly links one movie to another? Criteria can be a shared actor, director, plot, or even a similar title -- but each host has to agree on the connection before the game of CinemaBall can continue! Cinemaball is powered by Simplecast.

Information

  • Creator
    Feminist Frequency, Ebony Aster, Carolyn Petit,
  • Episodes
    16
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2018 Feminist Frequency
  • Show Website
    Cinemaball