Cinema D‘Amore

Hosts Chuck and Justin dive into Kneecap, the wildly energetic and semi-autobiographical comedy-drama starring the real-life rap trio alongside Michael Fassbender. They discuss the film’s kinetic visual style, surreal humor, and unforgettable drug-fueled set pieces, while exploring its themes of language, identity, rebellion, and Irish culture. Along the way, they compare the film’s anarchic spirit to Trainspotting and the sample-heavy creativity of the Beastie Boys, praising its inventive filmmaking, sharp performances, and infectious energy. If you're looking for a bold, funny, and highly original indie film, this is one you won't want to miss. Hosted by Charles PhillipsCo-hosted by Justin MorganMixing and Music by Scratchin’ Menace Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms. Please subscribe, rate, and review. We appreciate the support!

Hosts Justin Morgan and Chuck Phillips dive into Zach Cregger’s Weapons, exploring its blend of horror, dark comedy, and a non-linear structure that gradually links its characters and events. They spotlight the strong ensemble cast, including Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Benedict Wong, and look at how Cregger balances shifting tones without losing tension. The conversation then delves into the film’s standout moments, its sharp practical effects, and how its fractured narrative ultimately snaps together. Justin and Chuck unpack the choices that make Weapons one of the year’s most talked-about genre films, offering insights and connections that deepen the experience for anyone who’s seen it and anyone planning to. Hosted by Justin MorganCo-hosted by Charles PhillipsMixing and Music by Scratchin’ Menace Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms. Please subscribe, rate, and review. We appreciate the support!

Cinema D’Amore celebrates eight years on the mic with a brand-new season and a haunting start. The hosts dive into Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona, a Guatemalan ghost story that mixes political horror, folklore, and slow-burn dread. They dig into the film’s deliberate pacing, eerie atmosphere, and its echoes of Pan’s Labyrinth and Stalker. The conversation flows through themes of guilt, justice, and revenge, with plenty of appreciation for the film’s striking visuals, long takes, and unforgettable performances. La Llorona’s curse lingers through history like a whisper in the dark, making this 95-minute gem a perfect, spine-tingling way to kick off Season 5. Hosted by Justin Morgan and Charles PhillipsMixing and Music by Scratchin’ Menace Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates, behind-the-scenes posts, and upcoming episodes. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and pretty much anywhere you get your shows. Subscribe, rate, and review. It really helps us grow, and we’re grateful for every listener who’s been with us on this ride.

Chuck and Justin take on Alex Garland’s Annihilation, a film that’s as haunting as it is hard to pin down. They dig into how it compares to Jeff VanderMeer’s novel, what Garland nailed, and where it falls short. From the nightmare bear to the lighthouse and those uncanny doppelgängers, they break down the movie’s wild mix of beauty, horror, and existential dread, and ask whether it ever truly captures the book’s strange, Lovecraftian soul. Hosted by Charles PhillipsCo-hosted by Justin MorganMixing by Scratchin’ MenaceMusic by Daniel Birch and Ben Pegley Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.Please subscribe, rate, and review. We appreciate the support!

Cinema D’Amore ventures into the shadows of Alien: Romulus, where survival is forged from coal dust and blood. Chuck and Justin unravel the film’s desperate human drama, its unsettling bond between flesh and machine, and the relentless swarm of xenomorph terror. From facehugger nightmares to jaw-dropping practical effects, they trace how the movie both honors the franchise’s legacy and mutates it into something startlingly new. Hosted by Charles PhillipsCo-hosted by Justin MorganMixing by Scratchin’ MenaceMusic from Alien: Romulus Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.Please subscribe, rate, and review—we appreciate the support!

Chuck and Justin explore Nagisa Oshima’s Empire of Passion, a late-19th-century Japanese drama where a married woman and her lover murder her husband and hide his body in a village well. When the villagers begin seeing the husband’s ghost, suspicion spreads, exposing erotic obsession, guilt, and complicity. Oshima crafts a haunting, atmospheric ghost story. In this episode, we also connect it to Decision to Leave, examining desire, moral choice, and the consequences of crossing societal and personal boundaries. Hosted by Charles PhillipsCo-hosted by Justin MorganMixing by Scratchin’ MenaceMusic by Daniel Birch and Ben Pegley Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for updates.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.Please subscribe, rate, and review—we appreciate the support!